For those wondering if it was a submarine as they drove by, this year a new brighter coat of yellow paint and the addition of The Beatles logo made it definitive.

The creator of the distinctive roadside item is Brian Betten, who put the submarine on his land about eight years ago at an intersection with U.S. Highway 20, which is technically in rural Jolley, northwest of Rockwell City.

“It was just for fun,” Betten said. “I decided to dress up my corner.”

Maury Ruble, of Fort Dodge, drove by the yellow submarine again in November, and he recalls the first time seeing it.

“I remember just thinking it was random and odd, and that we must have a Beatles fan out here,” he said. “I thought it was funny. I started playing The Beatles catalog in my head.”

Kristy Anderson, an employee in the Calhoun County Assessor’s Office, provided the information for a reporter to pinpoint Betten as the owner of the property where U.S. Highway 20 meets Harris Avenue. Anderson said many area people are intrigued by the submarine.

Jeana Guy, of Sioux City, goes by ts to see a family member at the University of Iowa in Iowa City.

“It is a fun little find,” she said. ” I wonder how many conversations have been sparked by that yellow submarine. Quite a few, I bet.”

A whimsical tune “Yellow Submarine” was sung by Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. It was released in 1966, reaching No. 2 on the U.S. charts.

Betten, 67, noted that he was a big Beatles fan as a child.

“As a kid, I had all their eight-track tapes,” he said. “They had a Beatles cartoon on Saturday mornings. The Beatles were really big.”

Betten said “Yellow Submarine” is not his favorite Beatles song, as he is partial to “Revolution” and “Yesterday.” He saw ex-Beatle Paul McCartney at an Omaha concert in 2017.

Betten came up with the idea of creating an Iowa version yellow submarine after seeing one made from a propane tank in Key West, Florida. Shortly after that, he got to work, buying a propane tank for $600 from a rural neighbor whose iron giant had been retired to a grove of trees.

From there Betten dressed it up, with some tubing to elevate it for better sighting by drivers. The fins added on came from a 1950s era car, he fashioned a periscope, and the propeller came from a boat he owned.

“You get creative,” he said.

His wife, Dianne, also has that attribute as the person who told Betten to add The Beatles logo in big, black lettering.

He said lots of people from all over America stop by to take pictures, with that happening so frequently the grass in the ditch is tracked down. Betten recently saw an online video of a man panning the site while singing “Yellow Submarine” along with The Beatles.

“At least daily somebody is stopping by,” he said.

Betten said all the attention to his corner attraction by scads of people is great, but he has a larger wish.

“My dream would be to have Ringo and McCartney somehow see it and come out and sign it,” he said. “Wouldn’t that be cool?”