‘Toothpick Boss’ Jerry Hackett, 85, painstakingly builds replicas of iconic Minnesota structures

‘Toothpick Boss’ Jerry Hackett, 85, painstakingly builds replicas of iconic Minnesota structures

In Hastings, you’ll find a built-to-scale replica of the original Dakota County courthouse made from about 5,000 perfectly placed toothpicks. The artist? 85-year-old Jerry Hackett. The courthouse, which took about three months to create, is the latest in a line of impressive sculptures from Hackett, who painstakingly plans and executes one miniature marvel after the next. “He has so many God-given talents, but this one is something else,” his wi…