Thanks for continuing your tour. This page is dedicated to two "masterworks": a Covered wagon being pulled by oxen and a Team of horses pulling an open wagon. They show the Kansas of a century ago (or maybe only a half-century in some parts). Each "group" is carved from white pine and took 2-3 months to complete.

The Covered wagon has many details: the oxen, the woman riding, the man walking. It was created around January of 1961, for the Kansas Centennial celebration. The story of its creation brought a wry smile to me.

It seems that a display was being created for the Kansas Centennial in 1961. The display needed an oxen team of a specific size and configuration so Glenn was approached and was asked to create the needed team. He did, and presented his work to the requestor - only to find out that the display had been completed with plastic figures that they'd found while Glenn was working on his wooden versions. So. What do you do when you have an "unclaimed oxen team"?

Well. Glenn decided that the team needed something to pull so he started carving and one thing lead to another until you see the whole wagon and people and tools before you. A literal version of "putting the oxen before the covered wagon". But that's not the end of the story. Enjoy the covered wagon group and I'll be back.

Notice the plow tied to the side and the rifle that the man keeps literally "close at hand".

The barrel on the back really holds water and even the spigot on the keg works to allow you to "draw" water into the bucket.

The ribbon marks a First Place award at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson, KS of sometime in the 1980's - many years after the ox team was carved. After the whole "group" got carved, someone suggested that it really should go to the State Fair the way it had originally been intended, so Glenn entered it and took the blue ribbon.

And now I'm back with "the rest of the story". It seems that after the covered wagon group was completed, Glenn made a gift of it to his daughter and it was well-received.

But.

Glenn had two children, so...well...he needed something for his son. So he started carving again and the result was the horse-team and open wagon group you see below. So from a request for a team of oxen - came two complete "groupings". I'm glad that he was asked for the oxen.

Virtually every bit of this group is wood - including the reins and "tack" on the horses.

Please take the time to let your eyes wander slowly. I just keep seeing new things as I do. The seat of the wagon has a toolbox built into it.

By the way, I think we've come "full circle": If you look back at the photo on Page 1 - of the collection of smaller figures - I think you'll find our team of oxen.

Thanks for visiting!

DO Click here and go on to Page 6, please