AN AX-HOLDING LUMBERJACK looms atop the May Cafe, near the intersection of Central Avenue and Louisiana Boulevard in Albuquerque. The restaurant serves Vietnamese food, which makes his placement even odder than his 27-foot-tall stature on top of a 20-foot-tall platform. But owner Liem Nguyen kept him on after buying the former Shofner Lumber Co. in 1992. The first Paul Bunyan to grace the building was lost in a seventies-era fire. “Broke my dad’s heart,” says Diane Monk, whose father, Frank Shofner, owned the original joint. He searched the country for another one in vain. All he could find was a giant chef. He put a crew to work removing the fiberglass-encased apron and toque, had a seamstress create axman wear, added appropriate facial hair, re-fiberglassed it, and hoisted it. A few years ago, a windstorm took out the ax and both hands. Nguyen chose to restore the fellow as a lumberjack (with steel reinforcements), rather than the chef he could have been. That cheers Monk on visits from her home in Dallas. “I’m a little amazed at how beloved that statue is. He’s in books about Route 66. He’s an icon.”
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q: Where is the big lumberjack statue in Albuquerque?
The 27-foot lumberjack statue stands near May Cafe on Louisiana Boulevard, just south of Central Avenue in Albuquerque.
Q: Why is there a lumberjack statue in Albuquerque?
The statue originally belonged to a 1970s restaurant sign. After the sign disappeared, a replica fiberglass lumberjack was created and placed at May Cafe, where he became a beloved roadside figure.
Q: Can you visit the lumberjack statue?
Yes. The statue is outdoors and visible from the street, making it an easy stop for photos or a quick roadside detour.
Q: Is the lumberjack statue on Route 66?
It’s located just off Route 66 near Central Avenue, one of Albuquerque’s busiest historic corridors.
Q: Why do locals call him an “Odd Fellow”?
His quirky expression, towering height, and unexpected presence in a city not known for logging have earned him the nickname “Odd Fellow.”