Maritime history mural underway on the side of Billy’s

A mural featuring a map of Grays Harbor and its maritime history will soon cover the blank wall on the west side of Billy’s Bar and Grill.

On Monday, artist Jenny Fisher began planning the layout for her mural on the side of the building and said she would work on it until the weather gets too harsh later this fall — and then resume in late spring. The project was commissioned by Our Aberdeen.

Scattered about the map are locations of more than 25 shipwrecks that happened in Grays Harbor or just off the coast, with some dating back to the mid-1800s.

The mural also highlights the major boating industries that have existed on the Harbor, such as ship building, lumber exports and fishing fleets.

“There’s a lot with shipping and boating that used to happen here,” said Fisher. “During World War I, they built ships like crazy here.”

Because it models an old map, Fisher said the mural would mostly be sepia and cream-colored, and there would be some additional color on the ship flags and the compass in the upper left.

Fisher has already painted a number of murals around Aberdeen, like one honoring immigrants on the side of the Union Gospel Mission, another showing the history of Grays Harbor transportation and one of a lighthouse on a rocky terrain inside the Lighthouse Drive-In restaurant.

Maritime history mural underway on the side of Billy’s