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International Fiberglass Cowboy Statues (page 1)

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International Fiberglass' Cowboy model was essentially a Paul Bunyan statue with a cowboy hat and longer pants that came down to his feet. The Paul Bunyan's pants are tucked into the tops of his boots. Some of these Cowboy statues have suspenders buttons at the top of their pants but most of them do not. Most of the Cowboys' shirts have chest pockets. The Paul Bunyan statues did not have these. The mold for the Cowboy's head had a filled-in beard which gave the statue a clean-shaven face and jutting jaw. These statues could be accessorized with revolvers or rifles. These statues are 22 feet tall. Many of these statues were used at Phillips 66 gas stations.

Cowboy
Prescott, AZ

2004:
2017:
This Cowboy statue was originally installed at a Phillips 66 gas station where he held a rifle. Since the early 1970s, the statue has stood in front of Big Johnson Realty. When the lot was repaved and raised, the work was done around the statue which left him standing in a hole. If he had been removed during the work, as per City regulations, he would not have been allowed to be reinstalled. The statue is still installed on part of the original platform which made moving these statues around much easier. Around 2010, the statue was repainted. In 2013, the statue was holding some playing cards in his right hand. In 2016, the store closed and the cards were removed. By 2022, the building was housing Desert Hardwood Flooring. The statue's shirt was painted black and reads "Flooring Expert." His hat is now beige with the company's logo on the front. For more, see this website. [map]

Cowboy
Yuma, AZ
The Cowboy statue is installed at the Westward Village RV Park. He is nicknamed "Big Wes". This statue was originally located in 1966 Dodge City, KS. He was moved around to four different Phillips 66 gas stations in town. In 1971, the statue was displayed at the Boot Hill tourist attraction where he was known as "Big Matt". The statue's arms were painted to look like long sleeves and a rifle was installed in his hands. In 1975, the statue's head was blown off and badly damaged. The statue was moved into storage. It was sold and moved to Yuma in 1982. A new, motorized head was built that could swivel. However, the head never did move. The statue was restored in 2006. These photos are from 2012. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

Cowboy
Willits, CA

2008:
2016:
This Cowboy statue is installed at the Willits Rodeo Grounds. He holds a branding iron with a "W" on the end. He has been here since at least the 1970s. Known as "Cowboy Willie", the statue was repainted in 2013. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Cowboy
Mecca, CA (now Joshua Tree, CA)
2015:
2018 and 2020:
2022:
2024:
This Cowboy statue was installed in front of the El Tompa Mini Mart since at least 1999. The store was known as Poor Richard's Mini Mart at that time. By 2001, the statue's head had become detached and was stored behind a fence. By 2007, the statue was gone. In 2014, the statue reappeared. It had been repainted and the head reattached. Like the other International Fiberglass Cowboy statues, the statue was originally clean-shaven. This statue's beard has been painted on. In 2017, the statue was sold. In 2018, the statue was repainted and installed at The Station in Joshua Tree. He is known as "Big Josh." In 2024, a giant muffler was built for the statue to hold. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Cowboy
Hat Creek, CA
This Cowboy statue has been in Hat Creek since 2009. He is now known as Big Roy and is installed at a cattle ranch. The statue was previously installed at a gas station in Dunsmuir, CA. He had been there since at least 2000. At that point, the statue's hat was in storage. I don't know if the statue's branding iron is original or if it was created when the statue was moved to Hat Creek. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Cowboy
Livermore, CA
This Cowboy statue has been located in Livermore and used to advertise for the Livermore Rodeo since at least 1980. It is only on display in May and June. The extra-large cowboy hat, at least the top part, does not appear to have been produced by International Fiberglass. The bandanna is also a modern addition. According to one credible source, this statue was previously installed at a Phillips 66 station and did not have the long sleeves. I don't believe any of the Cowboy or Paul Bunyan statues were produced with long sleeves. Those statues that do have them, seem to be later modifications. This statue is still on the original platform which International Fiberglass produced to make it easy to move these statues around to different locations. For more, see this website.

Cowboy
Hayward, CA
This Cowboy statue is located at Bell Plastics where there are many other International Fiberglass statues on display. The statue was originally installed in Columbia, MO in 1966. Around 1972, the statue was moved to a gas station in Boonville, MO. The gas station later housed an adult video store. The statue remained there until it was sold in 2000 with the intention of installing it at the Children's Museum in Kansas City, MO. However, that plan fell through and the statue remained in storage until 2013 when Bruce Kennedy of Bell Plastics bought it. When the statue arrived in Hayward, it was given a full restoration which included an airbrushed paint job. The statue has been named "Big Don" as a tribute to Kennedy's father. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

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