Reading Stone and Steel: Statues as Primary Sources for Agricultural History

Statues, monuments, and other public memorials have long been a rich vein of source material for historians studying a variety of issues, from politics and race to war and economics. However, few agricultural historians have utilized these displays in their understanding of farmers and farm life. This article suggests several ways that scholars and students might begin to examine these sources for understanding agricultural history. The authors use two particular statues, one well known and one nearly forgotten, to explain these methods and to demonstrate the complex public and private histories that they can help to uncover.