Crooked Feather

Crooked Feather. . , Welcoming you to Ocean Springs from the west on Highway 90 is the tall, carved wooden art installation named Crooked Feather. With its base, the representation of the face and neck of a Native American man with a feather sticking out of his headband stands about 30' tall. , The original sculpture that stood here was completed by Hungarian sculptor Peter Wolf Toth in 1975-76, as the 17th of the 74 sculptures he created across America. Toth carved at least one in each state. The series was called "The Trail of the Whispering Giants," and was created to honor Native Americans. , The original Crooked Feather sculpture was carved from a 2000 year old cypress log from the Cumbest Mill in Wade, Mississippi, and was painted red. Unfortunately, by the mid-1980s, rot and insect infestation had damaged the art. Restoration efforts were further hampered by Hurricane Elena in 1985. Thinking that the original artist Toth had passed away, the replica sculpture you see today was commissioned and carved by local artist Thomas King in 1999. , The original installation was sponsored by the Ocean Springs Chamber of Commerce. The replacement was supported by the City of Ocean Springs. , This informational sign is part of a community project led by the Historic Ocean Springs Association, and is made possible by a grant from the Mississippi Gulf Coast National Heritage Area. , We thank the City of Ocean Springs for their support of this project.