Wilson's Carpet Iconic Paul Bunyon Statue

"Do you know the Muffler Man?"

Unless you're a die-hard Sopranos fan or a commuter traveling into NYC on the elevated PATH trains above the Pulaski Skyway, then you've probably never seen the giant statue outside of Wilson's Carpet, a family owned and operated carpet business for over 50 years (3 generations). The "Mr. Wilson" figure, who resembles Paul Bunyon, is a staple and cultural icon to Chilltown. If you grew up in Jersey City, you knew you were home when you would spot the giant figure in the shadows under the Pulaski Skyway, which holds a giant roll of carpet to advertise the running carpet business.

"A modified Bunyan is pictured in the opening credits of the TV show The Sopranos. The statue is now a stop on the New Jersey Sopranos bus tour."

Source: http://www.neatorama.com/2014/07/07/Land-of-the-Fiberglass-Giants/

In 2003, Wilson's carpet owner Norm Wilson told the New York Times, ''You could never put something like him up now, with so many rules and regulations about everything,''. Wilson purchased the figure from Lafayette Signs back in 1974 for $5,000 and installed him on the roof of Wilson Carpet's first store on Hoboken Avenue. Rumor has it that the statue has a significant distinction of being the only Paul Bunyan to have been lived in by a homeless person and the only one with both hands turned facing up.

Today, the Jersey City icon remains on the highway US Truck 1 & 9 and Route 440 since his big move in 1988.

To us, Mr. Wilson, or the "OG Hipster", as we like to call him, runs deep in our roots and remains a cultural significance to Chilltown.

2015: The  "OG Hipster" holds a giant roll of carpet to advertise Wilson’s Carpet in Jersey City, New Jersey.