About Us
Along the original alignment of Route 66 in Galena, Kansas, you’ll find what remains of one of the route’s more unique roadside attractions... Frecs the Miner.
Standing 19 feet tall when first built in 2019, Frecs was Kansas’ own take on a classic muffler man. But unlike the traditional fiberglass giants, Frecs was entirely handmade from pipe, canvas, chicken wire, and glue, giving him a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted character. Dressed in blue jean overalls, a miner’s helmet, and holding a pickaxe and pail, he paid tribute to the region’s deep mining roots.
Frecs was created by Renee Charles of the Kansas Historic Route 66 Association and named after her grandfather, Milbern John Busick a real lead and zinc miner known as “Frecs” for his red hair and freckles. His story, and the legacy of mining across the Tri-State area, lives on through this tribute.
Sadly, an accidental fire in March 2022 destroyed the statue. Today, only his boots and a weathered sign remai, a quiet but powerful reminder of what once stood here.
There’s hope that Frecs will rise again someday. Until then, this stop offers something different along Route 66, not just a photo, but a story worth remembering.
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