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Route40.net
The best source of historic and contemporary information for America's finest transcontinental highway.
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Roadside Attraction

Wendover Will

West Wendover Boulevard
West Wendover, NV 89883

Seal of the City of West Wendover, Nevada

The Wendover Will sign was built in 1952 for the State Line Casino. The sign was named after the State Line's founder Bill Smith and was modeled after the Vegas Vic sign which stood outside the Pioneer Club in Las Vegas. Will is 63 feet tall and is in the Guinness Book of Records for being the world's largest mechanical cowboy.

In 2002, Will was donated to the city of West Wendover and it underwent a $200,000 restoration. He now stands in the center of old Route 40 on the west end of town. More significantly, Wendover Will was included in the city's official seal when it was incorporated in 1991. Not too shabby for a neon sign!

Call me crazy, but I can't help but think that Wendover Will and Vegas Vic served as design models for Woody in the Toy Story movies.

View user comments below.

Wendover Will
Postcard ca. 1960.


Wendover Will at the State Line Casino, Nevada
Wendover Will at the State Line Casino, Nevada. Postcard ca. 1960.


Wendover Will
Wndover Will. Postcard ca. 1940.



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User Comments · Add a Comment

 
Posted by: Router on Tuesday, October 29, 2019 at 1:26:22 PM

Wendover Will looks like a carbon copy of Big Tex at The State Fair of Texas at Dallas, complete to the hand positions. There are 92 numbered photographs in George R. Stewart's "U.S.40 " . Number 46, or half of that , is of "Grainfield" (Kansas) . One search on "distances" give 1516 miles from Grainfield to San Francisco; 1513 miles to Atlantic City. Maybe Grainfield should have a " U.S.40 Route Mid Point Cafe'" such as the "Route 66 Mid Point Cafe'" at Adrian, Texas.(1139 miles to Chicago or Los Angeles ). Almost or exact duplicates of George R.Stewart's "U.S.40" pictures can be seen on your computer using Google Maps "Street Views". #44 "Plains Border" and #46 "Grainfield" are just two of many for example.



Feedback: Do you have corrections or contributions for this page? Want to make a suggestion? Click here to send me an e-mail. I am espcially interested in memories, stories, postcards and photographs. Thanks!

Frank

Last updated: 2009-10-18 20:50:35

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