Idaho's 1990 Unity Signs Still Shine 36 Years Later

Walk down Capitol Boulevard in downtown Boise today, and you'll see a stunning reminder that good things really do last.

Forty-four vibrant, circular signs representing each of Idaho's counties have brightened the street since 1990. They've survived 36 years of weather, construction, and even a motorhome crash without needing replacement.

Artist Noel Weber and his team at Classic Sign Studio created the signs for Idaho's centennial celebration on July 3, 1990. The original vision was simple: create something along Capitol Boulevard "as a gesture of friendship and unity by Idaho's Capitol City."

But Weber had a better idea than bronze plaques. He suggested colorful porcelain that would last forever and do justice to Idaho's vibrant county seals.

The catch? Nobody had quite figured out how to make large porcelain signs like this before. Weber and his team spent two to three months experimenting, firing pieces in kilns at temperatures up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

Each sign took about two days to make from start to finish. Much of the artwork came from contests, and Weber's team worked with counties to bring their visions to life.

The results tell visual stories. Washington County features a fiddler honoring the Weiser Fiddle Festival. Caribou County shows a geyser representing Soda Springs. Lincoln County's tractor wears a top hat.

Weber's favorite is Bear Lake, with its image of a bear along what appears to be a river. "A lot of the stuff was hand-lettered and hand-painted," he said.

The project took 18 months to complete all 44 county signs plus two City of Boise signs. Each cost between $623 and $1,013, depending on the number of colors used.

On July 3, 1990, then-Mayor Dirk Kempthorne helped unveil the signs to a crowd of 35,000 people celebrating Idaho's 100th birthday.

Why This Inspires

These signs prove that investing in quality and craftsmanship pays off for generations. The original permit estimated they'd last 30 to 40 years, but here we are at 36 years with every single sign still displaying its vibrant colors.

In our world of disposable everything, Weber's porcelain artwork shows what happens when artists take time to get things right. Those two to three months of experimentation created something that would brighten thousands of commutes for decades.

The signs have weathered downtown construction projects and been moved around a bit. But they remain a colorful reminder that unity and friendship, when built to last, can shine for generations.