Steel Wheel Fence

Steel Wheel Fence AG WORLD Ag World 17-6-21 An antique steel "wheel fence", made from more than a thousand antique steel wheels welded together, has become a landmark for people passing by the farm of Steve Dahman, Uniontown, Wash. The "wheel fence" starts in front of Dahmen's house, goes by an old barn, up a hill, loops around a 31/2-acre pasture, then finally heads back to the house again. "A lot of people stop on the highway to take photos of it," says Dahmen, who got the idea for his "wheel fence" about 25 years ago. "A day never goes by that four or five people don't stop. We also get students from photography classes who come in groups or individually. "My wife, Junette, is an artist, and I guess she kind of inspired me to do this. I feel the fence is a continuing sculpture, not just an enclosure for the pasture. With the recent addition of a new section of fence there are now 1,004 wheels in the fence, and I still have a few more to add." Wheels come from every kind of ma-chine, including side delivery rakes, threshing machines, push-binder wheels, steam engines, baby buggies, tractors, rotary hoes, wagons, etc. There are also a few cogged gears of every kind, large and small. Dahmen started with antique dump rake wheels that he used to make a simple, attractive gate. One winter he started to add more wheels outward from the gate. After that, it just continued to grow. When friends saw what he was doing they became interested and began bringing in wheels they dug out of their junk piles. The Dahmens also advertised for wheels in local publications and bought them at junkyards and estate sales. Dahmen says his most unusual wheel is a 6-ft. high gear wheel that a farmer dug out of a field. "No one can figure what kind of equipment it's from." Once the Dahmens had an offer from a California man who wanted to buy the fence for $50,000. He was going to reconstruct it near Los Angeles. They turned down the offer. Dahmen and his wife offer a guest book for visitors to sign, along with photocopied information on the fence. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Steve Dahmen, Box 62, Uniontown, Wash. 99179 (ph 509 229-3369).

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