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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)
| This page covers cigar store Indian statues, Chief Tawonka statues, and Rodman Shutt sculptures. |
| 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 |
| Indian Alameda, CA |
Indian Alameda, CA |
Indian [gone] San Diego, CA |
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| Indian San Francisco, CA |
Indian Hayward, CA |
Indians Davenport, WA |
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| Indian Golden, CO |
Indian Kingman, AZ |
Indian Happy Camp, CA |
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The Indian statues shown in the three rows of photos above were produced for the Cigarettes R Cheaper chain in 1996. According to one source, there were hundreds of these seven-foot-tall statues made. Another source says there were only 72 of them. The company also sold seven-inch-tall Chief Tawonka figurines. The fictional character of Chief Tawonka was inspired by illustrations of warriors in James Fenimore Cooper's books about the Iroquois Indians. For more, see this website.
The first two photos above show the statue in Alameda which is located inside the Cigarettes R Cheaper store on Blanding Ave. The other Alameda statue stands outside the Tobacco Superstore which was previously a Cigarettes R Cheaper. The Indian statue in San Diego advertised for the Churchill Cigar Lounge. The damage to the statue's left arm revealed that these statues have a foam interior. These photos are from 2014. The statue was gone by 2018. The Indian statue in San Francisco is located inside a Cigarettes R Cheaper store. The statue is featured prominently on the store's sign and is painted on a column inside the store. [map] The Indian statue in Hayward is located at Bell Plastics where there are lots of other fiberglass statues. [map] The first Indian statue in Davenport shown above is another Cigarettes R Cheaper statue. The second statue is one I haven't seen elsewhere. These statues are located at the Black Bear Motel. This Indian statue in Golden is installed inside the Pahaska Tepee Gift Shop at the Buffalo Bill Museum and Grave. At some point, the quote was removed from the statue's base. This Indian statue in Kingman has been installed in front of the El Trovatore Motel since at least 2008. [map] This Indian statue in Happy Camp is located at the Forest Lodge Motel. It was installed there sometime after 2012. [map] |
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More Chief Tawonkas:
Oakland, CA Chicago, IL [gone] Plainfield, IL [gone] |
| Indian Charlemont, MA (now Vinita, OK) 2011: |
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| This 20-foot-tall Indian statue was created in 1974 and installed at the Big Indian Shop in Charlemont. It was built by Rodman Shutt who made Amos and many other roadside statues. This photo shows either this statue or a similar one being produced. The store later became known as the Native Views gift shop. In 2022, there were discussions with local Native American tribes about redesigning the statue to something less offensive. Instead, it was sold in 2023 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. I don't know if they are still there. [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] |
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Indians (page 2) |
Indians (page 3) |
Indians (page 4) |
Indians (page 5) |
Indians (page 6) |
Indians (page 7) |
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Native American Women |
International Fiberglass Indians |
Statues Main Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
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. |