Bentonsport Museum of Artifacts
A visual, historic, and craftsmanship wonder is open to the public
Tony Sanders parks his mountain
bike on the back porch of his log cabin in Bentonsport. There is a
five-gallon plastic bucket bunji-strapped to the back of his bike. From the
bucket he takes a hunting knife he found along the road, and a few grocery
items. It is Sunday, midday, and Tony has just returned from the ten mile
bike ride to Farmington where he went to church. He is a lean man, belying
his 63 years of age. Tony jogs five miles a day, and rides his bike 20 miles
roundtrip on Sunday going to church. Never married, and having no telephone
or television his life is unencumbered and close to the land. But one thing
stands out: he hand built the Bentonsport Museum of Artifacts – Wood and
Horns.
Open to the public, the
Bentonsport Museum of Artifacts is a breathtaking experience of visual,
historic, and craftsmanship wonder. Not only are there over 4,000 arrowheads
and Indian artifacts such as ax heads, grinding stones, mammoth teeth, and
deer-antler sheds; but everything—the display cases, walls, ceiling,
floor, and rafters of the museum—are paneled in beautiful, handmade
inlaid wood panels. Painstakingly crafted by Tony, using only a coping saw
and rasp, there are 18 different types of wood, all taken from the dairy
farm where he milked cows for 42 years and the countryside around
Bentonsport. There is cedar, walnut, ash, birch, maple, cherry, white and
red oak, red elm, honey locust, hickory, hackberry, Osage orange (hedge
wood), Chinese elm, hard and soft maple, mulberry and apple. Each piece is
hand fitted into intricate patterns that Tony designed, then varnished to a
sheen that would make a master craftsman drool.
Why does Tony Sanders do this?
Why does he hunt the creek beds for artifacts, put together beautiful inlaid
wood panels, and build a museum open to the public? His answer is simple:
"I
spent my whole life tramping around other people's property. This is
my way of paying back."
Living mostly off the land, and
a self proclaimed "health nut," Tony Sanders' freezer is
chocked full of organically raised fruits and vegetables. He grinds his own
wheat and corn. He eats only wild game and fish. He cold packs or cans wild
turkey and venison.
Never having time for marriage,
he states with a twinkle in his eye, "Seems like every time I'd
get interested in a lady, it would be fall and I'd take off hunting.
Come spring she'd be gone."
He loves to fish, but not
catfish as one might suspect, seeing how Bentonsport is on the Des Moines
River. "Catfish are a scavenger fish. They'll eat anything.
It's bluegill and crappie I like from the farm ponds. I throw the
bass back. The bass keep the bluegill and crappies thinned out so they grow
bigger. I use mainly Mister Twister, all different colors. The blue gill and
crappie go nuts for Mister Twister. Catfish will ruin a farm pond. I think I
love fishing more than hunting."
Where does he find his arrow
heads? "Mostly creek beds after a hard rain. Minimum till ruined the
fields for arrowhead hunting. I just park my bike along a creek, unhitch the
bucket, and walk. Running keeps me in shape for artifact hunting."
So, if you want a beautiful
drive, take J-40 from Bonaparte to Bentonsport. Look for the sign, "Bentonsport
Museum of Artifacts – Wood and Horns." If you're lucky, Tony
Sanders will show you around.
The above article courtesy of
Curt Swarm writer of the
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