Big Bull Draws Tourists To Rural Acreage

Big Bull Draws Tourists To Rural Acreage AG WORLD 31-5-23 My family was driving along Interstate I-90 about 25 miles west of Sioux Falls, S. Dakota, last summer when we spotted the horns of a huge bull off to the side of the highway. We pulled off onto the next exit and drove into the Porter Sculpture Park. There we got a good look at the 60-ft. tall metal bull that's just the beginning of a private metal sculpture garden that grew out of Ron Porter's imagination. "My parents say I was three years old when my interest in art began to show," says Porter. "As I got older, I put down crayons and picked up a welder. My creations just got bigger." Porter came by his welding skills naturally, helping out his dad in the family blacksmith business. "As someone from the country, I wanted to tell people about agriculture and nature," explains Porter. "I tried to pull everything from history and what we are. The bull is a powerful image throughout centuries, so I built it. It gets the most attention from visitors." The head, neck and shoulders are made mostly out of railroad tie plates. The horns and ears are made from 1/8-in. iron. The entire statue weighs 25 tons and is as tall as the heads on Mt. Rushmore. Porter has more than 40 other sculptures at the park, including fish swimming out of a tipped gold fish bowl, a giant hand with a butterfly landing on the tip of a finger, dragons, vultures, a giant pink rocking horse and many, many more. "Sometimes I'm just goofing around, and sometimes I'm trying to make a statement," he says. "I enjoy watching people interact with the sculptures." Porter spends his summers at the sculpture park, giving tours and visiting with those who stop by. From Labor Day to Memorial Day he returns to St. Lawrence, S. Dak. to work with his dad in the blacksmith shop and to work on his latest creation - a giant horse. "It will take years to complete, stand 40 ft. tall, and weigh close to 30 tons," says Porter. Porter charges adults $4 each and children 13 to 17 pay $2 each. It's definitely one of the best deals to be had in South Dakota. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Wayne Porter, P.O. Box 127, St. Lawrence, S. Dak. 57373 (ph 605 853-2266; cell 605 204-0370; ronporter007 @ juno.com).

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