It all started when the city’s beautification commission wanted to do a project that would make Oak Hill unique and memorable to travelers, as well as doing something the citizens would enjoy. Their solution was wooden bear carvings around the community. Why bears? The black bear is West Virginia’s state animal and can be spotted throughout the state. They have been seen, although not too often, in Oak Hill and on people’s properties.
The black bear was selected as West Virginia’s official state animal by students, teachers, and athletes in a poll conducted by the Division of Natural Resources in 1954-1955.
The Mason Dixon Boys are the professional chainsaw carvers that have created the bears for the city. You can find them on social media under their name. So far, they have done over fifteen life-size carvings across Oak Hill. These carved bears are commonly found throughout the businesses of the downtown area, such as the shops and restaurants, and in the school complex.
Travis Crook, co-owner of the Mason Dixon Boys, said, “We are very honored to be a part of this project. Thank you to everyone involved.”
The bears can cost $50 and up, depending on what the purchaser wants.
“If you’ve got the money, we’ve got the time,” said Crook.
These bears are not purchased by the city; instead, many of the business owners are pitching in and buying a bear for their storefront.
Crook has mentioned, the bears will have to be sprayed and paint-checked once a year with a clear coat to protect them, and they are expected to last “for a really, really long time.”
People’s favorite part about the bear carvings is that they are not all the same. Each bear has a unique design for each business. For example, The Frozen Barn ice cream shop has a baby bear in a big ice cream scoop. Or another example is at the Oak Hill school campus, where they have a bear wearing a red cap and gown.
After the first purchase, more businesses started to buy these carvings for their establishments.
The Forestry Program at the Fayette Institute of Technology even had the opportunity to work and assist the Mason Dixon Boys carve the scholarly bears that you now see in place to welcome visitors to the Oak Hill school complex on Oyler Avenue.
“It was a fun learning experience. This was one of my first big projects, and I learned a lot from it.” said Jesse, a FIT Forestry student.
Matthew, a fellow FIT Forestry student, said, “It takes a lot of time and effort to be able to do this professionally. The town is going to remember these bears for a long while.”
People often drive or walk around the city to see if any more have been put up. People also enjoy taking pictures with the bears to see how many they can find. Some call it “Bear Hunting.”
As of April 2, 2021, there were close to fourteen additional bears under contract, as well as other pending contracts. The newest bear that has been added to the city, as of August 19, 2021, is located at Dillon ‘s Barbershop E. Main Street. It displays a bear with a green cap holding a barber’s pole.
Ben Dillion, owner of Dillon ‘s Barbershop said, “I think it’s an awesome addition to the community. When I saw everyone getting one, I knew I had too.”
Travis Crook with Joe Yancey said they were “very blessed” to be involved with this project. “It’s incredibly good to be working this time of the year before our busy time starts. It’s amazing that this business is getting more orders and can help out the city,” he said.
No matter the project, their goal is always “to do our best work.”
Busy events are approaching, which keeps them on the road. Crook says. “The goal is to finish their work in Oak Hill in the next one to two months or so if possible.”
If anyone would like to purchase a carved bear, they can call the Mason Dixon Boys at 681-422-9535 or contact them through social media.
Now the city of Oak Hill looks livelier thanks to Mason Dixon Boys.
(All of the pictures in the gallery were taken by Cody Frye. Click on any one of them to enlarge.)
