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email: agilitynut@hotmail.com |
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| Minnesota Muffler Men |
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| Beach Guy Hampton, MN |
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| This Beach Guy stands in front of Eilen & Sons Trucking. He holds a rope that is connected to an old dump truck. Does anyone know where he came from originally? For other examples of this style statue, see these in Unger, WV and Livingston, IL. |
| Happy Chef Mankato, MN |
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The Happy Chef was promoted as the "world's largest talking chef". He is the icon for the Happy Chef restaurant chain which was founded in 1963. At one time, Happy Chef had 56 locations in seven states but there are only a few restaurants left now. There were about a dozen of these 18 foot tall fiberglass Chefs produced from the late 1960s until the early 1980s. When you pushed the button on his base, the Chef told jokes. The company destroyed the Chefs as their restaurants closed so the statues were not used "inappropriately". However, a few escaped and were repurposed anyway (see below).
The Happy Chef statue in Mankato is the only one left at their restaurants. It was the first location in the chain and this was the first statue. It was produced by Sculptured Advertising of Sparta, WI in 1968. |
| former Happy Chef Princeton, MN |
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| The Princeton Happy Chef statue is the only other statue that I know that still holds a spoon. The Chef is accompanied by a fishing snowman statue. They are installed in front of A-Z Restaurant Equipment Co. This Happy Chef statue came from a Happy Chef restaurant in Cherokee, IA. |
| former Happy Chef Wyoming, MN |
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This former Happy Chef is located at the Linwood Country Store. This statue's spoon has been swapped for a pizza. It was adapted and installed here in the early 2000s for Linwood Pizza. The pizzeria moved but the store that is there now continues to sell pizza and is keeping the statue.
Another Happy Chef in Ryan, IA has been transformed into an umpire while one in McPherson, KS is now a chimney sweep. One was repurposed as a clown somewhere but it must be gone now. For more, see this website. |
| Nanabozho Bemidji, MN |
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| This Indian Muffler Man is meant to represent Nanabozho. According to Ojibwe legend, Nanabozho beat Paul Bunyan to death with a fish for destroying so many trees. This statue stands in front of a tourist shop, directly across the street from Bemidji's Paul Bunyan and Babe statues. For more, see this website. |
| Chief Wenonga Battle Lake, MN |
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| This Indian Muffler Man statue pays tribute to Chief Wenonga. It has been here since at least the 1980s. This is the rarer style Indian Muffler Man with the turquoise necklace, fringed pants and broader face. Another example is in Asheville, NC at Erwin High School. |
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More MN Muffler Men:
Indian (Bloomington) [gone] Paul Bunyan & Babe (Brainerd) [moved to NC] |
|
MN Giants page 1 |
MN Giants page 2 |
Giants Main Page |
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| RoadsideArchitecture.com |