The Oklahoma Giant: The True Story of the World’s Tallest Man

Oklahoma has always had its share of tall tales, but this one happens to be true. Long before social media and roadside attractions, people traveled miles just to stand in the shadow of a man named Lewis W. Wilkins. They called him the Oklahoma Giant, and for good reason.

Early Life of the Oklahoma Giant

Born in 1870 in Minnesota, Lewis later moved with his family to the Oklahoma Territory, where he grew up incredibly fast. By age twelve, he was already six feet tall. By the time he reached adulthood, he stood somewhere between 7-foot-4 and 8-foot-2, depending on who was holding the measuring stick. Either way, he was a head above everyone else.

Wilkins wasn’t just tall, he was massive. He weighed roughly 365 pounds and wore size 24 shoes. His hat size was 8½, his gloves were size 16, and one of his rings was so large that a silver dollar could pass straight through it.

I can remember being 4'9" tall in 9th grade, just wishing for a growth spurt, but this sounds miserable for this poor young Oklahoman.

Touring America as a Living Wonder

Making the most of his situation, Lewis decided to make a little bank and became a traveling attraction. He toured across America and even overseas, billed simply as “The Oklahoma Giant.”

Unfortunately, the story of Lewis is the same as most people who grow massively huge. It took a toll on his health. The normal growing pains were common. Sore muscles, trouble walking, balance issues and the like. It wasn't until his vision started going that doctors discovered a tumor pressing on his optic nerves.

They hoped they caught it in time and scheduled a specialists surgery in Chicago, but Lewis passed away before it could happen. On July 11, 1902, the Enid Daily Wave broke the news with the headline: “Lewis Wilkins Dead. The Largest Man in the World Died at a Hospital in Chicago.”

He Was 32 Years Old

His grave is still just outside of Enid, in the old Waukomis Cemetery, a true Oklahoma legend.