Wisconsin magazine of history: Volume 32, number 1, September 1948

              a centennial gift by lillian krueger generosity was one of the pioneer's virtues which func - tioned to the giving of the last fragment a component of our heritage it is sparingly reflected in present-day living it is almost strange when in this sharply competitive age there comes to the society a gift not from man's abundance but one created during endless months of the wielding of an artist's brush that could have been handsomely rewarding had it been commissioned the painting would have involved the expenditure of several thousand dollars it was executed however by a young and generous madison artist william ashby mccloy who wished to make his own centennial contribution working again in mural dimensions if mr mccloy was made happy in the giving of his talent the society was doubly so in becoming the custodian of his gift this magnificent wisconsin centennial mural composed of three panels was given to the citizens of the state and has been placed by the artist in the society's permanent galleries pregnant with colorful wisconsin history it is a good thing to look upon to absorb and to call one's own to assure accuracy wisconsin history was carefully reread and three of its phases then became the basis for interpretation upon canvas particular personalities and incidents were chosen by mr mccloy for their absorbing subject matter and their char acteristic wisconsin qualities the mural depicts the french pe riod — exploration and fur trading the industrial history from preterritorial times to the present and the general political back ground of the state with a bit of territorial history miss krueger edits and writes for the state historical society of which she long has been a staff member