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Tex Randall

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Tex Randall
General information
LocationNext to U.S. Route 60 in Canyon, Texas
Completed1959
Height47 feet

Tex Randall is a 47-foot (14 m) tall cowboy figure constructed in 1959 next to U.S. Route 60 in Canyon, Texas.[1] It weighs seven tons and is made of cement and steel.[2]

The statue was constructed in 1959 by local shop teacher Harry Wheeler to advertise for a western wear store directly next to it. It originally featured a bandanna, a western-style shirt and real denim jeans.[1] When Highway 60 was rerouted through an underpass, traffic to the store declined and it closed. The statue gradually fell into disrepair as high winds shredded the jeans, a truck crashed into the left boot, and the cigarette was shot from his hand.[2] In 1987, a campaign began to repair the statue, which resulted in a different appearance: the remains of the cigarette were replaced with a spur and new paint gave him different clothing and a moustache. Without further maintenance, the statue again fell into disrepair until 2013, when the Texas Department of Transportation constructed a park underneath and around the statue. A new campaign funded the restoration of the statue to more closely resemble its original appearance.[2] The restoration was completed in 2016.[3]

The statue was named an official Canyon landmark in 2017.[4]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Diaz, Joy (April 30, 2020). "How Tex Randall Went From Being Just A Statue To An Iconic Cowboy". Texas Standard. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  2. ^ a b c staff. "Tex Randall, Big Texan". roadsideamerica.com. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  3. ^ Brown, Patti (September 20, 2021). "Visiting 'Big' Tex in Canyon". Temple Daily Telegram. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
  4. ^ staff (July 24, 2017). "How Tex Randall Went From Being Just A Statue To An Iconic Cowboy". KFDA News. Retrieved 12 July 2022.