What better way to spend the holidays than working on my website? I’ve got another day’s batch all uploaded to my website. So, here’s another post before the New Year.

Yes, that’s Abraham Lincoln reading a book while on horseback. This one is in Petersburg. There’s another one of these in Midland, MI:

This chainsaw-carved woodpecker is installed waaaaay up on the water tower in Peoria Heights:

This brand new sign in Beardstown with a giant soccer ball:

This stainless steel tree sculpture in Morton was funded by local donors (their names are on the leaves):

This vitrolite storefront is in Rushville. The “Bakers” sign was obviously added later. I’ve dug like crazy and can’t find the original jewelry store name:

This former Phillips 66 gas station in in Beardstown. The building to the right out of frame is a freestanding service bay building — also for the Phillips 66:

The streamline moderne Earnest Chatten House in Quincy:

This former Standard Oil gas station in Macomb now houses a gun shop:

The barrel canopied Clayberg Nursing Center in Cuba:

The Quincy Regional Airport was one of the most amazing stops on this entire five-week trip. If you’re even half as crazy about midcentury modern buildings as I am — and you have plans to visit Quincy — I recommend this great little guide: https://seequincy.com/guides/mid-mod-quincy/

This overhead photo from the Herald-Whig newspaper gives you a clue of the complete building design. The orange circle over on the left is a nice little rooftop, hangout spot with tables. And those blue shapes are the skylights shown in my photo below:

This theatre is in Chillicothe:

This former A&W “pilgrim hat” is in Pekin:

This terrazzo apron is in Quincy:

I believe this is the only surviving Ford Hopkins Drugs sign even though there were about 300 locations in the Midwest. It’s in Macomb although the store itself is long gone:

They were pretty classy inside — each one had a “tea room” with an extensive menu:

This one in South Bend, IN:

This sign is at the still-operating location in Quincy — part of a Midwest chain but this sign was either unique or the only one left:

Speaking of chains… this “skinny M” McDonald’s sign in Quincy has an updated panel with a horrific graphic display panel:

This sign in Macomb is a replica sign — built around 2014. The business was founded in 1908 and is still chugging along:

This sign is above the marquee at the former Illinois Theatre in Macomb:

This sign is installed in Petersburg. The sign came from another Rexall store and the name on top was changed to Potter:

This is one of those glass half-full/empty stories. One of the best Federal Electric sectional, bulb signs out there is/was in Quincy. The rectangular letters have odd-shaped spacer porcelain enamel mini panels so that this sign could be built on a curve. Here’s a photo I took in 2009:

Granted, there were chips and rust… to be expected for a 110-year old sign… (built 1911 or 1912). But in 2022, I was saddened to the core to see that the sign had been painted over! That’s no way to treat porcelain enamel and a sign as important as this one. Each of the letters had the little patent letters at the bottom and the detailed borders – now GONE! Here’s an example of what I mean from this nicely-preserved sign in Idaho Springs, ID (TG — indoors!):

Welp. Here’s what the sign looks like now. White borders, no longer navy blue. I guess it could be worse… or gone. For more about these signs, see my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/sca/federal.html

On to happier things. Like this Masonic Lodge sign in Macomb:

This rooftop sign is in Virginia at the My Little Mexico (formerly Depot Diner). I think this sign was there before the Depot Diner but all of my internet prowling came up dry:

And lastly — this cutie in West Peoria was installed around 2017. There was a boring plastic text sign there before that. The truckbed originally moved up and down – wasn’t moving though when I was there in July:

That’s a wrap for now. Back in the New Year with more. About six more posts to come.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Another mostly sunny, productive day. So, another big post.

Let’s start with “Wee Willy the Wolf” in Aroma Park who’s been installed in front of the fire department since at least 2008. They’ve given him his own helmet and boots:

This lion sculpture is on top of the monument sign at the Municipal Bank in Momence. There is another one in Bourbonnais which I’ll have to shoot this coming summer:

This bulldog is installed next to the Animal Wellness Center in Monee:

This giant pumpkin is in Minooka:

These giant burgers are at Joey’s Red Hots in Orland Park:

This neon draped cone is at the Dixie Delite in St. Anne:

This giant potted plant in Kankakee is installed at a community garden. Rainwater is collected by the leaves which can be accessed by the spigots below:

This former Dog n Suds drive-in is in Crest Hill:

The Mar Theatre is in Wilmington:

This former train station in Peoria now houses city offices:

This long-vacant building in Lockport has an opal glass letter sign. More about these signs at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/sca/opal.html

Although some letters are missing, you can get a clear idea of how these letters were illuminated: square glass plates of each raised letter were placed behind the metal panels. Then a wire with bulbs was lit behind the panels:

The Pontiac Daily Leader newspaper building in Pontiac has several of these mosaic murals which depict the history of printing.

Moving on to a big batch of signs. This one is in Dwight:

This business in Kankakee is long gone but the sign is still hanging:

This rooftop sign is in Marseilles is for the former Thompson Hotel:

This sign is at the Rescue Mission in Peoria:

This sign is installed above the plastic box sign for Southwest Auto Salvage in Lockport:

This sign is in Kankakee:

Boz Hot Dogs was a small Chicago area chain. There are still about six locations left but only a few old signs. This one is in Morris:

An example of the mass-produced General Electric 3-panel signs with arrows in Bradley. The bulbs are still chasing:

This still-operating restaurant is in Joliet:

This sign is in Washington:

And lastly — this still-operating restaurant is in Crest Hill:

A close-up of the bubbling champagne glass:

I’ll be back in the new year with more.

Happy Holidays & Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

This was one of the most productive days of the trip. I’ve got a nice big batch of highlights.

Just a couple of fiberglass statues at the American Giants Museum in Atlanta. This “professional” had a motorized waving arm which rotated at the elbow:

A restored Mortimer Snerd — more about these guys at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/giants/ifsnerds.html

A giant fiberglass bass in Decatur. It was a fishing tackle shop but now a bar occupies the building and the fish remains:

This seal was originally installed in a fountain at the Bel-Aire Motel in Springfield. The motel was demolished but this guy escaped the wrecking ball and is now displayed at the Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill:

About 10 fiberglass animals displayed at the Nord Animal Hospital in Bloomington:

Pinky the Elephant has moved around in Springfield since he arrived in 1980. More about these DWO Elephants at my website here:
https://www.roadarch.com/critters/eledwo.html

A restored Texaco station in Decatur:

Sprague’s Service Station in Normal has also been restored and now houses a Route 66 info center & gift shop:

This restrooms building from 1964 is at the Rail Splitter Rest Area off I-55 in Springfield:

A midcentury, spiral parking garage ramp in Springfield:

This former Kresge department store building is also in Springfield:

On to the signs. This one is either a restoration or replica in Springfield:

This former Stuckey’s billboard sign is displayed at the Route 66 Motorheads Bar & Grill in Springfield:

This modern sign is displayed inside Motorheads. There were several Ned Kelly’s in Illinois and I think they are all gone:

This business in Springfield is gone now but the sign remains:

This sign in Springfield has been repainted countless times. You can see the patched neon tubing holes from long ago:

Mr. John’s Dry Cleaners in Streator closed in 2021 but this sign remains:

This scaffold sign is in Springfield:

This Woody’s Steak House sign in Ottawa surely revolved originally:

This Krekel’s sign with a neon chicken is probably from 1993 when this Springfield location opened:

This Bear Manufacturing sign is at Autocraft Body Shop in Springfield. More about these “happy bear” signs at my website here:
https://www.roadarch.com/signs/bear.html

Let’s close with this fantastic replica sign in Lincoln:

Back soon with even more stuff from Illinois.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start off with this famed football linebacker, Dick Butkus, in Champaign:

“The Quintessential Engineer” tribute to women engineers is at the University of Illinois in Urbana:

Aphrodite’s head – a former prop at the McPherson Theater in Bloomington now displayed on top of a barrel canopy over the entrance:

This scrap metal elephant is in Lexington:

This stack of books of Aesop’s Fables with a tortoise and a hare is at the Urbana Free Library (in Urbana):

This pumpkin is at Spezia’s Cheese Shop in Danville:

This sculpture is at Tom Kirk’s art display under the bridge in Bloomington:

Bruce Goff’s Garvey House in Urbana:

The Iroquois Federal Bank in Danville:

A castle-like church in Danville from 1903 – now a theatre:

A former Coca-Cola bottling plant in Bloomington:

This theatre is in Hoopeston:

Moving on to some signs. This one is in Lexington:

I’m sure this sign in Danville had neon originally — and probably a different business nam:

Another sign in Danville:

This one is in Paxton:

This sign in in Danville:

These two are both at the Little Nugget in Danville:

This rooftop wind sculpture sign is at Keller’s Iron Skillet restaurant in Bloomington:

This Dairy Queen is in Cissna Park. These “lips” style signs are getting pretty rare:

The Majestic Theatre in Paxton burned down in 2007 but this early bulb sign (1910s or 1920s?) must have been in storage somewhere (it wasn’t on the building) and marks the former site in a park now:

And last but not least, this sign is in Urbana. I can’t think of any other signs with a series of wavy tubing like this:

About 8 more posts from Illinois to come.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Let’s start with some statues. This Abraham Lincoln in Ashmore is about 72 feet tall. It was built in 1968 and has fallen on hard times:

This Lincoln is in Charleston — carved from a tree stump:

This marble John F. Kennedy sculpture is installed at a cemetery in Taylorville:

This fiberglass statue was installed in front of Chillbilly’s (now a Krekel’s) in Macon in 2011. This is a Mark Cline copy of an International Fiberglass statue. More about these statues at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/giants/if14men.html

I believe this hand with globe in Pana was originally installed at Skate World in Kankakee. Three pages of giant hands at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/mim/hands.html

This giant rose was installed at a gas station in Pana (the “City of Roses”) last year:

This chicken car is one of two that are installed at the Krekel’s Custard in Mount Zion. More chicken cars at my site here:

https://www.roadarch.com/critters/birdscars.html

Overlook Adventure Park in Decatur has a zoo-themed mini golf — lots of great statues:

This building is in Taylorville:

The Roseland Theatre is in Pana:

A detail from the Macon County Courthouse in Decatur:

The Mueller Co. building from 1961 in Decatur:

A mosaic at the Mueller entrance featuring their products and earlier locations:

The only still-operating location – in Arcola:

This Krekel’s Kustard walk-up stand in Decatur is from the 1950s. The sign originally had neon:

This building, currently vacant, in Decatur originally housed a Spudnuts. It housed several other donut shops after that:

A former Phillips 66 gas station in Decatur:

This liquor store sign is in Charleston:

The Silverfross Drive-in in Decatur became Elam’s Drive-in in 1954. The building was demolished in 1989 but this sign is located inside a local antiques store:

The bowling alley in Decatur is long-closed and the signs are sadly neglected:

This Lewis Cut Rate Drug Store sign is in Taylorville:

And lastly — a former Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket sign in Decatur:

Back soon with more Illinois.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram