COAL GROVE — The Carlyle Labold Tile and Brick Company in Coal Grove is gone now, but in its heyday, manufactured materials that went all over the country.

In fact, the tiles on the floor of the White House’s Truman Balcony are from Carlyle.

In an effort to preserve Coal Grove’s forgotten histories, a teacher at Dawson-Bryant High School has begun a mural project to display Coal Grove, its stories, businesses and people through out the decades.

History teacher Dean Mader presented the idea to the board of education Monday.

“We don’t have anything in our school that shows our history,” Mader said of the project.

Mader said his students have named the concept Project Paint the Walls, the goal being to tell Coal Grove’s history in a visual way so the community and future generations will have a tangible account of a positive past. The murals would be placed in the high school in the cafeteria and stairwells where the walls are bare.

Mader presented several examples of murals that could be a part of the project, such as photos and artifacts from old businesses and restaurants, school photos from classes throughout the decades, a veteran’s timeline and wall of honor, sports history and success stories from Dawson-Bryant graduates.

“I think it’s going to be something that will take years to do but we want to get a start on it now,” Mader said.

Mader said people have already approached him and offered to donate money for the murals. And just as important as money, pictures, stories, artifacts and alumni support, and a possible collaboration with Ohio University Southern are needed to create the murals themselves.

Mader said he hopes to have a couple of murals made and hung before the end of the semester in May.