W.H. Croaker, the frog-shaped boulder next to old Route 66 in Wayneville, Mo., was vandalized with paint sometime after mid-November, reported the Daily Guide in Wayneville.
An unknown person or persons poured maroon-colored paint over the frog’s head, giving it the illusion that it was bleeding, much to the outrage of many local residents.
W.H. Croaker has become an icon in the Waynesville area and is even noted on web sites and books about historic Route 66.
The rock already was painted in frog colors before it was defaced. So it’s reasonable to believe Mr. Croaker can simply be repainted if the maroon hue can’t be removed.
According to the Frog Fest website, the boulder isn’t that old:
W.H. (Waynesville Hill) Croaker, also known as Frog Rock, was born in 1997 when the Missouri Department of Transportation expanded Historic Route 66 to three lanes on the Waynesville Hill. After blasting away at the hillside, locals thought the large rock jutting out resembled a frog. A local tattoo artist volunteered to paint the rock. The last few years the United States Marine unit stationed at Fort Leonard Wood have taken care of Frog Rock’s appearance and home.
UPDATE 12/5/2011: According to an updated story from The Daily Guide, area students cleaned up and repainted Mr. Croaker.