Farmer ready to take down 'Redneck Stonehenge'

HOOPER — A farmer who made a fence out of rusty old cars to annoy his neighbors with what he calls a 'Redneck Stonehenge' has decided it is time for the fence to come down.

Rhett Davis says he made his point that he can do whatever he wants on his farm, even if his suburban neighbors don't like it.

"Don't mess with a redneck who has a backhoe," he said, laughing.

Neighbors had complained that his animals were attracting flies and mosquitoes. Davis says he offered to pay half the costs for a regular fence, but neighbors didn't want their view blocked.

So instead, he dug holes in his land with a backhoe and stuck cars in them.

"It helps to be a little crazy," Davis said. "When you're dealing with a redneck, there's a different set of rules."

Davis said he didn't want to upset his neighbors too much but said he had fun building the fence. Davis' creation drew nationwide attention.

Rather than appear on talk shows, Davis began raising money for children's hospitals with dollar donations from "Redneck Stonehenge" visitors. He said he's probably raised about $500 for the hospital.

When he heard about Ali Marshall, a 3-year-old girl from Lehi who was kicked in the head by a horse in August, Davis held a carnival in his backyard to raise more.

The all-day carnival last Saturday raised about $3,000 to help Marshall's parents, who couldn't afford the medical bills.

All but an American flag and one of the cars has been taken down. He said that roots from trees were clinging to the tires and hood, making it too difficult to tear down.

Davis said he's considered putting up a 100-foot American flag in the backyard and that a few neighbors had been upset with the tattered American flag he originally put up, although he says he doesn't understand why.