Anamosa takes particular pride in Wood, the town's most famous native son.

Downtown in this community along the Wapsipinicon River, antiques and craft shops in tan brick storefronts attract visitors. Eventually, though, most drop in at the Grant Wood Tourism Center and Gallery, where the most popular exhibit is the collection of American Gothic parodies. Through the years, amateur and professional artists alike have found the portrait of the stiff, humorless couple irresistible.

In fall, Wood takes second billing in Anamosa to the annual Pumpkinfest and Weigh-Off . Five years ago, a gourd as big as a Volkswagen Beetle cracked the scales at a world-record 923 pounds. More recently, a gourd cracked the scales at a 1159 pounds.

Wood lies buried in Riverside Cemetery just west of Anamosa.

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