Let’s start with this concrete sculpture from Bluffton from 1936. There was originally an airplane gas station on the property but that’s been gone for many, many decades — but the tree lives! The only photo that I can find of it:

A knight at the Vandermark Sign Co. in Larwill:

This mastodon is at Purdue University in Fort Wayne – the home of the “Dons:”

The Strauss Building (now the Murphy Building) in Fort Wayne from 1908 got an early 1950s facade remodel. This penthouse residence and offices were added to the top of the building for A.M. Strauss:

This well-preserved Sunoco in North Manchester is STILL operating with modern pumps in front:

This Dairy Queen in Huntington has the only example of a sign with a sundae instead of a cone:

The Roller Dome in Fort Wayne list its freestanding rooftop letters a few years ago..:

… but it still has this funky fun sign:

City Glass in Fort Wayne has a wonderful vitrolite facade and a fantastic sign. This vintage (1950s?) shows the now-missing letters above the entrance… and that the stained glass in the windows was added later:

This fun 1960s? sign is in Columbia City:

This one in Huntington could use some paint but, thank god, those neon rings on top are still there:

This sign in Muncie was restored and moved around 2013 and is still looking good:

This sign was originally installed in Muncie for the Cintas uniform company. The guy in the truck was named “Tim” — my photo from 2009:

In 2020, the sign was adapted for Madjax and Tim got a new uniform:

I’m not a fan of the purple airbrushy background but I’m glad this sign in Fort Wayne is being taken care of. My 2009 photo:

… and now:

The neon on this sign in Fort Wayne was removed, tubing holes patched, and repainted recently:

This Humpty Dumpty Drive-in in Fort Wayne closed and was demolished decades ago but the sign remains:

This V.F.W. sign is also in Fort Wayne. This vintage photo shows the sign before the neon portion was boxed in and covered up with plexi and the “Fort Miami” was painted over:

and now:

The Bowling Center in Bluffton which had opened by 1947 was renamed EZ Bowl in 2018. Around 2024, the words “The” beneath the pins and “Center” below bowling were painted over:

This ice cream stand is in Albany. I think this sign may have been installed on the roof originally:

Let’s close with a couple of night photos from Muncie. Yes, these Arby’s hat signs are dwindling but I’ve still got a bunch from around the country at my website: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/arbys3.html

These McDonald’s signs are even rarer. The only one left in situ besides this one in Muncie is in Green Bay, WI. Then, there are only three at museums (American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, Ford Museum in Dearborn, and the Kansas Museum of History in Topeka which is now in storage indefinitely).

I’ll be back soon with even more Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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This giant ear of corn is at the Wilson Farm Market in Arcadia:

This elephant statue in Peru was mass-produced by Plycrete. More of them at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/ele.html#Barbour

This orangutan is in Delphi. More of these guys at my website here: https://www.roadarch.com/critters/apes2.html#Olin

This praying mantis, named KokoMantis, is in Kokomo:

This pocket watch headstone is in Greentown:

This former Enco station is in Logansport:

The Caston School Corporation is in Rochester:

This sign is at the Triple XXX drive-in in West Lafayette:

This Masonic sign with backlit glass globes is in Fairmount:

This sign in Kokomo has rare embossed metal panels. Unfortunately, the neon is gone:

This former A&W in Logansport (that’s where the neon below came from, I think) is now a BK Root Beer drive-in. I’ve got 4 full pages of BK drive-ins here:
https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/rbeerbk.html

This one is in Kokomo:

Another big deal in Indiana: Penguin Point. All of their locations closed in 2023. Many are still vacant and some of the signs survive like this one in Plymouth. There was a neon penguin sign on top of the sign which is gone now.

One more big chain in Indiana: Pizza King. I’ve got a bunch here: https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/in2.html

This one is in Marion:

… and this one in Kokomo. This sign was at another location in town and when they moved, this sign was brought to the new place:

A one-off: Budge’s Drive-in in Lafayette:

Probably not all that old — but this one is in Rochester:

The Suburban Lanes in Tipton opened in 1960. By 2023, this loopy, cheap LED tubing was added to the pins:

Another one-off in Peru:

This one is at the New Moon Bar & Grill in Marion:

This one is at Best’s Bowling Center in Monticello:

The Himark is in Kokomo:

This sign is in Marion:

This sign is inside Grindstone Charley’s restaurant in Kokomo:

And lastly, a wonderful skeleton sign in Marion. Usually, these panel-less signs are installed in windows but maybe this one was always on the building:

Back soon with ever more Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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Let’s start with “Betsy the Bass” which is installed in 2016 over the entrance of Bass Lake Bait and Tackle in Bass Lake. It was purchased at auction when Lunker’s in Edwardsburg, MI closed. The head had been installed inside that store as if it was breaking out of a brick wall.

This banana in West Lafayette was installed as a sculpture at Granite, a property management company. When the city demanded it removed since it was considered a sign, it was moved to one of Granite’s pickup trucks:

This giant bike in North Judson is installed next to a bike trail:

This hand is installed in Pickett Park in West Lafayette:

This former Pure Oil gas station is also in West Lafayette:

This drive-in (M.E.L.S. at the Starlite Drive-In Theatre) is in Thorntown:

Don’s Drive-in (now closed) in Kentland was originally a Tastee-Freez:

This giant table, chairs, turkey, and milk bottle are installed alongside I-65 as advertising for Fair Oaks Farms, in Fair Oaks:

These painted concrete blocks are at the Bowl-Away Lanes in Knox:

This stained glass Masonic Lodge sign is in Bremen:

A much older stained glass Masonic Lodge sign in Frankfort:

A restored American Legion sign in Nappanee:

This B&K from the 1950s is in Knox. I have three pages devoted to B&K Root Beer locations at my website here:
https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/rbeerbk.html

This wonderful sign in Lafayette now has loopy, cheap LED tubing draped all over the neon:

A modern neon sign in Covington at Hargan Fuel and Wash:

This sign is at the now closed Mayflower Tavern in Plymouth:

Let’s close with a close-up of one of the neon signs at the Original Frozen Custard in Lafayette:

Back soon with more Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

More Indiana coming soon…

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Let’s start off with this Dairy Sweet in Grabill, IN which opened in the 1950s. There were (and still are) lots of related Dairy Sweet stands in Iowa and Nebraska which I have at my website. But I don’t believe this one is connected. It was probably just an independent business like so many stands named Dairy Treat, Dari Sweet, etc. that were or never were Dairy Queens.

A former Dog n Suds in Mishawaka, IN with the chain’s unique V-shaped shaped canopy roofs and slanted poles. The used car lot business that was here is gone so it’s nice to be able to get an unobstructed shot.

This post office in Elkhart, IN is from 1965:

A motor bank in Mishawaka, IN:

The Indiana Associated Telephone Corp. in Elkhart, IN which appears to be from the 1940s — vintage postcard:

and now:

The mid-century modern addition on the right:

Olympia Candies in Goshen, IN opened in 1912:

The interior still has the original tin ceiling, lamps, candy cases, and some booths in the back:

This former theatre in South Bend, IN is now office space:

Flags International was built in 1978 in Osceola, IN:

These curved canopies are at the Gallops Truck Center’s Shell station in Kendallville, IN — built in 2020:

One of my fave features at vintage Putt-Putts — this one in Mishawaka, IN:

The Lerner Theatre in Elkhart, IN became the Elco Theatre around 1935 and these letters were installed on top of the marquee readerboards. By 2011, the theatre returned to the original Lerner name and a new marquee and blade sign were installed. One set of the Elco letters was restored and put in the ground-level window:

This business in Elkhart, IN opened in 1971 and the sign appears to be from then:

The Shady Brook Motel in Elkhart opened around 1955 and this sign was probably installed then or in the 1960s. The neon was removed by 2010. Around 2017, the sign was repainted and “Motel” was changed to “Properties LLC”:

The sole-surviving Bonnie Doon Drive-in is in Mishawaka, IN:

This one is in South Bend, IN:

Another Elkhart sign:

Let’s close with just a couple of the signs inside the Studebaker National Museum in South Bend, IN:

More Indiana coming soon…

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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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

More Indiana coming soon…

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Finally! I wrapped adding all the remaining Illinois photos to my website today. In the course of researching and adding them, I’ve got about 200 things on my list now that I didn’t know about before the June trip or need reshooting (wrong time of day or crappy weather). So, I’ll be back someday — maybe a couple years from now with a Minnesota/Wisconsin/Michigan trip.

Let’s start with the Tower of Pisa in Niles:

This former gas station in Chicago is right across the street from Wrigley Field:

This fake castle in Chicago was originally the Ivanhoe Restaurant (now a Binny’s Liquor):

This mausoleum is in Graceland Cemetery in Chicago:

This ship-shaped beach house is right on Lake Michigan in Chicago:

This former Tastee-Freez is in Chicago:

This Fannie May Candy House in Skokie is the only one I know of in the colonial style. I’ve shot many others that are porcelain enamel boxes:

This former Walgreens department store is also in Skokie:

This little strip mall in Glenview has been sold and there are plans to demolish the buildings and replace with a parking lot:

One of my favorites in Chicago:

I still can’t figure out what the original name was when this sign in Chicago went up. It was the A&T Grill for many years but that wasn’t it:

A former Foremost Liquor sign with stuck-on panels in Chicago:

More liquor in Chicago:

Packy’s Liquors is in Des Plaines:

A two-fer-one in Waukegan — above the entrance…:

… and this one across the street in the parking lot:

In Skokie: originally, Skokie Lumber with the oval-shaped panel changed when the business became a Crafty Beaver Home Center:

Two more signs in Skokie:

This sign in Chicago appears to be from the 1950s with a panel or two or three swapped out for Chicken Inn when they moved into the building in 1972:

Simon’s Tavern in Chicago opened in 1934. There was a blade sign of some sort there then. This sign with the pickled herring wearing a Swedish helmet was built in 1994:

Let’s close with this unintentionally phallic, new neon sign that went up at Sluggers Bar in Chicago last year:

I’ll be back soon as we start on a couple weeks of Indiana.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Everything in this post is from Chicago. There are a few Weber Grill restaurants in Illinois and Indiana including this one right downtown:

The very famous pair of lions in front of the Art Institute:

One of a few former Studebaker dealerships in town:

This programmatic facade with a Rolls-Royce grill & statue on top, headlights, bumper, and tires was built as a garage in 1986:

A former Woolworth department store:

A detail from the Veseman Building:

The corner clock at the former C.D. Peacock jewelry store:

The Father Time clock with opal glass “TIME” letters:

This building with the terra cotta eagles was demolished. However, the 2nd story facade with the eagles was carefully removed and reinstalled on this building constructed at the same site:

The St. Joseph the Betrothed Ukrainian Catholic Church built from 1975-1977:

The Essex Inn was built in 1961. This is either the original scaffold sign or a replica of it:

This Golden Nugget Restaurant sign was adapted by tacking the small “APPLE” panel over the “NUGGET” text and adding a little neon:

I’ve tried my best to get the history of this one to no avail. I suspect it was a repurposed sign since Podlasie didn’t open until 1986:

The Erie Cafe opened in 1994 and this sign was built then:

The Stop & Drink vintage sign was fortunately kept with the Clark Street Ale House took over the space:

I believe these signs were installed in 1946. The bakery closed in 2022 but the signs remain (and the space is still vacant):

I believe this Pequod’s Pizza location opened in 1992. The chain’s mascot is a sperm whale with a pair of women’s underwear on its head:

This business was stablished in 1910 and is still operating. The sign appears to be from the 1950s:

Let’s close with what’s always been one of my Chicago favorites. The sign is about 40 feet tall and the business is long gone:

There will be even more Chicago area in the next post. And then we move on (finally) to Indiana after that.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

Here’s a little break from all those Midwest photos. A couple weeks ago, I took a little 4-day trip to Central CA & Bay Area for the annual NeonSpeaks Festival & Symposium in San Francisco. I usually only attend the main event day for that and justify the gas money with a bunch of photo-taking on the way and in the area. I just finished adding those photos to my website. So, here are some that you’ll find there (or don’t rate inclusion there).

A giant clog in front of a shoe store in Solvang:

This sea otter and octopus are at a tiny playground in Morro Bay:

Supposedly, a former Sprouse-Reitz five-and-dime store in Red Bluff:

The Senator Theatre in Chico:

The former Sky Terrace Motel (now the Red Bluff Inn) in Red Bluff:

This drive-in is in Chico:

A very foggy morning in Coyote. I imagine that these sign panels were painted to look like planks of wood originally:

Lots of clouds… and wire mesh protection…. but this Masonic Lodge sign is in Oroville:

This recently uncovered Rexall sign is in Los Molinos:

Sodini’s Trattoria is in San Francisco:

The welcome sign in Rohnert Park:

The welcome arch in Williams:

At Pismo Bowl in Pismo Beach:

At a small strip mall with supermarket in Gilroy:

Two signs from Redding:

At the long-gone Depot Hotel Restaurant in Napa:

There were at least eight Cinderella Motels built in California by the mid-1960s. This one in Hollister is the only one left with a neon sign:

And, lastly, from the still operating drug store from 1906 in Red Bluff:

Coming up in an hour or so… another Chicago area post.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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Getting back to Chicago photos — still several days left to goin the Chicago area. This giant mouth is located at the Chicago Doll Museum and Gallery:

A detail from the Northwest Armory:

The St. Mary Church Hospital:

The Ida Crown Natatorium (pool):

A former International House of Pancakes that’s been sitting vacant for years. There’s been talk of demolition for a few years now:

A former Tastee-Freez that was being remodeled for Small Cheval in June when I was there:

A former White Tower from the 1930s now a gelato place:

The Palace Grill – closed since last year after a file:

The Trim ‘n Tidy Cleaners — overgrown trees blocking the arrow:

The Hoyne Savings Bank and…:

… on the side of the building nearly hidden by the building next door:

A brand new sign (and bar):

This sign was moved to the Friends of Friends bar from the former Danny’s Tavern:

… in the past, the Friends building actually housed a Schlitz tavern (relief on the side of the building):

A fairly new bakery (which looks incredible, I’ll go inside next time!) with a modern neon sign:

The bakery also installed this sign recently. It came from a closed bakery in Cincinnati and was gently re-texted a bit at top and bottom before restoring the neon:

Just down the street from that bakery, the vintage California Clipper sign:

Cloudy skies for this one but I’ll include anyway):

An adapted sign from the Golden Flame restaurant:

This cleaners has been closed for-ev-er but the sign remains:

This hotel has been closed for a few years. The owner put the sign up for sale but changed his mind when the locals went nuts… and so it remains:

Let’s close with the incredible Roeser’s Bakery with signs from top to bottom:

Back soon with another Chicago area batch.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

website | blog | Flickr | Instagram

I still have several days left in the Chicago area to work on and add to the website before we move on to Indiana.

This International Fiberglass Indian in Chicago has been on the roof at the same location since at least the 1970s when the space below housed a cigar shop. There is a dental office there now:

This giant toothbrush is at a dental office in Franklin Park:

This fake castle building in Chicago is from 1925 when it housed a gas station and repair shop. It later housed the Castle Car Wash but it has been vacant since the 1990s:

This former International House of Pancakes in Chicago is now a Mexican restaurant:

This former office building in Chicago is now used as a church:

This office building is in La Grange:

The Polar Bear Drive-in with a wooden polar bear sign is in North Riverside:

Johnnie’s Grill is in Melrose Park:

This crown sign in Cicero has been installed on top of a bar sign for decades. It is similar to Best Western’s crown signs but smaller and narrower:

This Aamco Transmissions shop in Cicero is still operating and has its original vacuum-form sign. These were mass-produced and distributed all over the country but there are very few left:

I posted the neon Lezza Spumoni sign in Elmhurst over at main Flickr account. But here’s the less spectacular but cuter sign:

This sign is in Chicago. The meat on the spit used to revolve and was backlit at night:

This corner clock sign in Cicero at the Central Federal Savings Bank originally revolved and had the bank’s name on the other side. There are clocks on both sides now and I don’t believe it revolves any more:

This rooftop sign in Chicago was built in 1961. One side reads Travis Realty while this side advertises for Dempsey Travis’ mortgage company (Sivart is Travis spelled backwards). The oval sign originally revolved along with the time/temperature box below which is installed on the same pole:

This wonderful house sign is at a real estate company in Chicago:

Some more Chicago signs:

The restaurant’s been closed for many years. The space is still vacant and the sign remains:

I don’t know if the add-on flashing light element on this sign was always shaped like this or if the arms were more evenly spaced originally:

It looks like the two arms on the far left are bent downwards:

This sign originally advertised for the Village Bake Shop and was painted light blue. Smakowski’s closed around 2018 but this sign remains:

This sign is at the U-Turn Covenant Church in Northlake:

These two 1950s signs in Broadview originally advertised for Remick’s restaurant and later Paolella’s restaurant. I wish I could find photos of what they looked like then. Old Warsaw has been there since 1973:

And the last sign for this post is in Cicero. Another closed business but the sign remains:

I’ll be back soon enough with more Chicagoland.

Happy Trails,
dj & the dogs

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