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Early last Thursday, word got out that officials in my hometown of Yorktown, Indiana, were planning to paint over the iconic tiger mural on our most prominent water tower. That tiger’s been a landmark and symbol of pride for more than a quarter-century, and the news sparked an uproar. Last weekend, a few of us jumped into action by forming a grassroots movement to save it. Incredibly, it actually worked!  

I’ve spent nearly my entire life in and around Yorktown, Indiana. I wrote more about the water tower saga here, but I had a front-row seat to its construction as I watched it rise from Mrs. Keller’s second-grade classroom at Pleasant View Elementary. It may be weird to forge a personal connection with a water tower, but I certainly did.

In those days, Yorktown was a quiet town of fewer than 5,000 people. It didn’t stay sleepy for long, though: today, more than double that number call the place home! Most of the growth has pushed out toward swaths of new suburbs, but downtown looks much different than the one I remember. A few years ago, officials unveiled a $12 million town hall and civic green, followed by a $6 million mixed-use development called “The Oliver.” Since then, our schools and library have undergone substantial expansions. Recently, a local credit union announced plans to build an upscale, two-story storefront.

All that growth is good by me, but some of us have joked that Yorktown’s going “full Fishers” after that rapidly expanding community just north of Indianapolis. That’s why I got nervous when officials proclaimed plans to update the water tower with the town’s new logo. The announcement on Facebook threw a handful of talking points towards us, but a choice had been made. Aside from the finality, none of it felt convincing. 

Unfortunately, Yorktown Community Schools’ recent decision to consolidate its brand behind a modern tiger logo added a layer of complexity to the conversation about the water tower mural. The tiger on Yorktown Elementary isn’t the one I grew up with, but I see it every day on my way home from work. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but I think it’s fine.

On the other hand, longtime Tiger alumni seemed to feel that the rebrand was a bridge too far- a break from the past that cut deeper than anyone at the district offices may have anticipated. What I imagine was meant to unify the schools under a fresh, cohesive image in classic Yorktown colors sparked frustration, nostalgia, and pushback from those who felt like a beloved piece of their childhood had been replaced.

I knew that feeling all too well- it captured my opinion about the old tiger on the water tower! Thankfully, I wasn’t alone in my assessment. Yorktown’s post about replacing it quickly racked up tons of engagement, and the message was loud and clear: nobody wanted the tiger to go. I wasn’t the first to break the news, but shared my thoughts to every relevant channel I could. It didn’t take long for others to jump in. Just like that, we had a movement on our hands: a petition was launched, people spoke up, and momentum built as the weekend unfolded.

I shared an expanded version of one of my posts here last Saturday. As usual, some trolls, naysayers, and the “there-are-more-important-things” crowd showed up in the Facebook comments. Meanwhile, interactions with officials were far from reassuring. I spent the weekend worried we were fighting a losing battle.

That’s why it was so shocking that our efforts actually worked. On Monday morning, Yorktown’s town manager made the announcement I never expected to hear: the old tiger would stay on the water tower! After so much talk of progress and expansion, I’d already grieved our tiger’s loss. I figured the decision had been made long ago, buried under buzzwords and brushed off in the name of modernization. Fortunately, I was wrong.

As I’ve written before, the tiger on Yorktown’s water tower isn’t just a mural- it’s a symbol of community pride. Keeping the tiger was never just about paint on metal. It was about acknowledging a gift from all of us to all of us, born from a rare kind of collaboration that involved our government, our water utility, local businesses and boosters, and even Marsh Supermarkets’ sign shop.

That’s why I couldn’t be happier with how things turned out. In saving the tiger, we didn’t just preserve a logo. Instead, Yorktown affirmed its identity. We reminded ourselves that our history matters, and that the things we created with heart and intention are always worth fighting for. Sometimes, honoring the past is progress.

That said, some of the dismissive and mocking responses to our efforts to preserve Yorktown’s tiger made something else clear to me: as our town grows, so does the need for a vibrant, engaged historical society that not only recognizes where we came from but also stands to reflect on who we’re becoming. I’ve volunteered in the past, but I always walked away feeling like something was missing.

This moment feels different, though, and I’m throwing my hat back into the ring. I want to be a part of it! If this weekend of water tower controversy taught me anything, it’s that people still care about the stories that shape our town. The sheer volume of comments, shared memories, and heated debate proved that things like our water tower mural still matter. They’re symbols of identity, and pride. They’re symbols of home.

I’m deeply grateful for Yorktown’s water tower win. I’m glad that the mural still watches over our schools and neighborhoods, I’m proud that our town manager truly listened to his community, and I’m moved by how many people showed up to make their voices heard. Most of all, I’m thankful that the old tiger still stands tall on our water tower. Just like when it was first painted, the water tower tiger again represents what we can accomplish when Yorktown comes together.