I’m a sucker for iron men. Do you know the history of these two?

Y’all know I’m a sucker for the men in iron, right? Coming across wacky figures on the roadside is part of the fun of my road trips with Sweetums.

I thought I’d tell you about two Iron Men in north Alabama you can visit. I have some background on one of them but the other is a mystery to me. (UPDATE: I just added an Iron Man from Tennessee. See photo below).

Here goes:

Hartselle’s Iron Man

iron man 2 bham rewound — Hartselle, Ala.’s Iron Man. (Source: Birmingham Rewound)

Everyone in Hartselle knows about the Iron Man but few people outside the region have seen it. It is located at the intersection of Alabama Highway 36 West and Iron Man Road, which was renamed for the figure.

To make the figure even more fun, it has the words “Vegecal: Gets the Bile” on it. Now that’s special.

According to the Hartselle Historical Society, the figure was erected at another site at the turn of the century. Obviously, it advertises Vegecal. Another person on Facebook wrote that in the 1920s it was painted black with orange letters. It was reportedly brought to the area from a peddler based in Birmingham.

Do you know more? Comment below or email kellykazek@kellykazek.com.

The Metal Soldier of Mentone

metal man 2 — This metal soldier is located in Mentone, Ala. (Photo by Kelly Kazek | Permission Required)

Sweetums and I have driven through the mountains of northeastern Alabama numerous times, but we managed to spot something we hadn’t seen before on our road trip last fall. Driving along Alabama Highway 117, not too far from Moon Lake Trading Post where Sweetums always wants to stop and look at the Easter Island Heads, we came upon a metal soldier made of what appears to be industrial equipment parts.

He has on a soldier’s helmet and appears to be holding a rifle over one soldiers. His twisty legs look like giant drill bits. Do you know anything about this man? Comment below or email kellykazek@kellykazek.com.