We first saw them in 2011 as we were returning from a trip to Virginia where I'd presented a workshop at a storytelling conference. I was fascinated then and have never forgotten them---but where were they? Neither of us could recall!
But on our trip to the eastern side of West Virginia a week or so ago, we stopped at an old store in Riverton. And one of the men there knew what I was talking about. It was too far to go back to find the sculptures that day, but we agreed that when we returned to visit my son and to make fruitcakes with my sisters, we would look again.
We got lucky. We found them, on the western side of South Branch Mountain, not far from Franklin, WV.
We got even luckier. Their creator happened to be at his welding shop. I was taken aback at first by his dog, a mix of bulldog and something else, that came running at us, but he turned out to be a good ol' dog, thank goodness. However, I don't think I'd want to meet up with him if his owner wasn't there--a good watchdog, I'd bet.
We had a good chat with Dennis. He made the sculptures so long ago he can't remember when it was, and some of them, he said, have Confederate steel in them that a friend gave to him.
I am glad we found this place again, and even more glad to have met the creator of such imaginative work. I hope we get to see him again.
Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.
How interesting, I'd never heard of Confederate Steve l.
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