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Neon Extension Signs (page 4)

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Donald's Serva-teria
Pratt, KS

2010:
2023:
Donald's Serva-teria has been here since around 1952. It was known as Gerald's Serva-teria in the early 1960s. So, this sign may have been adapted after that (the same number of letters) or built when the name was changed. This sign was lit in the early morning hours and the orbs flashed independently. There is only one neon tube left now on one orb and the text panel's neon is gone as well. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Bardahl Manufacturing
Seattle, WA		 Madam Sophia's
Fowler, CA
Bardahl Manufacturing was established in Seattle in 1939. The company produces oil and gas additives. This animated sign was built by Campbell Neon in 1952. It is about 15 feet wide. Originally, the red neon alternated between "Add Bardahl Oil" and "Add it to Your Gas". The sequentially lit white neon rings created the illusion of an approaching car's headlights. When the headlights reached the top of the sign, the green outline of the car's front end was seen. The sign is no longer lit because it was too costly to maintain. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Madam Sophia's was established in 1968. The red and green neon rays around the sign flash sequentially. The stars are no longer lit. For more, see this website. [map]

former Golden Key Motel
Clarkston, WA		 Poplar Tunes [gone]
Memphis, TN		 Pop Tunes
Records [gone]
Memphis, TN		 Lupita's Mexican Food
Casa Grande, AZ
The Golden Key Motel has been known as the Bridge Street Inn since around 2008. The sign's top panel was changed at that point. However, the neon key remains. For more, see this website. [map]

Poplar Tunes opened this store in 1946 and closed in 2009. This photo is from 2007. The sign is now on display at the Memphis Rock and Soul Museum. It features neon musical notes and an animated arrow. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

Pop Tunes Records was part of the Poplar Tunes chain. This store's sign was surrounded by animated musical notes. The store closed in 2006 and the sign was painted white. By 2010, the sign was gone. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

The Lupita's Mexican Food sign may have been produced in the late 1960s by the Guerrero Lindsay Sign Company in Mesa, AZ. I have never seen a neon sign topper or "fountain" like this before. Lupita's is closed. The sign previously advertised for Sophia's Kitchen. I don't know if that was the original business associated with the sign. For more, see this website. [map]

Palace Garage Parking
San Francisco, CA
I don't know how old these signs at the Palace Garage Parking are. The vertical sign appears to have been reworked. The sign just inside the bay appears to be 1950s or so. This parking garage was built in 1921 and is located across the street from the Palace Hotel. [map]

Goal Post Bar-B-Q
Anniston, AL

2010:
2003:
2020:
The Goal Post Bar-B-Q sign was built in the mid-1950s. It features a larger-than-life football player kicking a football. The kicker's leg moves in three phases. What makes this sign particularly special is the neon footballs which are strung by wires over the parking lot between the kicker and the restaurant's roof. The sixteen footballs, which are sequentially lit, create the illusion of an arching and tumbling ball. In 2009, two of these footballs were destroyed in the storm and the sign stopped working. The owner of the Goal Post hesitated briefly about repairing the sign. However, the reaction from the community and sign lovers across the country convinced him that the expense was worth it. In 2013, the restaurant closed and was demolished. In 2014, the sign was restored and reinstalled at Betty's Bar-B-Q. The string of footballs leading to the restaurant was also restored. For more, see this website. [map]

The Corral
Victoria, TX

2011:
2018: 2019:
The Corral opened in 1952 and this neon sign was installed then. This remarkable animated sign featured an Indian firing off five flaming arrows from his bow. The arrows extended away from the sign via a wire to the roof where they burst into a neon flame. Other than the Goal Post sign shown directly above, this was the only other sign still existing which featured a wire with animated neon extending from the sign to the roof.

In 2015, the Corral closed. The QP Smokehouse renovated the building and kept the sign lit at night. The wording was not changed. The restaurant was known as the QP Smokehouse at the Corral. These videos show the sign's animation: 1 and 2.

In 2017, the restaurant closed. Just two weeks later, Hurricane Harvey hit the city. The sign was badly damaged and was unsalvageable. By 2018, the restaurant reopened as Limon's BBQ at The Corral. A replica sign of the Indian was installed. It does not have neon. [map]

More Neon Extension Signs:

Plumbing Signs

Silver Bullet Bar (Casa Grande, AZ; now Ankeny, IA)
Bun-N-Burger (Alhambra, CA)
Bahia Caporales (Burbank, CA) [gone]
Hitching Post (Dunsmuir, CA)
Andy's (Fresno, CA) [gone]
Hayward Fishery (Hayward, CA) [gone]
Jimmy Britt's (Martinez, CA)
Kasper's Hot Dogs (Oakland, CA)
Prospector's Village Motel (Oroville, CA) [vintage; gone]
Poultry Fish (San Francisco, CA) [gone]
fish (San Leandro, CA) [gone]
Fabricare Services (Grand Junction, CO) [cars gone]
fish (Monte Vista, CO)
Moody's Bar-B-Q (Woodbine, GA) [gone?]
Travelers Motel (Boise, ID) [gone]
Details Done Right (Payette, ID) [gone]
Sunset Motel (Yorkville, IL) [gone]
Sunset Motor Lodge (Stanford, KY) [map]
The Pearl Restaurant & Oyster Bar (New Orleans, LA)
Ledo Pizza (Upper Marlboro, MD) [map]
Ted & Gen's BBQ Restaurant (Aldrich, MN) [map]
Dee's Bar (Ely, MN)
Tip Top Motel (Wolf Point, MT) [vintage; gone]
Bronco Burgers (Omaha, NE)
Apache Motel (Las Vegas, NV)
Atomic Cleaners (Goodlettsville, TN) [gone]
Blue 4 Liquor (Memphis, TN)
Ritz Starlite Room (Grand Prairie, TX)
Personal Loan Service (Waco, TX) [gone]
Purple Sage Motel (Panguitch, UT) [map]
Modern Shoe Repairing (Provo, UT) [gone?]
K&M Bowl (Longview, WA) [gone]
Widow Maker (Marysville, WA) [gone]
Sloop Tavern (Seattle, WA)
Acme TV (Spokane, WA) [gone]
hammer (La Crosse, WI) [gone]
Algiers Motel (Waukesha, WI) [vintage; gone]

Beaverlodge Hotel (Beaverlodge, AB) [gone]
Silver Heights Restaurant (Winnipeg, MB)
National Cafe (Moose Jaw, SK)
Nit's Thai Food (Moose Jaw, SK)
Skipping Girl Vinegar (Melbourne, AU)
Volleyball Player: 1, 2, 3 (Warsaw, Poland) [map]


Neon Extensions Flickr group

Neon Extensions
page 1		 Neon Extensions
page 2		 Neon Extensions
page 3		 Main SCA Article
Companion Page		 Main Signs Page