I-69 Heritage Corridor - Grant County
Willis Hoke
 
  Willis Hoke holding a wooden horse he carved  -- Photo by Lisa Gabbert
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Willis Hoke -- Wood carver

Mr. Hoke's workshop is located in what looks to be a side addition to the garage. His workshop is filled with hundreds of different kinds of figures, including horses, fish, mules, buggies, circus scenes, bears, different types of birds, and a Ferris wheel and merry-go-round that move.

It is clear, however, that his primary passion is horses, which constitute the bulk of the figures. There were many different kinds of horses hitched to wagons and buggies, including draft horses and horses pulling plows. Most of these had people with them as well. He also carves large carousel horses. His passion for horses clearly stems from his life as a farmer. It is what he knows and loves best.