Big John - Cape Coral, Florida, USA - Photos Then and Now on Waymarking.com

For over 50 years Big John has stood proud and tall in a Cape Coral parking lot. Originally born in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. He was adopted by Jean and John Hollingsworth who were the original owners of the Cape Coral Big John’s Discount Food Supermarket. Hollingsworth wanted a Big John statue to be placed in front of his store near the road so shoppers would see him.

Big John was transported to Cape Coral by flatbed truck in two sections. The statue disconnects at the waist. While traveling to Florida Big John didn’t duck while passing under a 14 foot overpass in Atlanta. As a result the 15 foot top section was decapitated. After recovery of the head he continued the trip now in three sections. Upon arrival in June of 1969, a plastic surgeon (aka fiberglass specialist and welder) was hired to reattach and cosmetically repair the head.

Big John stands 28 feet tall and weighs 6,000 pounds. He is constructed of steel and reinforced fiberglass built to with stand hurricane force winds between 90 - 110 miles per hour. This is a good thing since Florida has so many hurricanes and it’s probably why he survived Hurricane Charley in 2004 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Big John has undergone several transitions over the years. He first stood in front of the Big John’s Supermarket in 1969 in a red and white checkered shirt sporting a white apron and holding two 6’ tall grocery bags in each hand. When the supermarket closed in the late 1980’s he became homeless until adopted by the Tabor family. The two grocery bags were removed and he was painted in a white shirt advertising the name of the location as the Cape Coral Town Center. In 2011 he disappeared for approximately 100 days. It was a big secret and kept under-wraps with the public not knowing what became of him. Later in November of that year he returned with a new paint job. He had been hiding at an auto body shop and getting a new hip replacement, new steel bones and an updated outfit that was painted by local artist German Palma, and he now sports two new grocery bags. In June of 2019 Big John celebrated his 50th birthday and still looks great.

Photo #1 - 1970
Photo #2 - 7/20/2020.
Photo #3 - 7/29/2020 (Covid 19 "Where a Mask Campaign)

Year photo was taken: 1970

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