{{Short description|Billboard along Interstate-5 in Napaville, Washington, United States}} {{Use American English|date=May 2025}} {{Use mdy dates|date=January 2025}}
{{Infobox urban feature | name = Uncle Sam billboard | native_name = | native_name_lang = | place_type = | other_names = | ind_name_lang = | ind_name = | nickname = | former_names = | image_place = Uncle Sam Billboard.jpg | imagesize = | image_alt = | image_caption = The billboard in 2013. It reads "Bill of Impeachment / Now Before Congress / By [[Walter B. Jones, Jr.|W. Jones]] [[House concurrent resolution|HCR]] 3". | image_oth = | features = | designer = | builder = | construction = | complete = | open = | cost = | steps = | height = | length = | dimensions = | amenities = | area = | surface = | architectural_style = | dedicated_to = | owner = | manager = | location = | address1 = | address2 = | image_map = | mapsize = | map_alt = | map_caption = | pushpin_map = Washington | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_mapsize = | pushpin_relief = | pushpin_image = | pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_label = | coordinates = {{coord|46.6085|-122.9085|type:landmark_region:US-WA_dim:18|format=dms|display=inline,title}} | pushpin_map_caption = | coor_pinpoint = | coor_type = | coordinates_footnotes = | website = | footnotes = }}
The '''Uncle Sam billboard''' is a large, privately owned [[billboard]] in the U.S. state of [[Washington (state)|Washington]]. The billboard is located directly adjacent to the northbound lanes of [[Interstate 5 in Washington|Interstate 5]] in [[Napavine, Washington]], around {{convert|8|miles}} south of [[Chehalis, Washington|Chehalis]], in [[Lewis County, Washington|Lewis County]]. It is considered a local [[landmark]].
The billboard was erected in the 1960s and was used originally to display the [[right-wing]] political opinions of its owner, Alfred Hamilton. In June 2025, the [[Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation]] purchased the property and the sign from the Hamilton family. The billboard's final messages, which had been displayed since 2021, were removed; the sign remained blank until October 2025, when the Chehalis Tribe displayed the message, "NATIVE LAND – #CHEHALIS".
==Description== The two-sided billboard, which depicts a large painting of [[Uncle Sam]] on both sides, is located beside the northbound lanes of Interstate 5 (I-5), near Exit 72, south of [[Chehalis, Washington|Chehalis]] in [[Napavine, Washington]] on Rush Road.<ref name="Kershaw"/> The sign is situated on a commercial parcel measured at {{convert|3.54|acre|ha}}.<ref name="PWIPC">{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |date=March 7, 2025 |title=Property with 'iconic' politically-charged Uncle Sam billboard in Napavine on the market for $2.5 million |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/property-with-iconic-politically-charged-uncle-sam-billboard-in-napavine-on-the-market-for,376549 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250520075259/https://www.chronline.com/stories/property-with-iconic-politically-charged-uncle-sam-billboard-in-napavine-on-the-market-for,376549 |archive-date=2025-05-20 |access-date=March 10, 2025 |work=[[The Chronicle (Centralia, Washington)|The Chronicle]]}}</ref>
==History== The billboard's owner, Alfred Hamilton, began posting messages after I-5 was constructed across his [[Turkey (bird)|turkey]] farm in the early 1960s to promote his "archconservative views in big block letters".<ref name="Kershaw">{{cite news|last=Kershaw|first=Sarah|title=Highway's Message Board Now Without a Messenger|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/28/national/28billboard.html|accessdate=April 4, 2014|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=November 28, 2004|archive-date=May 28, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150528065303/http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/28/national/28billboard.html|url-status=live}}</ref> The first messages on the sign, not yet containing the Uncle Sam feature, were posted by Hamilton and his wife, Ruth, based on their anger towards the government for funding [[Welfare spending|welfare]] programs. Hamilton further resented the government for interfering with his ability to lease billboard space following [[Lady Bird Johnson]]'s [[Highway Beautification Act]] of 1965.<ref name="Kershaw"/><ref name="PWIPC"/> The lack of compensation for Hamilton's loss of farmland due to the construction of I-5 is also a noted precursor of the billboard.<ref name="PWIPC"/>
Hamilton advertised his turkey business along with his early postings in the late 1960s,<ref name="PWIPC"/> and during the 1970s, the billboard advertised Hamilton's cattle business. In 1977, the state of Washington sued unsuccessfully for the sign's removal, claiming the landmark violated current anti-billboard laws.<ref>{{cite news |date=November 14, 1977 |title=Roadsign sign to meet curb? |url=https://www.newspaperarchive.com/us/california/pasadena/star-news/1977/11-14/page-10 |url-access=subscription |access-date=October 1, 2024 |work=[[Pasadena Star-News]] |page=A5}}</ref> The first painting of Uncle Sam was added to the billboard around this time.<ref name="PWIPC"/>
In a 2004 article, ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Hamilton as a "cranky crusader" who "loved a fight" and a "stubborn man, a turkey farmer with a big belly full of opinions".<ref name="Kershaw"/> According to the paper, "Mr. Hamilton minced no words in attacking virtually everything and everyone that irritated him: gun control, the government and gays, Russians and radicals, [[Henry Kissinger|Kissinger]] and [[John Kerry|Kerry]]."<ref name="Kershaw"/> One of his friends recalled Hamilton's belief that "all Democrats were 'damn fools'", saying: "In many instances – and we were pretty close – I warned people not to get into discussions of religion and politics with him. He was so set in his ways that it was unusual." Hamilton once stated: "I'm not trying to convert anyone to my way of thinking. But I want to make people think."<ref name="Kershaw"/>
Over the years, the billboard has occasionally been moved or modified due to conflicts with the state and federal government. The depiction of Uncle Sam on the billboard has been repainted at least twice.<ref name="Kershaw"/> In 1995, ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' reported that Hamilton had sold his {{convert|130|acre|ha}} of land between [[Centralia, Washington|Centralia]] and Chehalis, and that the sign and other buildings on the land would be removed. The land had been in the Hamilton family since 1945. He and his wife moved to [[Alaska]] but continued to own nearby land.<ref name=ST>{{cite news | title='Uncle Sam' Packing Up His I-5 Billboard | url=https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19951007/2145520/uncle-sam-packing-up-his-i-5-billboard | access-date=April 4, 2014 | newspaper=[[The Seattle Times]] | date=October 7, 1995 | archive-date=April 7, 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407070748/http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19951007&slug=2145520 | url-status=live }}</ref> In the year leading up to the sale, billboard messages were changed once a month; before then, they were changed weekly.<ref name=ST/> The billboard was moved to its current site just inside the Napavine city limits in 1996.<ref>{{cite news |last=Herrington |first=Gregg |date=July 12, 1996 |title=Uncle Sam billboard moves south from Centralia towards Chehalis |page=1 |work=[[The Columbian]]}}</ref>
After Alfred Hamilton died in November 2004 at age 84, his family, who did not necessarily share all of his views, was initially uncertain if they would continue with the billboard's conservative content and upkeep; Hamilton's grandson posted new messages periodically after Alfred's death. His son said, "I know the billboard had a lot of repercussions politically, from the state and the feds on down, because he voiced his opinions and sometimes he stepped on toes."<ref name="Kershaw"/> I-5 motorists have been called a "captive audience", as congestion often causes traffic jams between [[Seattle]] and [[Portland, Oregon]], both generally considered politically liberal cities. In 2003, a daily average of 50,000 motorists drove the {{convert|170|miles|0|adj=on}} stretch between the two cities, including northbound and southbound.<ref name="Kershaw"/>
In June 2020, a petition listing 73,000 signatures was addressed to the Chehalis city council asking for the removal of the billboard, which sits in the city of Napavine. The request refers to purported statements posted on the sign as being racist and offensive while possibly creating a perception that the local communities are of such nature. The accuracy of an example shown in the petition was questioned. The appearance of the petition coincided with a brush fire deliberately set in an attempt to burn down the billboard that same month; damage to the sign was limited to minor charring of the supports.<ref name="PWIPC" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Miller |first1=Shelby |date=June 8, 2020 |title=73,000 signature petition calls for takedown of landmark Uncle Sam billboard |url=https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/73000-signature-petition-calls-takedown-landmark-uncle-sam-billboard/Q5DVKB5WCFESVFFBMAXSWFJWZM/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250607030047/https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/73000-signature-petition-calls-takedown-landmark-uncle-sam-billboard/Q5DVKB5WCFESVFFBMAXSWFJWZM/ |archive-date=June 7, 2025 |access-date=June 28, 2023 |work=[[KIRO-TV|KIRO 7 News]] |location=Seattle, Washington}}</ref> Later in the month, following a second petition to keep the sign, a rumored threat to the billboard spread. A group of approximately 100 people, including a county commissioner and county sheriff, gathered at the sign. The suspected dangers, ranging from blocked roads by those who wanted the billboard removed to possible [[anti-fascist]] violence, did not materialize.<ref name="HGIWW">{{cite news |last1=Sottile |first1=Leah |date=June 1, 2024 |title=Hate groups in western Washington echo the past |url=https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-6/how-western-washington-history-explains-the-rise-of-hate-groups/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250428081042/https://www.hcn.org/issues/56-6/how-western-washington-history-explains-the-rise-of-hate-groups/ |archive-date=April 28, 2025 |access-date=August 5, 2024 |work=[[High Country News]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Dodgson |first1=Colton |date=June 24, 2020 |title=Group Gathers in Support of Hamilton Corner Uncle Sam Billboard |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/group-gathers-in-support-of-hamilton-corner-uncle-sam-billboard,2916 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250619222955/https://www.chronline.com/stories/group-gathers-in-support-of-hamilton-corner-uncle-sam-billboard,2916 |archive-date=June 19, 2025 |access-date=August 5, 2024 |work=The Chronicle}}</ref>
===Sale of billboard=== [[File:Uncle Sam billboard in 2023 (cropped).jpg|thumb|Billboard displaying its final message on the northbound side, May 2023]]
The Uncle Sam billboard and the commercial property it sits on, was listed for sale in March 2025 for $2.5 million. The offer also included the possibility to purchase an adjoining, mostly undeveloped {{convert|30.8|acre|ha|adj=mid}} parcel also owned by the Hamilton family.<ref name="PWIPC"/> In June 2025, the [[Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation]] completed its purchase of the billboard. In an announcement, the remaining political messages were to be removed and that there were no definitive future plans for the billboard.<ref>{{cite news |last=Uyehara |first=Kai |date=June 6, 2025 |title=Uncle Sam billboard off I-5 near Chehalis bought by local tribe |url=https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uncle-sam-billboard-off-i-5-near-chehalis-bought-by-local-tribe/ |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250606224756/https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/uncle-sam-billboard-off-i-5-near-chehalis-bought-by-local-tribe/ |archive-date=June 6, 2025 |accessdate=June 6, 2025 |work=The Seattle Times}}</ref>
Approximately two weeks after the purchase, the last messages which had adorned the billboard unchanged since 2021 were removed. The final messages were, "How many Americans will we leave behind in Ukraine?" located on the northbound side, and "No one died in [[World War II|WW2]] so you could show papers to buy food" on the side facing southbound traffic.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Sexton |first1=Owen |date=June 19, 2025 |title=Uncle Sam billboard messages removed following purchase by Chehalis Tribe |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/uncle-sam-billboard-messages-removed-following-purchase-by-chehalis-tribe,382899 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250621030358/https://www.chronline.com/stories/uncle-sam-billboard-messages-removed-following-purchase-by-chehalis-tribe,382899 |archive-date=June 21, 2025 |access-date=June 20, 2025 |work=The Chronicle}}</ref>
On October 23, 2025, the Chehalis Tribe changed the sign's message for the first time to read, "NATIVE LAND – #CHEHALIS".<ref name="IFCTP">{{cite news |last1=Rabe |first1=Otto |title=In Focus: Chehalis Tribe places first message — 'Native Land' — on iconic Uncle Sam Billboard |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/in-focus-chehalis-tribe-places-first-message-native-land-on-iconic-uncle-sam,389745 |access-date=October 27, 2025 |work=The Chronicle |date=October 24, 2025}}</ref> Announcements by the tribe mentioned the phrase to be "innocuous" and a "statement of fact", and that "no controversy or hidden meaning" is behind the updated sign. No plans to further change the messaging on the billboard were announced by the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Howie |first1=Stephen |title=Uncle Sam billboard on I-5 near Chehalis goes from right-wing zingers to a statement of Native rights |url=https://www.chronline.com/stories/uncle-sam-billboard-on-i-5-near-chehalis-goes-from-right-wing-zingers-to-a-statement-of-native,389994 |access-date=October 30, 2025 |work=[[KUOW-FM|KUOW]] |date=October 27, 2025}}</ref>
==Messages== [[File:Uncle Sam billboard, Washington.jpg|thumbnail|right|The billboard viewed from southbound I-5 in October, 2007. The message reads, "In the race for president can I just vote no?"]] [[File:20211017-hamiltonfarmsign-IMG 1816.jpg|thumb|alt=Hamilton Farm billboard 23-Aug-2021|Hamilton Farm billboard on August 23, 2021]]
The billboard's conservative messages have targeted myriad subjects, including [[abortion]], [[big government]], and [[homosexuality]].<ref name=ST/> Hamilton said in a 1985 interview that several of the postings on the billboard were taken from the [[John Birch Society]], of which he was a member. Hamilton further stated that he was not attempting to convert readers of the sign, desiring people to think for themselves, though he believed his ideas would be considered correct by those who researched the topics noted on the sign. Hamilton said that 95% of his musings were given favorable treatment.<ref name="PWIPC"/>
Messages that have appeared on the sign include:
* "There are no billboards in Russia!", (November 1967); first recorded message<ref name="PWIPC"/> * "Let's keep the [[Panama Canal|Canal]] and give them [[Henry Kissinger|Kissinger]]" (1970s); Hamilton declared this his favorite message<ref name="Kershaw"/>{{efn|The Panama Canal posting is also recorded as, "Don’t give canal to Panama, give them Kissinger".<ref name="PWIPC"/>}} * "Be thankful you live in America" (1974)<ref name="Kershaw"/> * "Bill Caruth tells why you must stick to your guns" (1978); refers to opposition to gun control<ref name="Kershaw"/> * "[[Evergreen State College]]- Home of environmental terrorists and homos?" (1987)<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-28 |title=Of Eco-Terrorists and Homos–Biography of a Photo – By Anna Schlecht – Olywa Days of Change |url=https://olywadaysofchange.org/of-eco-terrorists-and-homos-biography-of-a-photo-by-anna-schlecht/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250329192146/https://olywadaysofchange.org/of-eco-terrorists-and-homos-biography-of-a-photo-by-anna-schlecht/ |archive-date=March 29, 2025 |access-date=2025-06-06 |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Voie |first=Brittany |date=2017-07-28 |title=Voie Commentary: Slade Gorton and the Infamous Hamilton Uncle Sam Billboard |url=http://www.chronline.com/stories/voie-commentary-slade-gorton-and-the-infamous-hamilton-uncle-sam-billboard,24896 |access-date=2025-06-29 |website=The Daily Chronicle |language=en}}</ref> * "Seems a little queer" (1990s); response to state laws banning discrimination against [[LGBTQ]] state employees<ref name="HGIWW"/> * "Hasn't [[Christine Gregoire|Gregoire]] cost taxpayers plenty of $ $ in boo-boos?" (2004); Hamilton's last message before his death in November 2004<ref name="Kershaw"/> * "Where's the birth certificate?" (2000s–2010s); refers to the [[birtherism]] conspiracy theory regarding President Barack Obama's status as a U.S. citizen<ref name="HGIWW"/> * "Oh, no! A virus! Quick - burn the [[United States Bill of Rights|Bill of Rights]]!" (2020); posted during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]<ref name="HGIWW"/>
Additional postings include "Non-communist straw for sale", geopolitical statements such as "Get U.S. out of the [[United Nations]]", and remarks on women's rights, with a notable bulletin, "Women are meant to be cherished not liberated".<ref name="PWIPC"/>
==Reception== The billboard has elicited considerable controversy over the years and several other attempts have been made by various individuals and groups to have it legally removed. Hamilton once said that feedback to the sign had been "95 percent positive".<ref name=ST/> However, in 1985, Hamilton told ''[[The Oregonian]]'' that he had received threats over the sign.<ref name=ST/> The billboard has been vandalized on numerous occasions and ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' reported that a few attempts had been made to burn it down, most recently in June, 2020.<ref name=ST/> ''The New York Times'' called the billboard "a kind of grouchy chronicle of one man's one-sided take on things."<ref name="Kershaw"/> Following Hamilton's death, one editorial contributor for the ''[[Seattle Post-Intelligencer]]'' wrote, "We thought the billboards cranky, but worth looking at. That billboard is what makes America better because it celebrates a founding principle of our nation, the [[First Amendment to the United States Constitution|First Amendment]]. We completely disagree with Hamilton's view of the world, but praise his discourse." The editorial began with the phrase "Uncle Sam is no more", but ended with, "Forget what we said above. 'Uncle Sam lives.'"<ref name="Kershaw"/>
==Dancing Swallows Big Gay Bird Sanctuary and Memorial Pond== A local resident, Kyle Wheeler, owned a small triangular parcel across from the billboard. Wheeler responded in opposition to the billboard, as well as to the [[2020s anti-LGBTQ movement in the United States|rise in hate speech and crimes towards the LGBTQ population]], by erecting a sign at the site in the fall of 2020 that stated, "Lewis County Welcomes Everyone". Torn down after the first day, the [[Rainbow flag (LGBTQ)|rainbow]]-colored sign was reinstalled only to be removed again without authorization. Wheeler began enlarging the display on the grounds, transforming his property into the ''Dancing Swallows Big Gay Bird Sanctuary and Memorial Pond''. The sanctuary was created in honor of a deceased friend, Kali, and eventually grew to include birdhouses for [[swallow]]s, decorated in colors associated with the [[gay pride]] movement.<ref name=":0" /> The land was sold in June 2024 and the private park was deemed closed.<ref name="HGIWW"/><ref name=":0">{{cite web |last=Wheeler |first=Kyle |title=Dancing Swallows Big Gay Bird Sanctuary and Memorial Pond |url=https://www.biggaybirdsanctuary.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241123144020/https://www.biggaybirdsanctuary.com/ |archive-date=November 23, 2024 |access-date=June 6, 2025 |website=www.biggaybirdsanctuary.com |publisher=Dancing Swallows Big Gay Bird Sanctuary and Memorial Pond LLC}}</ref>
== See also == {{portal|United States}} * [[Atheist billboard]] * [[He Gets Us]] * [[The Last Billboard]] * ''[[Miss Me Yet?]]''
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Commons category|Uncle Sam billboard}} * [http://www.roadsideamerica.com/tip/6002 Chehalis, Washington: Right-Wing Uncle Sam Billboard] at RoadsideAmerica.com * [http://seattlest.com/2008/07/24/seattle_to_portland_the_uncle_sam_b.php Seattle to Portland: The "Uncle Sam" Billboard] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150816011017/http://seattlest.com/2008/07/24/seattle_to_portland_the_uncle_sam_b.php |date=August 16, 2015 }} at Seattlest (2008)
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[[Category:1960s establishments in Washington (state)]] [[Category:Buildings and structures completed in the 1960s]] [[Category:Billboards]] [[Category:Chehalis, Washington]] [[Category:Conservative media in the United States]] [[Category:Interstate 5]] [[Category:Uncle Sam]] [[Category:Individual signs in the United States]] [[Category:Buildings and structures in Lewis County, Washington]]