KEWANEE, Ill. — It's been more than 15 years since he passed away, but WQAD is highlighting the work done by Reuben Calcutt as we head to Kewanee for our Hometown Tour series.
The Kewanee native was well-known for his marvelous toothpick art, creating replicas of the Eiffel Tower and even Noah's Ark, which was complete with tiny zebras and giraffes.
In this 2003 report done by Vanessa Van Hyfte, Reuben, then 86 years old, shows his many projects and speaks about the process of creating them. He even sold some of the pieces to Ripley's Believe It Or Not.
He told News 8 then that all he wanted was something to do when he retired.
Reuben was 90 years old when he passed away in April 2007. He and his wife Dorothy owned and operated Calcutt Grocery Store in Kewanee and later farmed in the Bradford area from 1948-1977 before they retired.
Watch more Kewanee stories on News 8's YouTube channel