THE STORY OF STANDING BRAVE

 

The birth of Standing Brave’s idea came about after a trip to Maine and an unsuccessful bid to buy a 26 ft Indian statue to bring back to Big Cabin.  DeWayne Franks wanted this Indian as an attraction to his businesses that are located in the midst of the Cherokee Nation.  After recruiting an employee from the Franks & Son body shop, a plan was formulated and his idea became a reality.

Starting October 2, 2000, Wade Leslie, the then 26-year-old body man, worked tirelessly on Standing Brave. First fabricating a scale model that is now greeting customers as they walk into the Cherokee Restaurant, Wade then moved onto the big statue utilizing some 1800 ft of steel pipe and rebar for the framework.  The framework was covered with wire mesh and expanding insulation foam to form the body.  Wade meticulously carved the features of the face, hands and body into the foam that was then fiber-glassed, sanded, primed and painted. The Oklahoma state flag was cleverly integrated into the shield design.  After 801 hours of Wade’s talented labor Standing Brave was completed March 22, 2001. 

Moving Standing Brave to his home turned out to be quite a feat.  In order for the statue to be completely freestanding, a 15 ft underground footing was laid with 100 yards of steel reinforced concrete, upon which the pedestal was placed.  Standing Brave’s spear and headdress had been built into the framework for added structural support.  A wrecker on his feet and forklift on his head, Standing Brave was pulled and pushed out of the body shop, then driven across the property to his home, finally being hoisted upright by crane.  The beautiful statue and engineering marvel was moved and placed upright on August 9, 2001.

Standing Brave now stands proudly, greeting travelers at the Big Cabin Travel Plaza entrance when they come off the Will Rogers turnpike. 

Standing Brave Fun Facts

  
  • Statue height – 46 ft
  • Pedestal height – 5 ft
  • Overall height – 51 ft
  • Weight – 15,500 lbs
  • Steel pipe and rebar used – 1812 ft
  • Fiberglass used – 600 lbs
  • Fiberglass resin used – 150 gallons
  • Standing Brave was built entirely while laying on his side.
  • Standing Brave’s spear and headdress were built into the steel framework as added support.
  • Standing Brave is entirely freestanding without use of guide wires.
  • Wade logged 801 labor hours, and had many assistants helping logging nearly as many.
  • Sanding Standing Brave took 80 hours.
  • There are 105 feathers in Standing Brave’s headdress of which the largest is 5 ft long.
  • There are also 37 feathers on Standing Brave’s spear.
  • The Oklahoma state flag was integrated into Standing Brave’s shield.
  • Standing Brave received his name from Kathrena Franks.