Tom Lea's Comanches

Used with permission of the United States Postal Service

 Tom Lea became assistant to Chicago muralist John Norton in 1927 (Tom Lea papers, 1905-2001, MS476, C. L. Sonnichen Special Collections Department, the University of Texas at El Paso Library).  Lea

…won commissions to paint murals in government buildings for the United States Department of the Treasury and the WPA. (p. 3)

Lea was contracted in 1941 to paint the mural Comanches for the newly constructed 1940 Seymour post office.  He selected the early life of the Baylor County area, when Comanche Indians lived there.  The cost of the mural was $950 and it was installed in 1942 (cityofSeymour.org).

The post office remains in use, and was renovated to add handicap access, and a new service window and counter.