Alton, Illinois - Robert Wadlow, World's Tallest Man

Alton, Illinois - Robert Wadlow, World's Tallest Man

Exhibits and life-size statue at the birthplace of the World's Tallest Man, Robert Wadlow. Roadsideamerica.com Report...

Alton, Illinois - Robert Wadlow, World's Tallest Man

My Mother went to high school with Robert Wadlow, probably a couple of years behind him, at Alton High School. My Dad, a welder, told the story of modifying a car so that Wadlow could sit in the back seat, and with passenger front seat removed, stretch his legs up to the front. I have seen the bronze statue, but there is a better likeness in Ripley's Believe It or Not in Orlando FL. (Perhaps in other Ripley's also?) They have a big chair that he would require, too. [Terry Westbrook, 01/07/2009]

Alton, Illinois - Robert Wadlow - Skeleton Secured, Shoes Dispersed

Thank you for posting information regarding Robert Wadlow, the Alton Giant. My mother was one of his childhood friends and graduated with him from Alton High School. My brother, John, is now in possession of her high school yearbooks...You ought to see the pictures of him with the 'normal' sized classmates. They are amazing. At any rate, about your comment regarding his skeleton, I have to tell you that he was buried in Alton. Many people who knew him in attendance at the funeral and the gravesite can attest to this fact. He was buried in a piano crate instead of a normal coffin. As for finding one of his shoes, I am not at all surprised. Mr Wadlow was a part of the public relations campaign advertising for Red Goose Shoes. (This is from my childhood memory so I may not have the name of the shoestore absolutely correct.) All those shoestores had one of his 'huge' shoes on display. I personally remember this from my childhood. Don't want to burst your bubble, but there were a lot of those shoes out there so being in possession is just NOT a big deal. Thanks for listening to me. [Estelle Schmoeller, 05/06/2001]

[RA: Have heard the promotional shoe story before, but also the story that he personally tried on each one!]