Trail of the Whispering Giants

The Trail of the Whispering Giants is a collection of sculptures by Hungarian-born[1] artist Peter Wolf Toth.[2] The sculptures range in height from 20 to 40 feet (6.1 to 12 m), and are between 8 and 10 feet (2.4 and 3.0 m) in diameter.[3] Currently there are 74 Whispering Giants,[2] with at least one in each of the 50 U.S. states, as well as in Ontario and Manitoba, Canada,[3] and one in Hungary.[4] In 1988, Toth completed his goal of placing at least one statue in each of the 50 states, by carving one in Hawaii, and in 2008, he created his first Whispering Giant in Europe, Stephen I of Hungary in Délegyháza,[5] Hungary along the Danube River.[4]

As of September 2009 there are eight more Whispering Giants planned.[2]

Contents

The sculptures

The 74 Whispering Giants range from 20 to 40 feet (6.1 to 12 m) in height,[3] and all resemble natives of the region in which they are located. Toth always donates the Whispering Giant he creates to the town he carved it in, and never charges a fee for his time. He does require that the raw materials (a large log between 8 and 10 feet (2.4 and 3.0 m) in diameter) be provided, as well as lodging and living expenses.[3] The carvings have been appraised at a quarter of a million dollars each.[3]

Toth uses a hammer and a chisel as the basic tools to create the Whispering Giants, but on occasion will use a mallet and an axe, or rarely power tools.[6] Before starting work on a Whispering giant, Toth confers with local Native American tribes and local lawmakers.[6] The sculpture that is created is a composite of all the physical characteristics, especially facial features, of the local tribe or tribes, as well as their stories and histories.[6]

Currently Peter Toth resides in Edgewater, Florida, where he has a small studio where he carves small wooden statues to raise money to create more Whispering Giants.[4] He travels around America to repair Whispering Giants he carved in the past that have not been kept up, as well as to carve new ones.[4] The latest Whispering Giant carved was in Vincennes, Indiana, in 2009 out of Black Oak, but there are still eight more statues planned to be built.[2]

The Trail

# Date Location State/Province Medium Approx. Height Picture/Name Status
1[7] 1972, February La Jolla California Rock
beach cliff		 Lost[8]
2[9] 1972, Summer Akron Ohio Maple
3[10][11] 1973, January De Land Florida Oak 7 feet Lost to rot
4[12][13] 1973, February Colquitt
U.S. Highway 27		 Georgia Red Cedar 18 feet
5[14][15] 1973, April Dothan

Houston-Love Memorial Library

 Alabama Oak 20 feet Mus-Quoian
6[16] 1973, June Sharon Pennsylvania Elm 20 feet
7[17][18] 1973, August Dunkirk

Route 5, Lake Shore Drive West

 New York Elm 7.5 feet Ong-Gwe-Ohn-Weh
8[19][20] 1973, October Wheeling West Virginia Elm 14 feet Kanououara Destroyed by Dutch elm disease
9[21][22] 1973, December Cleveland

Johnston Park

 Tennessee Oak 10 Feet Cherokee Chieftain
10[23][24] 1974, January Punta Gorda

Holiday Inn, 300 Retta Esplanade

 Florida Parota 15 feet
11[25] 1974, October Vancouver Washington White Fir 25 feet
12[26] 1975, February New Orleans Louisiana Oak In storage.[5]
13[27][28] 1975, April Little Rock

Arkansas Arts Center

 Arkansas Oak 20 feet
14[29] 1975, June Fort Wayne Indiana 25 feet Destroyed by termites.[5]
15[30][31] 1975, August Lansing

Potter Park Zoo

 Michigan Elm 29 feet 3 inches
16[32] 1975, October Sparland Illinois Oak
17[33][34] 1975, December Ocean Springs

Davidson Park

 Mississippi Cypress 27 feet Crooked Feather
18[35] 1976, March Wilmington North Carolina Oak
19[36][37] 1976, May Virginia Beach

Mount Trashmore City Park

 Virginia Cypress 24 feet
20[38] 1976, July Atlantic City New Jersey Tulip Poplar Missing (status unknown).[5]
21[39][40] 1976, September Ocean City

South Second Street & Baltimore Avenue

 Maryland Oak 20 feet
22[41][42] 1976, December Bethany Beach Delaware poplar 27 feet Chief Little Owl Destroyed by high winds in 1992; remains located at Indian Museum in Millsboro. Replaced in 2002.
23[43][44] 1977, February Charleston South Carolina

Charles Towne Landing

 Darlington Oak 24 feet Landing Brave
24[45][46] 1977, May St. Louis

Forest Park

 Missouri Oak 19 feet
25[47][48] 1977, July Two Harbors

Information Center 8, Highway 61 East

 Minnesota Pine 30 feet
26[49][50] 1977, September Hayward

Carnegie Library

 Wisconsin Oak 34 feet Tribute to the Ojibwe
27[51] 1977, November Desert Hot Springs
Cabot's Pueblo Museum		 California Sequoia/Cedar Waokiye
28[52] 1978, June Iowa Falls Iowa Cottonwood
29[53][54] 1978, September Troy

Doniphan County Courthouse

 Kansas Burr Oak 27 feet
Tall Oak
30[55] 1979, May Broken Bow Oklahoma Cypress
31[56][57] 1979, August Loveland

2033 Waterdale Drive, Rock Ridge Ranch

 Colorado Cottonwood 37 feet Redman
32[58][59] 1979, October Red Lodge

Red Lodge Library

 Montana Ponderosa Pine 25 feet
33[60][61] Winslow

Winslow Visitor Center

 Arizona Ponderosa Pine 40 feet
34[62] 1980, May Texarkana Texas Red Oak Missing (status unknown).[5]
35[63][64] 1980, July Lincoln

Lincoln Indian Center

 Nebraska Cottonwood 25 feet
36[65][66] 1980, September Worland

Washakie County Courthouse

 Wyoming Douglas fir 20 feet
37[67][68] 1980, November Idaho Falls

North Tourist Park, Lincoln Road and North Yellowstone Highway

 Idaho Douglas Fir 27 feet
38[69][70] 1981, June Aberdeen

Anderson Park

 South Dakota Cottonwood 25 feet Moved indoors for repair; viewable by appointment.[5]
39[71][72] 1981, August Mandan

Stage Stop, 601 6th Avenue Southeast

 North Dakota Cottonwood 25 feet
40[73][74] 1981, October Valdez

Prince William Sound Community College

 Alaska Sitka spruce 25 feet
41[75][76] 1982, May Osceola Iowa Cottonwood Destroyed in 1993 by winds and flood; replacement created by Jesse Kuhs.[5]
42[77][78] 1982, July Narragansett

Sprague Memorial Park

 Rhode Island Douglas fir 20 feet Enishkeetompauog Narragansett
43[79] 1982, October Groton Connecticut Douglas fir In storage.[5]
44[11][80] 1983, May Ft. Lauderdale

Seminole Indian tribe trading post

 Florida Cypress 30 feet
45[81][82] 1983, August Plymouth

Tourist Information Center, Route 3, Exit 5

 Massachusetts Red Oak 30 feet Enisketomp
46[83] 1983, October Bar Harbor Maine Elm
47 [84][85] 1984, July Burlington

Battery Park

 Vermont Red Oak 34 feet Chief Grey Lock
48[86] 1984, September Laconia

Opechee Park

 New Hampshire Red Oak 36 feet
Keewakwa Abenaki Keenahbeh
[87] 1984, November Springfield

Forest Park

 Massachusetts 15 feet Omiskanoagwiah
50[88] 1985, May Paducah

Bob Noble Park

 Kentucky Red Oak 35 feet Wacinton
51[89] 1985, August Akron

Fairlawn Elementary School

 Ohio Red Oak 30 feet Rotaynah
[90] 1985 Salt Lake City

City Park

 Utah Cottonwood Chief Wasatch
53[91] 1986 Reno

Idlewild Park

 Nevada 17 feet Wa-Pai-Shone
57[92] 1986, August Las Cruces

Apodaca Park

 New Mexico 20 feet Dineh
[93] 1987 Astoria

Youngs Bay Bridge

 Oregon Cedar
56.[94][95] 1987, September Hillsboro

Hillsboro Public Library, Shute Park

 Oregon Douglas Fir 25 feet
Chief Kno-Tah
58 [96] 1988, May Hale'iwa

59-254 Kamehameha Highway, between Sunset Beach and Sunset Beach Elementary School

 Hawaii Douglas Fir or redwood 25 feet
Maui Pohaku Loa
[97] 1988, October Wakefield

Dock on Sunday Lake

 Michigan 20 feet
Nee-Gaw-Nee-Gaw-Bow
62[98] 1989 Utica

Starved Rock State Park

 Illinois Oak 20 feet Chief Walks with the Wind
[99] 1989, September Cherokee

Museum of the Cherokee Indian

 North Carolina 22 feet

Sequoyah
67[100] 1992 Winnipeg Beach

In the Town Square

 Manitoba, Canada Cedar 30 Feet Anishinaabe
[101] 1990 Williamsport Pennsylvania 24 feet Woapalanee
73[4][5] 2008 Délegyháza, Hungary Stephen I of Hungary
74[2] 2009 Vincennes

First and Hart streets

 Indiana Black Oak Tecumseh

References

Bibliography

Notes

  1. ^ Toth p.5
  2. ^ a b c d e Tree trunk to become Tecumseh monument arrives in Vincennes Thursday, Courierpress.com. September 30, 2009. Accessed September 30, 2009
  3. ^ a b c d e Trail Leads to Ladysmith Ladysmith Chronicle, September 14, 2009. Accessed October 10, 2009
  4. ^ a b c d e "Artist's statues honor Indians in all 50 states". Cape Coral Daily Breeze. April 5, 2009. http://www.cape-coral-daily-breeze.com/page/content.detail/id/504893.html?nav=5037. Retrieved December 13, 2009. 
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Peter Wolf Toth: Sculptures Honor Native Americans, a December 31, 2008 article from Magyar News Online
  6. ^ a b c Stoical 25-year-old reminder of the honor due first peoples, The Boston Globe. August 24, 2008. Accessed December 6, 2009.
  7. ^ Toth p.55
  8. ^ David Schumaker. Missing Statutes
  9. ^ Toth p.59
  10. ^ Toth p.68
  11. ^ a b Sculptor casts a GIANT SHADOW.Orlando Sentinel. September 14, 2005. Accessed November 17, 2009
  12. ^ Toth p.70
  13. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number GA000446
  14. ^ Toth p.73
  15. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number AL000264
  16. ^ Toth p.77
  17. ^ Toth p.82
  18. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NY000873
  19. ^ Toth p.87
  20. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number WV000041
  21. ^ Toth p.90
  22. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number TN000231
  23. ^ Toth p.95
  24. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number 73261502
  25. ^ Toth p.101
  26. ^ Toth p.107
  27. ^ Toth p.112
  28. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number AR000344
  29. ^ Toth p.118
  30. ^ Toth p.123
  31. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number 87730027
  32. ^ Toth p.129
  33. ^ Toth p.136
  34. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MS000075
  35. ^ Toth p.145
  36. ^ Toth p.150
  37. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number VA000201
  38. ^ Toth p.155
  39. ^ Toth p.159
  40. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MD000432
  41. ^ Toth p.162
  42. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number DE000029
  43. ^ Toth p.166
  44. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number SC000226
  45. ^ Toth p.168
  46. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MO000021
  47. ^ Toth p.172
  48. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MN000342
  49. ^ Toth p.177
  50. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number WI000116
  51. ^ Toth p.187
  52. ^ Toth p.193
  53. ^ Toth p.196
  54. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number KS000486
  55. ^ Toth p.204
  56. ^ Toth p.205
  57. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number CO000512
  58. ^ Toth p.206
  59. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MT000024
  60. ^ Toth p.207
  61. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number AZ000322
  62. ^ Toth p.208
  63. ^ Toth p.214
  64. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NE000158
  65. ^ Toth p.215
  66. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number WY000053
  67. ^ Toth p.216
  68. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number ID000023
  69. ^ Toth p.217
  70. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number SD000050
  71. ^ Toth p.218
  72. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number ND000040
  73. ^ Toth p.219
  74. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number AK000201
  75. ^ Toth p.223
  76. ^ Peter Toth's Indian Sculpture Meets a Watery Grave Here, The Ogden Reporter. November 3, 1993. Accessed September 30, 2009.
  77. ^ Toth p.224
  78. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number RI000079
  79. ^ Toth p.227
  80. ^ Toth p.228
  81. ^ Toth p.231
  82. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number 87740251
  83. ^ Toth p.232
  84. ^ Wills, Matt, Burlington, Vermont - Toth Indian - Chief Grey Lock. Roadside America. September 11, 2009. Accessed December 12, 2009
  85. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number VT000033
  86. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NH000283
  87. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MA000063
  88. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number KY000276
  89. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number OH000579
  90. ^ Park's giant icon. [Salt Lake Tribune]. October 19, 2006 \. Accessed December 13, 2009
  91. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NV000190
  92. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NM000454
  93. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number OR000224
  94. ^ "Festivities to greet ‘Whispering Giant’ at park in Hillsboro". The Oregonian: p. W1. September 24, 1987. 
  95. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number OR000243
  96. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number HI000012
  97. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number MI000390
  98. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number IL000334
  99. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number NC000280
  100. ^ Way Marking.com
  101. ^ Smithsonian Art Inventories Catalog Control Number PA001493

External links