Blade & Timber and Carry Nation go together like the Wichita flag and murals

When Have You Heard? first reported that the ax-throwing bar Blade & Timber was going to open in Delano, the Kansas City, Kan.-based company learned something about Wichita.

“There were a lot of comments about, oh my gosh, this is like Carry Nation,” says communications director Jessie Poole.

Then the company learned more about how the prohibitionist fought against liquor with a hatchet at the bar in Wichita’s Carey Hotel at the southwest corner of Douglas and St. Francis, which is now Eaton Place.

“This is a really cool thing . . . that we should have some fun with,” Poole says the company decided. “We love little quirky history.”

At the same time, the company learned of the popularity and significance of the Wichita flag.

Through a mutual friend, Blade & Timber approached Chris Garcia, also known as “lastdeviant.” He’s with the artist collective Brickmob.

“We had also seen a lot of their awesome work around town,” Poole says.

The company wanted Garcia to create a mural featuring Carry Nation, the company colors and something Wichita themed, such as the flag.

“I immediately fell in love with the idea,” Garcia says. “It’s axes and a bar — that’s pretty awesome.”

He says he thought about “the old propaganda posters of yesteryear.”

“They’re very dynamic heroism, like strong characters on there with beams of light coming out,” he says. “The first thing I thought was the ax in the air (with) the rays of the flag coming out behind it.”

Garcia says Carry Nation didn’t seem to smile a lot, so in the mural, “She doesn’t look mean but definitely doesn’t look happy.”

He sent a rough draft to Blade & Timber.

“We were like, yes, exactly, that’s it,” Poole says. “It was amazing.”

The mural brightens up the back of the Blade & Timber building at 535 W. Douglas and will be visible from the new baseball stadium coming to that area.

While there are Wichita flag murals all around the city, Garcia hopes this is the only one featuring Carry Nation.

“This is my baby.”

The official unveiling is at 6:45 p.m. Wednesday, and Poole says the public is invited to see the mural and throw axes for half price.

“We are just really excited to see what people will think and hope people come to check it out,” Poole says.

“This was just meant to be in Wichita.”