Skip to Main Content

William

Statue of Deafy Boular, the Legless Bricklayer (In Transition)

Field review by the editors.

Atchison, Kansas

"Little Will" Boular was born September 9, 1869. He lost his hearing when he was four, then his legs when he was 12 (They were run over by a train that he couldn't hear coming). He was best known as "Deafy" (dee-fee), and although he had a pair of prosthetic legs, he refused to wear them. Instead, he had special boots made to fit his stumps, and soon found that he was the perfect height for the job of paving the sidewalks and streets of Atchison with bricks -- because he didn't have to bend over. Ripley's Believe it or Not once claimed that Deafy laid 46,000 paving bricks in a single eight-hour day.

Deafy died in 1953 and was mostly forgotten until 2010, when a statewide contest named him one of the "most fascinating" people in Kansas history. Atchison erected a life-size statue of the bricklayer at work in 2013, titled, "Lessons from the Master." It's the first-ever public sculpture by self-taught local artist Aleda Haug, who made it in her garage.

Deafy's boots are preserved in the local museum, but they're not on display except during special Deafy exhibitions.

Deafy, now in bronze form, was run over again, this time by a drunk driver on October 2, 2022.

Also see: Town Ambassadors

Statue of Deafy Boular, the Legless Bricklayer

Directions:
Downtown. On the east side of N. 5th St. midway between Main St. and Kansas Ave.
Hours:
Damaged by a drunk driver in Oct. 2022.
Admission:
Free
Status:
In Transition

More Quirky Attractions in Kansas

Stories, reports and tips on tourist attractions and odd sights in Kansas.

Explore Thousands of Unique Roadside Landmarks!

Strange and amusing destinations in the US and Canada are our specialty. Start here.
Use RoadsideAmerica.com's Attraction Maps to plan your next road trip.

My Sights

My Sights on Roadside America

Map and Plan Your Own Roadside Adventure ...Try My Sights

Mobile Apps

Roadside America app: iPhone, iPad Roadside America app for iPhone, iPad. On-route maps, 1,000s of photos, special research targets! ...More

Roadside Presidents app: iPhone, iPad Roadside Presidents app for iPhone, iPad. POTUS landmarks, oddities. ...More

Kansas Latest Tips and Stories

Latest Visitor Tips

Sight of the Week

Sight of the Week

Easter Island Moai in America (Mar 25-31, 2024)

SotW Archive

USA and Canada Tips and Stories

More Sightings

Favorite Quirky City Sights