The Biggest Ball of Twine, 1999
In 1950, Francis A. Johnson began creating a ball of twine that grew to be the world’s largest made by a single person. It became the star attraction of the tiny Minnesota town of Darwin, and inspired a 1989 song by “Weird Al” Yankovic. In 1999, I visited the grounds with a group of friends, and I brought along my MiniDisc recorder to document the trip. Here I bring you some choice audio from those recordings, my impromtu interview with the then-caretakers of the twine ball, June and Jess Hatfield.
Photos by Deanna Parriott
“…if it wouldn't have been for the ball of twine, I don't think Darwin would have been even — they'd say, ‘What's that?’”
August 15, 1999
JUNE
…Jess and June Hatfield….
JOE
Are you from the same Hatfield clan?
JUNE
No, no. We had McCoys across the street, across the railroad track when we first moved here. They stayed on their side and we stayed on ours. And there was never a shot fired. And you know what? We survived them. There are no more McCoys left in Darwin. But we were all pretty peaceful.
JOE
You maintain this with your husband?
JUNE
Yes, we take care of that when It's got to do with the twine ball that we have down here. The largest in Minnesota. And when the little shop isn't open down below, why then, we take it up here. We've had them from Australia, we've had them from Germany, and we've had them from Arizona, Canada, Alaska. It's unbelievable. We've had them come as long as quarter to ten at night, as long as we have a light on while we're here. And we enjoy it, so It's a big deal for our little bitty town in Darwin.
JOE
Are you related to the man?
JUNE
No, we just knew him real well.
JOE
Now, are there competing balls of twine elsewhere?
JUNE
Oh, yes. They have other balls of twine. Well, I don't know if they're balls of twine. I think they've had one of string.
JOE
String, okay.
JUNE
But then several people have been on that, and this was made by him.
JOE
Okay, okay.
JUNE
When he lived out on Highway 12 and when he died, why he donated the ball of twine to the city of Darwin.
JOE
So yesterday was the festival?
JUNE
Big day, yes. We had a big parade, and we have concessions, and the parade lasted almost an hour, and different ones come. The Dairy Princess was here.
JOE
…but that does not entail adding more twine ,because it's “by one man.”
JUNE
No, it's not made, and he made it all himself.
JOE
Okay.
JUNE
So he even had a box of twine that was at the side that we take. I make those little twine balls just to show them what the big one is made out of. Yeah, and yesterday was a big day. I would say we had over 1,000 people here. And that's a lot for this…
JOE
Wow.That's a lot for a town with 652 people.
DEANNA PARRIOTT
252
JOE
252, I’m sorry
JUNE
Yes, that's why I have all the mini biffies up all over town. It used to be quite a big-going town. We had a creamery when that was running, and we had a nice big hardware store, and we had three beer joints, and there was two grocery stores, of course the post office, and then we had restaurants across the track.
JESS
And a schoolhouse.
JUNE
And the big schoolhouse, and of course when that closed, why then, and the creamery closed and the hardware store closed, if it wouldn't have been for the ball of twine, I don't think Darwin would have been even — they'd say, “What's that?”
JOE
So this ball of twine has saved the town pretty much.
JUNE
Yes, it really has. Now we have every second week of August, it was the 14th yesterday, we have this big ball of twine days, and we have a ball of twine restaurant over there that's open every day except till 2 o'clock, and then on Fridays they have their big fish nights. We moved here in 1947, and it was just a very small ball then. And I think he started in 19, Sandy, what does it say, 57? He started in 57 and he moaned until he died.
SANDY
March of 1950.
JESS
It was even a lumber yard here at one time.
JUNE
…and it tells you how much it weighs. But there isn't a day that goes by that there isn't somebody that comes. And then we have another register book in there, that's about the fourth or fifth register book that has been filled.
JOE
I see the picture of Weird Al out here. Now was that a surprise when the twine ball got its own 7-Minute Song?
JUNE
I think so, yes. And then he's the one that made up the song.
JOE
Right.
JUNE
And he sang that song all day long. And he's pictured right in front of the gazebo, isn't he?
JOE
Right, right.
JUNE
First we had the ball of twine and then they built up some little thing, but you couldn't see it too good. So then they decided to make this gazebo out there. And then they dedicated it and it was here. They were here from WCCO, KSTP, Channel 5, Channel 4. The streets were lined. And the newspapers were here. They took pictures of the people lined up watching them bring it in. They brought it in on a great big, extra big trailer. Stop traffic.
JOE
What first brought the kind of worldwide recognition? Was it being published in the Guinness Book? Was it a book such as Roadside America?
JUNE
No. To me, the information I've got that he just did it until it got in the Guinness World Record. There are pictures on the Hanson and the hardware store in the windows. And I know many years ago when, what was his name there, had that “What's My Line.” Remember him? That's beyond your time. Gary Moore in “What's My Line.” Then they moved it to New York, the ball of twine. They took it to New York and then Francis Johnson – he's the man that made it – he stood on “What's My Line” and he had the end of the ball of twine in his hand. And they were to guess what he had. I don't think they guessed it and then afterwards they just rolled it back and there was this big, huge ball of twine and Gary Moore has a picture of him sitting on the top of it.
After this interview, the group took photos with the ball and we ran into a car full of punks and traded self-released albums. Their bands were called Gricklegrass and Choplogic and they had a split EP. They got a copy of my Binge & Purge compilation. Fun was had by all.
