Welcome to Roadside Icons Midwest. In this section of Roadside
Peek, check out the Muffler Men from the great Midwestern part of
the United States.
Gemini Giant (Gone)
Wilmington, IL Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Who's the fellow holding a rocket outside the Launching Pad? The Gemini Giant began greeting Wilmington, Illinois, travelers in 1965. His green spacesuit, oversized helmet, and silver rocket made him one of Route 66's most recognizable roadside characters.
Created by International Fiberglass, the roughly 20-foot figure is a Space Age variation of the familiar Muffler Man. His name celebrates NASA's Project Gemini, which was making headlines when the giant arrived. Generations of travelers stopped beneath him before uncertainty over the restaurant's future prompted a preservation effort.
UPDATE: The Gemini Giant was saved in 2024, restored, and relocated to Wilmington's South Island Park. His public homecoming took place on November 30, 2024. He no longer stands at the Launching Pad, but fortunately this spaceman stayed in town and along the Route 66 corridor. 07-26
Lumberjack Products (Gone)
Ozarks, MO Photo courtesy Tim Thompson
Here's the Lumberjack Products Man keeping watch over Missouri's Route 66 corridor. With his bright clothing and oversized frame, this fiberglass woodsman certainly made the business easy to spot. Perhaps he could help with that next load of firewood.
Roadside accounts place him near Sullivan, alongside Interstate 44. One particularly unusual detail was his axe: an exhaust pipe served as the handle, topped with a comparatively small axe head. Like other lumberjack-style Muffler Men, his size did most of the advertising before motorists could read the business name.
UPDATE: The giant was reported gone from the Missouri location by 2003, with tracking records placing him afterward in Baxter, Minnesota. His present whereabouts remain uncertain, but this woodsman's roadside career apparently included a substantial trip north. 07-26
Stan the Tire Man's Uniroyal Gal (Gone)
Mt. Vernon, IL Photo courtesy Don Gardner
Standing nearly 20 feet tall, Stan the Tire Man's Uniroyal Gal brought a little 1960s style to Mount Vernon, Illinois. Her towering figure, cheerful expression, and carefully arranged hair made her considerably more noticeable than an ordinary tire advertisement. You certainly didn't need to be shopping for tires to stop and admire her.
International Fiberglass produced these uncommon female counterparts to the Muffler Men during the 1960s. Stan Zimmer displayed this example at his Salem business before moving her to Mount Vernon in 2007. After the shop closed in 2015, collector Bruce Kennedy purchased her and shipped her to Hayward, California, for restoration. She returned to Mount Vernon in 2022, giving southern Illinois travelers another chance to see a familiar roadside face.
UPDATE: The homecoming proved temporary. The Uniroyal Gal was sold again in September 2024 and reportedly moved to Texas the following month. Her current display arrangements aren't confirmed, but the figure survives after a career that has taken her across the country. Fortunately, collectors recognized that this unusual tire-shop mascot was worth preserving. 07-26
Lauterbach Big Man
Springfield, IL Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here's the Lauterbach
Giant towering over Wabash Avenue in Springfield, Illinois. His broad smile and enormous frame make Lauterbach Tire & Auto Service easy to find, even before you notice the business sign.
The fiberglass lumberjack began his local career at Midtown Tire in the early 1960s. He later stood at the Roundup Cafe in Farmersville before returning to Springfield in 1978. Originally equipped with a giant tire, he eventually traded it for an American flag. A tornado tore off his head in 2006, but repairs put the familiar face back where it belonged.
UPDATE: The giant remains outside Lauterbach Tire & Auto Service, holding his flag and greeting Route 66 travelers. After changing businesses, moving between towns, and surviving a tornado, he's earned his place among Springfield's best-known roadside landmarks. 07-26
Bunyon's Hot Dog Giant (Gone)
Cicero, IL Photo courtesy Kelly Coalier
That's quite a hot dog held by Bunyon's Hot Dog Giant. This 19-foot fiberglass fellow originally advertised Bunyon's Drive-In in Cicero, Illinois, giving hungry Route 66 travelers a very clear idea of what to order.
Owner Hamlet Stephens installed the giant in January 1966. His lumberjack appearance came from the familiar Muffler Man design, but the oversized hot dog gave him a specialty of his own. When the restaurant closed, the Stephens family arranged for the figure to remain along Route 66 rather than disappear into a distant collection.
UPDATE: The giant relocated to Atlanta, Illinois, in November 2003, across from the historic Palms Grill Café. He continues welcoming Mother Road travelers there, holding the same enormous meal that made him famous. Fortunately, this hot dog salesman found another place to stand. 07-26
Big Jack
Yorktown, IN Photo courtesy Tim Thompson
Big Jack has been greeting travelers near the intersection of I-69 and Indiana 332 for decades. Originally standing outside Jack Smith and Sons RV Sales, this towering fiberglass giant was impossible to miss as he held a miniature camper high above his head, advertising the dealership to passing motorists. Photo courtesy Tim Thompson. 05-06
Back in the RV dealership days, Big Jack was one of those roadside attractions that made you slow down for a second look. His oversized camper seemed almost weightless as he held it high above the lot, making the business impossible to miss from the highway. It was exactly the kind of larger-than-life advertising that made road trips so memorable.
When the RV business closed, the property became a heavy equipment rental center, but Big Jack stayed put. The camper disappeared from his hand, and he was eventually repainted in Caterpillar yellow to match the new business. Even with the changes, he's still one of Indiana's classic roadside giants and an easy landmark for anyone passing through the Yorktown and Muncie area.
Jack RV (The Rental Store)
Yorktown, IN Photo and info courtesy Ross Trimboli
Like many surviving Muffler Men, Big Jack has adapted to changing times while continuing to watch over the roadside. While his appearance has changed over the years, his towering frame still catches the attention of motorists just as it did decades ago. He's a reminder of an era when businesses weren't afraid to use giant fiberglass figures to lure customers off the highway.
Today, Big Jack remains one of the more recognizable roadside giants in Indiana. Whether you remember him from his RV dealership days or know him from his current home, he's another great example of how these oversized advertising figures often outlive the businesses they were built to promote.
UPDATE: Big Jack still stands at the former Jack Smith and Sons RV Sales site, now home to a heavy equipment rental business. His original camper is gone, but the giant remains a familiar Indiana roadside landmark. 07-26
Who's the fellow holding a rocket outside the Launching Pad? The Gemini Giant began greeting Wilmington, Illinois, travelers in 1965. His green spacesuit, oversized helmet, and silver rocket made him one of Route 66's most recognizable roadside characters.
Lumberjack Products (Gone)
Bunyon's Hot Dog Giant (Gone)
Big Jack
Jack RV (The Rental Store)
