Podcast # 47 S2 Cawker Ball of Twine Mar 26 2021

Frank Stoeber started the World's Largest Ball of Twine in 1953. In just 4 years the giant ball of twine weighed 5,000 pounds and stood 8 feet high. Stoeber gave the ball of twine to Cawker City, Kansas in 1961. Many of the businesses on Cawker City's short main street have paintings containing the giant ball of twine in their windows. A twine stripe painted on the sidewalks leads from the World's Largest Ball of Twine to the pictures.

Each August a twine-a-thon is held and additional twine is added by the residents of the community and visitors - this is your chance to be part of one of the World's Largest Things. The Cawker City web page about the twine-a-thon hasn't been updated in a couple of years, but the event includes a horseshoe pitching contest, car show, food, and (of course) adding twine to the world's largest ball.

You can arrange to add twine to the World's Largest Ball Twine at other times. Call 785 781-4470 or 781-4713 or email [email protected].  If you haven't made advance arrangements, try stopping at the Almost Done Inn and ask Lottie Herod for some twine. She is the nice little lady who has designed most of the Ball of Twine related souvenirs. When I stopped there, she measured off about 20 yards of twine and I returned to the ball. They will even add the length of your twine to the official total. As of September 2013, the Giant Ball weights 19,873 pounds.

There is more to the World's Largest Ball of Twine than you will expect.