Category Archives: Art

Liberty Stones

July 18, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

When I started THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT I had no intention of photographing the courthouses and the Freedom Rocks of each county. It was just something that evolved over time, because of a few small factors here and there that I don’t need to get into. However, since I have started seeking out courthouses and Freedom Rocks, it has been a real joy and often have been one of the highlights of my town sign harvesting trips.

Because of this, I have started to go back and get courthouse and Freedom Rock pictures of the counties where I ignored them or didn’t photograph them. Here is the first set of images I have captured to fill in some holes:

Boone County Freedom Rock

Greene County Courthouse

Greene County Freedom Rock

Hamilton County Freedom Rock

Hardin County Courthouse

Hardin County Freedom Rock

Webster County Courthouse

Webster County Freedom Rock

I’m always surprised by what counties have beautiful courthouses and which ones have monstrosities. It is also fascinating to see what different counties do with their Freedom Rock. Many just kind of dump it next to their courthouse. Some throw it in a park. Others build a cool veterans’ memorial around it and others incorporate it into an existing veterans’ memorial.

I’ve created an album for all the courthouses and Freedom Rocks to date. You can check it out by clicking on the link below:

Courthouses and Freedom Rocks

It still have several courthouses and Freedom Rocks to backfill in. But this is a start.

Art, Candid Portrait, Event, Jen, Layla, Sara, Shawn Lockner, WPC - Reminder

Ain’t No Party Like A Carousel Party!

July 16, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

I was recently invited to Maven’s Birthday Party. It took place at a carousel! Yeah, all other parties are now ruined for me. You are going to have to step it up if you want this guy to make an appearance. Not entirely true. I will show up to any particular place where I could potentially get free food.

Here are some pictures from the festivities:

There was some talk of touring area carousels, but I think that has fizzled out now that Tenderloin Trail 2.0 seems to be on the horizon.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is MUSIC:

MUSIC

MUSIC! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a MUSIC photo? A MUSIC photo is any picture that’s composition includes anything related to MUSIC. A person playing MUSIC. Sheet MUSIC. A MUSICal instrument. Anything involved in the creation of MUSIC.

While thinking on your MUSIC photo, consider this quote:

Music is the only language in which you cannot say a mean or sarcastic thing.
-John Erskine

Happy photo harvesting!

Art, Christianity, Contests, Pufferbilly Days, Railroad, Road Trip, Ruins

Marion County Auxiliary Images

July 14, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

This is a reminder that if you are interested in entering the Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest, the deadline is next Wednesday:

Pufferbilly Days Photo Contest Flyer - 2021

To download the entry form and the rules, click on the link below:

Entry Form

A special thanks to Michelle for modifying the form so you don’t have to print it 6 times.

Also, while I am running the contest, I am not judging it. So don’t worry about me recognizing your images. Doesn’t matter if I do, cause I’m not a judge!

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Back in May I cruised around Marion County to harvest their town signs. This was a solo trip and I didn’t take a ton of auxiliary images as I was on somewhat of a time crunch. I had to get to a birthday party at a carousel. Also, I have been to the two biggest towns in Marion County (Pella and Knoxville) a few times, so I didn’t really do much exploring in those towns. Still, I managed to take a few auxiliary images:

Pella

Harvey

Bussey

Hamilton

Attica

Melcher-Dallas

Knoxville

It was a good trip and an even better birthday party.

Art, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Humboldt County

July 13, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

A few Saturdays back I took a solo trip around Humboldt County to harvest their town sign collection. Humboldt is one of the smaller counties when it comes to square miles, but it still manages to pack 13 incorporated towns in. It really should be a bigger county but the people of Webster County are jerks. Probably the people of Kossuth County too.

Here are some facts about Humboldt County:

+ Current population is 9,554 (2019 Estimate), making it the 77th most populous county. Below Calhoun County and above Emmet County.
+ The county seat is Dakota City.
+ The largest town is Humboldt.
+ Was formed in 1857.
+ Named for Alexander von Humboldt, a German polymath, geographer, naturalist, and explorer.
+ Major highways are: US-69, IA-3, IA-15, and IA-17.
+ Adjacent counties are Kossuth, Wright, Webster, and Pocahontas.
+ Peak population was 13,459 in 1940.

Humboldt County has a pretty nondescript courthouse, that is hidden behind trees:

The Humboldt County Courthouse in Dakota City, Iowa.

The Humboldt County Freedom Rock is located in Livermore, Iowa:

With Humboldt County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

27 counties completed. 27.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Humboldt County:

Humboldt, Iowa
Welcome to Humboldt – Established 1863
Population: 4,690

Dakota City, Iowa
Welcome to Dakota City – est. 1858
Population: 843

Gilmore City, Iowa
Iowa’s Limestone Capital – Gilmore City Welcomes You
Population: 504

Livermore, Iowa
Welcome to Livermore – EST. 1879
Population: 504

Bode, Iowa
Welcome to Bode – Since 1881
Population: 302

Lu Verne, Iowa
Welcome to Lu Verne – Come Again
Population: 261

Renwick, Iowa
There’s Only One Renwick – It’s In Iowa
Population: 242

Thor, Iowa
Welcome to Thor
Population: 186

Rutland, Iowa
Rutland
Population: 126

Bradgate, Ioa
Bradgate – Est. 1882 – “The Town That Wouldn’t Die”
Population: 86

Ottosen, Iowa
Welcome to Ottosen – Est. 1896
Population: 55

Hardy, Iowa
Welcome to Hardy – Est. 1881 – Please Drive Carefully – A Small Town With A Big Heart
Population: 47

Pioneer, Iowa
Pioneer
Population: 23

Humboldt County has a pretty solid collection of signs. None of them might not be that spectacular, but it is definitely solid. The worst one is obviously Pioneer. Pioneer is one of those towns that just gives you a really creepy vibe while you are there. Like Beaver and Thayer and Patterson and Shannon City. It is more than just their size. I’ve been in plenty of towns just as small and unincorporated towns that are even smaller that don’t give a Texas Chainsaw Massacre vibe off. Pioneer definitely does. I don’t know how it is incorporated. There is no town hall or community buildings at all, as near as I could find. It is over 50 percent junkyard and the rest is mostly grain elevators. I’m sure it didn’t help that I was listening to a THIS AMERICAN LIFE episode on Diana, Hunter of Bus Drivers that was fairly disturbing. Diana was never caught woman that murdered a couple of bus drivers in Juarez. Apparently bus drivers in that part of the world are notorious for “disappearing” young women.

Diana sent the following email to a news organization:

You think that because we are women we are weak, and that may be true but only up to a point, because even though we have nobody to defend us and we have to work long hours until late into the night to earn a living for our families we can no longer be silent in the face of these acts that enrage us. We were victims of sexual violence from bus drivers working the maquila night shifts here in Juárez, and although a lot of people know about the things we’ve suffered, nobody defends us nor does anything to protect us. That’s why I am an instrument that will take revenge for many women. For we are seen as weak, but in reality we are not. We are brave. And if we don’t get respect, we will earn that respect with our own hands. We the women of Juárez are strong.

Any ways, Diana, Hunter of Bus Drivers is now linked in my brain with the town of Pioneer. Perhaps not fairly, but that is the way it goes. (NPR is one of the rituals that goes with Saturday Town Sign Harvesting.)

But who has the best town sign in Humboldt County. There are some solid contenders. Gilmore city has a great sign. So does Bode. So does Thor, although I was hoping for a little more. I also really like Renwick’s sign. But I’m going to give it to Bradgate (even though my picture of it is pretty lousy) because for some reason, there is a tank on it.

Bradgate – Best in Show – Humboldt County

A few towns had alternate signs. Here are the alternate town signs of Humboldt County:

Renwick – Alternate

Ottosen

Lu Verne – Alternate

Livermore – Alternate

Gilmore City – Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Humboldt County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

The next we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Calhoun County.

Art, Black & White, Christianity, History, Road Trip, Ruins

Adair County Auxiliary Images

July 9, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Back in early May I drove around Adair County to harvest their town signs. I also harvested some town signs in Clarke County. This was a solo trip.

Here are some of the non-town sign pictures I took while cruising around:

Greenfield

Fontanelle

It is sad that this is being painted over.

Bridgewater

Creston

Osceola

Woodburn

Osceola, again

One thing I missed in Adair County that I need to hit at some point is the Jesse James Historical Site.

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This is your reminder that this week’s THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE theme is HISTORY:

HISTORY

HISTORY! What a great theme for Year 8 of THE WEEKLY PHOTO CHALLENGE!

But what is a HISTORY photo? A HISTORY photo is any picture that records something that happened in the past. For example, in the theme reveal picture is the break room (building) for the employees of a Cracker Jack factory that has been gone for 50 years. A HISTORY picture could be a picture of a museum or an old building or a mural that depicts a HISTOR(Y)IC event. Or it could be a picture of a HISTOR(Y)ICAL artifact. It doesn’t need to be a piece of HISTORY that is as significant as Cracker Jack. It could be personal HISTORY.

Happy photo harvesting!

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Lucas County

July 6, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

A few Saturdays back, before I took my entries for this year’s huge embarrassing failure at the Iowa State Fair Photography Salon to the Cultural Center and well before I went to Saydie’s wedding, I tooled around Lucas County and harvested their town signs. It was a pretty busy day.

Here are some facts about Lucas County:

+ Population is 8,853 (2019 estimate), the 85th most populous county in Iowa. Behind Monona and ahead of Decatur.
+ The county seat and largest city is Chariton.
+ Was formed in 1846.
+ Named for Robert Lucas, the 12th Governor of Ohio and first Governor of the Iowa territory. He also started the Honey War with Missouri.
+ Major highways are US-34, US-65, and IA-14.
+ Adjacent counties are Warren, Marion, Monroe, Wayne, and Clarke.
+ Population peaked in 1900 at 16,126.

Lucas County has a beautiful courthouse:

Lucas County Courthouse in Chariton, Iowa

The Lucas County Freedom Rock is located in Chariton, Iowa.

Chariton has a really neat Veterans Memorial Park where their Freedom Rock resides. It is pretty rare when I go to a Freedom Rock (on a weekend) and there isn’t somebody there checking it out. It seems that there are many people out there that are traveling around and looking at them.

On this day, I didn’t meet a fellow traveler, but a retired Marine that lives in Lucas County. He isn’t the official caretaker of the park, but I think he is involved with it pretty heavily. We talked for awhile and he gave me the handout below about their park:

If you have any interest in history or military in general, it is definitely worth going to this park. He also told me about the Flag Day and Independence Day events they have at the park. I’m glad I met him.

With Lucas County conquered, this is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

26 counties completed. 26.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Lucas County:

Chariton, Iowa
Chariton – Since 1849
Population: 4,321

Russell, Iowa
Russell – Since 1867
Population: 554

Lucas, Iowa
Lucas – Since 1868
Population: 216

Williamson, Iowa
Welcome to Williamson Community Center – Williamson Fire Dept & Ems
Population: 152

Derby, Iowa
Derby Fire Station – City Hall
Population: 115

There are only 5 towns in Lucas County and it looks like some slick town sign salesman went down Highway 34 and sold identical signs to 3 of them and the other 2 don’t even have real town signs. So, to figure out the Best in Show for Lucas County, we are going to have to go to the rarely used Alternate Sign Tie-Breaker.

Here are the alternate signs of Lucas County:

Chariton – Alternate

Russell – Alternate

Lucas – Alternate

Derby – Alternate

The tie-breaker is no contest. Clearly Best in Show for Lucas County is:

Lucas – Best in Show – Lucas County

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Lucas County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in on THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT, we will visit Humboldt County.

Art, Christianity, Mom, Road Trip, Ruins

Madison County and Union County Auxiliary Images – 3

July 4, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the third and final collection of images I took while harvesting the town signs of Madison and Union County. Almost all these pictures were taken in Union County, but a few were taken in Adair County and Clarke County.

This was the last town sign harvesting trip I ever took with my Mom.

Orient

Creston

Cromwell

Kent

Afton

Thayer

Murray

I wish that Harvey’s Chicken Inn was still in business. I bet the place was the most happening place back in the day.

Animals, Art, Flowers, Macro, Mom

Does My Ring Hurt Your Finger

July 1, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

Here is another collection of flower pictures I took in my Mom’s yard. These pictures were taken on April 10, 2021. There is also a picture of Mocha looking out Mom’s living room window and a picture of a Tin Man sculpture that my Grandpa Paris made.

Many more flower pictures to share!

Art, Christianity, History, Mom, Road Trip, Ruins

Madison County and Union County Auxiliary Images – 2

June 30, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett

This is the second collection of “other” images I took while harvesting the town signs of Madison and Union County. This was the last town sign harvesting trip I ever took with my Mom.

All of the pictures in this collection were taken in Madison County. St. Charles, East Peru, Truro, and Macksburg.

Saint Charles

Truro

East Peru

Macksburg

There is one more collection of pictures from this road trip still to come.

Art, Road Trip, Town Sign Project

Town Sign Project: Grundy County

June 29, 2021 Christopher D. Bennett 2 Comments

After laying my pick down for the week (cue Loverboy) on a recent Friday, I cruised up to Grundy County and harvested their town sign. I didn’t have my ritualistic Hardee’s breakfast due to the time of day, but I did have Hardee’s for supper, which was technically a loss, because I was hoping to have Godfather’s pizza from a gas station off of Highway 20, but it was sadly closed by the time I discovered it. However, it was still a successful road trip.

Here are some facts about Grundy County:

+ Population is 12,299 (2019 estimate), the 62nd most populous county in Iowa. Behind Union and ahead of Chickasaw.
+ The county seat and largest town is Grundy Center.
+ Formed on January 15, 1851.
+ Named for Felix Gundy and Tennessee politician and the 13th Attorney General of the United States.
+ Major highways are: US-20, IA-14, IA-57, and IA-175.
+ Adjacent counties are: Butler, Hardin, Franklin, Black Hawk, Marshall, and Tama.
+ Population peaked in 1920 at 14,420.

Grundy County has a gorgeous courthouse:

Grundy County Courthouse in Grundy Center, Iowa.

The Grundy County Freedom Rock is located in Conrad:

With Grundy County conquered, here is the updated Photography 139 Conquest Map:

PURPLE=COMPLETED

25 counties completed. 25.3% of the Cyclone State conquered.

Here are the town signs of Grundy County:

Grundy Center, Iowa
Grundy Center – Pioneer Trail Entrance – Felix Grundy Festival – Living the Good Life – Welcome
Population: 2,706

Grundy Center, Iowa – Back

Reinbeck, Iowa
Reinbeck Est. 1876
Population: 1,664

Dike, Iowa
Welcome to Dike
Population: 1,209

Conrad, Iowa
Welcome to Conrad – A Main Street Community
Population: 1,108

Wellsburg, Iowa
Wellsburg
Population: 707

Holland, Iowa
Welcome to Holland – 2 Miles West
Population: 282

Stout, Iowa
Stout Astrodome
Population: 224

Beaman, Iowa
Welcome – You’re not dreamin… You’re in Beaman
Population: 191

Morrison, Iowa
City of Morrison City Hall – Est. 1877
Population: 94

The worst town sign in Grundy County is pretty obvious. There are actually 2 of them. Stout didn’t even have a sign on their City Hall that said their town name. Best I could find is a sign that if was in a different competition, would be pretty sweet. But this is a town sign competition. Morrison is a tiny town, but it should be able to do better than the DOT sign. After all, it is home to what looked like a pretty successful restaurant and the Grundy County Museum. They have a sweet orange chair that sits in their park with the town name on it. If it was closer to the main drag, I would have counted it, but it was under a shelter a block away hidden behind picnic tables, so no dice.

The Best in Show for Grundy County is also a no-brainer:

Beaman – Best in Show – Grundy County

There were a couple of towns with alternate signs:

Wellsburg Alternate

Reinbeck Alternate

Beaman Alternate

Here is the current list of Best in Shows:

Best in Show – Adair County

Best in Show – Audubon County

Best in Show – Benton County

Best in Show – Boone County

Best in Show – Carroll County

Best in Show – Clarke County

Best in Show – Crawford County

Best in Show – Dallas County

Best in Show – Franklin County

Best in Show – Greene County

Best in Show – Grundy County

Best in Show – Guthrie County

Best in Show – Hamilton County

Best in Show – Hardin County

Best in Show – Jasper County

Best in Show – Madison County

Best in Show – Marion County

Best in Show – Marshall County

Best in Show – Polk County

Best in Show – Poweshiek County

Best in Show – Story County

Best in Show – Tama County

Best in Show – Union County

Best in Show – Webster County

Best in Show – Wright County

Next time we check in with THE TOWN SIGN PROJECT it will involve Lucas County.