Mary Warner in a long, black coat in front of the World's Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, MN. Photo by Erik Warner, March 17, 2024.
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Darwin’s Big Ball of Twine – Don’t Blink!

by Mary

Hubby and I visited Darwin, Minnesota, on St. Patrick’s Day. We were in the area of this small town (population around 337), which is known for its giant ball of twine, and I had to stop. For a fiber artist, it’s a must-see.

Five-sided building with glass exterior walls to showcase the largest ball of baling twine constructed by one man, Francis A. Johnson. Located in Darwin, MN. Photo by Mary Warner, March 17, 2024.
Five-sided building with glass exterior walls to showcase the largest ball of baling twine constructed by one man, Francis A. Johnson. Located in Darwin, MN. Photo by Mary Warner, March 17, 2024.it

According to the informational signage with the ball of twine, this won the Guinness Book of World Records in 1991 for the largest ball of baling twine constructed by one man, Francis A. Johnson. He made it between 1950 and 1979, starting by hand. When the ball got too big, he used a block and tackle to continue growing it.

Painted sign with yellow and white letters on a bright blue background. The sign reads "World's Largest Twine Ball by 1 Man - Constructed by Francis A. Johnson, 1950-1979 - Weight ... 17,400 lbs., Circumference ... Approx. 40' - Moved from Johnson's home east of Darwin on Hwy. 12 to this site on June 25, 1991. - Donated to the City of Darwin by the Francis A. Johnson Trust." Photo by Mary Warner, March 17, 2024.
Painted sign with yellow and white letters on a bright blue background. The sign reads “World’s Largest Twine Ball by 1 Man – Constructed by Francis A. Johnson, 1950-1979 – Weight … 17,400 lbs., Circumference … Approx. 40′ – Moved from Johnson’s home east of Darwin on Hwy. 12 to this site on June 25, 1991. – Donated to the City of Darwin by the Francis A. Johnson Trust.” Photo by Mary Warner, March 17, 2024.

According to Wikipedia, there’s more than one biggest ball of twine in the world. They seem to be listed by particular specifications. Like Darwin’s ball was made of baling twine by one man, while Cawker City, Kansas, has the largest ball of sisal twine built by a community. The heaviest ball of twine is in Lake Nebagamon, Wisconsin, and the largest nylon ball of twine is in Branson, Missouri. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biggest_ball_of_twine

So often when I visit attractions or beautiful  natural areas, I take loads of photos but rarely appear in them, so people can’t tell by looking at my photos that I was actually in a particular spot. I asked Erik to take a photo of me with the giant ball of twine to prove I was there.

Mary Warner in a long, black coat in front of the World's Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, MN. Photo by Erik Warner, March 17, 2024.
Mary Warner in a long, black coat in front of the World’s Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, MN. Photo by Erik Warner, March 17, 2024.

If you zoom in on the photo and look at my face, you’ll see that my eyes are closed. This happens to me so often in photos that it has become a running joke in the family.

There’s Mary, blinking again in a photo!

Close-up of Mary Warner in front of World's Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, MN. Behind the darkened lenses of her glasses, her eyes are closed. Photo by Erik Warner, March 17, 2024.
Close-up of Mary Warner in front of World’s Largest Twine Ball in Darwin, MN. Behind the darkened lenses of her glasses, her eyes are closed. Photo by Erik Warner, March 17, 2024.

I do believe I could win a record in the Guinness Book for the most blinking-est person in the world in photos.

2 thoughts on “Darwin’s Big Ball of Twine – Don’t Blink!”

  1. Hi Mary! I love receiving your blog and reading about your adventures. You have a gift for celebrating things that other people seem to have lost the ability to even notice and it helps me to slow down and enjoy my life more. Your headline today includes the phrase “Don’t Blink,” I expected that you might say the town was so small that if you blink you’ll miss it… your picture at the end just caught me by surprise and made me let out a laugh this morning. Thank you for that! (p.s., my husband does the same thing! I will try to be more gentle with him).

    A grateful reader,
    Sarra

    1. Hi, Sarra – Thanks so much for your kind comments! The headline was a last-minute inspiration as I was finishing up the post. I had something completely different there when I started writing, but it was kind of bland. I’m so glad the new headline made you laugh. 🙂

      Your husband and I can commiserate together over our propensity to blink during photos. There ought to be a club for all of us. 🙂

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