On Monday morning, a small excavator hoisted a heavy steel sign from a pickup truck bed to its sturdy posts on the side of Dockton Road. Frank Zellerhoff manned the excavator as sign fabricator Bob Powell stabilized the sign.

The corten steel and stainless steel sign is the first ever erected to welcome visitors to Dockton. The sign’s creation is part of an effort to recognize Dockton’s cultural and historical heritage. A group of Islanders have worked to see the installation of 10 informative signs along a walking trail in Dockton, and the “Welcome to Dockton” sign greets people as they descend the hill into

the town. The sign, designed by Islander Richard Farner, was funded by a grant from King County Parks and Recreation. It took Powell more than 100 hours to craft the sign using a water jet cutting machine.