(Eagle Mountain Casino, Porterville, CA 93257) –
As the countdown to relocation continues for Eagle Mountain Casino’s new property many milestones will be accomplished along the way. One of those milestones is the arrival of the “Big Foot, The Hairy Man” carving that has been carved by Bill Farmer, a self-employed woodworker, and Tribal Member of the Tule River Tribe.
On Tuesday November 22, 2022, the “Big Foot Hairy Man” carving officially arrived to Eagle Mountain Casino’s new property and members of the Tule River Tribe’s Tribal Council including Gary Santos, Franklin Carabay and Kenneth McDarment were present to witness the installation.
Farmer has done work on wood carving custom sculpture, tables, chairs, and mounting plagues for many years. Utilizing wood from local trees on the reservation. The “Big Foot, The Hairy man” was one of the largest projects he has created.
The “Big Foot, The Hairy Man” has been a tradition of the Tule River Tribe for almost 150 years as the story is told by Ruby Bays and Jennie Franco from Tulare County Board of Education archives that Big Foot was a creature that was like a great big giant with long shaggy hair. He was good in a way because he ate the animals that might harm people. He kept the Grizzly Bear, Mountain Lion, Wolf and other large animals away.
According to the story some people say “Big Foot the Hairy Man” still roams around the hills near Tule River. Parents always warned their children, “You are going to meet him on the road if you stay out too late at night”. The children have learned always to come home early.
Now this story is coming to life at Eagle Mountain Casino’s new property with the project created by Farmer. The material for the carving was from a giant Redwood that had fallen across one of the roads on the Tule Reservation.
According to Farmer the main challenge was the size, clearing off the bark and cutting out large chunks of the enormous log took a lot of time.
“We don’t like wasting any material, so I even used the cut-out pieces of the log to be utilized for other carvings or uses. Large cranes were needed to move to the carving area. Working in the extreme heat also limited carving time. Large ladders and platforms were needed to carve the top as well as chainsaws”, said Farmer
Assisting with the carving was Mr. Farmer’s wife who spotted him as he worked on the large carving as well as taking photos and videos of the progress. The base will be incased at the new casino location as he wanted to make sure it was visible.
The Hairy Man carving will be located as soon as you enter the main entrance of Eagle Mountain Casino’s new property to the left in front of the Shokanas gift shop.
Currently, Eagle Mountain Casino is located 17 miles east of Porterville and is a full-service casino owned and operated by the Tule River Tribe. Guests must be 18 years of age to enter. The casino is open 24/7. In addition, the Grizzly Food court is open 24/7, and the River Steakhouse is open Friday – Sunday from 5pm – 10pm. Eagle Mountain Casino is a short drive from Bakersfield or Visalia.
The new casino property is scheduled to open soon, off Highway 65 in Porterville, CA, next to the Porterville Fair Grounds. The new property will double in size, growing to over 100,000 square feet, featuring new dining options, 1750 slot machines, 20 table games, and a state-of-the-art event center.
