Just one year ago, the famous T-Rex on Highway 40 near 800 West in Vernal was crumbling and in need of an intervention. Thankfully, that intervention came after a community effort raised enough money for the dinosaur’s restoration. After a long winter, that process is complete and the T-Rex is now ready to shine for another 60 years. George and Helen Millecam built the iconic T-Rex in the 1960s as a companion to other dinosaur statues they had at their Dine-A-Ville Motel where the current downtown Mountain America Credit Union now sits. Back when the T-Rex’s initial paint job was complete, George took a picture of Helen standing next to his creation. It was a wonderful full circle moment then, when George and Helen’s daughter Melinda Barlow visited the T-Rex on Wednesday to see for herself the beautiful new paint job and get a photo with the majestic beast just like her mother had almost 6 decades earlier. Melinda’s hope is that the community will join her in finally giving the T-Rex a name and calling him George after her father, T-Rex’s creator George Millecam. George the T-Rex sounds like a great fit!
