Flat Sasquatch

Ok, can we have a little fun here?  Sightings of Sasquatch, Yetis, Big Foot (or is that Big Feets?) are on the rise all over the world.

Here is what to do. If you are not as fortunate as me to have your own 8 foot tall Sasquatch lurking around in your yard then print out the silhouette below and take a picture of it somewhere of local interest.  Fill in the sighting report and then re-post it here and share it on other platforms as well with your pictures from around the world.

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Flat Sasquatch sighting report:

Theme:  Squatch and the power of Peace, Positivity, Kindness, and Humanitarian Goodwill. 

Name: 

Sighting Location:  

Date:  

Experience: 

Example:

Flat Sasquatch sighting report: 

Theme:  Squatch and the power of Peace, Positivity, Kindness, and Humanitarian Goodwill. 

Name: JD Anderson with my niece Laura

Sighting Location:  City Park, Manhattan, Ks

Date:  November 2, 2019

Experience: On November 2, 2019 Flat Sasquatch was seen in Manhappiness, Kansas with Laura Lynch at the Manhattan City Park with Johnny Kaw.

Johnny Kaw Statue:  Derived from  https://mhkprd.com/285/Johnny-Kaw-Statue 

The Pioneer Kansas Wheat Farmer:
A 24-foot tall statue of Johnny Kaw, the Pioneer Kansas Wheat farmer, stands in the Manhattan City Park. The statue was constructed in 1966, eleven years after the Manhattan Centennial celebration that inspired George Filinger to write the story of Johnny Kaw.

Sparking Interest in Kansas History:

The 1955 centennial committee had trouble getting people and the media interested in Kansas history. Fillinger, a professor of horticulture at Kansas State University, believed that a tall tale character might spark interest. He created Johnny Kaw to be Kansas' answer to other heroes like Paul Bunyan and Pecos Bill.

Kansas' Hero:

Johnny created the Kansas landscape, geography, and pioneer trails. He dug the Kaw River Valley, planted wheat, invented sunflowers, and grew giant potatoes. Johnny even controlled the weather, lopping the funnels off tornadoes and wringing out the clouds to end droughts. His pets were the Wildcat and the Jayhawk, who, though fast friends, enjoyed a good scrap now and then. The result of their fights was the Dust Bowl.

Johnny didn't take kindly to Paul Bunyan tromping down his wheat so he had quite a fight with the other big fellow and used his nose to plow the Mississippi River Bed. He even went west and helped Finn McCool dig the Grand Canyon and then piled up the rubble to form the Rocky Mountains. Filinger had a fine tall tale imagination, and his stories captured the interest of people across the state. Johnny was intended to be a Kansas figure, not simply a local Manhattan one, and he was careful to include as much of Kansas as he could.

Constructing the Statue:

There were three small statues of Johnny before the large 24-foot-tall one was erected in City Park in 1966. Mrs. Walter O'Neill of Manhattan sculpted the first one for the centennial. It was featured in City Park during the 1955 Centennial , but it was beheaded by vandals. It was then moved to a farm, where someone backed a wagon over it.

Promotion:

The 24-foot tall statue of Johnny Kaw, the Pioneer Kansas Wheat farmer, that currently stands in the Manhattan City Park was constructed in 1966, eleven years after the Manhattan Centennial celebration that inspired George Filinger to write the story of Johnny Kaw. George Filinger worked hard to promote the statue's construction and donated a large share of the money required. Dr. E.J. Frick and the Park Board, and the Community Johnny Kaw Boosters (Frank Anneberg, C.C. Brewer, Bill Colvin, Dave Dallas, Bill Farrell, Lud Fiser, Jack Goldstein, Lowell Jack, O.W. Kershaw, Hurst Majors, and J. Robert Wilson) were instrumental in furthering the project.

Cost & Design:

The statue cost approximately $7,000 and was erected at no cost to the City, though it far exceeded construction cost estimates of $3,000 to $3,500. The group hoped the statue would establish Johnny Kaw as a local legend and prove to be a tourist attraction. The statue is constructed of concrete over a steel beam framework. The design was intended to withstand wind and weather and be easy to maintain. Two local businessmen donated the steel and concrete; other businesses gave materials or reduced bills, and donations were solicited to pay for construction.  

•  The statue is 24 feet tall.

•  It was completed in 1966 at a cost of $7,000.

•  All materials and labor were donated.

•  Construction cost was covered by contributions from local citizens.

•  The statue is constructed of concrete over a steel beam framework.

•  The design was intended to (and did) withstand wind and weather.

•  Johnny Kaw's Shoe Size - 55