See the Murals Come to Life!
To see the murals come to life, download the Activive app to your smartphone, hold the camera option within the app up to a mural, and watch the magic happen!
Use the Artivive app on your smartphone while viewing on your desktop!
1. Download and open the Artivive app
2. Hold the camera in front of a photo of a mural
3. Watch it come to life!
Original Mural by Allen Hilgendorf
Original Location: Back of Town Hall (23 Albert St)
Restored Mural by Bevin Finlay
NEW Location: South side of Bartliffs (46 Albert St)
This mural was formerly located behind Clinton’s town hall. Now, it has been digitally re-illustrated and is installed on the side of Bartliffs, where it is more visible to pedestrians and vehicle traffic. Thank you to Jane Groves for providing a photo of it when it was first installed. The colours faded over the years but digital illustration will restore it to be as bright as the original.
Can you spot these?
The Sherwood Manning Piano Factory
Sherlock-Manning began making pianos in Clinton in 1930, after relocating from London, Ontario. Once one of Canada’s longest-running piano manufacturers, the company continued operations in Clinton and later Vanastra until the late 1980s, producing thousands of instruments and even training women in factory roles as early as World War I.
The Clinton Car
Clinton, Ontario was briefly home to its own carmaker in the early 1910’s. Built between 1911 and 1912, the Clinton automobile came from The Clinton Motor Car Company Limited—a short-lived venture that followed the closure of the Clinton Thresher Company after a factory fire in 1908.
Groves Electric
Groves Electric sold the first televisions in Clinton. Stores would stay open until 9pm on Saturday nights, and men and children would gather in front of the store to watch TV while the ladies shopped. The ladies would join them later. They would tune in at 8:30 to see if there was a signal coming in from Detroit. Channel 7 was always wrestling. The crowd would get so large that they would block the highway and police would come and tell them to turn it off! Yukon Eric was one of the big wrestlers of the time. The announcer would joke that “for something to do, he pulls trees out by the roots!” Learn more about the history of Groves TV and Appliance Centre by visiting Stop 7 on Clinton’s historic walking tour!
Bartliff’s Bakery
Bartliffs Bakery & Restaurant is still in business in Clinton. They used to deliver bread around town with a horse-drawn cart. Read more at Stop 11 on Clinton’s historic walking tour! Depicted in this mural is one such delivery cart, driven by Joe Silcox. There was once a horse barn located behind the bakery for the horses too.
The Boy in the Cart
Wynn Sheppard was a local boy who had a disability. For many years, he could be found on main street near town hall selling pencils, gum, shoelaces and other trinkets from his hand-propelled cart. When the bus came to town, folks would buy a pencil or candy from Wynn. He was only around from spring to fall since he couldn’t get around in winter. He spent the last years of his life in Huronview and passed away in 1963. His cart is located in the Huron County Museum today.
Post Office
Clinton was once home to a beautiful three-storey post office, complete with a 75-foot tall clock tower and living quarters for the postmaster. It opened in 1904 and was demolished in 1967. Read Stop 3 on Clinton’s historic walking tour to learn more!
Standpipe Tower
In 1909, the standpipe water tower was built. It was later replaced by an underground reservoir under the hill next to where the splash pad is today.
