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It was surely built to inspire the good Samaritan in us all, or at least those traveling Interstate 40, but its rampant gigantism has probably done more to secure its status as yet another wild roadside attraction. Erected along the Mother Road, it joins the Wigwam Motel, the Blue Whale and Cadillac Ranch in America’s prestigious collection of Historic Route 66 kitsch. The Cross is a knee-bending 190 feet tall and 110 feet wide. The frame is covered in corrugated steel, the same stuff one might use to make a tool shed. It’s like someplace you’d keep your rakes––the really long ones. Electrical outlets near the base lead one to believe accessories may be available for purchase in the future. |
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Sadly, most people miss these bonus features. Problem is, the Cross is so enormous, it defeats most attempts to draw travelers off the highway. After all, you really don’t have to pull over to see it. But the Web site appears thankful for an almost 4 percent detour rate. One thing the Cross’s builders won’t tell you, though, is that their 1,250-ton edifice isn’t the tallest. The Cross at the Crossroads in Effingham, Illinois, beats it by an entire eight feet. Yet, surprisingly, billboards in Groom still invite you to see “the Largest Cross in the Western Hemisphere.” So much for the Ninth Commandment. |
