Let’s start this post in New Town where there are one of the very few Jack & Jill Food Center signs left. These and similar signs were once all over Nebraska, Oklahoma, Iowa, North Dakota, and other states:

In Williston, this I Keating Furniture World store has two of these rooftop scaffold signs on opposite corners of their building:

This I Keating Furniture World in Minot has a globe sign on the corner. The motor box below indicates that it revolved originally. I’ve got globe signs and giant globes from all over the country at my website here:

https://www.roadarch.com/mim/globes.html

The Ten Spot Lanes sign is from Mandan. I recently moved all of the bowling signs to their own section at my website in order to have a nice companion section for an upcoming SCA article. You’ll find those pages here:

https://www.roadarch.com/sca/bowling.html

This modern sign is in Minot. There is a similar Vegas Motel sign in Williston but the motel itself has been demolished so the sign may not be around long.

Another sign from Minot:

From Garrison. “Drugs” at the bottom and the original business name on top have been covered up with those panels since at least 2008. This is one of the non-neon Rexall sign lit with lights overhead, presumably a cheaper choice with less maintenance:

A now closed Amoco station in Carson. This sign is probably from the 1970s (the company began using this logo in 1971):

This seemingly simple, rooftop oil derrick sign in Williston, formerly laced with neon (now LED tubing), may not look like much:

But it’s actually what I believe is the sole-surviving example of the mass-produced Mid-Continent Supply Co. signs built for all of their locations in the 1940s & 1950s. From the descriptions I’ve read, the neon gushing oil at the top was animated. Here’s a vintage photo from 1942 in Odessa, TX:

http://www.davickservices.com/oil_well_supply_company_odessa,_tx_1942.htm

Shreveport, LA (from the LOC site):

https://www.loc.gov/resource/mrg.04329/

and Plainville, KS:

https://www.facebook.com/Prairieheritage1001/posts/tbt-this-building-on-the-corner-of-k-18-and-section-line-was-a-real-showplace-in/1971494139629369/?_rdr

Moving on to some statues. This 19-foot-tall statue of Earl Bunyon [sic], Paul Bunyan’s brother, in New Town is being restored. It was built in 1958 and here’s a vintage postcard photo. He originally held a fishing pole and later a branding iron in his left hand:

and today:

These 12-foot-tall steel sculptures of explorers Lewis & Clark and the Mandan Indian Chief were installed in Washburn at the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center in 2004:

I brake for Statue of Liberty statues, no matter how big, small, or ugly. I like the jumbo streetlight torch on this one in Williston. If you’d like to see the “collection,” they are at my website here:

https://www.roadarch.com/giants/women2.html

I also brake for windmills and lighthouses — with preference for the fake ones. This windmill in Minot was previously located in Powers Lake. It was built in 1928 and was used as a real one then. For more windmills, I’ve got five full pages of them here:

https://www.roadarch.com/mim/wind.html

How about a few buildings to close this post? The Thompson Apartments building in Minot was built in 1948:

This Art Deco building in Mohall was built from 1936-1937:

And lastly, one of my fave buildings in North Dakota: the Northern National Life Insurance Building from 1965 in Bismarck. Sorry for the “golden hour” shadows:

Back with more North Dakota photos soon.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I finally finished up adding all of the Montana photos to my website (roadarch.com) and we’re now moving on to the Dakotas.

Let’s start off in Glendive, MT with this Moose Lodge sign:

Some other signs from Glendive:

The original El Centro Motel sign from the 1950s looked like this:

This update is probably from the 1960s:

This sign is in Circle, MT:

From Bowman, ND:

From Dickinson, ND:

This painted plywood T-Rex sign in Glendive, MT was built in the early 1990s. The city is now fundraising to restore and repaint it, and possibly add LED lights:

Moving on to some non-signs. The tiny town of Regent, ND has become a tourist attraction thanks to the creations of resident Gary Greff who has built dozens of ginormous scrap metal sculptures. Here are just a few. The Tin Family:

Pheasants on the Prairie:

This Knight and Dragon…:

were built to accompany the old high school that Greff turned into the Middle Ages-themed Enchanted Castle Hotel:

This wolf sculpture in Lemmon, SD was created from scrap metal by John Lopez who has some other impressive cowboy sculptures in town (and elsewhere):

This “Waiting on the School Bus” sculpture in Glendive, MT was installed around 2017 in front of the Dawson County High School:

Let’s close with a couple of buildings. This petrified wood covered gas station in Lemmon, SD is located next to the Petrified Wood Park and Museum:

And this former bank in Glendive, MT from 1966 now houses a library:

I’ve got about 3 more days of ND and 4 more days of SD to go. Be back soon with more photos.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

One more full day of Montana before moving on to North Dakota.

Let’s start with a few photos from Shelby. The Oasis Bar & Casino:

The Elks Lodge:

A few signs from Havre. The Hi-Line Motel:

From Chinook:

From the Great Northern Hotel & Casino in Malta:

A few signs from Glasgow:

This one was removed from the facade years ago and moved inside the antiques store which took over the space. There’s now a hair salon there but the sign remains:

This one stands a the corner of Scotties Pride Drive which leads to Glasgow High School. The Scottish Terrier is the school’s mascot. This sign was being repainted as I took this photo:

From Sidney. The JC Penney store closed in 2017 but the sign remains:

From Nashua:

A double-arrow combo in Sidney:

And here are a few non-signs. A hillside of metal sculptures created by Buck Samuelson in Glasgow:

A classic fiberglass bear on the roof at the Blue Bear Car Wash in Havre:

The sign below looks like it was inspired by Bear Manufacturing’s “alignment bear” signs – at my website here:

https://www.roadarch.com/signs/bear.html

A former gas station in Havre from 1939, now housing Parker’s BBQ:

A rare double-gable Conoco gas station in Shelby — vacant for at least seven years now:

And, lastly, the Fort Peck Lutheran Church in Fort Peck. Built in 1969 for a Catholic Church:

Back soon enough with more. For different photos, don’t forget about my Flickr stuff here:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

There was a quite a bit of fog & clouds in the morning but then it was gorgeous. One of those days that had me literally running to get as many stops in as possible.

Let’s start with this sadly neglected sign in East Glacier Park:

From Helena:

This clock is on the corner of a former Husky gas station (now a muffler/radiator shop):

Here are a few signs in East Helena. This one is modern. It copied the design of the Rialto Club Room in Helena:

This sign was installed just a few years ago. It appears that new partial text panels were tacked over a vintage sign that the restaurant got from somewhere:

This Chinese restaurant has been there since the late 1800s. This looks like a modern replacement of a 1950s sign:

Here are a few photos from Great Falls:

This drug store was destroyed by fire and a new building was built nearby. Fortunately, the signs were saved and restored:

The property is surrounded by chain link fencing and demolition is planned. I don’t know what will become of this sign but I’m not optimistic it will be there long:

Another wagon wheel sign — this one in Augusta:

This sign is in Fort Benton:

These two are in Black Eagle. The neon was replaced with LED rope tubing a few years ago:

This Italian restaurant is right across the street. I believe the bulbs are scintillating:

From Dutton:

A couple of signs from Shelby:

This motel has closed and the city wants to adapt the vertical letters to read “Shelby”. The sign really does tower over the little downtown. I hope that they keep the sign even if they do a typical cheap adapting. I hope that the lantern & lower panel survive but I have a feeling they won’t make it:

Let’s close with a couple of buildings and some other stuff. The mid-century modern St. Mary Visitor Center at the entrance to Glacier National Park in St. Mary:

This former Greyhound station from 1947 is in Great Falls. The original look:

and now:

A former Triple XXX Root Beer stand shaped like a barrel in Great Falls. Unfortunately, only half the barrel is visible now:

How about some dinosaurs? This T-Rex is in Bynum:

There are three wonderful dinosaurs in Choteau in front of the Oil Trail Museum. Here are two headshots:

And, lastly, my traveling buddies with the Shep Memorial in Fort Benton:

I still have a couple more days of Montana to work on before we move on to North Dakota. Be back soon.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Let’s start with some Idaho stuff which was right across the border from the NW corner of Montana. I still have about three more days of Montana to go after this.

The canopy sign is in Wallace, ID:

The Oasis Rooms in Wallace was a brothel for many years — and now this building houses the Oasis Bordello Museum. This sign was displayed in the basement but then moved outside in recent years. I don’t know if the coconut (?) tree is original or created when the sign was hung:

The Wallace District Mining Museum in Wallace previous housed the Butter-Top which I assume was a restaurant. Some nice other neon signs in the background in this 1950s postcard:

Also in Wallace – restored recently with a different font and the wording changed from “Co.” to “Hotel”:

This one in Sandpoint, ID. The neon removed and sign repainted recently:

Another from Sandpoint at Dub’s Drive-in:

A couple of signs from Osburn, ID:

Recently repainted:

From Kellogg:

Back to Montana: in Kalispell:

A couple of signs from Libby:

Closed for a number of years but the sign and log cabin-ish restaurant still there:

From Polson. I believe this sign was inspired by the Chief Diner sign in Durango, CO. See my webpage here:

https://www.roadarch.com/sca/mechanical2.html

And here are a few non-signs in Montana. Libby is known as the City of Eagles and this metal sculpture is one of several around town:

This cute sculpture is on the side of the Valley Bank in Kalispell:

A giant gunpowder barrel at a fireworks stand in Haugan:

The China Gate Restaurant with a sweet mid-century modern roofline in Polson:

Back soon with more goodies.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Here’s the latest installment from the Montana portion of this summer’s trip.

From Drummond – the squarest arrow that I’ve ever seen. With a strange little readerboard built it. I guess that was used for the price or something very short!

I missed shooting the motel’s other sign which is still there. This postcard shows a panel on top right above “MOTEL” that now reads “Phones”:

The Bel Aire Motel in Missoula had a pole sign in the 1960s:

This digital board at the bottom was originally a backlit plastic readerboard with changeable letters:

Some more signs from Missoula. Ron’s opened in 1965 at this location and the sign appears to be from then:

Note the multi-stroke neon tubing:

The Top Hat opened in 1952 but I’m pretty sure that this sign is modern:

A close up of the Zip sign – note the embossed letters and textured porcelain panel. This place has an incredible go-with Art Deco building — and they are still in business:

This non-working spinner sign in Butte is a mystery. The plastic panels most recently advertised for a real estate office but I don’t know what business it was built for. I have seen two and four paddle spinner signs but not one this deluxe:

This one is in Deer Lodge — probably from the 1940s/1950s:

Here are a couple of photos from Anaconda. The Barclay II opened in 1981. The building housed Gil’s Gourmet House in the 1970s. I’m betting the sign is from the 1960s:

This place was built in 1937. There was a big fire in 2016 and it looked like this place was doomed — but it wasn’t! It reopened the following year:

Let’s close with some non-signs. This is a former Tastee-Freez in Missoula — the building has housed a computer business for many years:

This rooster in the grass statue is in Seely Lake. I’ve got a few other examples of this type at my website (and you’ll find hundreds of other roosters there as well):

https://www.roadarch.com/critters/birdschick.html#Bonner

This giant shoe is at the Silver Slipper Sports Bar in Missoula. It’s been there since around 2013. More giant shoes of all types at my website here:

https://www.roadarch.com/mim/shoes.html

More photos coming soon.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

I’ve got a nice big post for you. The weather was not the best, so, expect some no-sky backgrounds. Let’s start with some signs from Lewistown — the 4 Aces Casino:

At the former Bon-Ton Confectionery which dated back to 1908. The building now houses a closed cafe:

Here are a few signs from Harlowton. The State Theatre building is a hollow shell after a fire in 2012 but this sign remains:

At the Moose Lodge:

Obviously, the Oasis Bar:

This one is located at the Oasis’ side entrance:

From Wilsall — this one is a modern sign:

Here are some goodies from Butte. Note the former chasing bulbs on the vertical panel and the cute Tyrolean hat on the mountains:

Mighty colorful – sooooo many layers of paint:

The Pekin Noodle Parlor opened in 1911 and is the longest operating Chinese restaurant in the country! The interior with little wooden booths (very private!) is incredible. This sign is from around 1940:

In the ground level window next door is this beauty with ripple tin panels, beading, what I call “applied letters” for 119… After much digging, I got this vintage photo when it was hanging for the London Company Cigars store:

This is how I like my ghost signs — untouched! There’s such a trend lately to repaint them and they always end up look like crap. The whole point of these signs is the patina and layering of paint and color:

This one is in Livingston. Coca-Cola on top of Wrigley’s Spearmint gum — it doesn’t get any better than this!

Some other signs from Livingston. This one originally advertised for the Gil’s Indian Trading Post souvenir store and read “Gil’s Gifts”. It was restored and adapted for the Gil’s Goods restaurant:

The peeling paint on this bar sign seems to reveal different lettering. I believe this one originally advertised for the Park Hotel although I can’t find a vintage photo or postcard to prove it. The other two signs are modern:

A couple of signs from Bozeman. This closed cleaners sign was restored recently when the building became an outdoor/clothing store:

The paint is starting to go on this one but it still looks fabulous:

The Longbranch Saloon is in Ennis:

Also in Ennis — this incredible facade sculpture:

That’s enough with the signs! Let’s close with three buildings. This theatre is still operating in Harlowton:

This incredible mid-century modern building in Butte was designed by William Pereira and built as the Prudential Federal Savings & Loan in 1962. Note the round building inside the columns with the spiral staircase on the corner:

This late Art Deco house in Bozeman was built in 1942:

That’s a wrap for now. More Montana coming soon… different photos from this same day over at Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/agilitynut/


Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

We were in Montana for about a week so there will be a bunch more posts for that state. Let’s start with Billings. This sign was saved from the closed Park Drive-in in Cody, WY. It was on the back of the screentower in Cody and then converted to an entrance sign here and the word “Amusement” for Amusement Park Drive-in added. Unfortunately, there was a fire and the screentower burned down. It seems unlikely that it will be rebuilt.

This is one of the few unmaintained/unrestored signs in town:

I don’t know how old the Western Pawn signs are but there are several vintage local signs inside — see below:

More Billings signs:

After all these years, the Monte Carlo Casino can no longer use the name after being pressured by the Principality of Monaco since their older casino with the same name was trademarked. So, the “Carlo” panel has been covered up and the place is now known as The Monte:

This stained glass canopy is at the Eagle Hotel:

The Sunset Bowl opened in 1959 and this sign appears to be from then:

This modern sign was added around 2008:

and this fun one was added to the side of the building around 2017:

Two signs from Roundup. This faded beauty…

and the Arcade Bar:

This long-gone drive-in’s sign in Miles City has been moved to private property where it is still visible:

From Broadus:

From Forsyth:

Let’s do a deep dive on this sign in Miles City. It previously read/advertised for the Range Rider’s Bar and was located next door:

But to understand the complete history, you gotta go back to the 1940s. This photo from 1942 shows the original (and I think bigger) sign. Note, no arrow and much closer to the street:

But it gets better. That sign was moved up when this incredible street level animated sign is installed — probably late 1940s/early 1950s:

At some point in the 1950s, a different sign — theatre canopy style — is below it and a bulb arrow was installed:

There were weird little window cutouts on that sign but I can’t find anything high-rez enough to determine what those panels looked like. By 1978, those windows were falling apart and both the canopy sign and the one above had been repainted and it looks like the neon was gone. The bulb arrow no longer had bulbs:

By 1984, the paint was peeling but the window on the canopy on the left side looked to be fairly intact:

Skipping ahead to recent years… this Google Street View map shows what the two buildings look like now. The Trails Inn Bar and its horizontal sign had already been there for decades. In 2009, the two businesses were consolidated and the projecting sign with the horse & rider was adapted with the new name and moved to the right, next door. A few years later, the Range Riders Cafe opened in the vacant space on the left:

Let’s close with a couple of non-signs. This Indian and horse are in Miles City. Despite my best efforts, I can’t find any info about their history:

This dome-shaped coffee place in Roundup was built in the 1980s:

I’ll be back soon enough with more Montana.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

There wasn’t much sun today, as reflected by the no-sky/no-sun backgrounds in the following photos. Let’s start off in Pocatello, ID with one of the signs recently restored and installed by Relight the Night:

Randy Dixon at Relight the Night hopes to restore this one someday:

One more from Pocatello. I believe this is the only Master Muffler sign in Idaho with the cute blonde guy. There are lots of them in Utah — at my website here:

https://www.roadarch.com/signs/ut3.html#Master

This one is in American Falls, ID:

This one is in Blackfoot, ID — that’s Gator behind the deliberately slanted sign pole:

This sign in Blackfoot was restored and installed above the Collecting America store a couple of years ago. It came from a drug store in town:

In a private collection in Lava Hot Springs, ID:

Waaaay above the Lava Spa Motel in Lava Hot Springs:

This sign in Idaho Falls originally advertised for the Paris Cafe. The panels on the left and bottom have been messed with but at least the central neon panel remains. This is what the sign looked like originally:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/phydeaux460/3301642269/

Some combo signs from Idaho Falls:

Moving on to West Yellowstone, MT. I believe the owl at least was originally a pole sign — looks like that piece is double-sided:

This sign originally advertised for an Imperial 400 Motel. Although the nationwide chain did have locations in Montana, I don’t think there was one in West Yellowstone. So, this sign must have come from another city. This postcard shows a sign in Casper, WY:

This sign was adapted at some point from the Ham & Eggery:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/9385421@N08/5629363269/sizes/k/

Very dreary (and cold!) in Silver Gate, MT for these two:

A few more photos of non-signs — the Nuart Theatre in Blackfoot, ID. The signs were updated recently with graphic display boards and LED but the Art Deco building is still a marvel. That’s a new addition on the left:

This castle building is in Idaho Falls, ID. I could not find any info about what was here originally but it was most recently a Mexican restaurant.

This building in Idaho Falls was built in 1974 as the Westbank Motel.

This giant trout is at Hyde Drift Boats in Idaho Falls. It was installed sometime between 2008 and 2011 but clearly it’s older than that:

That’s it for now. I’ll be back with lots more Montana soon.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Let’s start off with this pair of raceway bowling signs at the Bowladrome in Twin Falls, ID. By the way, if you like bowling signs, you’ll love this section at my website:

https://www.roadarch.com/sca/bowling.html

Another sign from Twin Falls. The motel has been closed for many years:

A bunch of signs from Boise, ID. The 44 Club opened in the 1940s but this sign looks more 1960s, if that:

This one though, with the beaded border, is probably from the 1930s. It was in really bad shape until it was restored in 2015:

Gotta be 1960s:

This sign shaped like a camera on a tripod advertised for Idaho Camera until recently. I’m glad that it’s still basically there, just that ugly blue panel on top of the lens panel:

The Travelers Motel sign has been through a lot. I can’t find a vintage postcard but here’s what it looked like when I shot it in 2014:

Note the neon extension tubing for “TV” in the middle of the sign. I haven’t seen any other signs with that:

Well, that’s gone now and so is just about all of the other neon. I guess it’s better than a plastic box but…”

After much internet sleuthing, I was able to determine that the Vista Uptown Bar was built in 1962 as the Two Boys Inn. Here’s a little advertisement showing its original look. Note how the canopies with picnic tables were replaced with building additions. Too bad…

From Garden City, ID:

From the beginning of the day, this one is in Snowville, UT;

From Mountain Home, ID – this sign apparently revolved. It looks like the business is closed – shoot ’em while you can, folks:

Also Mountain Home. The paint on the sunny side of the sign was gone — don’t know what happened.

This giant bowling pin sign is at the Bear River Bowling Center in Tremonton, UT. I’ve got a lot more giant bowling pins and sports-related stuff at this page at my website:

https://www.roadarch.com/mim/sports.html

Let’s close this post with a couple of buildings. This incredible Art Deco courthouse is in Jerome:

And this repurposed Sambo’s restaurant is from Ogden, UT where I started the day:

I’ll be back soon with more Idaho and a little bit of Montana.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs