Patient Persistence

Location: Iron Horse Drive and Bell Drive, Leawood, KS

Owner: Estates of Iron Horse Homes Association

Artist: Kwan Wu

Dates: 1995

Medium: Concrete (wall), bronze (horse)

Description:

This large art piece is at the entrance of the Estates of Iron Horse subdivision and near the entrance to the Iron Horse Golf Club. It features a large concrete wall with a depiction of a steam engine and train engraved into it. It also has a bronze sculpture of a galloping stallion in front of the wall. Steam billows from the stack of the train and the wheels are kicking up clouds of dust. The engineer has a red shirt and the number 1907 is painted in red on the front of the engine.

The piece was a gift from Don and Faith Bell and family to the people of Leawood. After seven years of perseverance, the Bells were able to realize their dream of constructing a golf course community on that site. The steam engine is a replica of the actual train that crossed through this area on its regular route between Kansas City and Springfield, Missouri. The number 1907 was chosen as it was the birth year of Mr. Bell's father, Harold F. Bell, whose motto was "never give up." The bronze stallion was named "Patient Persistence" in memory of Mr. Bell's father.

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