We all know that everything is bigger in Texas, and one small Hill Country town only further proves the sentiment. In the tiny community of Smithville, a three-mile-long stretch of farmland spelling out the land owner’s name is visible from space. NASA has even used it to assist in analyzing satellite imagery!

Smithville, a small town of fewer than 5,000 residents, is located in the Greater Austin metropolitan area just southeast of Bastrop.

Google Maps

A sleepy community frozen in time, Smithville has a railroad history that began in the late 1800s. Despite its small size, the town has been used to film numerous movies starring famous actors such as Sandra Bullock, Brad Pitt, Dennis Quaid, and Jack Black. The world’s largest edible gingerbread man was also located here at one time before getting eclipsed by a Norwegian IKEA!

Flickr/Sara Page

Relics dot the town, like this through truss Union-Pacific railroad bridge over Cedar Creek. So not only does Smithville have quite a claim to fame despite its small size, but the town is also a hub for history buffs. And that’s not all – in fact, there’s one additional thing that makes this blip on the map more special than anywhere else on earth.

Flickr/Patrick Feller

If you ever happen to fly over Smithville, don’t look away from the ground under any circumstances. Impossible to miss, the word “Luecke” is spelled out using over three miles of trees.

YouTube/TripBY

Jimmie Luecke, a local farm owner, is behind the impressive geoglyph. It’s the single-largest signature in the world, with each letter spanning thousands of feet.

YouTube/TripBY

Luecke was simply trying to make a name for himself, but unknowingly became part of something much bigger. NASA has actually used the signature to analyze its satellite imagery by “evaluating spatial resolution of astronaut photographs.”

YouTube/TripBY

The glyph potentially serves an agricultural purpose, as well. Alley cropping, which is a process that uses strips of trees to divide farmland, helps protect the soil against erosion.

YouTube/TripBY

Check out this video from YouTube user TripBY to watch the signature in action:

Google Maps

Flickr/Sara Page

Flickr/Patrick Feller

YouTube/TripBY

Have you ever seen the Luecke Farm signature from above? If so, let us know your thoughts! Check out our previous article for more examples of how everything is bigger in Texas: 9 Epic Foods That Prove Everything Really Is Bigger In Texas.

Are there any restaurants, businesses, or other attractions in Texas you think the world should know about? Head over to our nomination page and give them a shoutout — you just might see your submission featured in an upcoming article!

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Address: Smithville, TX 78957, USA