Famous folk artist Lowell Davis recently unveiled a new sculpture on the northeast side of Carthage, Missouri, along Route 66.
The Carthage Press reported the sculpture is at 125 N. River St., near Missouri 96 (aka Route 66):
The creation includes a road grader from the late 1800s with a pair of signature Lowell Davis buzzards, the words Jasper County and the Route 66 highway shield, all made of steel.
Eastern District County Commissioner Jim Honey said the entire work stands on steel pillars left over from when the county bought the former Boyd Trucking Company property. It stands on the far northeast corner of the County Common Road District lot, visible to Route 66 travelers and anyone else coming into town from the east on Highway 96 at the intersection with north River Street.
Davis told the newspaper he lost his ability to paint because of arthritis. But he said he still can create sculptures, and “it’s got my adrenaline pumping again.” He also receives help from his son-in-law, Jason Vickers, who’s a welder.
Davis said he’s got “several more” of those type of sculptures. He’s itching to get them installed along Route 66. He proposes at least one along Kellogg Lake Park.
Long described as the “Norman Rockwell of Rural Art,” Davis gained fame over the decades with his whimsical illustrations. But he probably remains best-known with Route 66 fans for his Red Oak II complex in rural Carthage, just a couple of miles off Route 66.
Red Oak II became his re-creation of his childhood hometown of Red Oak, Missouri, and it turned into a popular destination for Route 66 travelers. Davis lives on the Red Oak II premises. He’s known to greet tourists from time to time.
(Image of Lowell Davis’ new sculpture near Carthage, Missouri, by Red Oak II via Facebook)