a newspaper man adjusts his pen

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

A creepy Paul Bunyan at night


This giant Paul Bunyan roadside advertisement is looking a bit scary tonight outside a tire shop alongside the Route 51 entrance to Uniontown, Pa.

But during the day, the Fiberglass statue appeared to have been given a spit shine and a new coat of paint to keep it there for years to come.

This is one of a dwindling number of these quirky roadside attractions that once beckoned motorists into a chain of muffler shops in America. This one for years held a big tire in its hand until it started to fall apart and then lean to one side before the Import-Export Tire Shop had it restored a few years ago.

I used to get so excited as a boy to see this statue that stands more than 20 feet tall when my family would travel into to this small Fayette County city on our trips further south to visit relatives in Morgantown, W.Va.

It's comforting in a silly sort of way to see it still standing and well taken care of by its current owners.

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