Son of statue builder buried under Earl Bunyan

Jun  3: East Coast Cicadas: Attractions They Couldn’t See In 1996
May 30: Gotta See ‘Em All: Pursuing America’s Giants
May 24: Two Gallows, One Beatle: Good Times At The Old Jail
May 15: Hats On To Stonewall Jackson, Defender Of Lexington
Apr 30: Beefcake of Roads: New Home For World’s Largest Muscleman
Apr 24: Join the Battleship NJ Gun Crew (Look Out, Philly!)

Jene LaRocque, son of "Earl Bunyan" statue builder Fred LaRocque, was granted a longstanding wish to be buried under Earl, in New Town, North Dakota. Jene, 83, died in a Montana nursing home in late September; he was cremated, shipped, and interred in New Town in a ceremony attended by family, friends, and an American Legion color guard.

Earl is supposed to be the brother of forest gobbler Paul Bunyan.

"Cowboy of the Plains," reads the simulated wood slab that stands at Earl Bunyan's feet. "Dreamed up by Fred and Berd LaRocque, 1958." Both passed away in the 1960s. The spelling may have been "Bunyon" for a time, but that seems to have been remedied when the statue underwent a restoration in the 1990s. Earl is not beefy -- he's about 19 feet tall and thin -- a stringbean with a moustache. He stands atop a pile of rocks, wears a cowboy hat, boots, and tight-fitting jeans.

[10/05/2003]

Address:: Hwy. 23, New Town, ND
Directions:: East edge of town. On the east side of College Drive/88th Ave. NW just south of Hwy 23/1804.
RA Rates:: Worth a Detour