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| MCDONALD'S: SIGNS |
| McDonald's sign [moved] Huntsville, AL |
McDonald's sign Green Bay, WI |
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McDonald's stopped using the Speedee character in its advertising and buildings in the early 1960s. Once commonplace, there are only a handful of these neon signs left.
The Huntsville sign was remarkably well-preserved and lit at night. The sign is from 1963, however, the building itself was replaced with a more modern one (and will be replaced again soon). A car crashed into the sign in 2007 and damaged it. In 2008, the sign was taken down and sent to the American Sign Museum. For more, see 1, 2, and 3. The old Green Bay sign is also lit at night and stands next to an updated building. For more, see this website. |
| McDonald's sign [gone] Lebanon, IN |
McDonald's sign Muncie, IN |
McDonald's sign Holts Summit, MO |
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This Lebanon sign was originally at a location in Lafayette, IN. It was saved and moved to this site in the mid-1990s. But by 2000, it was gone again.
This Muncie sign was restored in 2006 and has fully-functioning, animated neon. I believe that this is the sign's original location. For more, see this website. This Holts Summit sign was originally located in nearby Jefferson City, MO. It was restored and installed on a huge pole at this modern location. The wording on the sign was changed to say "originally was" 15 cents and that the bottom part of the arch was chopped off. This Phoenix, AZ sign (now gone) shows an even earlier wording and script style at the bottom. |
| McDonald's sign [gone] Biloxi, MS |
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| The Biloxi McDonald's opened in 1962. Their sign survived Hurricane Camille in 1969 but the original building did not. In 2005, their sign was severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina (bottom photos). It has since been replaced with a modern sign. [top photo ca. 1998 thanks Rich Kummerlowe] |
| McDonald's sign Topeka, KS |
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| This Speedee sign from 1961 was originally at the first McDonald's in Topeka (the second one in Kansas). In 1981, the restaurant building was replaced with a new one and the sign was donated to the Kansas State Historical Society. The colorful top part of the sign is displayed at the Kansas Museum of History. For more, see this website. [photo thanks Glenda Campbell] |
| former McDonald's San Bernardino, CA |
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| This San Bernardino McDonald's sign stands at the site of the first McDonald's restaurant which opened in 1948. However, I don't believe any part of this sign is original at this point. In 1953, the original building was replaced with the classic type with the double golden arches. In 1962, after the chain was sold to Ray Kroc, this location changed its name to Big M and the sign was altered. In 1972, that building was demolished. A music store was built on the site in 1974. In 1998, that building became a McDonald's Museum, of sorts. Without permission from the McDonald's Corporation, they can't call it that. Especially since the museum is owned by Juan Pollo Restaurants. So this low-profile place is referred to as the "Site of the Original McDonald's". For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. [night photo thanks Glenda Campbell] |
| McDonald's sign Lapeer, MI |
McDonald's sign Dearborn Heights, MI |
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| These Lapeer and Dearborn Heights signs are retro, modern creations. Note the compressed double arch behind Speedee. The Dearborn Heights location features a flashy building as well. It is known as the "50s McDonalds" which opened in 1988. For more, see this website. |
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More Speedee Signs
somewhere in AZ Sunrise, FL Ford Museum (Dearborn, MI) |
| McDonald's Winter Haven, FL |
McDonald's Lakeland, FL |
McDonald's [gone] Springfield, IL |
McDonald's Belleville, IL |
McDonald's Joplin, MO |
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The Winter Haven, Lakeland and Springfield McDonald's feature single arch signs with shields, aka "crest signs". The Springfield sign has since been replaced with a modern one.
The Belleville sign appear to be the same minus the shields. I believe this type of sign was only produced in or around 1962. The shield was based on a McDonald's family crest. The double arch signs were introduced in 1962. For more, see this website. The Joplin shield sign appears to be a reproduction. The horizontal part of the sign is single-sided and affixed to the front of the arch, without the white mid-section. |
| McDonald's [gone] Akron, OH |
McDonald's Magnolia, NJ |
McDonald's Lancaster, PA |
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| The Magnolia and Lancaster McDonald's are two other remaining examples of the single arch shield design. The Magnolia sign was about a mile away and moved here when that location closed. The Akron sign appeared to have been updated somewhat when this photo was taken in 2007. The shields had been replaced with McDonald's logos. By 2009, the McDonald's itself was updated and this sign replaced with a new one. |
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More Shield Signs
Pine Bluff, AR: 1, 2 Warren, MI Independence, MO Penn Hills, PA [early 1960s] |
| McDonald's Austin, MN |
McDonald's Westland, MI |
McDonald's Tacoma, WA |
McDonald's Yuba City, CA |
McDonald's Topeka, KS |
McDonald's Northampton, MA |
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| McDonald's Bangor, ME |
McDonald's Middletown, CT |
McDonald's Milford, CT |
McDonald's Freehold, NJ |
McDonald's North Syracuse, NY |
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| McDonald's Richmond, IN |
McDonald's Muncie, IN |
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| These cities have examples of the now rare "Skinny M" double arch signs. I believe these are from the early 1970s. The Tacoma sign is most interesting since it is missing the "Hamburger" text yet does not appear to have been reworked. The Austin sign must be older than the others since it still had the capability of changing the number of "Billions Served". The North Syracuse location has two of these signs: one at both of their lot's entrances. [Topeka photo thanks Dennis Boisvert] |
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