Johnny Kaw
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Johnny Kaw is a mythical Kansas settler and the subject of a number of Paul Bunyan-esque tall tales about the settling of the territory. A 30-foot tall statue of Johnny Kaw holding a scythe stands in the city park in Manhattan, Kansas.
Kaw was created in 1955 by George Filinger, a professor of horticulture at Kansas State University, to celebrate Manhattan's centennial. Filinger created Kaw to be Kansas' answer to other heroes like Bunyan and Pecos Bill. His stories related how Johnny Kaw created the Kansas landscape, geography and pioneer trails. Kaw was said to have dug the Kansas River Valley, planted wheat, invented sunflowers, and grown giant potatoes. Kaw even controlled the weather, lopping the funnels off tornadoes and wringing out the clouds to end droughts. His pets were the mascots for the two state universities: a wildcat and a Jayhawk, who enjoyed a good fight. The Dust Bowl was said to be a result of their fights. Filinger's book was not republished after 1969, but Kansas author Jerri Garretson released a new collection of Kaw stories in 1997.
The Johnny Kaw statue in Manhattan was constructed in 1966 at a cost of $7,000. The town hoped that the statue would establish Johnny Kaw as a local legend and would prove to be a roadside 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.
