Chief Vann Motel Sign (Gone)
Chatsworth, Georgia
The Chief Vann Motel was bulldozed years ago, but its former neon sign still stands, slowly being consumed by foliage. The Cherokee Chief looks friendly on the sign, but history says he was not a likable man. He was a wealthy planter and slaveowner: he once burned an enslaved man alive for stealing. He also beat his wives, and lived in the most elegant house of any Cherokee. He was shot dead while drunk in 1809.
The Chief's fancy house still stands in town; it's also a tourist attraction, but we like the sign better.