In 1997, the statue got a complete overhaul which included adding the waving arm. The iron pipes were replaced with steel. His head was originally made of papier-mache. He had several heads over the years. The most recent head, hat, hands and boots were made of fiberglass. In the 1980s, the statue was moved to Kerens for their centennial celebration. Big Tex's head started turning in 2000 and, in 2002, he got a new wardrobe and voice.

Big Tex had a 284 inch waist, a 185 inch inseam and a 30 foot tall chest (100 inch neck and 181 inch long sleeves). His pants were size 284W x 185L. His 75 gallon hat was five feet tall. His boots were size 70, measuring over seven feet tall. In 2012, the statue caught fire and was destroyed. There are plans to build a new statue. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

This Cowboy in Bienville appears to be a scaled-down simulation of Big Tex. The gas station and convenience store next to him was known as Boddie's Store. However, the building was vacant when these photos were taken in 2007. The building burned down and was replaced with another one. The statue still stands and was repainted around 2011. Does anyone know more about this statue?