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bedsitter23Every area has its peculiar landmarks. I always enjoy finding or hearing about a new one.
Adair, Iowa for example has got a lot of publicity for its water tower with a happy face.
Which I never thought was that particularly odd, but then again there are a few including one in Makanda, Illinois that I was already familiar with.
I was always more impressed with the Hot and Cold water towers. Now that's funny.
So, you can probably see where I am going with this.
Which is that I heard someone say they were going to see the famous tree in the middle of the road.
Every area has their quirky places and this fits nicely into local folklore and you can read about it in places like Roadside America.
The county's website offers this explanation:
The story of "THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD”. A surveyor was marking the line between Audubon and Cass counties and used a slender cottonwood branch as he walked. When the line was established, he pushed it in the soft earth at the exact point where the lines crossed and where the present crossroad was to be in later years.
Might not make it out that way, but it was worth sharing, and reminds me that it's not the most famous tree in Iowa. That belongs to the one in Exira that will occasionally show up in media coverage with a story that is hard to beat.
The Plow in the Oak
Once again, the Roadside America guys have the popular folklore covered, so I will let them tell it.
The popular legend is that a young farmer, Frank Leffingwell, was out plowing his field when a group of Union soldiers passed by. Overwhelmed by patriotism, Frank leaned his plow against a young oak tree and left to join the Civil War -- and never returned. Time and an unforgiving tree did the rest.
The story is likely less exciting than that. RA says it was probably a farm hand and a plow that wouldn't work; and time forgotten.
Anyway, great tale to share and a must for suckers of the likes of Weird America and Roadsideamerica.com
Adair, Iowa for example has got a lot of publicity for its water tower with a happy face.
Which I never thought was that particularly odd, but then again there are a few including one in Makanda, Illinois that I was already familiar with.
I was always more impressed with the Hot and Cold water towers. Now that's funny.
So, you can probably see where I am going with this.
Which is that I heard someone say they were going to see the famous tree in the middle of the road.
Every area has their quirky places and this fits nicely into local folklore and you can read about it in places like Roadside America.
The county's website offers this explanation:
The story of "THE TREE IN THE MIDDLE OF THE ROAD”. A surveyor was marking the line between Audubon and Cass counties and used a slender cottonwood branch as he walked. When the line was established, he pushed it in the soft earth at the exact point where the lines crossed and where the present crossroad was to be in later years.
Might not make it out that way, but it was worth sharing, and reminds me that it's not the most famous tree in Iowa. That belongs to the one in Exira that will occasionally show up in media coverage with a story that is hard to beat.
The Plow in the Oak
Once again, the Roadside America guys have the popular folklore covered, so I will let them tell it.
The popular legend is that a young farmer, Frank Leffingwell, was out plowing his field when a group of Union soldiers passed by. Overwhelmed by patriotism, Frank leaned his plow against a young oak tree and left to join the Civil War -- and never returned. Time and an unforgiving tree did the rest.
The story is likely less exciting than that. RA says it was probably a farm hand and a plow that wouldn't work; and time forgotten.
Anyway, great tale to share and a must for suckers of the likes of Weird America and Roadsideamerica.com
