 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
email: agilitynut@hotmail.com |
 |
| Ohio Signs (page 2) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| North Plaza Mall Canton, OH |
Towne Manor Motel Canton, OH |
Colonial Lanes Canton, OH |
Rainbow Lanes and Lounge Fremont, OH |
Bartlett's Old Orchard Motel Fremont, OH |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The North Plaza Mall retains its old sign (at least for now) despite remodeling its strip of stores.
The Towne Manor features plastic balls like many other signs from the 1950s and 1960s (e.g., Gene and Boots, Slide & Ride, and The Lamp Post Café). The Colonial Lanes have been around since the 1960s. The Rainbow Lanes and Lounge features a classic ball and pin sign. Bartlett's Old Orchard Motel and sign were built around 1949. For more, see their website. |
| Giant Auto Parts Akron, OH |
Diamond Grille Akron, OH |
United Rubber Workers Building Akron, OH |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Giant Auto Parts sign points to their Streamline Moderne building that is probably from the 1940s. The sign is probably from that time as well. This company was established in 1930.
The Diamond Grille is famous for its steaks. This sign is probably from the 1950s or earlier. This United Rubber Workers Building sign is now stashed in a yard behind a church. The URW's headquarters was built in 1945. I assume this sign is from that time. The building was demolished around 1992 to build the John S. Knight Convention Center. |
| Charlie's Ribs & Chicken Akron, OH |
Flag Pole Liquor Akron, OH |
 |
 |
|
Charlie's Ribs & Chicken opened in 1959 as The Bunny. "Bunny" was Charlie's mother's nickname. After she passed away in the 1990s, the place was renamed Charlie's Ribs & Chicken.
The Flag Pole Liquor sign originally advertised for the Flag Pole Drive-in. The Norge Ball-like sign was meant to resemble a hamburger. There was another Flag Pole Drive-in in town that had a giant flag. It did not have a hamburger sign like this one. I believe this sign is from the 1960s. |
| Drake Motel Springfield, OH |
Reco Sporting Goods Springfield, OH |
Schuler's Bakery Springfield, OH |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Drake Motel was built in 1950. Around 2008, this huge sign was repainted and the neon was removed. This motel had a twin in Indianapolis, IN with an identical sign. The motel in Indianapolis was demolished around 2005 and I believe the sign is gone. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.
Reco Sporting Goods specializes in uniforms and fishing supplies. Reco stands for "Recreation Equipment Co, Inc.". The original store which opened in 1926 had a log cabin style facade. The sign was installed over the entrance. The company moved to its current location in 1971 and brought the sign with them. In 2003, when this first photo was taken, the sign was installed on the roof. In 2009 (right photo), the sign was only partially visible. It had been blown down in a storm. The hunter portion of the sign is in storage. The owner would like to restore the sign someday. For more, see this website. Schuler's Bakery has been here since 1935. The store has a great vintage interior. The sign is still lit at night. For more, see this website. |
| Fred E. Peters & Sons Springfield, OH |
Brain Lumber Co. Springfield, OH |
 |
 |
|
The Fred E. Peters & Sons key shop opened here in 1960. The metal key on top might have been outlined with neon.
The Brain Lumber Co. was established in 1868. This business features an embossed plastic Sherwin-Williams Paints sign. These signs must have been mass-produced but I haven't seen another one like this. |
| Grove City Lanes Grove City, OH |
Markov's Chicken Dinners [gone] Enon, OH |
D&M Auto Body Dover, OH |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Grove City Lanes has a refurbished old sign. The "Grove City" part may have been a different name and was probably outlined with neon. The awning makes this sign difficult to see and photograph.
Markov's Chicken Dinners restaurant opened in 1950. The restaurant building is now occupied by Taylor's Tavern. This photo is from 2009. By 2011, the sign was gone. D&M Auto Body sign is probably an old sign with new neon added to reflect the current business name. |
| Pied Piper Drive-in Huron, OH |
Jer-zee Drive-in Marion, OH |
Louie's Liquors Lima, OH |
Corner Grill Bowling Green, OH |
Wooster Appliance Center [gone] Wooster, OH |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Pied Piper Drive-in looks like it is from the 1950s.
The Jer-zee Drive-in opened in 1949. For more ice cream stands and signs, see this section. Louie's Liquors is really a bar, also known as Louie's Nite Club. The Corner Grill opened in 1951. The sign is the original. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. The Wooster Appliance Center has been here since 1960. The sign was installed in 1964. As shown in this photo from 2009, the sign was missing the top and bottom parts of its bulb-studded arrow. In 2011, the store moved and this sign was removed. For more, see this website. |
| Adrien Pharmacy Cincinnati, OH |
Karl Mouch Jewelers Cincinnati, OH |
Chief Pontiac Cincinnati, OH |
Klein Motor Co. Cincinnati, OH |
S&S Western Bowl Cincinnati, OH |
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Adrien Pharmacy sign features an animated mortar and pestle. The sign is still lit at night.
The Karl Mouch Jewelers sign's neon and clock no longer work. These Elgin Watch signs were mass-produced. There are similar ones in Chicago, IL, Woodstock, IL, Franklin, OH, and Tiptonville, TN. The Chief Pontiac stands in front of MotorTime Auto Sales on "Automobile Row" (Vine Street), now mostly used car lots. The sign is 50' tall and was built in 1954 for Cherokee Motors. His mechanical arm used to wave to passing motorists. He was repainted in 2003 but the neon was not replaced. There is another sign like this one in Durango, CO. For more, see this website. Klein Motor Co. is another hold-out on Vine Street with a huge sign. They sell used cars but most likely originally sold new ones. The neon and bulbs were removed from this sign sometime after 2005. For more, see this website. The S&S Western Bowl opened in 1958. It features 68 lanes, glow bowling and leagues. For more, see their website. [night photo thanks George Feinthel] |
| Merry Weather Leather Cincinnati, OH |
Young & Bertke Air Systems Co. Cincinnati, OH |
|
 |
 |
 |
|
The Merry Weather Leather sign was purchased at an antiques show. It was just the two faces at that point with no neon. The "can" was added between them and the wording changed. The sign is protected behind plastic and lit at night. For more, see this website.
Young & Bertke, a metal fabricating business, was founded in 1920. The company refers to their sign's tin man as "YouBert", an abbreviation of Young & Bertke. The sign was built in 1926 and was visible from the upper deck of the former Cincinnati Reds' baseball park, Crosley Field. The company relocated during construction of I-75 and rebuilt the sign. This sign was then destroyed in a storm. The current sign was constructed in 1985. YouBert's animated, walking legs stopped working around 2005 but were restored in 2008. The 18 1/2 foot tall sign operates continuously 24 hours/7 days a week. It is estimated that YouBert covers over 10,000 miles per year. Here's a short video of him in motion. For more, see these websites: 1, 2, and 3. |
| OH (page 1) | OH (page 3) | OH (page 4) | Columbus |
|
American Sign Museum (Cincinnati) |
Bob McDorman Chevrolet (Canal Winchester) |
| Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |