Plevna, Missouri: Lone Horseman of Plevna (Gone)

I'm sorry to say that the Lone Horseman has departed. A neighbor told us that the last figure of the former menagerie is gone and that the house that it stood in front of has been torn down.

However, the son of the original sculptor lives close by in Plevna. His house is just southwest of the intersection of MO Hwy 15 and County Hwy BB. In its yard stands a saluting soldier figure, another of his father's creations. The neighbor also told us that several of his creations can be found in Lewistown, which is northeast of Plevna on MO Hwy 6. Unfortunately, we didn't have the opportunity to look for them on this trip.

The Lone Horseman was built by Bob Smithy, a local man who had several empty propane tanks and some time on his hands. He spent 15 years creating a stampede of knights on horses, placing them beside one another in his front yard. Bob lived in his small farmhouse, and told stories about the metal things to wayward travelers, and sold handmade postcards for $1. He was pretty much the only reason anyone ever came to Plevna.

Sadly, he passed away on March 18, 2012, at age 82. His grandson helped refurbish the house, and sold off most of the sculptures. As of 2015, all but one have been auctioned off. The largest of Bob's works, a six-foot-tall cross between Hiawatha and The Grim Reaper on a horse, still stands in the front yard, along with a few other small works that were spared. This frequently visited photo-op is now known as, "The Lone Horseman of Plevna".

Located along the highway in the little town of Plevna, Missouri is an intriguing collection of metal sculptures, arranged for handy viewing along the side of the road. There is a metal cowboy, skeleton, Native American, and much more on display, and the artist seems to add to the collections regularly. I vaguely recall reading a newspaper article about the sculptures, which are something of a retirement project undertaken by a local gent. If memory serves me, the artist's wife was asked what she thought of her husband's hobby, and she responded it was fine with her, as long as it kept him occupied.