Iron Man Statue

Iron Man statues are the perfect way to show your love and appreciation for one of your favorite superheroes. Made of fiberglass, these statues are surprisingly lightweight, meaning that they can be easily transported and installed in any indoor or outdoor space. Whether you want to display your Iron Man in your garden or as a centerpiece for your home, this statue is sure to draw attention and inspire awe.

Sculptor Jack Anderson envisioned an erupting monument to iron mining, with beams of core-ten steel resembling a mine drift and surrounded by distinct rocks representing the Cuyuna, Mesabi, and Vermilion Ranges. He even incorporated a spiral staircase leading within the statue to an underground mine drift, complete with a model of the magnesite mine in the base of the structure. In the end, rising material costs and conflicts with committee members forced Anderson to scale down his design, resulting in the smaller version you see today.

In the spring of 1968, a team of local community leaders, many of whom would later become members of the Iron Range Rehabilitation and Recreation Board (IRRB), met at the Blackwell’s Art and Poster Shop to discuss a possible sculpture for Fifth City. They settled on a figure called “Iron Man,” which was unveiled to the public in April of that year.

The sculpture features two panels, one depicting the past and the other a look toward the future. The left panel shows a wedgeblade – a tool used by miners to cut rock and iron – with the right panel showing a sun symbol, which represents that the community will rise from its poverty and hardship. The message is that the people of Fifth City are a free community that will not be bound by the past.

After the dedication of the statue, many people came to visit and to learn more about iron mining in Minnesota. The IRRB also started a series of tours that included visits to nearby iron ore mines and other historic sites. In the early 1980s, low-priced ore imports from Brazil and inexpensive steel from Japan sent the US steel industry into a slump. This, in turn, crippled fundraising efforts for the monument.

A few months after the monument’s opening, the IRRB received a grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to restore and preserve it. The state legislature also provided funding to move it from its original site on the grounds of the mining museum to land across from Ironworld USA, a tourist attraction and education center run by the IRRB. Iron Man’s new home at Ironworld USA opened in 1989. The statue still stands today, a reminder of the region’s important role in Minnesota history. To this day, the IRRB continues to use the statue as a symbol of its mission to promote the mining industry and support economic development. The IRRB has recently refurbished the statue and added some lighting to its face. This allows visitors to enjoy the statue at night.