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DIXFIELD — The beloved official town mascot, Bullrock the Moose, became a casualty of Wednesday evening’s ferocious thunderstorm.
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Wednesday evening’s winds from a powerful thunderstorm toppled Bullrock the Moose, Dixfield’s mascot on the Village Green. The 11-year-old statue also had dry rot, which contributed to its downfall.
Strong winds knocked down the full-scale wooden sculpture, which had been standing in the Village Green since 2000.
“I heard the sad news of Bullrock’s destruction shortly after we opened (Thursday morning),” Charlotte Collins of the Dixfield Town Office said.
Wind was not the only factor contributing to the moose’s demise. Bullrock had developed a bad case of dry rot in his chest as well as his front right leg, making for an already unstable foundation.
Bullrock is named after a local legend, according to town records. The story goes that a wandering moose journeyed from the back side of Dixfield’s Sugarloaf Mountain, approached a formation known as Bull Rock on Sugarloaf and became so entranced with the beauty of the valley below that he lost his footing and plunged over the side to his death.
“Today, Bullrock’s spirit can be seen in the majesty of our forests and the steadfastness of our people,” according to town reports. “He not only symbolizes Dixfield’s colorful past, but represents a strong and steady future for all of us.”
Bullrock the statue began April 18, 2000, when Ted Walker of Peru began carving him. Money was provided by the Economic Development Council.
Walker took two weeks to complete Bullrock using 150-year-old white pine for his body and Norway pine and spruce for his legs and antlers. Falls Taxidermy supplied his big brown eyes and Dan Anctil supplied the log at Bullrock’s feet.
Bullrock was hoisted onto a concrete foundation by Anctil’s log loader and bolted tightly to the concrete slab.
As of early Wednesday afternoon, Bullrock remained in pieces on the ground on the Village Green.
“I have a feeling that Bullrock may rise again,” Collins said.
This image shows the original artwork from which the official Town of Dixfield Seal was developed. This representation of the Town of Dixfield was drawn by Letty Ellingwood and evolved into the official town seal. Shown are the Sugarloaves Mountain, Bull Rock, Webb River and Valley, moose, and wildlife. Dixfield’s mascot is a moose named Bull Rock, and its motto is “We Strive.”
Bullrock is back!
Eileen Adams
Eileen Adams, Staff Writer
River Valley |
Monday, June 18, 2012
DIXFIELD — A stronger, bigger and more resilient Bullrock arrived at the Village Green early Friday afternoon after more than a year of work to replace the town’s mascot.
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Eileen Adams/Sun Journal
Wood carver Ted Walker of Rumford anchors Bullrock to his platform early Friday afternoon.
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The first Bullrock rotted from the inside after a few years, but this time, creator Ted Walker of Rumford took steps to prevent a similar demise.
The 9-foot tall, 1,500-pound moose is on a pedestal at the entrance to the Green along Route 2 near the village. It’s carved from pressure-treated wood, has some rubberized parts. It’s hollow but looks like a traditional wood carving.
Bullrock’s head is topped with a set of real moose antlers donated by a local hunter.
Norine Clarke, the driving force on the Dixfield Economic Development Council, said funding for the new moose came from insurance and large and small donations from area people.
A Welcome Bullrock party is set for 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, June 21, at the Village Green. A commemorative cake and punch will be served.
A stuffed moose created by Laurie Taylor and Moose Is Loose T-shirts designed by Hot Colors will be awarded to several of those attending who sign up at the event.
Bullrock was driven from Walker’s home on the Swain Road to its new home by Twin Rivers’ owner Alan Elliott and two employees. They used two of the company’s trucks to move the moose and other items needed to set it up at the Green.
Dixfield Police Department officer Anne Simmons-Edmunds provided an escort into town.
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