Town of Vauxhall, Alberta

Potatoes (Sammy & Samantha) Peter Soehn (Kelowna, BC)

When Built: 1993 Dimensions: Height: 7 Feet (2.1 Metres) Circumference (each): 10.4 Feet (3.2 Metres) Base length: 20 Feet (6.1 Metres) Base width: 6 Feet (1.8 Metres) Base height: 3 Feet (.9 Metres) Sign height: 7 Feet (2.1 Metres) Sign length: 5.5 Feet (1.7 Metres) Construction Materials: Fibreglass Location: West side of Highway 36, south end of town

Reason for Building:

To advertise Vauxhall as "THE POTATO CAPITAL OF THE WEST"

Additional Information:

There was originally an old sign that advertised Vauxhall as the Potato Capital of the West. It was a 4 x 8 foot sheet of plywood (mounted on two poles) that was cut to look like a potato and called Sammy the Spud (may have also been called Bud the Spud). It was erected in the late 50's and had become very weathered. When a new sign became necessary the Town Council decided Sammy should have a mate - and so Samantha joined Sammy.

Samantha is a Red Potato and Sammy is a White Potato.

Peter Soehn also designed the Gopher in Torrington, Squirt the Skunk in Beiseker, and Pinto MacBean in Bow Island.

Here is a picture of me with the potatoes:

Information Source: Jim Monti, the Town of Vauxhall

Picture Source: DMY and Samson Yee