‘Bubba’ The Gorilla Has Stood the Test of Time

If you grew up in the Crossroads, chances are you waved at 'Bubba' the gorilla at the corner of Navarro and Rio Grande at Tom's Vaccum. Over time the gorilla became a Victoria icon and stood at the same location until Tom's Vaccum closed back in 2014. Shortly afterward, Bubba found a new home at various places around the area until he made his way to Nissan of Victoria.

The new owners of Nissan made a new home for Bubba on the roof to welcome customers. However, sales were not good at the new Nissan location so they decided to throw Bubba in the trash because they felt he was "bad luck." That's when Steve Birmingham, a shop foreman at the time, heard a thump while he was working! It turns out, they had just thrown Bubba in the dumpster. Steve who also grew up in Victoria, wasn't having this. He retrieved Bubba from the dumpster and took it home.  Shortly after, they gave Bubba a new home at the Shenandoah Pool and that is where you can find him today sporting different outfits.

I am so glad to see this piece of Victoria nostalgia has stood the test of time and has a forever home! A big thank you to Ophelia Brrmingham and Larry Taylor for sharing this story and photo with us. Now it is time to bring back the time and temperature marquee to life in downtown Victoria!

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