CHATFIELD, Minn. — Some drivers along a remote county highway in Southeast Minnesota have reported seeing a strange object off the east side of the road.
A gray, metal disc approximately 10 feet in diameter sits off the right-of-way. Emerging from it is something green with a tentacle wrapped around what appears to be a mix between an oversized glue gun or blaster.
The large, whimsical metal sculpture sits on Olmsted County Highway 19 between Stewartville, Minnesota, and Chatfield, Minnesota.
There are no plaques, signs or information to indicate who is behind the creation, how long it has been there or any hint to its origins.
The sculpture appears to be made of found metal scrap creatively repurposed into art.
Nearby residents aren’t exactly terrified.
Members of the Chatfield Alliance said they were unaware of the visitor until asked about it for this article.
“Now I really want to drive by it,” said Sara Sturgis, coordinator with the Chatfield Alliance.
John Molsed / Post Bulletin
The colorful powder coat paint and condition of the statue might lead a first-time gawker to believe it’s a recent addition to the landscape.
People who have been driving by it regularly say it’s been there for years.
Jessica Anderson, of Rochester, said she has informally kept tabs on the statue driving by it about twice a week when she visits friends in rural Chatfield.
“That thing has been there as long as I can remember,” Anderson said.
She recalls driving by it and commenting on it while hanging out with friends when she was in high school.
Anderson graduated high school in 1994. That means the art is at least 30 years old. If the creature meant any harm, it has taken its time enacting its nefarious plans.
For a time, the alien head went missing. Anderson said she thought someone had stolen it at first.
“Why would you take him?” she said. “He’s cool.”
John Molseed / Post Bulletin
Instead, it was likely a caretaker or the original artist refreshing the piece.
“He looks like he’s fresh and redone,” Anderson said.
Its origins are a mystery to Anderson as well.
“I’ve never really dug into who owns it,” she said.
The statue is on public right of way. However, staff at Rochester automotive repair business might have some clues to its origin. A staff member who declined to speak on the record and said he didn’t want the business associated with the piece, said he was aware of the statue and confirmed it was recently refreshed.
The man did entertain some speculation about what the piece was made from including whether the head was a repurposed motorcycle fuel tank.
“I believe it is,” he said. “But I won’t say anything more.”
Some mysteries in this universe aren’t meant to be solved, apparently.
John Molseed / Post Bulletin
John Molseed joined the Post Bulletin in 2018. He covers arts, culture, entertainment, nature and other fun stories he’s surprised he gets paid to cover. When he’s not writing articles about Southeast Minnesota artists and musicians, he’s either picking banjo, brewing beer, biking or looking for other hobbies that begin with the letter «b.» Readers can reach John at 507-285-7713 or jmolseed@postbulletin.com.
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