“Big Tex,” the 52-foot-tall cowboy figure that welcomed visitors to the Texas State Fair burned on Friday.
Video from Dallas showed most of the clothes and body of “Big Tex” gone. His arms were only partially burned.
“Big Tex” started as a 52-foot tall “Santa Claus” in 1949 in Kerens, Texas. It was created to draw in holiday shoppers.
In 1950, when the novelty wore off, the giant was sold to The State Fair of Texas for $750. State Fair officials transformed the statue into a giant cowboy named Big Tex.
The character came alive in 1953 when it started “talking.”
In 2000, Big Tex started waving to visitors who passed by on their way to the Million Dollar Midway.
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