Alvin Boone Straight (October 17, 1920 – November 9, 1996) was an American man who became notable for traveling on a

riding lawn mower A riding mower, also known as a ride-on mower, tractor mower or lawn tractor, is a type of lawn mower on which the operator is seated, unlike mowers which are pushed or towed. Riding mowers, which sometimes resemble small tractors, are larger th ...

from

Laurens, Iowa Laurens is a city in Pocahontas County, Iowa, United States. Its population was 1,264 at the 2020 census. History Laurens was platted in 1881. It was named in honor of Henry and John Laurens, father and son, two French Huguenots who became resid ...

to Blue River, Wisconsin to visit his ailing brother. He inspired the 1999 film ''

The Straight Story ''The Straight Story'' is a 1999 biographical road drama film directed by David Lynch. It was edited and produced by Mary Sweeney, Lynch's longtime partner and collaborator, who also co-wrote the script with John E. Roach. It is based on the tru ...

''.

Early life

Alvin Straight was born in

Scobey, Montana Scobey is a city in and the county seat of Daniels County, Montana, United States. The population was 999 at the 2020 census. Scobey is known for its bird and big game hunting. The nearby Mansfield A. Daniels House is listed on the NRHP. Hi ...

. He married Frances Beek on October 17, 1946, in Scobey. In 1973, Alvin, Frances, and their family moved to

Lake View, Iowa Lake View is a city in Sac County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,113 in the 2020 census, a decline from the 1,278 population in 2000. History The area around what is today called Black Hawk Lake was settled by white settlers in 186 ...

, where he worked as a general laborer. He was the father of five sons and two daughters. Straight was a veteran of

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

and the

Korean War , date = {{Ubl, 25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953 (''de facto'')({{Age in years, months, weeks and days, month1=6, day1=25, year1=1950, month2=7, day2=27, year2=1953), 25 June 1950 – present (''de jure'')({{Age in years, months, weeks a ...

, serving as private first class in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

Lawn mower trip

In June 1994, Straight's 80-year-old brother Henry Straight (Palisade, January 4, 1914 - Iowa, June 15, 1998) had suffered a stroke.Longden, Tom.
Alvin Straight
. ''

The Des Moines Register ''The Des Moines Register'' is the daily morning newspaper of Des Moines, Iowa. History Early period The first newspaper in Des Moines was the ''Iowa Star''. In July 1849, Barlow Granger began the paper in an abandoned log cabin by the junction ...

''. October 7, 2013. At the age of 73 and in poor health from

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...

, emphysema and other ailments, Straight could not see well enough for a driver's license, so he decided his only option was to travel on his 1966 John Deere

. Setting off in early July 1994, Straight drove the mower along highway shoulders, towing a trailer loaded with gasoline, camping gear, clothes, and food from his home in

to his brother in Blue River, Wisconsin. About four days and 21 miles into the trip, the lawn mower broke down in

West Bend, Iowa West Bend is a city in Kossuth County, Iowa, Kossuth and Palo Alto County, Iowa, Palo Alto (originally) counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 791 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census. History West Bend got its ...

.Who Needs a License? Man Hits Road on Mower
. ''Associated Press''. The Wichita Eagle (

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...

). August 24, 1994. p. 8A. Straight spent $250 on replacement parts, including a condenser, plugs, a generator, and a starter. After traveling another 90 miles, Straight ran out of money while in Charles City, Iowa. He camped there for a few days until his next Social Security checks arrived in August. He was interviewed by local newspapers. On August 15, Straight's lawn mower broke down again when he was two miles from his brother's house near Blue River. A farmer stopped and helped him push it the rest of the way. At a top speed of , the trip took six weeks in all. After the visit, his nephew, Dayne Straight, drove him back to Iowa in his pickup truck.Truck, Not Mower, Takes Man Home
. ''The Capital Times'' (Madison, Wisconsin). September 22, 1994. p. 10A Henry Straight recovered from his stroke and moved back to Iowa to be closer to Alvin Straight and the rest of his family. Paul Condit, president and general manager of Texas Equipment Company, Inc., in Seminole, Texas, heard about the trip and gave Straight a 17-horsepower John Deere replacement riding mower worth $5,000. Straight disliked the media attention from the lawn mower trip. He turned down offers to appear on various TV talk shows including ''

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno ''The Tonight Show with Jay Leno'' is an American late-night talk show hosted by Jay Leno that first aired from May 25, 1992, to May 29, 2009. It resumed production on March 1, 2010 and ended on February 6, 2014. The fourth incarnation of the ...

'' and '' Late Show with David Letterman''.

Later years and death

In April 1995, Straight attempted to drive a riding lawn mower to Sun Valley, Idaho, but he had to turn back because of cold weather. On November 9, 1996, Alvin Straight died of a heart ailment at a local hospital in Pocahontas, Iowa at age 76. A lawn mower similar to the one he had used on his journey accompanied his funeral procession to the Ida Grove Cemetery. He is buried in Ida Grove, Iowa.

Adaptations

Playwright and performer Dan Hurlin and composer and sound designer Dan Moses Schreier adapted Straight's trip into a theatrical production, ''The Shoulder'', that was billed as an opera.Lindwall, Rebecca.
Iowan's journey by tractor inspires offbeat opera
. ''

The Gazette The Gazette (stylized as the GazettE), formerly known as , is a Japanese visual kei Rock music, rock band, formed in Kanagawa Prefecture, Kanagawa in early 2002.''Shoxx'' Vol 106 June 2007 pg 40-45 The band is currently signed to Sony Music Recor ...

'' ( Cedar Rapids, Iowa). October 12, 1997. ''The Shoulder'' premiered at CSPS Hall in Cedar Rapids, Iowa in October 1997, presented by Legion Arts. It was also performed in January 1998 at New York's

Dance Theater Workshop Dance Theater Workshop, colloquially known as DTW, was a New York City performance space and service organization for dance companies that operated from 1965 to 2011. After a merger it became known as New York Live Arts Located as 219 West 19th ...

and

Minneapolis Minneapolis () is the largest city in Minnesota, United States, and the county seat of Hennepin County. The city is abundant in water, with thirteen lakes, wetlands, the Mississippi River, creeks and waterfalls. Minneapolis has its origins ...

Walker Art Center The Walker Art Center is a multidisciplinary contemporary art center in the Lowry Hill neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The Walker is one of the most-visited modern and contemporary art museums in the United States and, to ...

. Straight's story was adapted into the film ''

'', directed by David Lynch, which starred

Richard Farnsworth Richard William Farnsworth (September 1, 1920 – October 6, 2000) was an American actor and stuntman. He was twice nominated for an Academy Award: in 1978 for Best Supporting Actor for ''Comes a Horseman,'' and in 2000 for Best Actor in '' T ...

(in an Oscar-nominated role) as Alvin Straight.Bunbury, Stephanie
Top 10 films about ageing
. ''The Sydney Morning Herald''. December 19, 2015. When plans for the film began in 1995, Straight signed a contract that ensured he would receive $10,000 plus 10% of the movie's profits, but he died before the film's completion. He said he did not make the trip to see his brother for the possibility of fame or money.Neubauer, Mary.
Lawn Mower Traveler, 74, Signs Hollywood Contract
. ''Associated Press''. St. Paul Pioneer Press ( St. Paul, Minnesota). June 7, 1995. p. 1B.

References

External links

Thecityofabsurdity.com
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Straight, Alvin 1920 births 1996 deaths People from Laurens, Iowa People from Scobey, Montana Military personnel from Montana People from Sac County, Iowa United States Army soldiers United States Army personnel of World War II United States Army personnel of the Korean War