Sinclair first had the idea to use dinosaurs as part of their marketing campaigns back in 1930 since the lubricants they were promoting were refined from crude oil believed to have formed back during the age of the thunder lizards. The original idea included many different dinosaurs but it was the Brontosaurus that became the country's favorite. In 1932, DINO (pronounced DYE-NO) became a registered trademark.
But isn't the Brontosaurus actually an Apatosaurus? Since dinosaur fossils are rare, it's not always easy to study and classify them. The debate as to whether they are the same or different species has been going on since 1903.
Fiberglass DINOs began appearing at Sinclair stations in the early 1960s.
Big Boy is a casual dining restaurant chain which began in 1936 when Bob Wian opened his first hamburger stand in Glendale, California called Bob's Pantry. He quickly became famous for his special double-decker hamburger, known as the Big Boy. In the 1940s, Wian expanded. The new franchisees were allowed to use the Big Boy brand along with their own name. As such, there are now Bob's Big Boys, Frisch's Big Boys, Shoney's Big Boys, and more.
In Burbank, Calfornia
In Tawas, Michigan ... The evolution of the Big Boy mascot
Other big stuff... from biggest to small(er)
The Golden Driller in Tulsa, Oklahoma - The 75-foot-tall, 43,500-pound oil worker has been located in front of the Tulsa Expo Center since 1966)
Dignity in Chamberlain, South Dakota - The statue is 50 feet tall and weights 12 tons. It was built in 2016 from stainless steel and honors the native cultures of the Lakota and Dakota. The artist used three models for the face, aged 14, 29 and 55. Her clothes are based off of a traditional two-hide dress of the 1850s. The star quilt has 128 stainless steel diamonds which glitter in the sun and move with the wind.
Athena in Nashville, Tennsesse - She can be found inside a replica of the Greek Parthenon, which was built as part of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition. The 42-foot statue, however, wasn't completed until 2002.
Eartha Globe in Yarmouth, Maine - Completed in 1998 and with a diameter of over 41 feet, this is the largest printed image of the Earth ever created. The map data came from satellite imagery, colored batyhmetry (ocean depth data), shaded relief (to create the look of a three-dimensional surface) and information about road networks and urban areas. One inch represents 16 miles. It tilts at 23.5 degrees, the same as the planet itself. One 18-minute revolution equates to a day.
Chief Passamaquoddy aka Big F Indian in Freeport, Maine - Standing 40 feet tall and weighing 1,500 pounds, the statue was built of fiberglass, plywood and steel rods in 1969 to stand in front of the Casco Bay Trading Post (which closed in 1989) to attract the attention of cars passing by on Route 1, which he still does today. He was repainted in 1989 and again in 2006. Several arrows are lodged in his shield, although those are from vandalism and not original.
Forever Marilyn in Palm Springs, California - A 26-foot tall statue created by Seward Johnson out of stainless steel and aluminum in 2011
Unconditional Surrender in San Diego, California - Based on the famous photo taken in 1945 moments after Japan's surrender to the US in WWII. The 25-foot, 7-ton bronze statue stands next to the USS Midway.
Pierre the Pantsless Voyageur in Two Harbors, Minnesota - In the 1700s and 1800s, a voyageur (meaning traveller) was a French explorer of this region who transported furs by canoe during the fur trades. Pierre was placed at the Voyageur Motel in 1960 as a roadside attraction to attract motel guests. Standing 20 feet tall and made out of fiberglass and mesh, Pierre could turn his head, had red glowing eyes that could move, and had a speaker so he could talk with which he could entertain people with his voyager tales. He was controlled by a motel employee in a hidden booth. By the 1970s, the Pierre had became neglected. His eyes became dark slits and his birch bark canoe and paddle disappeared. In 2008, part of the motel was destroyed. In 2011, he was saved and placed at the Earthwood Inn. He now has a paddle and canoe (complete with googly eyes)... but still no pants, for unknown reasons.
Big Lonnie Johnny in Hutchinson, Kansas - Using an original 1966 mold of a Big John (statues from molds at the General Sign Company of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, for Big John grocery stores). Mark Cline made this statue in 2022.
These bronze Bigfoot statues could be found all over Michigan (including Tawas, Sault St. Marie and Munising above). The large, muscular, hairy, ape-like creature is known by many names... Sasquatch (meaning wild man, in the Pacific Northwest), Bigfoot (Northern California) or the Dewey Lake Monster (Michigan).... which was allegedly seen by local residents in 1964 in southwest Michigan.
Larry the Lobster in Woolwich, Maine - Located prominently on the roof of the Taste Of Maine restaurant, the world's largest inflatable lobster weighs 700 pounds and is 70 feel long and 12 feet wide. It is put up each spring.
