John Camel Heenan was born in 1834, in New York. He came to California in 1852, at the age of 17, looking for gold. He ended up working in the machine shops of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company in Benicia. The buffed biceps he gained from the hard work and many bar fights made him a perfect contender for the boxing ring. By the time he returned to the East Coast in 1857, he had acquired the nickname Benicia Boy. He fought in only three officially sanctioned fights. His second and most famous contest was held on April 17,1860 in England. His opponent was Tom Sayres. This fight was considered the first international boxing championship title fight. The bout ended in a draw after 42 savage rounds. The fight lasted more than two hours. Both men were awarded championship belts. In 1873, Heenan was struggling with tuberculosis. The Benicia Boy was returning to California, where he planned to convalesce. He died in Wyoming unable to complete his return to the Golden State. This mural depicts several mustached men in top hats watching the Benicia Boy in the ring. The two crows and four seagulls probably allude to Benicia’s rough and tumble waterfront character.

This mural was generously sponsored by International Technology (IT Corp). Until 1986, the IT Corporation Panoche Facility northeast of Benicia off Lake Herman Road was an active 248-acre Class One landfill, Class One sites are specifically for hazardous wastes that are not suitable for other types of landfills.

The solid and liquid toxic waste landfill site opened in 1968 at the same time the Humboldt refinery began operations in Benicia. Starting in 1971, it was already embroiled in complaints of encroachment and leakage. The facility was bought by IT Corp. in 1975. In 1988, after numerous legal challenges, the site was ordered to close their containment ponds and remove all liquid wastes. IT Corp. filed for bankruptcy in 2002. The City of Benicia is supposed to be given an annual report on containment and leakage. The toxic waste deposits are still there.