The (Extra) Ordinary Iron Horse

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Henry and I have traveled north on Georgia Highway 15 between Greensboro and Athens at least once a year for over 40 years. And for over 40 years, the first one to see the Iron Horse in the middle of a cornfield north of Greensboro shouts “I see the horse”!

When the corn is tall the only part of the horse that is visible is the head. The rest of the year he is easy to spot.

The Iron Horse stands tall in the middle of a cornfield
The Iron Horse stands tall in the middle of a cornfield

I love the story about how the horse came to be in that cornfield. The horse was created by Abbott Pattison and was originally placed on the campus of the University of Georgia in Athens in 1954.  Students frequently vandalized the sculpture so a professor in the agricultural department agreed to set the Iron Horse up in the middle of his cornfield about 20 miles south of Athens.

The Iron Horse is so tall I had to look up to get this photo
The Iron Horse is so tall I had to look up to get this photo

The farm today has been renamed the Iron Horse Plant Sciences Farm and is a part of the University of Georgia’s research farmland. The previous owners of the land have retained ownership of the Iron Horse. The University of Georgia granted an easement to the sculpture so people like me could get close enough to admire the horse and take pictures.

This is my contribution to the WordPress Weekly Photo Challenge: (Extra) Ordinary

15 thoughts on “The (Extra) Ordinary Iron Horse”

    1. It’s worth the drive from Athens to see it. I took these photos on Sunday when we were on our way back after a home game. When the property was privately owned the corn completely surrounded the horse. Since UGA bought it they keep the dirt path clear. This was the first time I ever got up close to it.

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  8. Thanks for your feedback on the COE site — I’ll watch for them although most are closed when we travel in the winter. Enjoy your blog — just got it on my RSS feeder so I’ll look forward to your updates. Safe travels. Dick Mansfield http://www.vtbirder.com

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