The Colorful History of the Pink Elephant Car Wash Sign
From NBC Palm Springs: The pink elephant neon sign has been glowing brightly in our desert for decades and has become an unofficial local landmark.
“I think the sign is recognizable to anybody and everybody in the whole Coachella Valley,” said Randy Barnes who operates the rancho super car wash with his wife Lorainne.
The Barnes say this sign’s history starts in 1956 in Seattle, Washington when Beatrice Haverfield, known as the queen of neon, created the first pink elephant sign.
Century-old ghost signs revealed in Clayton building demolition
Photo by Liz Dowell
From Fox2: ST. LOUIS – Vintage ads have been uncovered during the renovations of the John P. Fields bar, including ones for Wrigley’s Spearmint Gum and condensed milk.
The renovation became necessary after a delivery truck hit the building, as described by a September 2023 Facebook post from the owner.
State approves $3 million to redevelop historic Hartford diner into community center
Dishes, in Hartford’s Asylum Hill Neighborhood, has been closed for more than 15 years. But a new investment from the state is trying to change that. Jonah Dylan/Hearst Connecticut Media
From CT Insider: HARTFORD — A long-shuttered historic diner in Hartford’s Asylum Hill neighborhood is one step closer to becoming a community center.
The state has approved $3 million to convert the former Aetna Diner, more recently Dishes, into a space for neighborhood meetings and activities. The diner, originally built in 1947, has been closed and abandoned for 15 years.
“It has to look exactly the way it looked, or as close as we can, to back in the 1940s,” said Wayne Benjamin, principal developer on the project. “Because it’s a historic project, that’s the aim or the goal.”
Historic diner could get its rebirth in Geneva
Seneca County resident Gerry Collins stands with the old Patti’s Lakeview Diner at the city’s sewage treatment plant in 2019. He had it towed to his Covert home, where he renovated it. Now, Collins wants to bring the dining car back to Geneva, where it operated from 1932 to 2004. Steve Buchiere / Finger Lakes Times file photo
From the Finger Lake Times: GENEVA — In 2019, Gerry Collins hauled away a historic local diner with the intention of restoring it and eventually placing it in Watkins Glen, where he operates an unusual hot-dog stand with just three seats.
However, Collins couldn’t find a spot in the Schuyler County village’s bustling downtown, where thousands of tourists flock each year for its many attractions. That’s when Collins, who resides in Covert, Seneca County, decided to look back to Geneva, the city where the venerable diner served up grub from 1932 until its closing in 2004.
“Ghost Signs” are disappearing in downtown Shreveport and across the South
KTAL/KMSS’ Jaclyn Tripp
From KTSM: SHREVEPORT, La. – Those hurrying down the busy streets in historic Shreveport may not notice ghost signs that tell stories of businesses from long ago. But if you consciously choose to search for these literal signs of the past, you’ll find them everywhere in old Shreveport.
And these old signs aren’t just to be found in Shreveport, either. They’re fading into hidden history status across the American South as you read these words.
Dr. Gary Joiner, Professor of History at LSU Shreveport, told KTAL NBC 6 News there are still hints of the historic signs that were painted on the sides, backs, and even storefronts of old businesses in downtown Shreveport. But he also said many of these old signs advertising Shreveport businesses are gone now, either because they were painted over, pressure washed away, or faded into oblivion.
Wilmington residents band together in effort to save the ‘Gemini Giant’
A grassroots effort is underway in far south suburban Wilmington to save the “Gemini Giant,” a roadside attraction that has called the town home for years, NBC Chicago’s Regina Waldroup reports
From NBC Chicago: It’s a towering roadside attraction that’s been standing along Route 66 in Wilmington for decades. Now, its future is in jeopardy.
In the small town of Wilmington, with a population of just over 5,000 people, the most popular person in the community is not a person.
It’s a 30-foot fiberglass figure that stands along historic Route 66. His name: Gemini Giant.