History:
The Big Chicken was built in 1963 for a restaurant called Johnny Reb's Chick, Chuck and Shake. The owner, S.R. "Tubby" Davis, created the seven story tall structure as a way to advertise his restaurant. Soon the towering landmark was used as a reference point and phrases like "turn left at the big chicken" or "just one mile south of the big chicken" became common. A few years after construction of the big chicken, Davis sold Johnny Reb's to his brother who turned it into a franchise of KFC.
In 1993, after years of deterioration and recent storm damage, the famous landmark was in danger of being torn down. When news of this plan reached the public, the outcry was so great that KFC agreed to rebuild the entire structure and restore it to its former glory.
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