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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Indian Statues (page 1) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Chief Black HawkOregon, IL | Chief St. Germain St. Germain, WI |
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The Chief Black Hawk statue is 48 feet tall and made of reinforced concrete. Also known as the Eternal Indian, he was built from 1908-1911 and is located in Lowden State Park. The statue was restored from 2014-2020. [map]
The statue of Chief St. Germain stands at the entrance to town. There never really was a Chief St. Germain. This statue was built as a tribute to the town's Indian heritage. [map] |
| Indian Van Nuys, CA |
Indian Hialeah, FL |
Indian Osceola, WI |
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This Indian statue in Van Nuys is located inside the Valley Relics Museum. It was originally located at Knott's Berry Farm in Buena Park, CA.
This Indian statue in Hialeah has stood in front of the Maria Merce Botanica since at least 2011. [map] The slightly larger-than-life Indian statue in Osceola is installed downtown above the stairs to Cascade Falls. [map] |
| Hiawatha [gone] La Crosse, WI |
Indian Skowhegan, ME |
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The concrete Hiawatha statue in La Crosse was 25 feet tall and was installed in 1961. It was created by Anthony Zimmerhakl to mark the spot where three rivers meet and Native Americans gathered. The statue was not named Hiawatha until long after it was built and most locals still referred to it as the "Big Indian". I believe this statue originally "talked." In 2020, it was removed and put in storage when it was decided that it was racially insensitive. For more, see this website.
The Indian statue in Skowhegan is 62 feet tall, making it the world's tallest Indian statue. It was made from hemlock trees by Bernard Langlais and erected in 1969. The statue had suffered from years of neglect. These photos are from 2007. The statue was restored in 2014. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] |
| Hiawatha Ironwood, MI |
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| This fiberglass statue of Hiawatha is about 50 feet tall. It was built by Gordon Displays in Minneapolis, MN in 1964. The statue was restored in 2004. [map] |
| Indian Charlemont, MA (now Vinita, OK) |
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| This Indian statue was located at Native Views, previously known as the Big Indian Shop. The statue is about 20 feet tall. It was created in 1974 by Rodman Shutt who built Amos and many other roadside statues. The photo on the left is either this statue or a similar one being produced. In 2023, after discussions with local Native American tribes, the statue was sold and moved to the Hi-Way Cafe in Vinita, OK. The other two life-sized Indians in Charlemont shown on the right above were probably mass-produced. They will likely be removed as well. [map] |
| Big Indian Freeport, ME |
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| This Indian statue is 50 feet tall and is known locally as the "FBI" (Freeport Big Indian). This statue is also the work of Rod Shutt (see the Charlemont Indian described above). In the interests of political correctness, this Indian is now called "MBNA" (Maine's Big Native American). He was originally next to the Casco Bay Trading Post, a clothing and gift shop. The building was converted into an auto shop, then a clothes store and later the Conundrum Wine Bistro restaurant. The Indian is made of fiberglass, plywood, and steel rods. He was brought here from Rod's house in Strasburg, PA via flatbed truck in 1969. [map] |
| Big Chief Lewis Massapequa, NY |
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| Big Chief Lewis was installed next to the Big Chief Lewis Building, a real estate office, in 1968. The statue was created by Rodman Shutt who built the Charlemont and Freeport Indians described above. The statue is accompanied by a fiberglass horse and buffalo. There is also a wooden totem pole which is placed in the corner of the enclosure so that it can be touched for making wishes. [map] |
| Chief Washakie Shoshone, ID |
Indian statues Shoshone, ID |
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The Chief Washakie statue was created by R.E. Jacob. It was installed at the Shoshone Ice Caves in 1957. The statue is about 21 feet tall. For more, see this website.
These two Indian statues appear to be wood carvings. They are also located at the Shoshone Ice Caves. [map] |
| Chief Pocatello Pocatello, ID |
Sioux Lookout North Platte, NE |
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The Chief Pocatello sculpture was created by J.D. Adcox and installed in 2008. For more, see this website. [map]
This eight-foot-tall Sioux Lookout sculpture was created by Ervin Goeller in 1931. It was originally located on top the actual Sioux Lookout hill outside of town. The sculpture was vandalized many times over the years before being moved to this courthouse location in 2000. [map] |
| Standing Brave Big Cabin, OK |
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| The Standing Brave statue is 46 feet tall and installed on a five-foot-tall base. It was built by Wade Leslie from 2000-2001. The statue is located in front of the Big Cabin Travel Plaza. [map] |
| Indian Oak Lawn, IL |
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| This Indian statue is believed to be the world's largest cigar store Indian. The 26.5-foot-tall fiberglass Indian holds a bundle of cigars in his left hand. The statue was apparently modeled after the Cigar Store Indians described directly above. It was built by Creative Display in 1980 for Cook County Cigar. It was the only one produced and the owner ensured that the mold was broken. In 1998, the cigar store went out of business and the owner of the Cardinal Liquor store bought the statue and moved it to his store. In 2000, the store moved to the building next door. The statue was moved again at that point. These photos are from 2006. In 2015, the statue was restored. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Indian Barnsdall, OK |
Indian New Orleans, LA |
Indian College Park, GA |
Indian Monrovia, CA |
Indian Snohomish, WA |
Indian [gone] Beaver, UT |
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| Indian [gone] Palm Springs, CA |
Indian [gone] San Diego, CA |
Indian [gone] San Diego, CA |
Indian Merced, CA |
Indian Kissimmee, FL |
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The Indian statue in Barnsdall is installed in front of Jack's Place which was a private collection of gas station signs, pumps, etc. The statue is about five feet tall. I have no idea how old it is or where it was originally located. While the statue appears to be carved from wood, it is made of concrete or plaster. These statues were mass-produced. The Indians hold bundles of cigars in their left hands. In 2016, all of the signs and items were removed from the building but the Indian remained. [map]
The Indian in New Orleans in installed inside the Voodoo Mart liquor store. The Indian in College Park is installed in front of the El Jefe Cigar Co. which opened in 2021. [map] The Indian in Monrovia is identical to the one in College Park. It is located at the Aztec Cigars & Lounge which opened in 2019. [map] The Indian in Snohomish is located at Maltby Antiques. The Indian in Beaver was installed in front of the Turquoise Chief Trading Post. By 2023, the store and the statue were gone. The Indian in Palm Springs was identical to the one in Barnsdall but with a different paint job. It was located in front of the Cigar Imports store. The store was closed by 2019 and the statue was gone. The first Indian in San Diego shown above was another example of these statues. This one was located in front of San Diego Pawn. This photo is from 2014. The statue was gone by 2015. For more, see this website. The second Indian in San Diego shown above was a different style from the first. It had been installed in front of the Cave of Wonders gift shop since around 2016. In 2022, the building was demolished and the statue was gone. The Indian in Merced is located inside Marie's Mexican Kitchen. It is similar to the statues shown on the left above. It may be made from wood rather than fiberglass. The Indian in Kissimmee has stood in front of Old Town Leather since at least 2009. [map] |
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More Cigar Store Indians:
Miami, FL Cambridge, MA Cedarburg, WI Toronto, ON |
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Indians (page 2) |
Indians (page 3) |
Indians (page 4) |
Statues Main Page |
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Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |