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St. Urho Statue in Finland, Minnesota
Photos © 2002 by Tim Winker
Alongside Minnesota Highway 1, at the intersection with Lake County 7, stands a statue of St. Urho carved from a tree. It is easy to miss as trees have been allowed to grow in front of the statue, which also makes picture taking difficult. A much taller flagpole also corrupts the scene.
The carving was done in 1982 by Don Osborn, who used a chainsaw to sculpt the wood. The statue was planned to be 30 feet in height, but the medium of choice turned out to have a decayed spot, so the finished carving is only 18 feet high.
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"FINLAND" and a grasshopper on the hat.
Note the leftover cocoons.
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A bunch of grapes adorn the back.
The hole may be a bird's home.
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St. Urho's mouth is open, representing the famous shout that drove the grasshoppers from the vineyards. There are some smaller cameos on his hat - a grasshopper on the front, and grapes on the right and rear sides. In recent years, forest tent caterpillars have built their white cocoons in shaded orifices (eyebrows, nostrils, etc.) that have not been cleared away.
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Above: ST URHO 82 carved at the base.
Right: Profile view.
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More photos of Finland, Minnesota
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