Rest Area Artistic Bench - Moorhead, MN
Posted by: 
m&m O
N 46° 50.728 W 096° 44.476
14T E 672213 N 5190468
This great bench is located at the East bound rest area on I-94 in Moorhead.
Waymark Code: WM11707
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 08/28/2019
Views: 5
The rest area's address is 2970 Heatherwood Cir S, Moorhead, but access to the area is from I-94.
The state outline with "Minnesota" across it is a smaller version of the 3D Welcome to Minnesota signs the state has up near boarder crossings. The bench was designed by the Minnesota Department of Transportation. I found out from the Information Desk volunteer that the state shape is cut from Jasper stone and was quarried in Jasper, MN. Jasper has a rating of 6.5 - 7 on Mohs hardness scale and this slab was sent to Sioux Falls S.D. to be cut with a diamond tipped saw.
The rest area was updated in 2000 but the bench was not installed until 2001. The trucker hired to haul the finished stone from Sioux Falls took it to Moorhead, MT. A town of five houses about 100 miles south of Miles City, MT and 580 miles from Moorhead, MN. The volunteer said that when the driver got to Moorhead, MT he must have realized his mistake and unloaded the boxed Jasper Minnesota on the side of the road in the middle of winter. It was not until months later that the mystery of the missing stone was worked out.
The stone was shipped to Moorhead, where the bench was finally assembled and the finish bench was installed. All I asked was who made it and how long it had been at the rest area. What a story I got.
Artist: Minnesota Department of Transportation
Date Placed: 2001
Materials Used:
Jasper, steel and concrete.
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Visit Instructions:
Please visit the seating and provide us some details about your visit. Photos without GPSr are appreciated, not required.
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