Evelyn Cole did art in Chinook most of her adult life and is likely best known for her sculpture of famed western artist Charlie Russell (rejected as Montana's entry for the Hall of Statuary in the U.S. Capitol because Russell was sculpted wearing a hat). Cole did paintings, sculptures and unique pieces including two tents she decorated for local girls who attended the first ever national Girl Scout Senior Roundup in 1956. Evelyn Cole died in 1984.

While working on a story about the mural painted on the wall of Kuhr Clothing, someone asked if I knew about the small mural painted by Evelyn Cole on a basement wall of the 'Harwood place.' Kenny and Dawn Overcast now own that house. Looking for information about that work by Cole, I learned of a couple other paintings that have a special connection to Chinook and make for an interesting story. Here's some of that story.

"Thanks to the Harwood Gang"-Evelyn Cole, 1952

A few years ago Kenny and Dawn Overcast bought the house once owned by Lois and Harry Harwood. The mural is a larger version of the 'horse head' that Evelyn used to sign and date every painting she did. Lynne Mahan, the Harwood's daughter, explained how the small mural, about 2.5 feet by three feet in size, came to be painted on the basement wall.

"My mom and Evelyn Cole were good friends," Lynne said. "One very hot summer Evelyn was working on a bust of Chief Joseph. She asked my mom if she could come and work in our basement where it was cooler." Evelyn's studio was in the old white house on the west side of the lane to the county poor farm off Livestock Road in Chinook. Evelyn lived in a house on the east side of the lane. Kenny Overcast added, "Evelyn's studio had to be hot sitting in the direct sun."

Lynne Mahan told, "One day Evelyn finished her project and left the work space in the basement. When we went down to check on her we found the freshly painted mural." To the sides of the painted horse head was written: "E.C. Cole was here Aug. 25. 52" and "Thanks to the Harwood gang." It is probably one of the most unique thank you notes ever made in Chinook.

What happened to Evelyn Cole's painting once in Harry's Café is unclear

Harry's Café was a popular dining place on the west side of Indiana Street in the first block south of US Highway 2. Corey Couturier, another Chinook artist now deceased, was a fan of Evelyn Cole's work. He wrote in a 2014 story for the "Journal" about going to Harry's Café after church with his family when he was a youngster and noted, "I remembered nothing about the food or the café, only the large painting by Evelyn Cole." The painting inspired him.

Some local seniors recalled the painting. One said, "It was about the size of a picture window and hung on the south wall. Barbara Donahue, the daughter of Harry and Clara Almond who owned the café for many years, described the painting as, "Done in color with scenes from the foothills of the Bear Paws with images of cows, pastureland and foothills." She recalled her dad making a frame, out of Formica, to go around the painting.

Loma and Howard Miller bought the café in 1979. In 1981 much of that block burned and the café was a total loss. Loma recalled, "The painting was gone when we bought the café." It's believed at some point the painting might have been sold to Bob Upshaw who owned the Stockman's Bar (north of the current site of the Mint Bar on Indiana Street) and then sold to someone from Miles City.

I contacted folks at the library, the chamber of commerce and the WaterWorks Art Museum Miles City. They could not recall seeing the painting. A former bar owner said, "I've been in most of the bars in Miles City and I've visited the Bear Paws so would know what the landscape portrayed would look like. I don't ever recall seeing such a painting in Miles City." Maybe the painting is in a private home, maybe it never went to Miles City.

An Evelyn Cole painting is still in Finley's Food Farm

A large Cole painting has hung in the local grocery store since the building was completed as a replacement for the original Buttreys Food Store that burned in 1964. The store has gone through a couple of owners after being sold by Buttreys, Inc. in 1990. Jeff and Lynette Finley have operated the store since 2008. The Cole painting, about three by ten feet in size, most recently hung on the north wall just over the shopping cart storage area at the front of the store.

Bruce Wold, who worked as a manager at Buttreys Chinook store, bought the business from Buttreys in 1990. He recalled the painting hanging over the meat counter that ran the length of the entire back wall. Early on meat was custom cut to each customer's request. Wold didn't know about the history of the painting.

Tom Murray, Sr., who was a meat cutter for Buttreys and subsequent store owners, laughed and said, "I likely knew more about the painting 40 years ago than I know now." The painting is dated the same year the new store opened. "I think," he explained, "Evelyn gave the painting to the store as a gift...maybe for a kindness someone connected to the store once did for her. Or, maybe Buttreys bought the painting.

Jeff Finley holds a painting by Evelyn Cole that has hung in the local grocery store since 1964. Buttreys Food Store moved to the building that now houses Finley's Food Farm after the old store burned the Friday before Memorial Day in 1964. Former employees of Buttreys said the picture originally hung over the meat counter that ran the entire length of the back wall. It's signed, using the horsehead icon, and dated by the artist.

Evelyn Cole's art reflected the history and culture of our region and gave us insights into the place we call home. Thanks, Evelyn....