A mural honors Riley High School's past and present

SOUTH BEND, Ind. - There's a new site finally finished in South Bend's Miami Village--celebrating the history of Riley High School.

Today, muralist David Blodgett put the finishing touches on his mural at the corner of Miami St. and Ewing, declaring "Welcome to Wildcat country."

The hand painted mural consists of portraits of James Whitcomb Riley, an Indiana-born poet, and former principal Algie Oldham.

The mural also depicts images of Wildcat sports and students, which Blodgett says he took direct inspiration from old Riley High School year books. 

Blodgett said his art didn't originally begin as a history of Riley High School.

"It was going to be celebrating Riley High School, but didn’t have to be a history. The more I got into it, I was looking at yearbooks from the 20s and 30s and I found images that I really liked," he said. 

Judith Overmyer is organizing a fundraiser to compensate Blodgett for his time, efforts and materials, aiming to reach a goal of $18,000. 

To assist with donations, visit Overmyer's Go Fund Me page for more information.