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The late Dennis Hopper was an artist as well as a movie star. For the first ten years of his life he lived in Dodge City, Kansas; his adult relationship with his birthplace was rocky.
So Dodge City isn't quite sure what to do with a gift bequeathed to it from the Dennis Hopper Art Trust: two Muffler Men customized by Hopper into "La Salsa Man" -- a caricatured Mexican -- and "Mobil Man" -- a gas station attendant. The county commission unanimously voted to put the statues in Dodge City's new expo center.
The city commission unanimously voted against it, but that's where they were unveiled on May 21, 2013. A letter from the administrator of the Dennis Hopper Art Trust describes the statues as, "large, impactful, and a defiant blend of Californian and Southwestern culture mixed with Hollywood grandeur."
They don't really fit with the expo center's usual displays of tractors and irrigation pumps, so Dodge City wants, eventually, to move them to an outdoor park near its Boot Hill Museum. But there could be problems with that as well; these unique Muffler Men are technically works of art by a famous person; La Salsa Man was once exhibited in Paris. Sticking them outdoors in Dodge City might not be in their best interests.
As Dodge City vice-mayor Brian Delzeit explained to us, "We get high winds, hail, ice, and snow. It will be interesting to see how the fellows stand up to our weather." Brian also mentioned that the Boot Hill Museum, years ago, had its own Muffler Man -- a cowboy named Big Matt -- but he's gone now.
Brian didn't go into details, but we know why the cowboy left town -- he was frequently decapitated by the Kansas wind, and eventually moved to Yuma, Arizona, with an entirely new (and strange) head.
[RoadsideAmerica.com Team, 05/24/2013]La Salsa Muffler Man:RoadsideAmerica.com Team Field Report
- Address:
- 777 3rd Ave., Dodge City, KS
- Directions:
- On the west side of 3rd Ave., at the corner of W. Vine St. Two blocks north of W. Wyatt Earp Blvd and the Boot Hill Museum.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
- Dodge City, Kansas - 9/11 Memorial: Twin Towers Fountain
The Liberty Garden features 110-inch-tall replicas of the World Trade Center, along with a piece of the Pentagon is a clear pentagon-shaped box.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
Wright Park
- Address:
- 71 N. 2nd Ave., Dodge City, KS
- Directions:
- In Wright Park, two blocks south of W. Wyatt Earp Blvd, between N. 2nd and N. 4th Aves.
The miniature Statue of Liberty was placed there by the Boy Scouts. It is located on a hill, in a pasture, alongside US 281, about 10 miles south of Smith Center, Kansas.
[David Weir, 09/20/2017]Mini Statue of Liberty:- Address:
- US Hwy 281/9, Gaylord, KS
- Directions:
- About seven miles northwest of Portis and four miles east of Gaylord on Hwy 281/9.
A giant replica painting on a giant steel easel -- Van Gogh sunflowers for the Sunflower State.
Roadsideamerica.com Report...
- Address:
- Cherry Ave., Goodland, KS
- Directions:
- I-70 Exit 19, then follow the road north and west for about a mile. You'll see the easel on the right, at the corner of Cherry Ave.
- Hours:
- Lit at night. (Call to verify) Local health policies may affect hours and access.
- Phone:
- 785-899-7130
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
Nice little city park that features not only the easel, but also benches, picnic tables under shelter, a large meadow where you could throw a frisbee or watch kids run, as well as a dog park to watch the pups run. There's plenty of parking in the large gravel lot next to the Welcome Center. It's not far from the interstate, and is a great place to stretch the legs.
[Meg Zorn, 05/08/2021]
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The La Salsa Muffer Man reappeared on public display in 2016.