This is Throwback Thursday #247. In these, we look back into the past at ESCONI specifically and Earth Science in general. If you have any contributions, (science, pictures, stories, etc ...), please sent them to [email protected]. Thanks!
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The Gemini Giant at its new location at the entrance to South Island Park, Wilmington IL. By David Quigley - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=156469505
Mazon Creek fossil history has long been entangled with the history of Route 66, also known as the Mother Road. We've had a few posts that relate to Route 66, see Throwback Thursday #127 about Piano Hill and Throwback Thursday #237 about Bruce Stinchcomb.
If you've ever driven through Wilmington, IL on the eastern edge of the whole Mazon Creek fossil area, you might have noticed the Gemini Giant as it stood outside the Launching Pad in the heart of Wilmington. The Muffer Men, as they called, were made by International Fiberglass Co. in the 1960s. The giants stood from 18 to 25 feet tall. The first figure was Paul Bunyan, which was created for the Lumberjack Café on Route 66 in Flagstaff, Arizona.. Its arms were designed to hold an ax, but the same design was used to hold anything from rockets to hot dogs. They typically cost $1000 to $2800. For more information, check out the American Giants Museum in Atlanta, IL. The museum has many examples of Muffler Man, including a Cowboy, a Viking, a waving giant, a Snerd, and a Midas Man.
American Giants has an interesting video about the Gemini Giant of Wilington, Illinois.
For both Route 66 travelers and locals of Wilmington, IL, March 20, 2024 might as well have been the moon landing. Thousands sat riveted to their phones or computer screen waiting to see the fate of the Gemini Giant. Would a private collector get it, would someone out of state or even out of country snag it? Would it be saved and stay in Wilmington, no one knew. Join us as we talk about that day and the weeks leading up to it and the small role the American Giants Museum got to play in his take down and transport. Also learn a bit more about the history of Muffler Man and specifically the Space Men that were made in the mid 60s.
Here's a short history from the Wikipedia page on the Gemini Giant.
John and Bernice Korelc opened a Dari-Delight restaurant in 1960 at the present day location of the Launching Pad. The proprietors bought a 438-pound fiberglass Muffler Man figure for $3,500 at the annual National Restaurant Association convention.[10] Seeking to capitalize on America's fascination with the Space Race, they rebranded the restaurant as the "Launching Pad" and had the statue outfitted as an astronaut with helmet and rocket. A naming contest was held at the local grade school to give the statue a new moniker, and Cathy Thomas's suggestion of "Gemini Giant" was selected as the winner.[11] Since then, the Giant has become famous iconography of Route 66, often appearing national and international media alongside stories about the Mother Road. Its continued presence in Wilmington has become one of the most photographed destinations for travelers making the Route 66 journey.[12]
The history of the Gemini Giant and Launching Pad are intertwined. The Giant's attractiveness as a tourist photo stop has brought more visibility to the business than a small, local, independent fast food restaurant could expect to receive otherwise, while the restaurant's success is needed to keep the Giant where it has stood since 1965.
Korelc retired from full time work in 1986, but would continue to assist his daughter Sharon at the restaurant.[13]
Both the Launching Pad and the Gemini Giant were inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 2000.[14]