By Chuck Woodbury
It’s called Stonehenge 2, but it’s not. Maybe Stonehenge 3 or 4, maybe 5. There are a lot of Stonehenge’s, that’s why. Still, you don’t have to go all the way to England to see it. Just mosey on down to Ingram, Texas, population 1,800, where Stonehenge 2 is the probably the most popular tourist attraction.
It’s pretty darn cool! It’s not has high or wide as the real Stonehenge, but it’s impressive nonetheless. And unlike the real Stonehenge, there is no fence around it and no parking lot jammed with tour buses. You just walk right up to it — free admission.
Sam Hill’s Stonehenge in Washington state, overlooking the Columbia River, is better — the same size as the real deal, nice setting. It might be the real Stonehenge 2, which could make the Ingram Stonehenge actually number 3 or 4, or 5. But, really, does anybody care?
Stonehenge 2 started at the ranch of Al Sheppard. His buddy, Doug Hill, had a big limestone slab he stood upright on Sheppard’s pasture. Both liked it; it reminded them of Stonehenge. So, what the heck, they went ahead and got some steel, metal lathe and plaster and built their very own monument. Nine months later it was finished. Sheppard added a couple of Moai statues, too, so no need to visit Easter Island to see one of those.
Al Sheppard died in 1994. In 2010 his family donated Stonehenge 2 to the Hills Country Arts Foundation. A fundraising campaign paid to have it moved to where it remains today, in the city’s park. Ingram is near San Antonio, in case you were wondering.
We live within a few hundred miles from the Sam Hill’s stonehenge replica in the Columbia Gorge (Rt 14 Washington side). My wife maintains that the sign there which she has carefully read many times, says it is a 3/4 scale replica, not full size as original as stated above.
Not far from Natural Bridge, VA there is “Foam Henge”
There is also a Stonehenge at the community college in Odessa, Texas.
If memory serves me correctly there’s “Carhendg” in Nebraska. Old cars are buried in a pattern just like Stonehenge,t
Typing error – “Carhenge” is what I meant to say.
Have seen Carhenge in Nebraska. Very amusing.
Chuck! Full time,two motor homes and over 300,000 miles and in the OLD days of camping since early 60s, never had a fire. Ice box to propain. J&J Kenny