Big Tex: A history of the world’s tallest cowboy

By Analise Wachtel, Staff Writer

Published Oct 29, 2024

Football fans mill around Big Tex before heading to see an NCAA college football game between Oklahoma and Texas at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Big Tex, known as the world’s tallest cowboy, is a gentle giant who has welcomed millions of guests to the State Fair of Texas. Tex has been in Dallas since 1952, but how did he end up there?

Small-town origins

According to the State Fair of Texas website, Tex started his career as Santa Claus in a small Texas town east of Corsicana. This town, Kerens, wanted to encourage people to shop at local stores during the Christmas season rather than journeying to Dallas or Corsicana.

In 1949, they built a 49-foot-tall figure and claimed it was the world’s largest Santa Claus. This unique attraction was a success for the holiday season but proved to be a fad as community support waned the following year.

Santa Claus comes to Dallas

According to an article by the Dallas County Historical Commission, in 1951, the State Fair of Texas wanted to market itself as the biggest and best fair yet. They created a larger-than-life red-checkered shirt, cowboy hat and boot-wearing character called “Tex,” which was used in promotional billboards, posters and State Fair of Texas literature. These ads were successful and led to the purchase of the Kerens Santa Claus for $710, about $8,610 in 2024.

After making the journey to Dallas, the Kerens Santa Claus was renamed Big Tex. The Fair hired Dallas artist Jack Bridges to transform the statue into a cowboy.

Big Tex’s public debut was at the opening of the 1952 State Fair. Standing 52 feet above the guests, Tex wore size 70 boots and a 75-gallon height.

Big Tex Today

In the mid-1950s, Tex was moved to the roundabout in front of the Federal Building, where he still stands today.

Tex’s appearance has undergone many changes over the years, with his nose, outfit and voice being the most notable transformations. At the Fair, he can be heard greeting visitors with a friendly “Howdy, folks!”

The famous giant Big Tex wears a mask at Fair Park in Dallas on Sept. 19, 2020. The Texas-Oklahoma college football matchup will be a different game-day atmosphere this year with small crowds, no State Fair, a few food vendors, masks and social distancing. (AP Photo/LM Otero (AP))

Big Tex has faced some challenges over the years. In 2012, a fire caused by an electrical short at the base of the structure destroyed him.

Yet, in true Texan style, he made a triumphant return the next year, bigger and better than before. In 2020, Big Tex wore a face mask, embodying the resilient spirit of the Fair during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Big Tex now stands 55 feet tall with a 95-gallon hat and size 96 boots. His outfit is provided by Fort Worth’s Williamson-Dickie Manufacturing Company. His current boots are the result of the “2023 Big Tex Design Contest” and were designed by Texas native Jessica Bonilla.