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Missouri Signs (page 1)

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Ava Beverage
Ava, MO		 Ava Drug
Ava, MO		 Jan's Liquors [gone]
Belton, MO		 Crest Food
Center [gone]
Belton, MO
This Ava Beverage sign is probably from the 1950s. It appeared to have been restored recently when this photo was taken in 2010. [map]

Ava Drug was established in 1950. This sign is probably from then. I believe the sign was restored in 2005. The "Free Parking" part of the sign must have read something else originally. This store has another sign behind the building which I missed. [map]

The Jan's Liquors sign probably had a different name on top originally. The bulbs and neon appeared to be in good shape. In 2019, the sign was sold on eBay.

The Crest Food Center sign is from the 1950s. The store closed in 2010. In 2012, the building was still vacant and the sign was still there. By 2018, the sign was gone. It is now in a private collection. It may be displayed at the Lumi Museum in the future. For more, see this website.

Barnett:
Top Stitch [map]

Blue Springs:
Blue Springs Bowl

Childress Music
Bolivar, MO		 Stein House
Cafe [gone]
Boonville, MO		 Melody Lane
Inn [gone]
Branson, MO		 Buffalo Motel [gone]
Buffalo, MO
Childress Music has been around since 1967. This sign is probably from then. For more, see this website. [map]

The Stein House Cafe opened in the 1930s. It was destroyed by a fire in 2011. The sign was saved and put in storage. This photo is from 2010. For more, see this website.

The Melody Lane Inn sign was recently repainted. The note was previously blue. This photo is from 2010. The motel has been closed since at least 2012. The sign was still there in 2016 but gone by 2017. For more, see this website.

The Buffalo Motel sign was probably from the 1950s. The sign was still there in 2018 but gone by 2021. For more, see this website.

More Bolivar:
Goldena's Boot Shop

Bourbon:
Circle Inn [map]

Brookfield:
Carrier Air Conditioning
Coca-Cola [map]

Tod's Motel
Cabool, MO		 California Motel
California, MO		 Cal's 2
California, MO		 Southeast Missouri
Builder's Supply [gone]
Cape Girardeau, MO
Tod's Motel was built in 1934 as Tod's Motor Court. This sign is probably from the 1950s. The design appears to match the College Crest Motel sign in Alton, IL. For more, see this website. [map]

The California Motel sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

The Cal's 2 sign was built in the late 1990s. The pouring bottle is animated. For more, see this website. [map]

Southeast Missouri Builder's Supply was established around 1900. This plastic sign was probably from the 1950s or 1960s. It read "Lumber" and "Prompt Service". The bottom sign might have been neon at one time. The sign was gone by 2018.

More California:
Pontiac

Camdenton:
Night Hawks Cafe: 1, 2 [gone]

More Cape Girardeau:
Grecian Steak House [map]
Zickfield's Jeweler [map]

Galbraith's Paint & Floor
Carthage, MO		 Drake Hotel
Carthage, MO		 Tri-State Bail Bonds [gone]
Carthage, MO
Galbraith's Paint & Floor was established in 1948. These Pratt & Lambert Paint signs must have been mass-produced. However, I don't know of any others like this left. There is only one panel left now. [map]

The Drake Hotel was built in 1922 and this sign is probably from then or shortly thereafter. In 2005, the building was renovated and converted into apartments. The neon sign was refurbished in 2006. [map]

Tri-State Bail Bonds was established in 1959. This sign had been there since at least the 1960s. The sign was still there in 2018 but gone by 2021.

More Carthage:
De Soto Plymouth
Star Lanes

Boomland
Charleston, MO
Boomland is a big fireworks store and gift shop on the Kentucky, Illinois, and Tennessee border. There are two other locations in Missouri. The first sign is a huge pole sign visible from the interstate while the second sign is ground level near the store. These photos are from 2006. On a 2010 visit, the second sign was missing. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Starlite Motel [gone]
Chillicothe, MO		 Ireland Advertising
& Electric [gone]
Chillicothe, MO		 Masonic Lodge
Chillicothe, MO
The Starlite Motel sign was probably from the 1950s. The sign was previously painted different colors. It was gone by 2022. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

The Ireland Advertising & Electric sign was probably adapted from another business. The fox appeared to be painting. The business name part of the sign was plastic. By 2018, the building was housing a used car dealership and the sign was gone.

This Masonic Lodge sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

Clinton:
Sherman Plumbing & Heating Co.

Dryer's Shoe Store
Columbia, MO		 Arrow Head Motel [gone]
Columbia, MO		 Eastwood Motel
Columbia, MO
Dryer's Shoe Store opened in 1956 and is still in business. The Weather-Bird Shoes company goes back to at least the late 1940s. Like Red Goose Shoes, I'm sure this logo appeared on other neon shoe store signs. However, this is the only sign that I know of that's still on display. [map]

The Arrow Head Motel was built in 1938. I believe this sign was built by Harry Dietz Signs in the 1950s. The motel had been closed since at least 2013 and a U-Haul distributor operated on the property. These photos are from 2010. The panels of the Indian blowing smoke rings over a fire were removed around 2020. The smoke rings were animated originally but stopped due to a change in the sign laws in the 1970s. In 2021, a permit to demolish the property was applied for. I believe the sign has been removed.

The Eastwood Motel was built in the 1960s and these signs must be from then. These photos are from 2010. By 2013, the red sign had been replaced with a sign for another business. The larger pole sign is still there. In 2021, a permit to demolish the buildings was granted. The sign was removed.

63 Diner [gone]
Columbia, MO
The 63 Diner opened in 1989. The restaurant had a collection of restored and new signs displayed in the parking lot. The pig and vertical EAT signs were vintage. The atomic sign apparently came from a Mr. Quick location like this one that was in Carthage, MO. The restaurant closed in 2015. The signs were still there in 2016. However, by 2018, everything was gone and the building was still vacant. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3.

More Columbia:
Glenn's Cafe [map]
Independent Order of Oddfellows

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