These Paul Bunyan and Babe statues were built in 1937. The mayor at the time was used as the model for Paul. The statue is about 18 feet tall and about five feet across at the base. Paul's feet are three feet long. Five tons of concrete footings and steel rods run from below sea level up through his legs to support him during high winds.
The Babe statue was modeled after the largest ox at a nearby logging camp. It was built three times larger than life, just like Paul. The ox's front legs were spread apart to allow a truck to be operated underneath. Babe is 10 feet tall, eight feet across the front, and 23 feet long. Her horns are made of tin and are 14 feet across. A pipe was built into Babe's nostrils so that she could blow smoke. Her eyes were made from car tail lights.
For the first two years, Babe was mounted on a truck which traveled across the country to be used in parades. After that, she was installed permanently next to Paul at the Tourist Information Center. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.
