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Big Tex RandallHighway
60 and 15th Street – you can’t miss it.
This relic from the golden age
of oversized and anatomically incorrect barkers was built in 1959. The sculptor
is unknown and it’s possible he requested anonymity.
The mustachioed (nearly)
50-foot cowboy with the friendly slouch and a belt buckle the size of a television
screen once lured customers to the trading post that occupied the building beneath
him. Although his duties officially ended when TxDoT rerouted traffic through
an underpass, forcing the business to close, Mr. Randall remained loyal to his
hometown, refusing offers from Las Vegas and various businesses alongside Route
66.
While the big sandblasted cowboy has been repainted at least once
since his installation, his current condition makes the description of “weathered”
an understatement. Big Tex Randall might be considered for adoption by a paint
company wanting to prove its product’s durability.
Forum:
Big
Tex in Canyon Wasn't he originally at Underwoods BBQ on Amarillo Blvd west?
Didn't Levi Strauss make some real Levis to fit him? It's been a long time but
I do remember---apx 1970 or so. - John Whittington, September 16, 2010 |
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Big
Tex overlooking the underpass Photo courtesy Barclay
Gibson, December 2008 | | |