Freeway Billboard Speaks For Lewis County

Whether you agree or disagree with the sign, it's been a I-5 landmark for over 50 years.

Here are some of the messages over the years:

I'll Take God, Gold and Guns. You Keep the Change!

Let's Keep the Canal and Give Them Kissinger!

There Are No Billboards in Russia!

Be Thankful You Live In America

For over 50 years, the Hamilton Farms billboard, near Chehalis WA, has greeted I-5 travelers with a short, conservative message. The large, 2-sided sign offers political commentary with a message that changes once a month. The sign is adjacent to the freeway, but sits on private property. Alfred Hamilton began posting his views in protest after the state cut thru his turkey farm in the early 60's. Over the years, the sign has changed locations while the state has tried to remove the billboard, but the sign has always prevailed. Many see the landmark sign as a bastion of protected free speech. The billboard has an interesting story. 

Alfred Hamilton was born on March 31, 1920 to Frank and Edith Hamilton. He was raised in Chehalis where he attended Valley School and attended Washington State College (WSU), where he studied forestry and played football. Alfred's father, Frank, was named Lewis County’s 1961 cattleman of the year and proud commander of a flock of 4,000 turkeys. The family business came naturally to Alfred, who in high school won FFA awards for his purebred Holsteins. After college, Alfred returned to the farm where he would eventually raise sheep, cattle, turkeys and grain.

Hamilton married Ruth Knoles in 1942. They had 5 children together. Hamilton had various business interests aside from farming and raising turkeys. He built the Ribeye Restaurant and the McDonalds on land he inherited from his father. He also successfully invested in the stock market. 

A devoted conservative, Hamilton was first gained notoriety in 1967 after he erected a sign protesting new Fed/State control laws removing some of his billboards along I-5. Some think he was already displeased after freeway construction cut his property in half in 1960. However, Hamilton took advantage this and built 7 billboards, leasing them for profit, but in 1965, President Johnson signed the Highway Beautification Act as a gift to his wife, Lady Bird. The law forced states to follow stricter laws about billboards or they would be cut off from Federal funding. The State of Washington would be one of 23 states to embrace the new law. 

Fed up with state and federal sign removal laws, Hamilton constructed this protest sign on his property next to I-5 between Centralia and Chehalis in 1967.

             In 1968, Hamilton constructed a 40 foot x 13 foot double sided billboard on his property across the freeway from his turkey farm. The billboard was white with a blue border and was adorned with a 10 foot image of a troubled Uncle Sam. The rest of the sign consisted of a large, 3 line reader board with 2 foot letters. This allowed Hamilton to construct questions and messages to an audience of freeway travelers. It was a powerful device. 

Meanwhile in 1968, sign laws were increasing enforcement and removal of freeway billboards. Yard Birds would be first to get the State Highway Department's attention. 

Yard Birds billboards used to frequent the I-5 corridor near Centralia-Chehalis region. These were large billboards adjacent to the freeway. On June 10, 1970, Washington Atty Gen. Slade Gorton filed suit in Lewis County against Yard Birds for 5 signs found in violation of the 1961 Billboard control law. The law went into effect after years of court challenges. 

 This resulted in 5 of their billboards being taken down. 

The Hamilton Farms billboard would face the same fate. This would set the stage for legal battle between free speech, private property rights and business advertising. 

Original Hamilton sign (1968 thru 1974) on its last day, being dismantled on August 2, 1974. 

       In August of 1974, the State Highways Department cited Alfred Hamilton for violation of the 1971 state billboard control act. Because the sign was not located on actual business property, he agreed, and the sign was taken down by the state. There was a quiet celebration by Washington Attorney General Slade Gorton and others, as the state had won. 

It would be a short-lived victory. As part of the agreement to take down his sign, Hamilton had asked that they dismantle the sign and neatly stack the pieces on his farm across the freeway. What they didn't know was he was planning on re-erecting his sign on his business property, which would fall within the laws of billboard advertising. Hamilton had played them. 

2nd generation sign (1975 thru 1995)

    In December, 1974 the sign was resurrected across the freeway on his farm which conformed to the new State Highway codes. After winning 2 court fights, including a favorable State Supreme Court ruling, his billboard prevailed. Hamilton, pictured here in 1978, looks like a bouncer at the door protecting free speech.

"There is government control by Communism on the Left, and no government anarchy on the right. I believe we should have some, though less government, so I think I'm in the middle."

-- Alfred Hamilton

Legal Victories: The State vs Hamilton

March 8, 1978 a Lewis County Superior ruled in Hamilton's favor, dismissing the State's complaint, allowing his sign to stay up.

At the end of 1978, the division I State Court of Appeals upheld the verdict and ruled in favor of Hamilton. 

On Dec 20, 1979, the Washington State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Hamilton.

These 3 favorable court cases have cemented the legacy of the Uncle Sam Billboard as protected under free speech.

In 2020, the sign was spray painted by vandals. A group that protects the billboard, immediately cleaned the paint off. There was also an attempt to set the billboard on fire, but it was quickly put out. Currently, there is a petition attempting to remove the sign.

The Hamilton family changes the message once a month.

Uncle Sam Billboard (USB) Time Line

1945  Alfred Hamilton purchases 260 acre turkey farm near Chehalis WA

1961  Highway Advertising Control Act signed into law

1965  Highway Beautification Act signed into law

1967  State Scenic and Recreational Highway Act becomes state law

1967  Russia protest sign constructed by Hamilton

1968  USB constructed on east side of I-5 near Chehalis WA

1970  WA AG Slade Gorton begins enforcing state billboard laws

1971  WA State passes Scenic Vistas Act

1972  Hamilton stops turkey farming

1974  USB taken down

1975  USB rebuilt on west side I-5 between Chehalis and Napavine

1995  Hamilton sells his farm to National Frozen Foods. Sign removed

1996  Hamilton moves to Curtis WA

1996  USB relocated to current location in Napavine on east side

2001  Ruth Hamilton dies

2004  Alfred Hamilton dies, sign activity stops

2005  Hamilton's son, Mike begins posting messages on billboard

2020  Vandals set fire to sign, but fire is put out

2020  Local petition to remove sign garners signatures, but fails

2020  Sign covered with red paint by vandals, supporters clean it up

References

The Oregonian

The Oregon Journal

The Chronicle

The Spokesman-Review

The New York Times

Bearing Arms

The Seattle Times

Seattle Post Intelligencer

Tacoma Tribune