Carroll County Freedom Rock at Manning

CARROLL COUNTY FREEDOM ROCK AT MANNING

"It Rocks Refreshing!"

About the Tour and Artist:

Painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen - June, 2014, as a part of his 99-county Iowa Freedom Rock® Tour, which was announced in 2012. The first community or organization sending in the down payment would receive that county’s rock.

As of June, 2015, the Iowa Freedom Rock tour currently has 28 finished rocks, including the Shelby County rock in Earling, the Audubon County rock in Kimballton, and the Sac County rock in Sac City. Manilla has the Crawford County rock, which is supposed to be painted in the fall of 2015.

Sorensen is from Greenfield. He began painting a large rock north of Greenfield in 1999, when he was 19. He repaints the rock yearly for Memorial Day, always with a patriotic theme. The rock is located 1 ½ miles south of Interstate 80 at exit #86.
The rock at Greenfield has become known as “The Freedom Rock”. Sorensen donates his time for the Greenfield rock, but he collects a fee for painting the county rocks. Sorensen’s work is known internationally and he has painted patriotic murals throughout the United States.

To learn more about the artist and the Freedom Rock® Tour, visit their website by clicking here.

About Our Rock:

Our 9 ½ foot tall boulder was moved from Dedham in March, 2014. The rock was donated by Arnie Wiskus.
Originally, the paintings on the county rocks were expected to last eight to ten years. Manning selected a higher grade paint (at $1000 more) which could last 40 years. An anti-graffiti sealant has been coated over the paintings.
Organizers are finalizing landscaping, the kiosk, parking, and signage to make this a tourist attraction and an area of pride for our veterans and our community. The entire project will cost more than $30,000, of which about $25,000 has been raised through grants, donations, and in-kind contributions.

The Paintings:

We suggested a railroad theme, as it was a common element for Carroll County. Bubba came up with the actual drawings. His research showed that Manning was one of two places in Iowa where guards were stationed at a railroad trestle, guarding against sabotage during WWII.

Another one of our suggestions included an eagle with a shield. Two of Bubba's favorite things to paint are the American Flag and eagles. So, he draped "Old Glory" across the top and side of the rock and incorporated the majestic eagle and shield. Instead of a flat, gray shield, he added the colors of the flag and a quote in white to mirror the stars in the flag.

We also suggested a tribute to ALL those who contribute to our freedoms (nurses, fire fighters, EMS, police, and farmers) and to say thank you to the home front. Bubba wanted to emphasize that there are many ways to serve others on the home front, including the farmers who feed the word, shown at the bottom.

The final side of our rock pays tribute to all branches of the military with the soldier at the top and the shield at the bottom. Bubba wanted to be sure to include soldiers from both sexes and multiple nationalities to represent all those who protect our country. In this way, he included not only Manning, but the entire county, state, and nation so anyone coming to our rock would know they were included.