Mecca Man (Gone)
Mecca, CA Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Wow, there really are flies around here! That's the comment most would
say as they visit Mecca, CA, site of the Mecca Man. This guy stands
out in front of a bait shop near the Salton Sea. The area smells just
a bit and flies are everywhere! Standing outside a bait shop and market, this giant supplied a familiar roadside face in a landscape where heat, water, and desert scenery made for an unusual combination.
The original visit also came with plenty of flies and a noticeable introduction to the local air. Not every roadside photo stop offered quite the same atmosphere. The big fellow, of course, appeared willing to remain at his post through it all.
His later years included a spell without a head, but that wasn't the end of the story. A replacement head arrived in 2014, preparing him for another chapter beyond Mecca.
UPDATE: Sold in May 2017, the former Mecca giant moved to The Station in Joshua Tree in February 2018. Renamed Big Josh and dressed as a cowboy, he now greets travelers along Twentynine Palms Highway. Gone from Mecca, but fortunately still on the roadside. 10-26
Dal's Antiques (Gone)
Lawndale, CA Postcard courtesy Jim Osborne
Here's an image of a roadside lumberjack standing next to the Dal's Antiques store in Lawndale, CA. A long time Lawndale resident recently told me that all these giant fellows were actually created in Lawndale, CA on Manhattan Beach Blvd near where the 405 freeway crosses. He knew the man who made them and how they were made etc. The builders name was Bob Prewitt.
My friend, Richard who sent me this knew Prewitt and said he might have gotten the idea for the giants after he made the curved part on the front of the trailers. He worked for him back in 1959. He told a funny story about having to once take down one of the giants after the city got after the owner to take it down. Richard owned a crane that Prewitt borrowed from time to time. They went out to the giant and put a rope around his neck to pull it down and all the residents said it looked like a "hanging."
The old tin building once owned by Prewitt is still standing on Manhattan Beach Blvd, although now it is a plumbing supply store. I still see some of the old fiberglass farm animals from time to time. Less every year as things continue to get built up. The building looks the same but the giant is gone. But I remember him well. Many thanks to Jim Osborne for info. 04-09
UPDATE: The lumberjack is gone from the setting shown here. The accompanying historical account preserves a glimpse of Prewitt’s Lawndale operation and the practical challenges of building, installing, and occasionally moving these enormous characters. 10-26
Mecca Man (Gone)
Dal's Antiques (Gone)
