06/01/2026
Revitalized Bull Durham Mural to take place in Princeton
The Mercer County Area Development(MCAD) board is working on the restoration of the historic Bull Durham To***co advertising mural on the south side of the Princeton square; this will be an important part of the development of a “pocket park” in the space previously occupied by the old barber shop, featuring the history of Princeton.
The Bull Durham mural is part of one of America’s first outdoor advertising campaigns, where four teams of painters were dispatched by the to***co company to paint the ads in several states from the 1870s to early 1900s. While the actual origin date of Princeton’s mural is unknown, we know it is over 115 years old, as pictures from 1912 show the northern portion of the advertisement “painted over” the original “Bull” with a new advertisement for “Selz Royal Blue Shoes”. Over the years, the Selz painting has worn away, exposing the “ghost” of the original Bull Durham To***co advertisement.
Mike Elson, a professional muralist from Cortez, CO has agreed to restore this historic painting at a great discount, tentatively in late July. Mr. Elson is originally from Laclede, MO and has a love for small town history; he has been involved in restoring many of the murals in Chillicothe, MO and is excited to restore our “ghost”. He will be here in mid to late July .
MCAD has been actively securing grants and donations to pay for this project and would like to ask for support from current and former Princeton community members to complete the preservation of a Princeton landmark. All donations are tax deductible and greatly appreciated. Please contact Tammy Hart, Shelly Bickel or any MCAD member for questions and more information. Donations can be sent to: MCAD. PO Box 24. Princeton, MO 64673
Please stay tuned for updates as these exciting projects are completed! Thank you!
