Forestville, California: Muffler Man - Bunyan

A giant fiberglass woodsman stands at the River Bend Campground. The statue was made in the 1960s to promote roadside businesses.

Muffler Man

The Paul Bunyan at this RV Park was in very bad repair. I spoke with the people who manage the park and they said at one time, there was a microphone attached to the statue, which told the story of Paul Bunyan, to all of the children who gathered to sit next to it. The RV Park was not easy to find and the statue deserves a more prominent location. He still carries a canoe paddle.

[Lisa - CA, 06/21/2010]

Muffler Man - Vague Recollections

When i was a kid, in about 1984, I was riding in a car right behind the "Paul Bunyan" muffler man (he did have an axe then). He was being delivered and we thought it was going to Pee Wee Golf, but the big rig turned into that trailer park, and that's my story.

[Bryn Gallagher, 03/31/2010]

Muffler Man

Here's our guy at the River Bend Resort at Hilton, downriver from Forestville, CA. Notice that the cutie in the photo is the same one pictured in the 1965 Historical Sighting and that the paddle has been replaced since the previous sighting.

[Gary Solem, 10/25/2007]

Muffler Man

This Muffler Man is genuine-right palm up, left palm down. He has been repainted as a lumberjack, or a Paul Bunyan. However, his axe has been taken away, and so, since he is placed in a trailerpark called "Riverbend", a canoe paddle has replaced the axe.

[Brian and Lauren, 01/10/2002]

Muffler Man

Muffler man! He's holding a big paddle for a canoe, he has a little hat on his head, a bright red shirt on and you can't miss him! That is, of course, if you can find the little RV park that he's in. I'm positive that he's a muffler man, I know because of the article in the Smithsonian magazine, pretty interesting I must say!

[Xavier Kostolny, 12/25/2000]