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Missouri Signs (page 4)

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State Fair Floral
Sedalia, MO
Sunset Motel [gone]
Sedalia, MO
Hotel Bothwell
Sedalia, MO
State Fair Floral was established in 1912. This sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

The Sunset Motel sign was replaced with a plastic box sign in 2007. Some parts of the sign were saved and are now in a private collection. For more, see this website.

The Hotel Bothwell was built in 1927. The vertical sign is probably from then. The sign under the canopy is most likely newer. The neon around the canopy appears to be modern. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

More Sedalia:
Club
Sho-Me Kort: 1, 2, 3 [gone]
State Fair Shopping Center

First Baptist Church
Seneca, MO
Kings Harbor Resort
Shell Knob, MO
The First Baptist Church sign is probably from the 1950s. It is installed on the back of the building in order to be seen when driving into town. [map]

The Kings Harbor Resort was built in 1959 and this crown sign might be from then. [map]

Slater:
Kelvinator & Philco [map]

Glo Dry Cleaning
S. National Ave.
Springfield, MO
Glo Dry Cleaning
N. Benton Ave.
Springfield, MO
I believe the Glo Dry Cleaning chain was established in Texas in the 1940s. There are some other Glo Cleaners in Dallas with this wedding cake style sign. I don't know when these Springfield locations were built but I suspect these signs are probably from the 1950s or 1960s. There are about six locations in Springfield but I believe only these two locations have the wedding cake signs. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [S. National map]; [N. Benton map]

Barth's Clothing
Springfield, MO
Mexican Villa
Springfield, MO
Hiland Dairy
Springfield, MO
Danny's Service Center
Springfield, MO
The Barth's Clothing sign was installed in 1914. It was actually built before that by the Nathan Clothing Co. which closes after a fire in 1913. The torches were either spared or replicated for Barth's which added its own letters to the scaffolding in the 1930s. In 2005, long after Barth's had closed, letters spelling out "DRINK" were installed. At that point, the space below housed a nightclub known as the Club Drink. Those letters were later removed. The photo above is from 2010. The building now houses the History Museum for Springfield-Greene County. In 2013, the sign was restored with new letters in the middle of the sign reading "History Museum". For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [map]

This Mexican Villa sign is from the late 1950s. It originally read "Italian Villa". When the Mexican Villa opened here, the name and sign were changed. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Hiland Dairy was established in Springfield in 1938. The company moved to this location in 1948. This sign revolves. For more, see this website. [map]

Danny's Service Center was built in 1954. This sign is probably from then. It has unusual external neon border details. [map]

Hoover
Music Company
Springfield, MO
Safe House-Pawn [gone]
Springfield, MO
The Hoover Music Company was established in 1912. This sign was probably built in 1967 when the business moved to this location. The circular panel with the portrait of the founder, Herbert Lee Hoover, must have revolved originally. In the late 1980s, this panel had an image of a piano instead of the portrait. In 2020, Hoover Music closed. The new building owner will probably adapt the sign for the next tenant. The company's original sign was installed on the side of the building. It was stolen after the store closed. [map]

The Safe House-Pawn shop was closed in 2010. In 2012, the lot was surrounded with chain link fencing. By 2014, the sign was gone.

Glenstone Cottage Court
Springfield, MO
Anton's
Coffee Shop [gone]
Springfield, MO
Best Western
Springfield, MO
Pineapple Whip
Springfield, MO
The Glenstone Cottage Court opened in 1947 as the Greystone Cottage Court. This sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]

Anton's Coffee Shop had been at this location since 1974. The place opened in 1959 as Vaughn's Dairy Sweet. There was an ice cream cone on the sign where the coffee cup is now. It operated as Yum Burger Drive-in in the 1960s and McCormick's Drive-in after that. Anton's closed in 2020 and the sign was gone by 2022.

This Best Western was built in 1937 as the Rail Haven Motor Court. It later became the Rail Haven Motel and, at some point, it became part of the Best Western chain. It is now known as the Best Western Route 66 Rail Haven. The sign on the left shown above was installed in 1965 and replaced in 1995 with a new sign. This old sign is still on display on the property. The other sign on the right might be from the same time. In 2015, a replica of the Rail Haven Motel sign was installed.

Pineapple Whip was established around 1987. These moving Lulu hula girl signs are installed on top of the company's three trailer stands. There's another trailer stand in Junction City, KS but it doesn't seem to have a hula girl. For more, see this website. [S. Glenstone Ave. map]; [S Campbell Ave. map]

Rest Haven Court
Springfield, MO
Munger Moss Motel
Lebanon, MO
Missouri Route 66
Welcome Center
Conway, MO
Parakeet
Apartments [gone]
Springfield, MO
The Rest Haven Court was built in 1947. The sign was built in 1953. It must have been inspired by the Holiday Inn Great Sign. The sign's arrow contains around 900 light bulbs. At some point after 1992, the owner must have gotten tired of replacing the bulbs and installed neon over the holes. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Munger Moss Motel opened in 1946. The owners of the Munger Moss were so impressed with the Rest Haven Court sign that they copied it when they updated this sign in 1955. In 2010 just after this night photo was taken, this sign was completely restored. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, 3, and 4. [map]

The Missouri Route 66 Welcome Center sign was based on the Munger Moss sign. It was built in 2009 and is located at a rest stop on I-41. [map]

The Parakeet Apartments was originally known as the Parakeet Motel. The ghost lettering of "Motel Parakeet" was still visible when this photo was taken in 2010. By 2016, the entire sign had been painted black. by 2019, the sign was gone. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

More Lebanon:
Satellite Cafe [S Campbell Ave. map]

More Springfield:
Cat & Fiddle [gone]
College St. Body Shop
Country Club Center
Crump Truck & Trailer Works
Modern Cabins [map]
Office Furniture
Ship & Anchor Motel [vintage; gone]
Steak 'n Shake
Teamsters [map]

Stanberry:
Farmers State Bank
GE Appliances [gone]

Congress Inn
St. Ann, MO
Buse's
Flowers [gone]
St. Charles, MO
Clark Auto
St. Charles, MO
This Congress Inn sign is probably from the 1960s. This motel was part of a chain. The top part of this sign has been changed to read Congress Airport Inn. The sign would have originally looked like this one. There was a better-preserved example of these signs in Nashville, TN. [map]

Buse's Flowers opened in the late 1800s. This sign was probably from the 1950s or earlier. The original FTD logo was covered with a Teleflora logo in 2005. The sign was removed in 2020 and is now in a private collection. For more, see this website.

This used cars sign at Clark Auto was mass-produced and apparently installed nationwide. There is an identical sign in Troy, NY and another in St. Joseph, MO that is missing its streamers. I don't know if there was a make of car associated with these signs like Chevrolet's "OK" used car signs. [map]

More St. Ann:
Airway Drive-in
American Doughnut Company [gone]

Neon Time
St. Charles, MO
The Neon Time sign shop is owned by Dave Hutson. He manufactures new signs and restores old ones. A small collection of vintage signs are on display at his shop. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

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