Wenatchee, Washington -
Eye-Rolling and Winking Indian Billboard

Large (est 30 ft.), very colorful painted metal sign of an Indian Brave. The sign used to mark the location of the SKOOKUM Apple Warehouse and Packing Plant in Wenatchee. When the warehouse was torn down the sign was saved and now adorns a Staples store in Wenatchee. Not sure when the sign was created but I remember it from my youth so it is over 50 years old. The sign has mechanical eyes that wink. [Tom Holliday, 07/29/2007]

[RA: The eyes squeak as they continuously shift from side to side; easily heard from the parking lot.]

Considered controversial by some, this "animated" billboard features a caricature of a Native American with eyes that rove and occasionally wink. In the past, the unusual sign served as the logo for a local apple packing warehouse. When the warehouse closed, Skookum, who was not ready for the p.c. age, was stored away as a debate raged whether to put him back up or not. The local icon now sits atop an Office Depot building on Wenatchee Avenue. My children have enjoyed watching to see if they can catching him blinking his eye. When not blinking, Skookum's eyes roam from side to side. [Dave Williams, 05/29/2006]