Land of the Giants

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GIANT INDIANS

Chief Black Hawk
Oregon, IL		 Chief St. Germain
St. Germain, WI
The Chief Black Hawk statue is 48' 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. For more, see this website.

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. For more, see this website.

Hiawatha
La Crosse, WI
 Giant Indian
Skowhegan, ME
The concrete La Crosse Hiawatha is 25' tall and was installed here 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 refer to it as the "Big Indian". I believe this statue used to "talk". For more, see this website.

The Skowhegan Indian is 62' tall (the tallest) and is made of white pine (making him the world's largest wooden Indian). He was originally erected in 1969 and suffered from years of neglect. Restoration efforts began in 2002. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Hiawatha
Ironwood, MI

The Ironwood Hiawatha claims to be the world's largest. He stands 52' high and is made of fiberglass. He was erected in 1964 and extends his hand in a gesture of peace. The statue was restored in 2004. For more, see this website.

Big Indian Shop
Charlemont, MA
The Charlemont Indian is about 20' tall. He was created by Rodman Shutt who built Amos and many other roadside giants. The photo on the left is either this statue in progress or another similar one. This Indian stands just where a Giant Indian should - next to an incredibly colorful gift shop.

Indian
Hillsborough, NC
 Chief Kandiyohi
Willmar, MN
 Indian
Spring Valley, MN
The Hillsborough Indian is installed on the roof of the Occoneechee Farm Steak House.

Chief Kandiyohi was a fictional character developed by the Kandiyohi County Bank. This 17' tall statue of him was created in 1956. It was originally installed at the Bank of Willmar. In 1983, the statue was moved next to the Kandiyohi County Courthouse. For more, see this website.

The Spring Valley Indian stands in a park next to the visitors information center. The statue was created in the 1940s and was originally installed at the Mystery Cave in Spring Valley which is now a state park.

Big Indian
Freeport, ME
The Freeport Indian is 50' 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 a clothing and gift shop (Casco Bay Trading Post). The building was converted into an auto shop, then a clothes store and later the Conundrum Wine Bistro (a 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. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Chief Washakie
Shoshone, UT
 Big Chief Lewis
Massapequa, NY
The Chief Washakie statue was installed at the Shoshone Ice Caves in 1957. It is about 21' tall. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Big Chief Lewis was installed next to the Big Chief Lewis Building (a real estate office) in 1968. He was created by Rodman Shutt who built the Charlemont and Freeport Indians described above. He 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. For more, see this website.

Palacine Indians
Bartlesville, OK
These Palacine Indian statues were produced in the 1920s and 1930s by the Palacine Oil Company for their Wirt-Franklin gas stations in Oklahoma. The statues were made of cast zinc-alloy and are about 11' tall. There were at least 18 of them produced. The faux rock bases were inscribed "A Friend". Three of these statues, two shown above, have been installed at the Woolaroc Ranch since 1935. I don't know of any others that still exist. There is a community effort underway in Ballinger, TX to recreate one of these statues. Their statue was displayed in Ballinger City Park from 1939 until it was stolen in the 1950s. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [photos thanks Glenda Campbell]

Giant Indian
Pratt's Bar-B-Que
Kingsport, TN
The Kingsport Indian is from the late 1950s when there was a previous gift shop/restaurant complex at this site. [first photo thanks Robby Delius]

Indian Archer
Curtis Apple Orchard
Champaign, IL
This Indian Archer, aka The Chief, was originally located in Danville, IL. The 17' tall copper statue was built in 1949 for a heating business. When the business closed in 1994, the owner's grandson moved the Indian here to the Curtis Apple Orchard. The statue represents Kesis, a famous Kickapoo Indian from Illinois. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

Cherokee Indian
St. Louis, MO
 Cherokee Indian
Geary, OK
 Indian
Franklin, KY
 Navajo Indian
Gallup, NM
 Ute Indian Chief
Salina, UT
 Indian [gone]
Orderville, UT
The St. Louis Cherokee Indian is made of fiberglass and is about 9' tall. He welcomes visitors to the Cherokee District and was a donation of the Cherokee Station Merchants Association. His hand is raised in a "peace" salute but the message on his tablet is cryptic.

The Geary Cherokee Indian stands in front of the Cherokee Restaurant & Trading Post.

The Franklin Indian stands in front of Dixie Discount at the KY/TN state line. For more, see this website.

The Gallup Navajo Indian stands in front of the Navajo Travel Plaza. He was apparently made from the same mold as the Franklin and Geary Indians. There is another Indian of this same style in Hurricane Mills, TN.

The Ute Indian Chief stands in front of a Sinclair gas station. He is meant to represent Chief Black Hawk. The original statue was created in 1974 depicted an Egyptian slave. He was converted to an Indian in 2004. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The Orderville Indian once stood at a gas station. This photo is from around 1960 but he was there since at least the 1950s. He stood about 25' tall. Does anyone know more about him? For more, see this website. [photo thanks Robby Delius]