A lot of people have heard of Madison County, Iowa because of its covered bridges and the Meryl Streep/Clint Eastwood movie, "The Bridges of Madison County." But unless you are an avid fan of Western movies, you might not know the identity of Madison County's favorite son. It's John (The Duke) Wayne. John Wayne was born here in Winterset over 100 years ago...May 26, 1907 to be exact. This bigger-than-life-size bronze statue went up just this summer a couple blocks south of the courthouse square. It seems like the square would have been a better place for it...certainly there is room. I bet there's a story why it's on this corner instead. I thought the American flag behind the statue was a nice touch. Can't get much more all-American than John Wayne! In case you can't tell...that's a big ole gun in The Duke's left hand. Two blocks east of this corner sits The Duke's birthplace...a simple little cottage that been restored and is now a museum. I took a close up of the plaque in front of the statue to show you what The Duke's name really was. You never know...this bit of information might come in handy the next time you're playing Trivial Pursuit!
No comments:
Post a Comment