Those That Carried Us Here

Downtown Littleton - 2026

Those That Carried Us Here is a large-scale public mural in Downtown Littleton, Colorado, created as the first major installation of the Littleton Downtown Development Authority’s Downtown Public Art Program. Spanning approximately 2,420 square feet, the mural transforms the historic façade at 2490 Main Street into a vintage Littleton trolley traveling through time, memory, landscape, and community identity.

Inspired by the electric trolley that once traveled along Main Street, the design uses the architecture of the building itself - including its windows, doors, cornice lines, and vertical divisions - as the structure of the trolley. Rather than simply covering the building, the artwork allows the existing façade to become part of the story.

At the center of the mural, a black-and-white trolley carries figures from Littleton’s history, including community founders Richard and Angeline Little, physician and civic leader Dr. Walter C. Crysler, architect J.J.B. Benedict, rancher and irrigation advocate Joseph Bowles, and agricultural and civic leaders Elizabeth and Fred Bemis. Together, they represent some of the people whose vision, labor, and stewardship helped shape the community that exists today.

Beyond the trolley, the mural opens into sweeping scenes of Colorado’s foothills, plains, and glowing sunset skies. Native plants - including Rocky Mountain columbine, blanket flower, echinacea, lupine, and native grasses - weave throughout the composition alongside wildlife and pollinators, connecting Littleton’s human history to the living landscape that has sustained life here for generations.

Subtle silhouettes of Indigenous riders and buffalo appear within the landscape, acknowledging that the history of this land extends far beyond the establishment of Littleton. These elements are intentionally atmospheric rather than literal portraits, recognizing the Indigenous peoples who lived in and moved through this region and the deep relationship between people, animals, and the grasslands of the Front Range.

The mural also incorporates the voices of present-day Littleton residents. Through a community engagement campaign, people were invited to submit words describing what Littleton means to them. Words including Community, Authentic, Charming, Evolving, Inclusive, Vintage, Vibrant, Cozy, Relevant, Heart, Cheerful, Alive, and Original are woven into root systems beneath the trolley - symbolizing a community identity that is both inherited from the past and continually nourished by the people who live, work, gather, and create here today.

At the front trolley steps, an interactive spot invites viewers to imagine themselves climbing aboard. This simple gesture transforms the mural from a reflection on history into an invitation to participate in what comes next.

The title, Those That Carried Us Here, is ultimately an expression of gratitude - honoring the people, landscapes, ecosystems, animals, stories, and relationships that have carried this community through time. The mural celebrates Littleton’s history without freezing it in nostalgia, recognizing that the story of a place is never finished. Each generation becomes another passenger - carrying what came before while helping shape where the community travels next.