Ready for another strong dose of reality?

The Frontier Motel in Oberlin, KS was still there in 2018:

But by last year, here’s the crap that replaced the neon panels and arrow:

Damn. Another one that I never got to shoot which has been on my list for years. This Woodburg Drugs sign was in Dawson Springs, KY:

A couple of things out of order that I’ll sneak in here. In my little hometown of Ventura, CA, one of the few neon signs just got scalped. Here’s what it looked like until a few weeks ago (the plastic backlit plastic vertical “Motel” above this was not original):

And now — they didn’t even spare the neon “loops” on the side of the sign facing traffic:

I’m also wrapping up the latest article for the SCA (Society for Commercial Archeology) Journal with house signs (“Home Sweet Home”) and I’ve just picked out the feature signs for the next article on Clock Signs. While organizing the new companion page at my website for that print article, I discovered that the former Elgin clock sign in Pendleton, OR is gone now:

I’m still adding info to the House signs page and I’ve started the Clocks sign section. If you interested in either one, here are the links:

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

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

All of the Benny’s Home & Auto locations closed in 2017. This letters on this sign in Raynham, MA were removed in 2018 and then by 2019, the sign was gone:

This sign in Hamtramck, MI:

was stripped of its neon and charm and looks like this now:

Dingman’s Bar in Kalkaska, MI burned to the ground in 2018:

The North Pole Bar in Duluth, MN closed and these cute signs are gone:

This beautiful vitrolite facade in Faribault, MN:

had the gorgeous Art Deco lettering removed for a clothing/gift shop/check cashing place. At least they left the “Jewelers Since 1925” in place:

A whole bunch of bad news from Montana. I never got to shoot this one. Removing it from my list for next summer. The Golden Spike Bar in Havre, MT was remodeled in 2019 and I guess they thought the old sign shaped like a railroad spike had to go? Here’s a photo from my pal Jasperdo:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/mytravelphotos/14498065190

Another one gone in Havre, MT by 2019 that I didn’t get to shoot. Here’s a photo of the VFW sign from my friend Alan:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/732mpd/6241817969/

I was really looking forward to seeing this one. It looks like the bulbs & neon were in good shape. Maybe by some miracle, they are restoring it? However, it’s so big (what, 40 feet wide?) that I can’t imagine going to that trouble of taking it to a shop & returning it instead of restoring in place. So, the Vacationer Motel in Kalispell, MT got a new coat of beige paint and this guy is apparently gone. Here’s a photo from my pal, Seth:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/sethgaines/6716676391/

Here’s a nice vintage postcard just to make it worse:

Another one gone — in Missoula, MT. The Lucky Strike Casino building was replaced with a new brand new Dairy Queen.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/huntsmaniii/2856835069/

Another one gone — in Shelby, MT — at least Alan got a shot:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/732mpd/6255319453/

That’s enough tragedy for one post. I’ll be back, probably over the weekend, with a new post starting with the “N” states.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

More signs, more mostly bad news. Let’s start with Colorado. This sign in Byers, CO had the word “Restaurant” and the coffee cup removed around 2019:

This sign in Denver, CO:

The Lumber Guy closed in 2014. By 2019, this sign had been adapted for an art center:

The Town & Country Motel in Denver, CO was demolished:

The Arrow Motel in Orlando, FL:

had its neon removed and backlit plastic letters were added in 2018:

This sign at Road Machinery & Supplies Co. in Cedar Rapids, IA disappeared by 2019:

This Fraternal Order of Eagles sign in Clinton, IA was removed around 2019. I don’t know of any FOE signs with the neon on the side like this. The other side had the E where the eagle is on this panel:

This sign in Davenport, IA:

was adapted in 2019 for this:

The panels for this sign in Keokuk, IA were gone by 2019:

This sign in Blackfoot, ID was gone by 2018:

The Inland Lounge sign in Kellogg, ID:

was restored around 2017. Here’s its current look:

Tino’s Shoe Repair in Ottawa, IL closed around 2019 and this sign is gone now:

King’s Home Furnishing’s in Waukegan, IL closed in 2019 and the signs are gone:

I foolishly didn’t shoot the two panels on the building back in 2011 when I shot the rooftop sign but an old Google Street View photo shows them:

This one in Chicago, IL has been on my to-shoot list for years but now it’s too late. There in 2018 — gone in 2019:

The Rainbo Lanes in Elkhart, IN was renamed The Arena in 2014. Those circles were once bowling balls that were sequentially lit towards the pin:

There’s a big gap after 2013 at Google Street View but the new 2019 image shows this — neon gone, the entire sign pained over and crappy letter panels tacked to the sign:

That’s it for this post. I’m picking up in the Signs section with the “K” states for the next one.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Here come the signs — break out the Kleenex. Not much good news to share for this batch.

This sign in Conway, AR disappeared around 2020:

The Silver Peso sign in Larkspur, CA:

was repainted by 2020:

The neon letters on the Ben’s Liquor sign in Reseda, CA:

were replaced with backlit plastic versions around 2020. The sign on the building also had neon previously:

The Dainty Pastry sign in Roseville, CA:

changed names in 2011 and was partially covered up with crappy vinyl:

But it gets worse. It was adapted or replaced in 2020 for this:

Ready for another loss? The Tahiti Motel in Stanton, CA:

There were at least two other signs in Anaheim , CA that had the same design – both gone now. Around 2018, the neon and star were removed from the Tahiti sign. New plastic panels were installed. Then, around 2020, backlit plastic letters were added. Here’s what the sign looks like now:

These two signs in Watsonville, CA were removed around 2020. There’s a flooring store there now:

This one hurts. I loved this sign in Wilmington, CA. It had ripple tin panels and was originally backlit, possibly with opal glass letters originally. Probably from the 1920s. It looks like it disappeared last year:

The Big Star Motel in Fresno, CA:

had its neon removed and was repainted around 2020:

The U-Save Liquor sign on Tulare Ave. in Fresno, CA was one of the few in the chain that still had neon:

Until around last year — now plasticized:

The Paradise Center sign in Fresno, CA:

… is not the same without its ballies. It looks like this happened last year:

The Manor Shopping Center sign in San Leandro, CA was toppled by winds and carted away a few months ago. It seems unlikely that we will see it again:

Ernie’s Seafood in San Leandro, CA closed last year and the sign is gone:

This bar sign in Los Angeles, CA at The Griffin was probably modern. It appears that the place closed last year and the sign is gone now:

This sign in East Los Angeles, CA:

was horribly adapted for another market around last year:

This beauty in Oakland, CA:

was stripped of neon and backlit plastic letters added in 2019:

In Sacramento, CA, this building was demolished in 2020 and the signs are gone:

In 2020, the building that housed the Avenue Inn in Stockton, CA was demolished. This sign is gone:

Another loss in Stockton, CA. The Knotty Pine Motel sign:

… replaced with this backlit plastic box last year:

Let’s end with a couple of losses from Canada. The Macintosh Cleaners in Kitchener, ON had beautiful vitrolite tiles and a cool canopy. Unfortunately, the only photos that I got were on a rainy day:

The place closed in 2015. It was renovated in 2020 but all that remains is the canopy:

A couple of weeks ago, the Ernie’s Coffee Shop sign in Sault Ste. Marie, ON was hit by a truck, badly damaged, and removed. It’s not known if this one will be back:

I’m only in the “C”s in the signs section so I have a long way to go. I’ll see how far I can get before the big June roadtrip which is less than three weeks away.

Happy trails,

dj & the dogs

I just finished combing the entire gas station section at my website (283 pages worth). This post covers all the noteworthy changes since last year’s Google Maps.

This Sinclair station in Aurora, CO was replaced with a boring, modern Sinclair station box around 2019. These batwing Phillips 66 stations were branded as Sinclair in Colorado:

Earlier this month, it was announced that this Sinclair in Denver, CO was being adapted for Benzina, an Italian restaurant:

The re-do is not at Google Maps yet but it looks like, other than fresh paint, the exterior has been preserved:
https://www.westword.com/restaurants/italian-restaurant-benzina-to-open-with-consulting-chef-brian-lockwood-11939553

This former Sinclair with the silly gabled canopy and roof in Colorado Springs, CO:

is currently being transformed into something (couldn’t find out what on-line — restaurant?). The batwing is still there with the gable (so far anyway) but it looks like the service bays have been lopped off and replaced with a hideous box:

This Phillips 66 in Fargo, ND was leveled in 2019:

This Phillips 66 station in Daytona Beach, FL was looking pretty miserable in 2009. By 2014, the canopy on the left must’ve been hit by a truck and was half gone. I figured this building’s days were numbered:

But it’s been gradually rehabbed, repainted, and, in the most recent Google Map, the building was looking spiffy with plants and a flag… and even caught someone painting! The undersides of the canopies are exposed which is probably not a good idea. There’s no sign but it appears to be in use for car repairs:

This former Husky station in Denver, CO with the mysterious rooftop addition was demolished around 2019:

While we’re on the gas station topic…. here’s one of the very first photos that I took for my website in 2001. Yes, I’ve been working on my website for 20 years now!! Initially, I was just building it for myself as a place to upload my photos and add a little info, organize things. I naively didn’t know there were things like search engines and that people were looking at my stuff until I got an email one day… Well, anyway, this was my “roadcrew” at the time: Gripper, Spud, BeeBee, and Fix. They were all well-loved, well-traveled, and are much missed. This station in Derby, CT was demolished around 2017:

Around 2019, this former Hi-Speed station in Flint, MI had its tower lopped off. There are only about a dozen or so of these buildings left. Here it was in 2011:

Here’s a vintage image of a similar, probably slightly earlier, example of these stations:

This former station in Cresskill, NJ was gone by 2020:

This former Cities Service station in Tulsa, OK was restored in 2010:

By 2019, the building was housing an architects’ office and the recreated Cities Service signs were painted over. Not cool! You’d think architects would be more sensitive but I guess some care about history and others do not:

This former Pan-Am station in Ridgeley, TN was gone by 2019:

This former Pure Oil station in Jackson, TN was demolished around 2019:

This nice canopy station in Rockdale, TX is gone now:

This Enco or Humble icebox station in Sulphur Springs, TX has been demolished. This design was used for Enco, Esso and Humble, depending on the regional location:

This former Conoco station in Winchester, VA had been vacant for many years:

In 2019, the building began housing a pizza place:

This former station in Beaver Dam, WI housed a used car dealer for many years:

In 2019, it was housing the Ooga Brewing Company:

This former icebox station in Glendale, WI housed the Kletzsch Perk coffee shop from 2003-2007. The paint was peeling in my photo here from 2011:

In 2019, the building was completely gutted and the porcelain enamel panels removed. I can’t find a photo which shows the whole building but this illustration is pretty accurate — horrible and boring, ain’t it?:

That’s a wrap! The next blog posts will cover (finally, I know) the Signs section. However, I doubt I’ll get through much of that before my summer vacay. The five-week trip starts June 4. I’ll be posting some photos daily during the trip to Instagram. Then, I’ll be busy adding new photos to my website for many months. So, these “update” posts will be interrupted starting in July with daily summary posts from that trip. Maybe I’ll take a break and get back to these update posts since adding my photos from these trips to my websites takes about six months.

Happy trails,

dj & the dogs

I took a little trip last weekend to get out of my chair, take some photos, and give Gator a little roadtest. The next mega roadtrip is just seven weeks away! Y’all are probably overly sad from looking at my website update posts. So, here are some things that are still around! Gator ran flawlessly and here’s a sampling of some of the things that I shot.

The Ruta Motel in Indio, CA:

A closed liquor store in Mecca:

A modern sign in Banning:

A concrete house in Homeland:

It’s always a relief to see Mr. Milk Bottle in Pomona is still there:

In Pasadena:

A succulent garden on the side of a building in Beverly Hills:

In Los Angeles. This one is impossible to shoot. This is the north-facing panel (so, never any sun):

and the south-facing panel which is blocked by the building next door:

This sign in North Hollywood must have been incredible when it had neon and bulbs:

Dad’s Original Frozen Banana stand in Newport Beach:

This “Judo” sign is at the Valley Relics Museum in Van Nuys:

Another sign at the museum:

The restored Tower Theatre building in downtown Los Angeles:

One more for this post. The City Center Hotel sign in downtown L.A. is looking a little sad these days with the peeling paint.

Once I get all the L.A./O.C. photos up at my website (roadarch.com), I’ll be back with some blog posts covering the Gas Stations section.

Happy trails,

dj & the dogs

I’ve got a nice long post for you, albeit pretty depressing. This will conclude the Eateries section. The good news is 98% of the stuff I have there remains basically the same as last year.

The El Taco in Anaheim, CA became the Taqueria El Primo around 2019. The former double drive-thru building remains the same but the signs were removed. Here’s what it looked like before that:

This former Hardee’s in Columbus, GA was one of the best-preserved examples with the tent-like roof and steeple. It was demolished by 2019. That leaves only two other former Hardee’s with steeples left (one in South Carolina and the other in Tennessee):

It would have looked like this originally:

This Pizza King in Muncie, IN got the backlit plastic treatment recently. Here it is when it had neon:

and now… It looks like they at least kept the neon on the crown outline:

This former Little Tavern hamburger restaurant in Washington, DC was demolished in 2019. Fortunately, there are about 12 of these buildings left:

The Beef-A-Roo in Marquette, MI closed in 2019 and this sign was removed.

The only Beef-A-Roo location in Iron River, MI has a similar sign which I believe is the last one left on public display. I believe this very small chain only existed in the “UP” of Michigan. In a 2019 article, it was announced that the surviving Iron River and Negaunee locations would be closing as soon as their properties were sold. However, both are still operating.

The Sawmill Inn in Grand Rapids, MN closed in 2018 and was demolished later that year:

The former Carrol’s Hamburgers in Las Vegas, NV finally succumbed to the wrecking ball last year. It was the most intact example of the chain’s buildings left.

This is what the building would have looked like originally:

This former Sambo’s in Reno, NV was demolished after a fire in 2018:

The White Castle headquarters building in Columbus, OH was demolished in 2019 as the employees moved into their bigger building built next door:

Scotty’s Drive-in in Aberdeen, SD opened in 1962 as part of a small chain with locations in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Idaho which all had these signs and swoopy roofs with curved wood beams:

… became Daddy’s Bar & Grill in 2009 and the sign was adapted. In 2015, new owners changed the name back to Scotty’s. The letters look like they might be the originals but are now backlit plastic instead of neon. The broken plastic UFO-ish feature above the sign was repaired. They are internally lit:

The Weber’s Root Beer in Stratford, NJ opened in 1959 and closed in 2015….

It reopened last year. However, it closed just after a few weeks due to “staffing issues” and then came COVID. The owner plans to reopen later this year. The sign above was replaced with a “retro” neon sign. The canopy and the building under it were preserved. However, the plastic letters on the edge of the canopy are gone now. No photo at Google yet — this is from NJ.com:

and from the drive-in’s Facebook page:

It appears that the sign was inspired by the Safeway sign in San Jose, CA that was adapted from the original Futurama Bowl sign:

The former White Tower in Dearborn, MI was operating as Tamy’s Diner when closed in 2015…

The building was restored around 2020. The building looks a little naked without the plastic “Hamburgers” letters and the lights. The interior was gutted and the shiny porcelain enamel panels were covered up with white paint. But at least they kept the WT logo above the former entrance. It looks like there’s stuff inside but no business sign and no clues at Google yet:

The Zesto Drive-in in Watertown, SD from 1953 is still there and the original sign on the roof still has its neon. When the business moved to this location in 1965, they brought the sign with them:

There would originally have been a neon outline around the blue panel, but, hey, that’s being picky:

However, this unique pole sign at this location is gone now:

Around 2018, it was replaced with this sign — backlit plastic on top and graphic display below:

I’m going to take a little break before the remaining three whopper sections. Gas Stations is the next topic, then will be Signs, and, the biggest, Mid-Century Modern Buildings. If the weather forecast holds, I’m going to take a little L.A. 3-day weekend next week and share some photos from that in the next post.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

The bulb letters on this Baskin-Robins sign in Los Angeles, CA:

were replaced with backlit plastic letters around 2020:

There’s only one other sign left like this with the bulbs that I know of, in La Mesa, CA.

One of the very few remaining Denny’s neon signs was updated with backlit plastic around 2019. Here’s the sign in Stockton, CA in 2014:

and now — note the Restaurant panel is also gone:

This Denny’s sign in San Antonio, TX was updated around 2019. The original corrugated plastic panels were replaced with boring, flat plastic panels:

This former Dairy Isle in Oneida, NY was still there in 2018 but the the building was gone by 2019:

The former Dairy Isle in Hamtramck, MI:

was looking great in 2019 with new paint:

The former Dairy Queen in Dunkirk, OH has been the Dairy Dream for decades:

Google Maps doesn’t have the new map yet showing the paint job which was done in 2019. So, here’s a photo from Dairy Dream’s website:

This one is a major loss. The unique sundae sign at the Dairy Queen in Terre Haute, IN is gone now. The rooftop letters remain. There is another Terre Haute location with those. I don’t believe any other Dairy Queen locations had them:

I even wrote about this sign for my book. I spoke to the store owner just now and he told me that just before he bought the place, the previous owner sold the sign to a collector for about $30,000. Here’s a closeup:

A former Roy Rogers restaurant in Houston, TX housed a porn shop for many years:

It has now been adapted for a Velvet Taco and opened in January. Google Maps doesn’t have a photo yet but here’s one from company’s FB page. The original roof has been uncovered and the rocky columns preserved (although pink is a little harsh). There must have been hundreds of these buildings around the country beginning in 1968 but only about 19 survive, and none used by Roy Rogers anymore:

That’s enough for one sitting. Lots more Eateries posts to come (I’m only the “F”s right now in this section).

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

This is a big section with about 250 pages so we will be here a while. If you haven’t poked around in this section before, it’s pretty thorough!
https://www.roadarch.com/eateries/main.html

The Chip’s chain was founded in 1964. Although it was short-lived, about 150 locations were built.

There are only about 10 of these buildings left now. This one in Milwaukee, WI was there in 2018 but a parking lot by 2019:

The Golden Point chain was founded in 1958. At least 80 locations were built nationwide. There are only about 11 of these buildings left. This location in Mount Prospect, IL, long gone, was one of the first:

This one in Denver, CO was demolished around 2020:

There was a fire at the Cindy’s Restaurant in San Jose, CA in 2015. It was surrounded by chain link fencing until 2020 when it was demolished. Two locations in Davis, CA and Westminster, CA survive which have the save roof, zigzag features over the counter, and giant “holes” in the ceilings:

I’m getting really worried about this former Lyons Coffee Shop in Hayward, CA which has been surrounded by chain link fencing for about three years now:

One of the worst sign adaptations in 2019 — the Grinder Haven sign in Ontario, CA:

If you’re looking at this on your phone and can’t see the detail, those are backlit plastic letters simply stuck on the panels. At least they left cute A-shaped beams on the building:

The White Log Coffee Shop in Los Angeles, CA has been through a lot since it was built in 1932. 62 of these faux log cabin restaurants were built along the California coast but this is the only one that’s survived. Here’s a vintage photo from the 1940s:

The sign with the frying pan clock is believed to date to the late 1950s. Here are some photos that I’ve taken of it over the years – 2012:

2015:

2019:

In 2020, there was major fire which gutted the interior. Fortunately, due to its concrete construction, the little cutie-patootie survived. In December, it reopened:

Let’s end with this bit of good news. Many, many more Eateries posts to come.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

The Bay Theatre in Baytown, TX was built in 1942. It housed a church for many years. The building was demolished in 2019 when the local court deemed it “too dangerous for occupation”:

The State Theatre in Culpeper, VA had been closed since 1993 – my photo from 2010:

The theatre was built in 1938 as the Pitts Theatre:

After extensive renovation work and recreation of the original blade sign and marquee, the theatre reopened in 2013. It closed just three years later. Here it is vacant in 2018:

In 2019, the interior was gutted and adapted for State Climb, an indoor rock climbing facility, which opened in January 2020. From their FB page:

The Fox Theatre in Centralia, WA has gone through a lot but it’s now getting serious renovation. Here’s one of my photos from 2008 with its 1958 sign. Um, obviously not those colors originally:

And when I shot it in 2015 with the new sign and canopy based on the 1930 originals:

Soooo pretty at night (the Fox’s FB page):

The theatre closed in 2019 for interior renovations. The new doors and replica ticket booth were installed in 2020 (the Fox’s FB page) and more serious work going on inside:

The Crescent Pitcher Show (originally the Crescent Theatre) in Shawano, WI in 2011. It was already missing the freestanding Crescent letters on both sides of the round readerboard marquee:

The theatre closed in 2013. In 2020, it reopened as the Stubborn Brothers Brewery. Google map from 2019 showed work going on. The upstairs is used as the Crescent Ballroom for weddings and such:

The current look from the brewery’s FB page:

The Rialto Theatre in Casper, WY:

… got a marquee and sign makeover in 2018. The neon was all removed. Note how nice and plentiful it was in the photo above, stacked up on all the edges of the triangulated tower AND the letters. The new LED rope (photo below) is really sloppy, with rounded corners on each of the letters. The new color scheme is, in my opinion, really crappy. The channel letters on the lower right are gone as well:

So, there you have it with the theatres. I’ll be venturing off in the next posts from the Eateries section (restaurants — fast food, special cafes, all that). Four sections left and they are the huge ones. After Eateries will be Gas Stations, Signs, and Mid-Century Modern Buildings. I don’t think there’s any way I can finish this project before the big June trip but I will try!

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs

Let’s finish up the Ohio theatres. The Livingston Theatre in Columbus, OH was built in 1946 and closed in the 1970s. It was used as office space and other functions and really deteriorated over the years:

It has now been adapted for senior apartments:

The building on the corner to the right housed Segel’s Drugs originally:

and my photo from 2009:

Google doesn’t have current photos of that part of the building but I know that it’s being restored as well.

The Gloria Theatre in Urbana, OH was closed in 2011 for renovations:

It reopened in 2015 and looks fabulous now:

The Limelite Theatre in Woodville, OH was demolished in 2013:

Moving on to Portland, OR – the Guild Theatre closed in 2006. Here’s one of my photos from 2015:

In 2017, restoration of the building began and the sign is looking terrific now. The theatre now houses a bookstore:

The Paris Theatre in Portland, OR was remodeled for a nightclub/live performance venue in 2016 and the sign was repainted and neon restored. My photo from 2015:

And here’s what it looks like now – from Google. I think the place has closed already in 2019:

The Garden Theatre in Pittsburgh, PA looked miserable in 2010:

The rooftop sign was missing in 2014 while renovation work was going on. It reappeared in 2017, fully restored, and the canopy sign then went into hiding while it was restored. Then, in 2019, both signs were back and the building looked great. Work still going on inside. But damn — I love the globes and all the other details:

I guess they are not going to bring back that other readerboard sign that was between the restored signs?

The Alverson Center Theatre in Anderson, SC:

was purchased by a church in 2018, gutted, and here’s what it looks like now:

The College Theatre in Brookings, SD was built in 1941 but its been closed for decades. It’s been housing this gym since at least 2008:

In 2018, the readerboard was adapted for the gym’s sign and the “COLLEGE” neon letters were revealed again. It looks like the nice porcelain enamel tiles were painted over though:

The Princess Theatre in Harriman, TN looked dreary as hell in 2005:

but then in 2011 the building got a complete makeover and is now a live performance venue. The design was based on the theatre’s 1939 look:

That’s enough for this post. I still have about 24 pages left to go in this section. So, there will probably be one more about theatres.

Happy trails,
dj & the dogs