by Leslie Murray

CRANFORD -- From under nearly 40 years of dirt and grime, the Cranford of yesteryear peeks out from a set of murals that show vivid scenes from some of the defining moments in the township's history.
Originally part of the Cranford High School library, the murals were removed, stored away and forgotten when the library was converted to a classroom in 1971.
That was until Larry Fuhro, a history teacher at the High School and the township historian, stumbled upon two of the murals in the school's new library three years ago.

He requested permission to clean the 4X6-foot half-circle murals and hang them in his classroom. After some research Fuhro found that the scenes of the Lenape tribe living in the area and the first settlers, the Denman family, were part of a set of four murals. Since then he's been on a quest to track down the last two panels.
Mayor Bob Puhak joined in the effort when he met with Fuhro in his classroom this year for another project, an effort to revive the river carnivals of the Victorian era, and noticed the murals. Told that two more panels had just been located in the school, Puhak proposed hanging them in the municipal building when they were moved from the storage space above the stage in the school's auditorium. With the blessings of High School Principal Carol Grossi, the murals will eventually be on display in the municipal building, likely in the Township Committee's chambers where they'll be visible during televised meetings.
This week, both Fuhro and Puhak got their first look at the newly uncovered murals. Looking first at a scene of the railroad coming to Cranford, Fuhro looked in disappointment at the coating of dirt and sections of missing paint.
"The paint right here is ready to flake off," he said, pointing to the front of the steam engine.
A second scene of a Revolutionary War solider crossing at Crane's Ford on horseback seemed in better shape, with the white blaze on the horse still crisp and the muddy gray of the water still firmly on the board.
"This is history," Puhak remarked, looking at the second mural.
Dated 1942, the oil paint on wood murals were done by Everett S. Ward, an artist and illustrator whom Fuhro called a "local boy" with family that still lives in the area. A student of the Howard Pyle school, Ward was know for his nature scenes and worked as an artist for Field & Stream and on some Works Progress Administration public art projects.
At over 65 years old, the two newly uncovered murals will need professional restoration according to Fuhro. While both Fuhro and Puhak are hoping to move the murals from behind the High School stage before school starts, they understand the move will have to be performed delicately. While the cost to restore the murals professionally is currently unknown, both men said they believe a fundraising drive would be able to handle the cost.
"We need to do what we can to preserve them," Puhak said.
The murals are a link to the past that should be protected for the future generations, Fuhro said.
"The township and the school district have joined together to preserve Cranford's history," he said.