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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Illinois Signs (page 1) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Fox Home Center Alsip, IL |
D-Lux Budget Motel [gone] Alsip, IL |
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The Fox Home Center opened here in 1962. In 2007, the store was devastated by fire. The sign was not damaged and the store was rebuilt. [map]
The D-Lux Budget Motel sign was probably from the 1950s. This was originally known as the Pink Cloud Motel and the lettering was changed at some point. The sign was removed in 2018. For more, see this website. |
| Jacoby Furniture Alton, IL |
Millers First Insurance Company [gone] Alton, IL |
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Jacoby Furniture was open for nearly 100 years. It closed around 2004. In 2006, the sign was refurbished and adapted for the Jacoby Arts Center. The "Parking in Rear" text was replaced with "Arts Center". For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]
Millers First Insurance Company was originally known as the Millers Mutual Insurance Association. It was founded in Alton in 1877. The company still uses a windmill in its logo. The blades of the windmill probably turned originally. These photos are from 2010. By 2013, the blades were gone. In 2018, the sign and the windmill were removed. |
| Fraternal Order of Eagles [gone] Alton, IL |
College Crest Motel [gone] Alton, IL |
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This Fraternal Order of Eagles Aerie was established in 1906. This sign was probably from the 1950s. It was still there in 2013 but gone by 2017.
The College Crest Motel sign was probably from the 1950s. This sign was removed around 2022 and is now in a private collection. The design appeared to be a match for Tod's Motel in Cabool, MO. |
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More Alton:
Stone Brothers Jewelry [gone] Aurora:
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| Bunny Bread Anna, IL (now Urbana, OH) |
Anna Plaza Motel [gone] Anna, IL |
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The Bunny Bread neon sign features animated, wiggling bunny ears. It is about ten feet tall. The bakery building below was constructed in 1951 and the sign was most likely built at that time. Although bread production stopped many years ago, there was still a Bunny Bread thrift outlet in the building until 2010. Later that year, just after these photos were taken, the store closed and these signs were moved to the Bundy Museum of Baking Arts in Urbana, OH. The owner said the bunny sign and letters would be restored for about $40,000. By 2014, the bunny sign was on permanent display inside the private museum. The animated neon had been restored and the panels were repainted in the original colors of blue and yellow. The letters were also restored and put on display. They have been repainted yellow and orange. Bunny Bread is still produced and sold throughout the Midwest and South.
Bunny Bread built several other neon bunny signs over the years. The only other large sign was built for the plant in Marquette, MI which is now located at the Upper Peninsula Children's Museum. The Anna Plaza Motel sign appeared to be from the 1950s. It was gone by 2023. |
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More Anna:
Union County Drug (now Vale, SD) Arlington Heights:
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| Lantern Pub Ashley, IL |
Parkview Motel [gone] Ashley, IL |
Masonic Temple Atwood, IL |
Masonic Temple [gone] Tuscola, IL |
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The Lantern Pub's neon "EAT" sign appears to be from the 1930s. The bulb arrow is probably from the 1950s. These bulb arrow signs were mass-produced and there are still lots of them around the country. [map]
The Parkview Motel sign was probably from the 1940s or 1950s. By 2013, it was gone. These Masonic Temple signs were both built by the Superior Neon Company. Does anyone know of any others like these? "A.F. & A.M." refers to Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. The photo of this Tuscola sign is from 2009. By 2012, the sign had been replaced with a plastic version. [Atwood map] |
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Beach Park:
Al's Tap |
| Terrace Motel Belleville, IL |
Hoeffken Cleaners [gone] Belleville, IL |
Brite Way Cleaners Belleville, IL |
Harter's Hobby House [gone] Belleville, IL |
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The Terrace Motel building and sign are from the 1950s. The beige portion of the sign was a later addition. This photo is from 2010. In 2011, the sign was badly damaged when it was knocked over by high winds. It has since been repaired. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]
This photo of the Hoeffken Cleaners sign was taken in 2005. The building has since been demolished and the sign is gone. Brite Way Cleaners was established in 1945. This sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. [map] This Harter's Hobby House sign was replaced with a plastic sign shortly after this photo was taken in 2005. For more, see this website. |
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More Belleville:
Bel-Air Bowl Model Auto Sales Skyview Drive-in Stag Beer Weyhaupt Bros. Packing Co. [gone] Bellwood:
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| Wolf Chevrolet [gone] Belvidere, IL |
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| Wolf Chevrolet was established in 1924. This sign was installed in the early 1960s. The wolf was 10 feet tall while the bowtie sign was 28 feet wide. In 2010, Wolf Chevrolet became Wolf Automotive when Chevrolet dropped hundreds of dealerships. At that point, the Chevrolet portion of the sign was covered with a non-neon panel reading "Automotive". When these photos were taken in 2012, there were still a couple of Chevrolet OK Used Car plastic signs on the lot. In 2013, the dealership closed. In 2015, the neon sign was removed and sold at auction as three separate panels. |
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More Belvidere:
Dodge Lanes Fraternal Order of Eagles |
| Liquor Barrel [gone] Benton, IL |
Berwyn Eagles Berwyn, IL |
Elks Lodge [gone] Berwyn, IL |
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The Liquor Barrel sign was either modern or a vintage sign that has been completely refurbished. It spun on its pole. It was still there in 2015 but gone by 2018.
The Berwyn Eagles is the local chapter of the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The top part of this sign may have been neon originally. [map] This Elks Lodge sign appeared to be from the 1950s. This photo is from 2009. At some point between 2012 and 2015, the sign was removed. It was spotted being stored in DeKalb, IL. For more, see this website. |
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More Benton:
Immediate Cleaners More Berwyn:
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| Chicago (page 1) | Chicago (page 2) | Chicago (page 3) | Chicago (page 4) |
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Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |