The Wooden Indian Expeditions

[mrtr33]

Another great store review. Thanks so much for these! I always look forward to them.

We went to St. Augustine this past summer. There were a few shops around, but not really much selection. Then again, St. Augustine is a tourist trap.

[cinda]

[Smoked!]

Joe - Yeah, he does look a little soft for a Chief. I was informed that this is not the store's first Indian sculpture. The original is at the owner's residence... that's the story anyway.

mrtr33 - Thank you for the compliment. I have been to St. Augustine many times. The historic sites are interesting and I liked the beach, but there's not much more going on there.

Cinda -

[droz]

I love these posts, you have got a perfect mix of great writing and well captured photos. Keep up the good work, it is the first post I check when I log on. Great stuff.

[Smoked!]

Is That a Fact? #8 Not all Cigar Store Indians are created equal. The original European “Virginian” statues, or “Virginie Men”, were often depicted as black men adorned with feathered headdresses and wearing kilts made of tobacco leaves. Few European sculptors had ever seen a Native American. The American made Cigar Store Indians were clothed in fringed buckskins, draped with blankets, and decorated with feathered headdresses. They were sometimes shown holding a tomahawk, a spear, or a bow and arrows. Most of these "generic" statues rarely resembled members of any particular American Indian tribe. (cigarstoreindian dot com) Very few were crafted in Terra-cotta.

[Smoked!]

The Yin and Yang of Treasure Coast Cigar Shops:

Here comes a special Two-fer Thursday Edition of TWIE. I stopped by a couple shops on the Treasure Coast over the past several days. Some I liked and some I did not. Keep in mind the theme of the TWIE. These are just my personal impressions. They are sometimes based on a single visit to the shop in focus. They’re not all going to be good, but I’ll try to be respectful. Guys and Gals, I call ‘em like I see ‘em.




Shop: Tobacco Emporium – Ft. Pierce, FL

Location: Deep in the recently redeveloped heart of downtown Ft. Pierce, FL, on Orange Avenue, just east of the new courthouse.




Wooden Indian: Sort of… The Emporium has an Indian sculpture made of Terra-cotta clay that was gifted to the owner by a friend. His name is Chief Phil. Here he is:




Atmosphere: This is a very cozy store. The owner, Dede Wilson, packs a lot of variety into a compact space. You can pick out a smoke, choose a chair, and get caught up on all the local news. T.E. is the information hub on this side of town.

Service: Dede is the real deal. She is very active in community events ranging from beer tastings to theatre after-parties, which she hosts in the garden behind the shop. If there is an event or a happening downtown, Dede is in the mix. Plus, she’s really cute.

Walk-in: The humidor is a little tight, but conditions are good and selection is fair.




Cigars: You may not find every brand or the exact vitola you prefer, but you’ll find something you like. It’s not bad for a small location.

Local Attractions: There are tons of small antique shops and locally owned restaurants downtown. The shop shares a service area and small courtyard with the Sunrise Theatre. (That’s the venue where Ron “Tater Salad” White was scheduled to appear before he was detained by the Mounties in Vero Beach. Cue banjo music...) Dede’s plan is to host theatre after-parties, poker tournaments, and other events in the courtyard behind the shop during the upcoming season (Jan - May.)

Two blocks east of the shop is a city park and marina situated on the Indian River. Dock your yacht in the marina, drop the wifey off on antique row, grab a cigar from Tobacco Emporium, and head down the street to the park. You may not be allowed to light up in the park, but I doubt anyone would complain. Here are a couple photos of the park, the river, and the bridge to Hutchinson Island.







Summary: You have to get down here and say hello to Dede. Did I mention she’s really cute? I like the shop and the location. Add it to your list of places to visit when you plan to go downtown for an event.



One more photo. This is a recovered ship’s cannon found on the reef just off the coast. Historians claim the vessel was lost in a storm. I blame pirates! Arrrrgh! (couldn’t resist…)






Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke too much; it is bad for you. I have the utmost respect for our Native American brothers. They never wear metallic armor. Ice cream is good. Sometimes I use Stay-Puft marshmallows in hot cocoa. I have no financial interest or ownership interest in any cigar shop, store, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer, packager, shipper, stevedore, roller, farmer, harvester, or tobacco farm land lease holder, nor do I receive any other benefit, explicit or implied, from the inclusion of or review of any establishment herein named, referred to, or otherwise described. One guy did give me a free cigar. I watch the Big Bang Theory on CBS. We should have more old-school pirates. I think Wooden Indians are cool.

[Smoked!]

Shop: Smokin Premiums

Location: Stuart, FL – in Historic Downtown.




Wooden Indian: I think the Cigar Store Indian is the absolute best feature of this shop. He is made of resin, but the features and design all conform to the expected conventions for this type of art. He is a respectful representation of the honored Native American symbol. This one has what looks like a panther hide draped over his shoulders. It is clearly different than the Chief at Smoke Inn PSL which had an otter hide… or weasel. I have no idea what the Chief was doing in New Orleans collecting beads.







Atmosphere: Smokin Premiums is literally a Mom & Pop shop. It fits into the Old Stuart Downtown theme quite well. All the buildings and shops date back to the early 1920’s. It is in a great setting across the street from the famed Lyric Theatre (circa 1926.) There is much cigar related memorabilia and a few unusual items to see if you should choose to visit.

Service: For my money and interest, a local shop is all about service. If you choose not to differentiate yourself from other merchants and internet outlets by presenting a reasonably tolerable personality, then I probably will not be particularly interested in patronizing your establishment. I did not feel welcome. “Mom” greeted me when I arrived, but it was not a friendly, “Hello.” It was more of a formal: “What do you want?” Not good.

Walk-in: There is a small walk-in at the rear of the shop and humidified cabinets line the walls.

Merchandise: There are plenty of items for purchase ranging from cigars to cabinet humidors. Sorry, no inside photos.

Local Attractions: Downtown Stuart has undergone many renovations since the early 1920’s. It’s worth a stop if you like the “revitalized downtown theme.” One of the cool original landmarks is the Lyric Theatre which is across the street from this shop. Check out the marquis:




Summary: This shop has tremendous potential. I like Stuart.

Stuart History – Wiki.pedia
In 1832, pirate Pedro Gilbert who often used a sandbar off the coast as a lure to unsuspecting prey, chased and caught a US merchant ship named “Mexican.” Although he attempted to burn the ship and kill the crew, they survived to report the incident, ultimately resulting in the capture and subsequent execution of Gilbert and his crew. The bar from which he lured his intended booty is named "Gilbert's Bar" on nautical charts.

The Treasure Coast area that became Stuart was first settled by non-Native Americans in 1870. In 1875, a United States Lifesaving Station was established on Hutchinson Island, near Stuart. Today, the station is known as Gilbert's Bar House of Refuge and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

From 1893-1895, the area was called Potsdam. This name was chosen by Otto Stypmann, a local landowner originally from Potsdam, Germany. Stypmann, with his brother Ernest, owned the land that would become downtown Stuart. Potsdam was renamed Stuart in 1895, after the establishment of the Florida East Coast Railway, in honor of Homer Hine Stuart, Jr., another local landowner.


Disclaimer and Full Disclosure:
Do not smoke too much; it is bad for you. I have the utmost respect for our Native American brothers. They never wear metallic armor. Ice cream is good. Sometimes I use Stay-Puft marshmallows in hot cocoa. I have no financial interest or ownership interest in any cigar shop, store, retailer, wholesaler, distributor, manufacturer, packager, shipper, stevedore, roller, farmer, harvester, or tobacco farm land lease holder, nor do I receive any other benefit, explicit or implied, from the inclusion of or review of any establishment herein named, referred to, or otherwise described. One guy did give me a free cigar. I watch the Big Bang Theory on CBS. We should have more old-school pirates. The most common commodity in this country is unrealized potential. I think Wooden Indians are cool.