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Scaffold Signs (page 9)

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West Park Truck Stop
Huron, SD
The West Park Truck Stop sign is installed on the roof of the service bay building at a gas station. The station and, presumably, the sign were there by 1964 and might be older. It was probably a Phillips 66 originally. Later, it was a Sinclair station and, now, is a Conoco station. [map]

Sioux Steel Company
Sioux Falls, SD
The Sioux Steel Company was established in 1918. This bulb sign might be from the 1940s or even earlier. There is also a smaller scaffold sign at this complex. The company is moving to another location and the smaller sign might be integrated into property's redevelopment. The fate of this larger sign is not yet known. [map]

Cork 'n Bottle
Yankton, SD
The Cork 'n Bottle opened in 1988 and these rooftop signs are probably from then. [map]

Town & Country Restaurant [gone]
Chattanooga, TN
The Town & Country Restaurant opened in 1949. This rooftop sign might have been installed then. In 2005, the building was sold. It was demolished and replaced with a Walgreens. The neon sign was donated to a local museum.

Cream City Ice Cream
Cookeville, TN
The Cream City Ice Cream animated sign was built in 1950. The 30.5-foot-long sign was built by the Balton and Cummings Sign Company in Memphis. Cream City Ice Cream was produced in the building below the sign and distributed throughout central Tennessee. In the late 1950s, Mayfield Dairies purchased the milk production plant but did not remove the sign. Today, the building houses the Cream City Ice Cream & Coffee House. Annual fundraisers organized by CityScape pay for the maintenance of the sign. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

JFG Coffee
Knoxville, TN
The JFG Coffee Company was founded in 1882 as a wholesale grocery company selling coffee. JFG is the founder's initials (James Franklin Goodson). The company roasted coffee in downtown Knoxville from 1926 until 2005 when it moved to a different location. In 2009, this building with the 1930s rooftop sign (two photos at left) was converted into apartments known as the JFG Lofts. [map]

The JFG billboard (third photo) was built in the 1950s. It was located just south of the Gay St. Bridge when this photo was taken in 2007. In 2010, the sign was removed for restoration. The incandescent bulbs were replaced with LED bulbs. In 2012, the sign was installed near the original location. In 2023, the sign was removed and put in city storage until a new location is found. For more, see this website.

Kellogg's
Memphis, TN		 Rex Liquors
Memphis, TN
This Kellogg's plant double-sided sign is lit at night. Does anyone know how long it has been here? [map]

The Rex Liquors sign might be from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]

Wonder Bread
Memphis, TN
2010: 2019:
This Wonder Bread factory continued to produce Wonder Bread and Hostess brand products here until 2013. In 2019, the Orion Federal Credit Union moved into the building. The rooftop sign's neon was restored. The vinyl covering on the lower panel was removed and the untouched loaf of bread is lit with spotlights. The projecting sign was removed and put in storage. There are no plans for that sign at this point. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Hotel Peabody
Memphis, TN
The Hotel Peabody was built in 1869. In 1925, the hotel moved to its current location. The rooftop sign on the left might be from the 1930s. It originally read "Hotel Peabody." The other, horizontal sign was probably added later. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

More Tennessee:
Gulf (East Ridge) [gone]
Regas Square (Knoxville)
Murfreesboro Motel (Murfreesboro)
Bruton Snuff (Nashville)

Santa Fe Building
Amarillo, TX		 Spindletop Motel
Beaumont, TX		 Gateway Hotel
El Paso, TX
The Santa Fe Building was built from 1928-1930. I don't know when these four rooftop signs were built. They were restored in 2003. For more, see this website. [map]

The Spindletop Motel sign originally had neon and the "Spindletop" letters were painted red. The motel had opened by the early 1950s. This sign might be from then. The name is a reference to the local Spindletop oilfield discovered in 1901. The motel sign is installed on a mini, simulated oil derrick. During the oilfield discovery, a gusher of crude oil erupted from the derrick on Spindletop Hill. For more, see this website. [map]

The Gateway Hotel was built in 1903 as an office building. It was remodeled in 1927 as the hotel. This sign appears to be from then. For more, see this website. [map]

J's Liquor
Childress, TX
2011: 2018:
J's Liquor has an unusual trellis style pole sign. These signs were installed sometime between 2007 and 2009. Around 2016, the neon on the bottom panels had been removed and new panels for Jeff's Cigars installed. The sign on the building probably had neon on the upright spears originally. [map]

Morrison's Corn-Kits
Denton, TX		 Wald Transfer
& Storage Company
Houston, TX
The Morrison Milling Company was established in 1886. In the 1960s, the mill began producing Morrison's Corn-Kits, a cornbread mix. This much older looking sign must have been updated at that time. At night, the neon letters changed from Corn-Kits, Pan-Kits, and Bis-Kits. The company is considering replacing the neon with LED lighting. [map]

The Wald Transfer & Storage Company expanded to this location in 1953. This rooftop sign was probably installed then. [map]

Rocket Club
Fort Worth, TX
The Rocket Club was built in the 1940s and has been closed for many years. After the club closed, the building was used as a skating rink, an indoor go-kart track, and a furniture store. It now houses a muffler shop. The sign was removed in 2023. For more, see this website. [map]

Santa Fe
Fort Worth, TX
The Santa Fe sign is installed on the roof of the former Santa Fe Freight Station. The station was built in 1938 and now houses the University of Texas at Arlington's Fort Worth Education Center. I don't know when this sign was built originally but it has been restored. For more, see this website. [map]

King Cole Liquors [gone]
Houston, TX
King Cole Liquors is still there but this rooftop sign is not. This photo is from 2006. By 2010, the sign was gone. For more, see this website.

Robert E. Lee Hotel
San Antonio, TX
The Robert E. Lee Hotel was built in 1922. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Near twin neon signs (one left aligned text, the other center aligned text) were installed on the roof in 1938. I don't know if the third "100% Air Conditioned" sign was added then or later. In 2017, the owner of the building filed to have the rooftop signs changed to read "Hotel Robt." Residents wanted to get rid of the association with the Confederate General. However, it seems the City has determined that the sign is historic and should remain as is. [map]

Beacon
Lodge Motel
Snyder, TX		 Hotel Grim
Texarkana, TX		 Truck
Stop [gone]
Tye, TX
The Beacon Lodge Motel sign was built in the 1950s. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Hotel Grim was built in 1925. I believe this rooftop bulb sign was installed then or shortly after that. The building had been vacant since the 1970s. In 2016, it was announced that it would be redeveloped for housing and retail space. In 2020, work was still ongoing but the rooftop sign was relit. For more, see this website. [map]

This Truck Stop sign was installed on an oil derrick on top of a Conoco station roof. This photo is from 2011. By 2012, the tower and sign were gone. For more, see this website.

Lew's Welding Service
Tyler, TX		 former Holt Hotel
Wichita Falls, TX
Lew's Welding Service has been at this location since the late 1920s. The business is still operating. This rooftop sign might be from the 1950s or earlier. The letters had neon originally. [map]

The Holt Hotel was built in 1910 as the Kemp-Kell Building. In 1926, it was sold and became the Holt Hotel. The rooftop, bulb sign was installed then. In 2005, the building was renovated into apartments known as the Holt Apartments. For many decades, the sign was missing the "HOLT" letters. When the building was restored, four of the sign's remaining "HOTEL" letters on each side were rearranged to read "HOLT." For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Truck Stop
Van Horn, TX		 Hotel El Capitan
Van Horn, TX
This Truck Stop is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. It originally had neon tubing inside the channel letters. [map]

The Hotel El Capitan was built in 1930. The building was converted into a bank in 1973. In 2007, it was converted back to a hotel. The neon rooftop signs are replicas of the originals. For more, see this website. [map]

More Texas:
Hotel Grace (Abilene)
Favorite Liquor & Wine (Austin)
Hotel Settles (Big Spring)
Carl's Corner (Carl's Corner) [gone]
Meletio Electric (Dallas) [gone]
Steinway Hall (Dallas)
Ritz Starlite Room (Grand Prairie)
Sun Valley Motor Hotel (Harlingen) [gone]
former Fiesta Bowl and Fiesta Grill (Lubbock)
Good Housekeeping Shop (Odessa) [gone]
National Supply Co. (Odessa)
Village Shopping Center (San Angelo)
Friedrich Refrigerators (San Antonio)
Red McCombs Auto Group (San Antonio)
ALICO Center (Waco)
Hamilton Building Parking (Wichita Falls)

Scaffold Signs
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Scaffold Signs
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