The document summarizes a new book created to preserve the history mural painted by local artist Janet Seaman at the old Niles-Buchanan YMCA. Seaman's granddaughter Noelle Larson edited the book, titled "Indian Trails and Silver Rails", which features every panel of the mural along with Seaman's accompanying text. The mural spanned 400 years of history in the Four Flags area across multiple large panels. Although most of the original mural can now be found at the new YMCA, the book serves as a memorial to Seaman's work in educating the community through visual storytelling before her passing in 2014.

1. Serving Niles & Buchanan
Sports
inside
Memory lane
Step back in time
with this week’s
old photograph
Page 3
Q&A
Niles senior
Cody Thornton
featured
Page 6
Ballot talk
League hosting
discussion about
Proposal 1
Page 3
WEEKEND EDITION
Volume 128, Number 69 www.leaderpub.com Established 1886 50¢Friday, April 10, 2015
LEGACY
LIVESON By CRAIG HAUPERT
craig.haupert@leaderpub.com
In an effort to support local
students, the Rotary Club of
Niles-Buchanan is offering a
chicken dinner fundraiser next
week.
Money raised will be used
to provide scholarships for
graduating seniors in the Bran-
dywine, Buchanan and Niles
Community School Districts.
Rotary
hosting
chicken
dinner
Proceeds to fund
local scholarships
Niles reports
phone scam
STAFF REPORT
Niles officials reported a
scam Thursday involving
people impersonating the
city’s utilities department.
Residents and business-
es reported receiving calls
with the caller identifica-
tion showing the City of
Niles number (269) 683-
4700.
The caller was report-
edly trying to get people
to pay their bill over the
phone.
City officials say this is
a scam and that the utili-
ties department does not
call and ask for a payment
over the phone.
See SCAM, page 3
See CHICKEN, page 3
Obituaries
Wilton ‘Dutch’ Hand
of Buchanan
Lola ‘Mo’ Nelson
of Niles
Jake T. Kepler
of Niles
By CRAIG HAUPERT
craig.haupert@leaderpub.com
A
nyone who ran on the indoor track at
the old Niles-Buchanan YMCA will
likely remember the intricate mural
that lined its walls.
Created by the late Niles artist and teacher
Janet Seaman, the mural’s many panels depict-
ed the 400-year history of the Four Flags area,
spanning the years 1600 to 2000.
Seaman believed the wall of the 1/18th of a
mile track was the only place large enough to fit
the entire history of Niles — a history she once
said was more interesting than any other place
nearby.
Creating a mural was also a way for her to con-
tinue teaching after her retirement in 1993.
“I guess I never retired from teaching. I feel
like I have been able to do what I really love —
in a different way,” Seaman said in a speech at
the 1998 YMCA open house. “In painting his-
torical murals, I have been able to teach history
in a visual way that makes it come alive for both
children and adults.”
The history of Seaman’s mural lives on in a
new book titled, “Indian Trails and Silver Rails.”
It was edited by Seaman’s granddaughter, No-
elle Larson and Larson’s friend, Becky Kais, a
graphic artist.
In addition to every image of Seaman’s mural,
the book contains text for each panel written by
Seaman herself.
Submitted photos/images
ABOVE: A panel from Janet Seaman’s mural shows
the Main Street Bridge and the City of Niles. A
book featuring the complete mural was created
by Seaman’s granddaughter, Noelle Larson. Mural
photos were taken by Charles Rhodes.
See LEGACY, page 2
Complete Niles history mural featured in new book

2. Page 2 • Friday, April 10, 2015 LOCAL Niles Daily Star
Larson said the book is her memo-
rial gift to Seaman, who passed away
in December of 2014. As Seaman’s
health failed, Larson said her grand-
mother talked about the mural often
and emphasized how much it meant
to her.
“I wanted to create a beautiful trib-
ute to the work she did so that people
could celebrate with her what I think
she believed was the most important
work she contributed to the Niles
community,” Larson said.
The idea for creating the book was
born in 2012 as Larson began cata-
loging a family history.
She found a box containing taped-
together photographs of the origi-
nal YMCA mural taken by Charles
Rhodes. Larson had seen them before
many years ago, but assumed they
were long gone.
“When I found them I was just
thrilled,” she said. “I didn’t know we
had any pictures of it, let alone such a
complete picture.”
Larson also found a children’s col-
oring book Seaman made using her
sketches of the mural as coloring
pages. It contained text explaining the
history of each mural panel. Larson
decided to include the text along with
each picture in the book, which also
includes an introduction from Sea-
man’s speech “Murals and Things” at
the 1998 YMCA Open House.
Seaman began working on the
mural in 1993 after the YMCA ap-
proached her with the idea of doing
something to make the walls of the
running track more appealing.
Over the course of the next five
years, Seaman enlisted more than 40
volunteers, ranging in age from kin-
dergarten students to adults, to help
her complete the mural.
It contains several important
events, including the arrival of French
missionaries, the founding of Fort St.
Joseph, the arrival of the railroad and
other highlights.
Larson said Seaman was especially
proud of the fact that she involved
children in the process, allowing them
to become immersed in the history of
their community.
“This piece was so important to
her because it really encapsulated the
spirit of community service,” Larson
said.
Most of Seaman’s original mural
can be found today in the atrium of
the new YMCA building. The old
YMCA was torn down last year. The
rest of the pieces can be found at dif-
ferent locations throughout Niles, in-
cluding one at the Niles Amtrak De-
pot and another at St. Mary’s Catholic
Church.
Copies of the new book will be
available for sale during a memorial
service for Seaman at 3 p.m. April 25
at the Niles District Library. Larson
said she is bringing 100 copies. The
service is open to the public.
“It is a celebration of her life,” she
said.
LEGACYContinued from page 1
Submitted photos/images
TOP: Janet Seaman’s mural shows the block between Second and Third Streets
during the“roaring 1920s.”On the left is Veni’s Candies and Thayer’s Jewelry.
On the right is a line of patients waiting to see the famous eye doctor, Fred-
erick N. Bonine. MIDDLE: Seaman’s granddaughter, Noelle Larson, is pictured
here with a copy of the book she designed and edited for her grandmother.
BOTTOM: The mural depicts Saint Mary of the Immaculate Conception Church
circa 1870. Mural photos were taken by Charles Rhodes.