MENDOTA – A man traveling by wagon being pulled by a draft horse is not an everyday sight, but over the last few days one man has been journeying northward, albeit slowly, on his way to Michigan through northern Illinois. Calling himself “Lee the Horselogger”, he roams about 10 to 15 miles a day as the weather allows with his Suffolk Punch draft horse Jesse. For the last 19-years he has spent most of his time on the road, crossing the country five times, living out of his simple wagon. At a stop in Mendota on Thursday afternoon, he noted that he is on the way to Iron Mountain, Michigan to see about doubling his horsepower and hitching up a companion to Jesse. But after that? Lee is undecided.
“I haven’t thought that far yet,” he said. “The main thing is to get out of Michigan for the winter. I don’t want to be up there for a winter, and then think about finding work somewhere for the Christmas season. That’s going to be really tough to do.”
This weekend he hopes to make it to Rochelle, before meandering east of Rockford to get into Wisconsin.
The traveling lifestyle is one that requires a certain amount of grit, and the kindness of strangers. Lee has a sign on his wagon asking for donations of Alfalfa Cubes and water, gallons upon gallons of water.
“And when I’m saying water, please don’t bring me bottles. They’re just impossible to get rid of.”
Jesse can go through as much as 30-gallons of water a day.
He also accepts other donations as well, including Venmo.
To donate to his cause, you can send it to @xamericabyhorse