Day 19: Starting on Indiana

Settle in. There will be about two weeks of posts from Indiana. There was a quickie trip across the border into Michigan for some stops in Niles. For instance, to shoot this tin man at the entrance to mobile home park. Yes, I have two pages at my website full of tin men statues: https://roadarch.com/giants/tinmen.html

Here’s “Howie” in Munster, IN. These bulls with their heads cocked to the right, horns wrapping below their ears, and often (always – came with?) with chef’s hats. Sorry about those power lines:

This giant box of popcorn is at ChicagoLand Popcorn in Merrillville, IN:

This former Frostop root beer mug from Valaparaiso was moved to Westville, IN and adapted as a mug of beer:

This former Hot ‘n Now in Michigan City, IN now houses a Mexican food restaurant:

This former Pure Oil gas station in La Porte, IN has been vacant for a while:

This Valentine diner in Michigan City, IN is being restored as the Brew Box, a coffee place:

That was my photo from June — so here’s a photo from the Economic Development Corp of Michigan City taken in September:

The former E. C. Minas department store parking garage in Hammond, IN with a pebbled concrete screen was built 1960:

This long abandoned building is in Gary, IN. I have no info about the original use:

This Frosty Boy (part of a chain) is in Michigan City, IN:

The Flannery’s Tavern sign in Chesterton, IN could use some paint:

This sign in Gary, IN has been missing its neon since forever. Here’s a photo from GoogleStreet View in 2023:

Then, last year, it was restored with LED tubing:

This towering sign in Hammond, IN was installed around 2001:

This Miller Bakery sign is in Gary, IN remains. Tiny’s Coffee Bar now occupies the space below:

Griffith Furniture opened in Griffith, IN in 1963. This sign sure looks more 1950s which makes me wonder if it wasn’t adapted. Here’s my photo from 2009:

The store had closed by 2008. In 2013, it was adapted for Griffith Billiards. The vertical letters are now backlit plastic but the rest of the neon, bulbs, and Federal tags remain:

These two signs at Al & Sally’s are in Michigan City, IN:

This sign on the roof of the train station in Beverly Shores, IN was installed by 1946:

This sign is inside the Portillo’s restaurant in Merrillville, IN. I have no idea where the bowling alley was originally:

This restaurant is long gone but this sign remains in Gary, IN:

And, lastly, this sign in Niles, MI. Yes, those rolling neon balls were originally animated. More about this sign (and a section with hundreds of other bowling signs) at my website here: https://roadarch.com/sca/bowling4.html#Shula