FAIR PARK

by Clint Skinner

35. The Woofus

Across the street from the corral of Pan Am Arena, a replica of a statue called The Woofus stands near the entrance of the Swine Building. The original was sculpted by Lawrence Tenney Stevens for the exposition. It was a strange animal that possessed the characteristics of six different species : the head of a sheep, the horns of a longhorn, the neck and mane of a horse, the torso of a pig, the wings of a duck, and the tail of a turkey. Upon seeing this invention, many thought that the artist had been under the influence of alcohol. Nevertheless, the Woofus was an instant hit with the public because it was so unique. The statue's nose was damaged by a steel beam in 1941 during some construction work. It was taken down, never to be seen again. To this day, its whereabouts remain a mystery.

The Woofus
Photo courtesy Clint Skinner, February 2016

Craig Holcomb, the executive director of an organization called Friends of Fair Park, decided to allow the Woofus to make a return after finding some pictures of it in 1997. He spent the next five years raising funds for the project through private donations, accumulating 60,000 dollars in the process. To perform the task of making a new statue, sculptor David Newton was chosen out of the reputation he had acquired from his work at the Freedman's Cemetery Memorial. Using the miniature model used to make the original, Newton made the statue out of painted bronze instead of concrete so it could last longer. Standing on a fifteen-foot pedestal, it weighed three thousand pounds. The woofus finally made his grand appearance in 2002.

January 13, 2017
© Clint Skinner

FAIR PARK:
Fair Park - Attractions:
1. Fair Park Station
2. Main Entrance
3. Founders Statue
4. Women's Museum
5. DAR House
6. The Texas Vietnam Veterans Memorial
7. Sydney Smith Memorial Fountain
8. Music Hall
9. Fair Park Esplanade
10. Centennial Building
11. Automobile Building
12. Hall of State
13. Tower Building
14. Big Tex Circle
15. Grand Place
16. Old Mill Inn
17. Magnolia Lounge
18. Hall of Religion
19. African American Museum
20. Leonhardt Lagoon
21. Dallas Museum of Natural History
22. Science Place I
23. Children's Aquarium
24. Fair Park Bandshell
25. Texas Discovery Gardens
26. WRR Headquarters
27. Science Place II
28. The Texas Star
29. Cotton Bowl Stadium
30. The Texas Skyway
31. The Embarcadero
32. The Creative Arts Building
33. Food and Fiber Building
34. Pan American Arena
35. The Woofus
36. The Swine Building
37. Briscoe Carpenter Livestock Center
38. Livestock Pavilion and Arena
39. The Horse Barn
40. Fair Park Coliseum
41. Top of Texas Tower

References:
1.Bigtex.com
2.Dallashistory.org
3.Dallas Morning News Archives
4.Fairpark.org
5.Slate, John H. Historic Dallas Parks. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.
6.Tshaonline.org
7.Watermelon-kid.com
8.Wikipedia.org
8.Winters, Willis Cecil. Fair Park. Arcadia Publishing, 2010.