Another nice piece of vintage neon in the city of Dixon, Illinois. This one happens to be across the street from the Walter C. Knack building, just outside of downtown.
Hey Brothers Ice Cream was made in Dixon from about the 1920's up until the early 80's. I'd never heard of the company (outside of this old sign) until recently, when I read a novel that was set in Chicago in 1932-the main characters undertake a road trip to the Quad Cities and stop for some Hey Brothers ice cream in DeKalb.
I had thought that the company was no more, until I decided to have some ice cream at the Kane County Flea Market a couple of weeks ago-it was Hey Brothers! I was shocked-clearly the company had simply moved somewhere else. It was pretty good too, and I'd certainly have some again.
Awesome! I'm a Wisconsin Hey, and loved our visits to Sterling/Dixon... great times with our cousins and plenty of Hey Brothers Ice Cream. I didn't know the brand had been rekindled. Very cool.
ReplyDeleteThanks for posting... Do you remember the name of the novel that had Hey Brothers Ice Cream in it?
Best, Tom Hey
Glad you liked it! It took me a while to realize that "Hey" was a last name, and that the company wasn't called "Hey, Brothers!", like calling someone's brothers.
ReplyDeleteThe novel, if I remember correctly, is "True Detective" by Max Allan Collins.
I'm Justin Hey and I am a part of the Hey Brothers Ice Cream Family. My dad, Marty, and I vend at events throughout the summer. If you could, what was the name of that novel that mentions the company?
ReplyDelete"True Detective" by Max Allan Collins.
ReplyDelete