Here we go:  the final installment with the “discoveries” from my annual, tedious winter project  of reviewing thousands and thousands of Google Street View maps at my website.

WASHINGTON

This business and sign in Bremerton, WA disappeared sometime between 2015 and 2017:

 

This sign and motel in Tacoma, WA were demolished last year:

 

This Sure-Fit pole sign in Tacoma, WA is gone now, too.  The “S” on the sign mounted along the roof is bent over and I’m skeptical that it will be repaired:

The Luepke Florist sign in Vancouver, WA has been through a lot in recent years.  Here is was in 2008:

In 2015:

and here’s what it looks like now:

At least they left some neon but the letters are all backlist plastic now.  The panel with the flower and leaves looks brand new.  Sure, better than nothing but pretty flat looking — no character really.

 

The Klose-In Motel in Seattle was demolished last year and the sign is gone, too.

 

The Tungloon Garden restaurant in Spokane, WA was destroyed by a fire in 2010.  A series of used car dealerships opened on the lot but the sign remained unchanged until last year:

Here’s what it looks like now — ooofa:

 

WISCONSIN

This sign at Mr. Robert’s Bar & Grill  in Madison, WI was removed last year.  It is now in storage.  The owner didn’t have any good reason to have taken it down.  “Do you want to buy it?” was all I got when I asked.

 

This sign in Omro, WI had been repainted by 2016.   The letters no longer have this Art Deco flair and the neon was also removed. Here’s the before:

And now…. I can’t tell what they did to that round part of the sign:

The Budget Motel in Superior, WI with its animated gull:

And here’s what the sign has looked like since around 2016 — the neon and gull gone.  Annoying blechy lettering:

 

The Sloane’s Furniture sign in Milwaukee is still there:

but by 2016, the bottom panels were covered up and the neon was replaced with sloppy LED rope.  The squares were also outlined with LED.  The Google photo is not as clear about the changes as this photo.  Cheese-y, right?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chiski/35030856366/sizes/k/

 

The Bob’s Bait Shop sign in Milwaukee was removed last year.  How sweet it was:

 

Another Milwaukee loss — removed sometime between 2015 and 2017:

WEST VIRGINIA

The Magic Dry Cleaners signs in Charleston, WV were removed around 2016:

WYOMING

This sign in Cheyenne, WY was removed by 2017:

 

This sign in Cheyenne has been repainted by 2017.  Here’s the before:

and now:

Another sign in Cheyenne:

by last year, the neon all replaced with backlit plastic:

 

And finally, one more from Cheyenne — this sign looked like this up until last year or so:

the sign on the building is still there but I’m doubting that it’s lit:

Here’s the pole sign now:

************************************

 

So, there you have it for this year.  The real question is:  what can we do about losing all of these vintage signs other than cry and complain about it?  Do we just shrug it off and say “you can’t fight progress”?  Do we just accept the fact that since these signs are privately owned, we can’t do anything to save them?

I address some of these thoughts and offer suggestions in the closing of my new book:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Vintage-Signs-of-Americ-Debr-Jane-Seltzer/9781445669489?ref=grid-view

 
There is some movement towards establishing mini sign parks in cities with signs that are currently in storage.  This is great for nostalgic locals and design-loving tourists.  And it keeps the signs in their outdoor natural element where they were meant to be seen.  Also, it seems that many museums and community organizations are beginning to “see the light” about preserving these signs and displaying them.  Many folks are putting together sign surveys for their cities and submitting them to city councils with the hopes that these signs will be recognized and lead to landmarking, city grants for restoration, etc.  I applaud those efforts, LOUDLY.

Keeping these neon signs lit at night is very expensive.  Yes, the owners see people taking photos of their signs and recognize that they are loved by many.  But, as you can see by all of the tragedies that I have posted at my blog here in the past few days, to have visibility at night the ability to go cheap and use plastic letters is becoming all the rage.  What were vintage signs are now debauched, ruined, and I’m betting all the more likely to hit the scrap heap soon.

Sign purists have long criticized collectors for soliciting business owners, working out a deal, and hauling signs off to their man-caves, probably never to be seen again.  I’m beginning to feel this might be a better option than the sign deteriorating to such a degree that it can’t be saved and wind up at the dump in pieces.

Of course, we can all fantasize that these signs will continue hanging in their original locations forever.  However, at this point, we have to come to terms with the reality of rusting signs, strict city ordinances that prohibit relighting neon or taking down signs to restore them properly.  Most cities won’t allow these “grandfathered” signs to be taken down, even for a day, and then reinstalled.  Most cities also have size restrictions:  meaning that if a big vintage sign is taken down, a business owner might only be allowed to install a sign that’s a fraction of the size.  Hence, the desire to rework the vintage sign to put the new business name on it.  This often ends up with a sign being vintage in shape only.

I don’t have any answers.  I have some ideas and I do feel that somehow we need to get more organized, nationally.  They say “all politics is local”.  And while, I get that, and think that fighting for what’s happening in your own community is important, I think our strength and the way we can have the most impact, is to think bigger, and act bigger. None of the signs that I have posted about are from my hometown but I feel the loss all the same — as I’m sure you do.  If we do nothing, the entire country will be nothing but chain stores from coast to coast, Main Streets will be characterless and unhistoric.  When we travel, there will be no regionalism, no fun, no design, nothing to take photos of.  Your thoughts?  Your ideas?

Signing off for now — my next posts will be much more positive — with photos of things that still exist.  Gratefully, there are still LOTS of signs that I didn’t have to write about here that I hope you’ll get a chance to see or just admire on-line.  I’m always adding to my website, making updates, etc.  so I hope you’ll go there to cheer up and see what’s left. More than just signs but I know what my blog-followers are most obsessed with.  Signs are the dessert of roadside architecture, after all.

Happy trails!

dj & the dogs
http://www.RoadsideArchitecture.com

TEXAS

This sign in Dallas was removed in 2017 just after I took these photos:

 

There were several of these Texas Liquor signs around town.  I think this one in Dallas is the only one left but at a store that’s been closed since 2016.  So, it could disappear at any time:

This sign in El Paso, TX was removed around 2017:

 

UTAH

This sign in Ogden, UT was removed around 2016.  The business had been long gone and the sign was standing alone on a vacant lot:

This gigantic sign in Salt Lake City, UT seemed doomed when the bowling alley closed in 2015.  Yes, the “CLASSIC” letters revolved:

It was deemed too far gone to be adapted but a replica was built by YESCO for the new apartments.  Okay, so it’s plastic and LED but a miracle nevertheless.  The vintage RITZ sign is still there on the right.  I don’t know what will become of that one:

 

VIRGINIA

The Joy Garden restaurant in Richmond, VA closed in 2016 and this sign was gone by 2017.  This photo is from 2009.  In 2014, the sign had been repainted and most of the neon removed:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/26731037@N07/12816874323/

VERMONT

I never got to shoot this Bove’s Cafe sign in Burlington, VT:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/marc72/7137277749/

At least the Carrara glass tile and Art Deco windows are still there for now:

I’ll have the final post of this series for you tomorrow night with the “W”s and some reflection about all this destruction.

dj & the dogs
RoadsideArchitecture.com

Moving on to the “P”s now.

PENNSYLVANIA

OK, sure, this sign in Erie, PA was already messed with… but there are not a lot of snoozing siesta signs left.  Once as commonplace a motel icon (rest awhile) as the diving women (we have a POOL!) signs.  This motel was demolished in 2016 and the sign was either removed or demolished in 2017.  There must be postcards of this one somewhere but I’ve never found one:

Another sign from Erie, PA…

… the strong man was repainted last year:

Street View images are pretty blurry.  Better photos of the beefcake here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1678693155506117&set=a.1005630046145768.1073741960.100000963453116&type=3&theater
This embossed plastic sign was located at Pittsburgh Coating & Supply in Lancaster, PA.  By 2017, the store & the sign were gone:

This plastic Philco sign in Philadelphia hung above a vacant storefront for years.  It was removed sometime between 2012 and 2017:

REXALL

My Rexall signs are organized by state within the five pages here:
http://www.roadarch.com/signs/rex.html 

Here are two losses in that section.  These freestanding letters in Long Beach, CA were replaced in 2016 with plastic-faced letters:

 

This sign in Oshkosh, WI was removed sometime between 2011 and 2017:

 

SOUTH DAKOTA

The neon letters of the Crown Casino sign in Sioux Falls, SD:

have been replaced with backlit plastic:

 

TENNESSEE

This sign in East Ridge, TN disappeared at some point between 2014 and 2017:

This one in Kingsport, TN was removed around 2016.  There’s a Walmart there now:

This sign in Memphis, TN disappeared between 2015 and 2017.  The store is gone now, too.  The owner’s had one of the original panels proudly displayed inside.  This was a faithful replica:

I think I have enough steam for one more post tonight. Coming up…

dj
RoadsideArchitecture.com

NORTH DAKOTA

Let’s start with this one in Fargo, ND.  Yes, it’s gone.  The store closed in 2015 and the sign was removed soon after that:

 

Another one in Fargo, ND.  Still there but almost completely painted over around 2016.  The building now houses the Picked Parrot (bar).  Here’s the “before”:

and the “after”:

 

NEW JERSEY

This sign was built in 1933.  It was located in Red Bank, NJ when I took this photo in 2007.  In 2009, the store moved to West Long Branch, NJ and the sign was displayed in the window.  By 2017, the store had moved again to Little Silver, NJ.  The sign is back in the window.  It’s so wonderful that a business has held onto this bit of its history:

 
This sign is located in Riverside, NJ.  The bar closed in 2015.  Last year, the bar was remodeled for a liquor store and the bottom part of the sign was changed (LIQUOR is spelled with neon tubing at least).  I believe the sign is lit and the eagle’s wings are still animated:

 

NEW YORK

The Supersonic Car Wash in Albany, NY…

… was adapted around 2017 with backlit plastic letters and the bulbs were removed:

 

This sign was located in Buffalo, NY:

Last year, it was transformed into this piece of crap:

 

This sign in Lake George, NY:

was also disfigured with plastic last year:

This sign in Troy, NY is gone now.  The store closed in 2016 and the sign disappeared soon after that:

 

OHIO

These signs in Middletown, OH hung above a vacant store for many years.  They were removed at some point between 2013 and 2017:

This sign in Toledo, OH was gone by 2017:

Another one from Toledo, OH.  This beauty was hung above a vacant space for many years.  It was removed in 2017 and wound up in the hands of the American Sign Museum in Cincinnati, OH.  It will be cleaned up, relit, and displayed:

The Abbott’s Super Duper sign in Columbus, OH is officially gone.  The store closed in 2010 and a vinyl tarp covered the panel below the elephant for years.  The circus elephant which held a sack of groceries was removed between 2015 and 2017:

 

Another Columbus, OH loss — the Hillcrest Lanes panels were removed around 2017:

OREGON

This business in Springfield, OR closed sometime between 2015 and 2017 and the sign was removed:

From Portland, OR.  At some point between 2015 and 2017, this store closed and the sign was removed:

 

And lastly, a bit of good news to soften the blows, the Guild Theatre sign in Portland, OR was restored last year.  Restoration of the theatre itself is ongoing.  Here’s what the sign looked like in 2015:

and now (yes, that’s NEON):

 

Back to the stove to cook up another batch for you this evening.

dj & the dogs
RoadsideArchitecture.com

The bad news keeps coming.

MINNESOTA

This sign at Wild West Liquors in Duluth, MN was gone by 2017:

 

The Recreation Lanes in Rochester, MN became the Bowlocity Entertainment Center around 2014.  The facade was updated, obscuring the mid-century modern look, and these signs are gone now:

 

Nye’s Bar & Polonaise Room in Minneapolis, MN closed in 2016.  The signs were removed soon after that:

 

This beauty in Minneapolis has been basically trashed.  Here it was in all its glory:

The bar closed in 2013 and quickly reopened as Cliff-n-Norm’s Bar.  They added their name to the top but at least it was still neon:

But then by 2016, all the neon was gone and the sign was covered with crappy backlit plastic:

 

One more from Minneapolis:  the Murray’s big steak panel on the right is gone now.  It was damaged in a windstorm and then removed in 2017.  As a vegan, I should be happy about that but I’m devastated:

MISSOURI

The Melody Lane Inn in Branson, MO had been closed since at least 2012.  This sign was removed or demolished around 2016 or 2017:

 

This sign in Independence, MO was removed around 2017:

 

Finally, some good news!  This sign in Raytown, MO:

was apparently restored or replicated in 2017!  Back to the original red:

a much better photo of it here:

https://www.facebook.com/clarksappliancesraytown/photos/a.231487887054792.1073741827.231481150388799/817726198430955/?type=1&theater

 

This sign in St. Joseph, MO was adapted for a Natural Grocers in 2016 — so painful:

 

This sign in Kansas City was gone by 2017:

 

This sign in St. Louis has been repaired and yet de-neoned at the same time.  Here’s what it looked like until 2017.  That horrific, rusty dent on the far left had been there for many years:

Evidently, that piece of the panel was repaired but the neon and bulbs were removed from the rest of the sign just after Google shot the photo below.  Oddly enough, the new panel has fake bulb and neon tubing holes.  So, it doesn’t appear that new neon or bulbs are going to be added:

You can see the details better in this photo that Greg Rhomberg took a few days ago for me (sloppy blue circle is mine):

 

MISSISSIPPI

Only one for this state — but it’s a doozie.  This sign in Jackson, MS was gone by 2017.  The whole block of buildings is being renovated.  But I can’t find any mention in the articles about what became of this sign or if there are plans to bring it back: [EDIT!  Note from the comment below that the sign has actually been reinstalled — WOO HOO!!!]

Enough!  More bad news tomorrow night.

dj

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picking up on the tragedies starting with…

KANSAS

The Townsman Motel in Independence, KS lost its neon:

By 2016, the letters had been replaced with backlit plastic:

MASSACHUSETTS

Here’s a real heartbreaker.  These signs in Greenfield, MA are gone now:

This one, too, in Lowell, MA — gone:

This restaurant in Newton, MA closed around 2012.  The sign is gone now:

 

MARYLAND

This milk bottle sign at the dairy building in Frederick, MD — gone:

 

This sign in Beltsville, MD has been messed with.  In 2010, it looked like this:

Then, sometime between 2015 and 2017, the neon was replaced with backlit plastic.  At least the guy’s lightbulb eyes are still there:

MAINE

The Starlite Motor Inn in Old Orchard Beach, ME originally had a diving woman on the left as evidence in this 1984 photo by John Margolies:

http://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/mrg.08543/

It looked like this until 2016 when it was removed and replaced with an incredibly boring sign that doesn’t even deserve posting:

Another sign in Old Orchard Beach, ME that I didn’t get a chance to shoot:  The Marcotte Motor Court — gone now:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/vintageroadtrip/15737913646/

MICHIGAN

A double-whammy — both of these signs in Grand Rapids, MI were removed around 2017:

 

The Alpine Motel in Inkster, MI is still there but this sign was replaced with a backlit plastic box sign in 2017:

This sign in Plymouth, MI has to be fairly modern but I still loved it.  Functions as a mailbox holder:

By 2014, it had been repainted like this:

This sign in Pontiac, MI was gone by 2016 :

These signs in Royal Oak, MI were removed between 2015 and 2017:

 

This sign in Sandusky, MI was a rare example of embossed porcelain letters.  Stunning even with the neon removed.  It was removed around 2016:

I was worried about this one in Saugatuck, MI since Google Street View showed only the hanging pole.  I hadn’t got around to shooting it.  I gave the restaurant a call since it was still open.  It seems they remove the sign when they close for the off-season to protect it and then reinstall it when they reopen.  God bless ’em!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/94921703@N00/5121954605/
This incredible sign in Waterford, MI was removed and replaced with a plastic box sign around 2016:

 

This sign in Wyandotte, MI had already been updated with the Yurkovich name at some point but it still had integrity:

Then, around 2017, the Yurkovich text was replaced with awful “Victory Motors” backlit plastic letters:

 

This incredible sign in Detroit was removed around 2017:

This sign in Detroit:

By 2016, it had inexplicably been painted grey and white:

 

That’s enough for one sitting.  The next post will resume with more “M”s (Minnesota, Missouri, etc.)

dj

 

 

 

Ready for some more?

IOWA

This beauty in Belle Plaine, IA with embossed porcelain panels is gone now.  My photo from 2010 — missing at Google Street View in 2016:

 

The Plaza Lanes in Des Moines, IA caught fire last year and this incredible, animated rooftop sign was destroyed.  They say they may rebuild it but that’s extremely unlikely.

 

This Willie Wiredhand sign in Woodbine, IA disappeared around 2016.  Looks like the location closed.  If you’ve never heard of Willie, here’s info about him:
http://www.reddykilowatt.org/2007/03/22/willie-wiredhand-history/

 

IDAHO

The Lytle Signs location in Twin Falls, ID closed.  This sign was moved to one of the warehouse buildings in back of the previous shop:

The Twin Dragon Restaurant in Boise, ID closed in 2016.  The sign was destroyed during the removal process.  Uff.  I loved this sign:

 

ILLINOIS — lots to cry about there.

This Fraternal Order of Eagles sign in Alton, IL is gone now:

 

Also gone — this one in Willowbrook, IL.  The bowling alley closed in 2016 and the sign was removed soon after that:

 

This Independent Order of Odd Fellows beauty in Collinsville, IL — you guessed it, gone now:

This one in Evergreen Park — gone.  The bakery closed in 2016 and the sign was gone by 2017.

In Homewood, IL — this one gone by 2016:

This one in Streator, IL — still there but disfigured.  In 2009, it looked like this:

Since around 2016 — “Lamp Lite Room” neon text gone, “Lanes” covered up, and boring paint applied.  At lest the lantern thingie is still there:

 

I never got around to shooting this Baptist Church sign in Chicago — what a shame — gone now:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/brulelaker/4125098476/

INDIANA

This sign in Lafayette, IN looked like this in 2010:

As per Google Street View, by 2017, it was advertising for a used car lot.  The neon is gone but at least it’s kinda sorta still there in spirit:

 

This one was in Mishawaka, IN.  By 2017, the store had closed and the sign was gone:

 

That wraps up the “I”s.  I’m whipping up another post starting with the “K”s next.

dj

 

 

I have officially updated my entire website, all the various sections, as best I can with info gleaned from the most current Google Street View images.  A super tedious task that’s taken every free minute of my life for months. But I take keeping my website current very seriously.  Here then, are the latest “discoveries” picking up where I left off in the “C”s from the previous posts.  I’m afraid it’s mostly bad news as there have been a lot of wonderful signs updated with simply awful backlit plastic letters.

But before we dive in… a bit of good news from the “A”s.  The Tucson Inn (in Tucson, AZ) has been purchased by a local college.  The sign will be restored.  Here’s a photo I took in 2012 (by the way, all the photos in these posts were taken by me — and are not to be lifted for Pinterest, Facebook, or any of that):

and here’s an article about the upcoming restoration:
http://www.kvoa.com/story/37354123/pcc-buys-historic-tucson-inn-for-over-1-million

 
CANADA
The Motel Carnaval in L’Ancienne-Lorette, Quebec was demolished last year and the sign is gone now, too:

COLORADO

The Triangle Liquors building in Arvada, CO has been demolished and the sign is gone:

The Hi-Lo Market signs in Commerce City have been adapted for a Save-A-Lot Food Store.  Here they were in 2012 — even without their neon, they were glorious:

And now…(from Google StreetView):

 

Merrill Axle & Wheel in Pueblo, CO has closed and the pole sign and freestanding letters are gone:

The Broadway Motel in Denver was demolished last year and the sign is gone:

 

A little good news:  The Lake Steam Baths sign in Denver appears to have been restored and those god-awful clear plastic panels have been removed.  From 2012:

While on the subject of Denver, if you didn’t know yet, the bulbs on the Satire Lounge sign are chasing again.  The Pete’s Kitchen sign’s pancakes are animated again now, too.  Both businesses are owned by the same guy who got a city variance to get them moving again:
http://www.9news.com/article/news/local/next/restaurants-on-east-colfax-will-get-back-their-flashing-neon-signs/485773244

and here’s a video of the Satire sign:
https://www.facebook.com/SaveTheSignsOnColfax/videos/1629912490402386/

CONNECTICUT

The Battiston’s sign in Avon, CT has been replaced with new panels & backlit plastic letters.  Here’s the sign in 2010:

and by 2015:

FLORIDA

The fun rockets in Kissimmee, FL were removed in 2016.  A super boring sign there now (I’ll spare you):

The World Liquors sign in St. Petersburg, FL won’t be around much longer.  The property’s been sold and the sign will be auctioned off.  The owner wants the money to go to a charity.  The biggest price is more important to him than the sign being preserved on view locally or going to a museum (yes, Tod at the American Sign Museum talked to him):

 

The Brahman Lounge & Liquors sign in Tampa was repainted around 2016.  Here’s the “before” shot:

and the “after” — the nice patina is gone, but the neon and bull are still there so…:

I’ll move on to the “I”s and onward in another post tomorrow night.

dj & the dogs
http://www.RoadsideArchitecture.com

I’ve gone through all of maps at my California pages in the Signs section at my website and I’m happy to say that most things are still standing or hanging firmly with little human alteration.  All of the photos below were taken by me except for the “after” photos snipped from Google Street View (too depressing for me to reshoot).

This sign in Anaheim has been adapted.  The Ben-Key Pool Center sign has been reworked for a Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles.  Here’s the “before”:

and the “after” courtesy of Google Street View:

 

And many losses — the Stardust Motel sign in Bell in 2014.  Replaced with a plastic box reading “Diamond Bell Inn & Suites”:

 

The Century Bowl in Merced closed in the mid-1990s.  This sign stood tall over the vacant lot until last year.

 

These two signs at The Spot in Richmond disappeared last year. The second sign shown below has a twin in San Francisco which is still in place:

Part of the Wheel World sign in Culver City fell to the ground last year and what remained has been removed.  It doesn’t sound like there’s any plan to replace it:

 

The Cockatoo Hotel in Hawthorne was demolished in 2005.  The new hotel let this sign remain until last year.  I assume it was destroyed:

 

The Catalina Pools sign in La Mesa disappeared in 2016:

 

This sign at the Heel & I in San Francisco disappeared last year:

 

The replica Schwab’s Restaurant sign in Los Angeles disappeared last year.  Just the scaffolding left now:

*****************

Prepare yourself for a couple of really sad examples repurposing.

Garfano’s Pizza opened in Los Angeles in 1959.  That might have been at a different location since this sign’s design appears older than that.  And this paint job looks a little modern with mismatched fonts:

But still, it looked much better than what was to come.  In 2015, it was painted black and adapted for the L.A. Hookah Lounge:

And then, in 2016, it was made even uglier by L.A. Hot Wings:

 

*********

Moving on to the sad saga of the Royal Viking Motel, also located in Los Angeles.  There were two legitimately nice signs there:

Then, in 2014, the place was renamed the Pod Inn and the signs were f***ed up:

Last year, strangely enough, the name was reverted to the Royal Viking Inn.  The Viking helmet and spear are still there are least (for now…):

But the other sign looks worse than ever:

************

Well, tat’s enough bad news for now.   How about a dash of good news?  MONA (the Museum of Neon Art) has finished restoring their Grauman’s Chinese Theatre dragon.  It’s currently at the Pomona warehouse but I’m sure it will make its way over to the museum in Glendale soon.  It was unveiled this week:
https://www.dailybulletin.com/2018/01/16/graumans-chinese-theatre-dragon-roars-again-in-pomona/

I’m moving on to other states in my website updating.  I just might have another depressing post for you next weekend.  Stay tuned!

Shoot ’em while you can folks,

dj & the dogs

I’m updating the Signs section at my website now.  It will probably take another couple of months to go through all the pages and StreetView maps.  I’m methodically proceeding alphabetically by state.  Here are some of the tragedies and changes, from Alabama, Arkansas, and Arizona.

The Moon Winx Lodge sign in Tuscaloosa, AL was put up for sale in 2016.  Either the owner changed his mind or he didn’t get a big enough offer.  The sign was repainted this past September.  The neon appears to still be intact. The wording at the bottom of the sign was unfortunately changed and that neon is now lost.  The new paint (evergreen & turquoise) is not as nice as what was on the sign previously.  But glass 3/4 full, right?  Here’s my photo from 2007:

This weblink has a slider bar so that you can compare the old paint/new paint:

http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/news/20171018/then-and-now-moon-winx-lodge-sign
Fortunately, no significant changes otherwise for Alabama.  Moving on to Arkansas.

Sadly, this one-legged man (hillbilly?) in Green Forest, AR disappeared sometime between 2013 and last year:

 

This Frigidaire sign in Conway, AR was removed last year when the store below it closed:

The White Spot Cafe in Fort Smith, AR opened in the early 1950s.  “Skinny’s” was added to the sign around 2008.  The place closed in 2015.  The Burrito Bowl moved into the space last year and the sign was badly adapted (1st photo taken by me in 2012; 2nd photo below from Google StreetView):

There have been many sign tragedies in Hot Springs, AR in recent years.  Here are a bunch of before and afters (my photos & GSV):

*****************

*******************

***********************

***********

This one was repainted but it could have been far worse — 2008:

From Robby Virus in 2011:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/25229906@N00/7990929063/

*******

And then a bit of good news — my photo from 2008 below and then from this year (GSV) nicely repainted:

*************

Moving on to Phoenix, AZ.  I just shot this sign in June and now… it’s gone:

 

California losses deserve their own post.  I’m cooking that one up right now.

dj