Mrs. Hazel Dixon owner of the Frognot General Store, with her husband Otis ("Ode dear" is how Hazel addressed Otis, the Mayor of Frognot) "look[ed] for years for a big statue of a frog to put in front of their general store." Frank Tolbert, Tolbert's Texas: Frognot Gets Water Works, Dallas Morning News (Oct. 16, 1966). Not finding one, they hoped there would be enough frog lovers to contribute to a fund for a frog statue.
Instead, the readership of Tolbert's columns contributed a "collection of ceramic and wooden likenesses of frogs ... from people all over the country ... -- [even as far away as] Ann Arbor, MI." Frank Tolbert, Tolbert's Texas: Harsh School Marm 'Named' Frog Not, Dallas Morning News (April 20, 1975). Her collection included "a clock with a frog face, frog cartoons and about 75 carved, crocheted, stuffed or molded knickknack frogs." Charlotte-Anne Lucas, Storefront Chats: Frognot, Dallas Times Herald (June 6, 1982).
Eventually, Mrs. Dixon asked Mr. Tolbert to tell his readers "that no more frog figurines or any other sort of frog souvenirs be sent her. The little store ... is now over-crowded with likenesses of frogs." Frank Tolbert, Tolbert's Texas: Potlikker Snubbed in Athens Cookoff (Oct. 16, 1982).
Due to lack of funds, Ode dear and Hazel never did get a frog statue for the front of their store. They had to make due with their handpainted "Welcome to Frognot" sign.
