The sculpture known locally as the “Inlet Indian” was presented to the state of Maryland in 1976 by artist Peter Wolf Toth.

Depicting a member of the Assateague tribe (which had left this area by the mid-1700s), the 20-foot tall statue stands as a silent sentinel on S. 2^nd Street overlooking the Inlet. The Ocean City landmark is one of Toth’s “Trail of the Whispering Giants,” a collection of Native American sculptures created for each of the 50 states between 1972 and 1988. It was carved from a 100-year-old oak log.

The unique wooden statue has endured ice, snow and many storms in the past 40 years and continues to suffer at the hands of the elements. Some believe that unless repairs are made to it soon the “Inlet Indian” will become just another member of “vanishing Ocean City.”

Photo by Bunk Mann