Merced Man (Gone)
Merced, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Ever visit the old Agricultural Museum outside Merced? Along with its collection of farm equipment, vintage signs, and mid-century memorabilia, the place was home to another handsome roadside giant. Meet the Merced Man, standing tall beside Highway 140 on the road to Yosemite.

This mustachioed fellow was one of the fiberglass Muffler Men manufactured by International Fiberglass during the 1960s. Before settling in at the museum, he reportedly worked for a pest-control company, where he held an enormous mallet and stood beside a giant fiberglass rat. Apparently subtle advertising was not part of the extermination business.

The museum owner later rescued the figure from a nearby wrecking yard and installed him outside the Agricultural Museum and Frontier Town. Behind the roadside storefront was a homemade Old West village filled with antique engines, automobiles, household items, and other pieces of Central Valley history. It was the kind of place where stopping to see one giant man could easily turn into an hour of wandering around.

UPDATE: The Agricultural Museum and Frontier Town permanently closed, and its collection was dispersed at auction in January 2021. The Merced Man was sold and removed from the Highway 140 property. His present location is unknown, but hopefully this big fellow is still standing somewhere, with or without the rat. 09-26