CHISHOLM, Minn. — The spirit of Minnesota's Iron Range is embodied by those who carved out their living below the earth's surface, digging out the ore that was used to build America's infrastructure and protect her freedoms.
As part of our continuing series KARE in the Air exploring the iconic locations and sights of the state, the KARE 11 drone recently visited Chisholm and the Iron Man Memorial statue.
The memorial was completed and dedicated in 1987 to honor those who mined the material that became steel used for bridges, buildings, train rails, and during periods of war, forged into tanks and other weaponry. It was designed by noted sculptor Jack E. Anderson, who titled it “Emergence of Man Through Steel.”
The entire structure reaches 86 feet into the sky, making the Iron Man the third tallest free-standing memorial in the country behind the Statue of Liberty and the St. Louis Arch. The statue of the miner himself is forged from brass and copper, standing 36 feet tall. He wears the familiar mining helmet, and carries a pick and shovel.
A plaque near the Iron Man's base calls him "a tribute to the Mesabi, Vermilion, Cuyuna and Gogebic Ranges' men of steel, who carved out of a sylvan wilderness the iron ore that made America the industrial giant of the world. They shall live forever!"
Mnopedia says the statue is widely recognized as a Minnesota roadside attraction and serves as an icon of the Range, particularly in promoting tourism. But as Chisholm City Attorney Lou Cianni explained at the 1987 dedication ceremony, “I can name you 100 guys, honorable men who deserve this recognition. It’s not a tourist attraction. It’s a memorial. And it’s probably too small for the people it’s memorializing.”
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