Rocky the Frog
The story is told that it has sat there since the 1920's when an artist, Sara Perkins, and her two boys hiked up the side of the mountain to paint one of the boulders. Apparently the threesome saw the rock as a giant amphibian and painted it green. They added other colors to give the frog its life-like form so that all can see what they envisioned. During this era when the boulder was painted, Highway 89 was the main route between Phoenix and Prescott. Many people saw and enjoyed the Perkins sculpture. It became a popular roadside attraction and brought many to the nearby town. This was great for the Perkins family who owned a nearby service station known as the Arrowhead.
Today, some of the towns individuals are still maintaining the frogs appearance. They hike up the mountain with their green paint and give the old boy a new look. Somewhere along the way, the frog was bestowed the name, Rocky and still sits proudly on top of the mountain along Highway 89.
That's very cool, not just that it was made, but that it's maintained. I love quirky landmarks like this.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy cruising around the state looking for abandoned places and running across interesting things like this....Bonus!
ReplyDeleteI love him!!!
ReplyDeleteMe too!!
Deleteon HW93 near kingmen AZ there on the hill is a rock painted to look like a polar bear.
ReplyDelete