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Kansas City Signs (page 1)

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Scimeca's Super Market
Kansas City, MO		 Ross Miller Cleaners
Kansas City, MO
Scimeca's Super Market opened in 1935 and closed around 2001. This sign appears to be from the 1950s. It is displayed behind Scimeca's Famous Sausage Company. Around 2020, Scimeca's Retail Market & Deli opened in North Kansas City. [map]

Ross Miller Cleaners was established in 1928. The company has two new locations in Blue Springs and Lees Summit. This sign is probably from the 1950s and depicts a man pressing clothes. [map]

Main Street
Kansas City, MO		 House of
Heavilin Beauty College
Kansas City, MO
The Main Street sign appears to be an adaptation of an older sign. It is currently mounted above the Carter Group, a real estate agency, on Main St. Does anyone know what business this sign advertised for originally? For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The House of Heavilin Beauty College was established in 1953. I believe this sign is from then. For more, see this website. [map]

Hotel Monroe
Kansas City, MO		 Drum Room
Kansas City, MO
The Hotel Monroe was built in the early 1920s. It closed in 1971 and was converted into condominiums. There was a different sign there originally. This one might be from the 1950s. [map]

The Drum Room opened in 1941. It is located on the corner of the Hilton President Hotel. The building was vacant from 1981 until it was restored in 2006. The Drum Room reopened at that time. This sign was probably built then. It appears to be a recreation of the original. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

Mayfair Cleaners
Kansas City, MO

2010:
2024:
Mayfair Cleaners was established in 1943. These signs appear to be from the 1950s or 1960s. The business closed around 2018 and many of the signs' letters are missing now. [map]

National Furniture
Kansas City, MO		 Michael's Fine
Clothes for Men
Kansas City, MO		 former Daddy's
Backdoor Bar
Kansas City, MO		 Commerce Bank
Kansas City, MO		 Gillis Sundries
Kansas City, MO
National Furniture is long gone but this sign remains. [map]

Michael's Fine Clothes for Men opened in 1905. For more, see this website. [map]

Daddy's Backdoor Bar was closed when this photo was taken in 2010. I believe the building housed Danny's Big Easy, a Cajun restaurant, before this. This sign is obviously repurposed. Does anyone know what was here originally or where this sign came from? In 2012, the building began housing Anton's Taproom Restaurant and the sign was reworked again. [map]

This Commerce Bank sign appears to be from the 1950s or 1960s. The time and temperature oval at the top still works and revolves. It probably had neon at one time. At some point, the digital panel showing time/temp replaced the original bulb lettering. Does anyone know when this sign was built and if it always advertised for Commerce Bank? [map]

Gillis Sundries opened in 1946 and this sign was installed then. The space has housed the Happy Gillis Cafe since 2008. This sign remains. These Coca-Cola signs were mass-produced and there are still a number of them around the country. [map]

Rob's Cafe
Kansas City, MO		 Evangelist Temple
Kansas City, MO		 Cascone's
Kansas City, MO
The Rob's Cafe sign appears to be from the 1960s or 1970s. It may have advertised for the Branham's Restaurant originally. The property is located next door to what was the Green Crest Motel. Therefore, the restaurant may have gone by the name of Green Crest Restaurant or Green Crest Cafe at some point. This sign probably had some neon originally. It advertised for Debby's Diner before Rob's Cafe opened here in 2009 and restored this sign. This photo is from 2010. By 2011, the name on this sign had been changed to Pop's Cafe. Around 2017, the business became a Latin American restaurant. I believe that place was closed in 2018. [map]

The Evangelist Temple has been here since at least 1959. This sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

Cascone's Italian restaurant opened in 1954. This sign appears to be an adapted Goodyear Tires sign. For more, see this website. [map]

Dentist
Kansas City, MO		 Westport Cleaners [gone]
Kansas City, MO
The Dentist sign hangs inside American Jazz Museum's Visitor's Center. The sign came from an African-American owned business in Kansas City.

This Westport Cleaners sign was there in 2007 but gone by 2010. It was replaced with a plastic sign. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

Sam's Bargain Town [gone]
Kansas City, MO
Sam's Bargain Town was long gone but these signs remained. They were still there in 2017 but gone by 2018. At least one of the Sam's head signs went to a private collector. Four of the plastic balls were still there. This was part of a discount department store chain with about four locations in the Kansas City area.

Robert's
Supermarket [gone]
Kansas City, MO		 Frontier
Motel [gone]
Kansas City, MO		 Capri
Motel [gone]
Kansas City, MO		 Teefey Flowers [gone]
Kansas City, MO
The Robert's Supermarket sign appeared to be from the 1950s. This photo is from 2010. The sign was gone by 2017. It is now in storage at the Midwest Sign Company.

The Frontier Motel sign appears to be from the 1950s. The sign had three smaller box panels at the bottom originally which were removed sometime after 2008. There might also have been something on those poles above it. This photo is from 2010. By 2012, the neon panels were replaced with plastic panels. For more, see this website. [map]

The Capri Motel was built in 1962 and this sign was installed then. This photo is from 2010. In 2015, the building was demolished and the sign was removed. The sign is in storage at the Kansas City Museum.

Teefey Flowers featured two 1950s-looking signs. The company either closed or moved sometime after 2007. By 2011, the neon had been removed from the pole sign and new panels were added for another business. The flower sign was disappeared between 2012 and 2014. For more, see this website. [left photo thanks Glenda Campbell]

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