Cole Lumbus

Cole Lumbus watches Columbus’s daily activities as well as parades and festivities from the right corner of Stearns Park. A carved wood spirit was installed on July 9, 2015 as the town’s mascot and watchman. The bearded old man’s face with a birdhouse on top was carved from Royal Paulownia wood by local artist and woodcutter Chris Carroll. Today, Cole Lumbus has his own Facebook page and followers who wish him a happy birthday on Feb. 2, the day the town was founded in 1857. In addition, locals gather to look for Cole’s shadow to predict the arrival of spring on Groundhog’s Day.