Hotpoint Appliances

Hotpoint Appliances, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Once again, it pays to wander around back alleys. This vintage Hotpoint Appliances neon sign (with a bonus hanger for a hardware store) was spotted in an alley in the tiny town of Polo, Illinois. I've visited this town a couple of times, yet this is the first time I've seen this hidden gem. I don't believe this was a hanging sign, but was a wall hanger from the beginning. I also don't know if this is anywhere near the original location of Port's Hardware, or if such a business even existed in Polo. It certainly isn't there now.

Campana

The Campana Building-Batavia, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Campana Building is a landmark in the town of Batavia, Illinois. This Streamline Moderne building received landmark status in the late 70's, and still retains much of it's period style and detail, such as the glass block windows and teal green tile.

It also still has it's neon sign, the logo for Campana Balm, the company's signature product. Sadly it no longer works, and you can see some busted glass in this shot. I don't remember the last time I saw it illuminated, although I know I have. When it was foggy, all you could see was the sign at the top.

General Office Furniture

General Office Furniture sign #2-Chicago, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

From the archives, the former General Office Furniture location in Chicago. This was down on Milwaukee, near Grand if memory serves, and was hanging out front of a building that was clearly undergoing some rehab. When I saw the building the glass was out in the storefront, exposing a tin ceiling and some cast iron posts. I don't know if this sign is still hanging-I haven't been back in years.

I don't know much about the company, except that there's still a General Office Furniture listed in the city, over on Lake Street. I've often wondered if this sign was re-purposed from an old Chevrolet sign.

Rockford Mattress Co.

Rockford Mattress Co., a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A very old, very weathered, de-neon'd neon sign in midtown Rockford. The whole neighborhood is a bit of a rundown faded timewarp-lots of little storefronts and buildings with old bones. Two separate painted signs for Coca Cola and one for Bull Durham Tobacco. And this.

There appears to still be a furniture store in this building, although it wasn't open at the time. I'm surprised they continue to use this old sign. I'd love to have it-I'd paint one side up all shiny and new, and keep the other in it's current state of decay. All new glass, of course.

I also wonder how it got that dent in the side.

Liquor Store

Liquor Store-Aurora, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

This old liquor store neon sign probably said something else before the Budweiser plastic was installed. I don't know if it's original to this place or not-I think it's a bar now, not a liquor store.

North Shore Line

Old North Shore Line neon sign, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Chicago, North Shore, and Milwaukee Railroad was a Chicago-based interurban line that ran from 1916 to 1963. One of the Insull Lines (along with the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin and the Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend), the North Shore initially only reached Evanston, running on a private right of way all the way to Beer City. In 1919, the road obtained trackage rights over the Northwestern Elevated, which allowed access to the Loop, and service between the North Shore's two namesake cities.

Despite entering receivership in 1932, the North Shore managed to survive the Depression, even going so far as to introduce a pair of streamlined articulated trains, the famed Electroliners that ran five runs a day between the Windy and Beer Cities. The North Shore also saw a steep incline in ridership during the Second World War, due in no small part to the road's service at both Great Lakes Naval Base and Fort Sheridan.

However, like most interurbans, it didn't last. The North Shore saw fairly strong ridership after the war, but increased automobile ownership caused traffic problems in areas where there was still street running. In addition, the new Edens Expressway took local riders on the Skokie Valley Route (in use since 1926), which put a serious crimp in profitability. But by 1963 ridership had decreased so much that the North Shore ceased operations, with a final Electroliner run between Chicago and Milwaukee.

I'm not sure where this North Shore sign once stood-it is currently at the Illinois Railway Museum and has been beautifully restored since I shot this.

The DeKalb

The DeKalb, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Closed for movies but open for other stuff, the DeKalb Theater still has this awesome, if inoperative, sign out front. I don't know how long it's been out of the movie business, but there's a beauty school there now.

The Hub

The Hub, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

We've visited Rochelle's Hub Theater once before. Sadly, this vintage movie house has closed permanently, having had a brief reprieve last year. The building is, as of this writing, still for sale. Hopefully someone will buy it, and save this classic.

Adams Shoes

Adams Shoes-Chicago, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Vintage Chicago signage. Adams Shoes is long out of business, but it's storefront remained mostly unchanged for years. Check out the font on the yellow sign-it pretty much carbon dates it to the early sixties, maybe earlier. This sign also includes a smaller neon "Adams" sign on the front corner of the building. All of it was in pretty good shape, and probably looked awesome lit up at night.

I shot this several years ago-I don't know if any of the signs are still extant.

Santa's Village

Santa's Village-Dundee, IL, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Santa's Village Is a Christmas-themed amusement park in Dundee, Illinois. Opened in 1959, the Dundee location was the third one built (the other two being in California), and was intended to be the hub of a chain of parks. However, no further Villages were built, the other two eventually closed, and the Dundee location became the last of it's kind.

The park featured rides, a petting zoo, access to a water park, and the Polar Dome, an ice skating rink. Popular locally for decades, but declining attendance and other issues caused the park's closure in 2006. It remained so until 2011, when new owners cleaned everything up and reopened some of the attractions.

I shot this in 2010, before the lights and sign were restored to working order.

J.E. Brady

J.E. Brady, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

This week's Neon Friday post is a bit of a mystery. This simple sign is in the town of Pontiac, Illinois, along old Route 66. I've been through Pontiac a couple of times, but this was the first time I noticed this particular sign. It's kind of hard to see-there's a metal awning just below it (those are the awning's supports you see in front of the sign), so you can't really see it unless you're across the street.

I have no idea who J.E. Brady was, or what J.E. Brady did. The building has a martial arts academy in the storefront now. This sign looks to be in really good shape-the glass is intact and it's not especially rusty. I wonder if it still works, and have this odd fantasy that it's on a timer and still lights up every night at 6 pm.

The Oasis

Oasis Drive-In, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Located on the outskirts of Lexington, Illinois, is the remains of the Oasis Drive-In. Literally by the side of Route 66, it was a popular burger joint for decades.

The building is still standing, and is in pretty decent shape, although I have no idea what it's used for. The old canopy provides cover for a few old cars, and the old sign is still there, missing letters and all.

Oregon Theater

Oregon Theater, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

A former movie theater marquee in Oregon, Illinois. I have no idea how this sign looked originally-I think it probably said "Oregon", as the holes for the neon tubes seem to match up nicely. Clearly it had some extra decoration at one time, though, and it appears to be hand painted.

The theater has long since closed-the storefront is now home to an appliance store.

The Roarin' Elgin

The Roarin' Elgin, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

The Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin was an interurban railroad that ran from Chicago out to what is now the far western suburbs but was then two medium sized cities and a bunch of small towns. When the lines opened in 1902 as the Aurora, Elgin and Chicago, the trip from Elgin to the city was just over an hour-about what it takes on Metra today.

However, the CA&E had some added benefits over the mainline railroads, such as the Chicago and North Western or the Burlington Route. It served some smaller towns, particularly at the outer reaches, that the big roads didn't. The AE&C also ran into the Loop, using the elevated tracks, terminating at Wells Street Terminal. And, the AE&C was able to send trains out every fifteen minutes, alternating between Elgin and Aurora, far more frequently than other roads.

The AEC suffered during World War One, filing for bankruptcy in 1919 and emerging as the Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin. Coming under the control of utilities magnate Samuel Insull, improvements were made to facilities and track, but it didn't keep the CA&E from filing for bankruptcy again in the late thirties, a bankruptcy it wouldn't emerge from until after the Second World War.

The CA&E never really recovered. Despite improvements both the physical plant and the purchase of new rolling stock, ridership steadily declined as automobile ownership exploded in the postwar years. The final death blow came in the fifties when the CTA ended service on the Garfield Park elevated branch, tracks that were used by the CA&E to reach the Loop. Trains stopped in Forest Park, where riders had to then transfer to CTA trains to reach the Loop. The end came at noon on July 3, 1956, with very little warning-riders who had taken the Roarin' Elgin into the city that morning found that they were stranded when they returned for a ride home.

This is an original Chicago, Aurora, and Elgin station sign. It's been nicely restored, and hangs on one of the sheds at the Illinois Railway Museum. I don't know if it's hooked up to power or not, but I'd love to see it lit up again.

Food

Food, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

Maybe this is "Neonless Friday"? This arrow was tubed at one time, although I have no idea how long ago it lost it's glass. It points at the Chick-N-Dip in Hampshire, Illinois, which is an old school joint with a patio and no interior seating. It features no other old signs except this one. I think it's interesting that they've kept it for so long!

Hey Brothers

Hey Brothers!, a photo by William 74 on Flickr.

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.

The Hub

Rochelle, Illinois is known as the "Hub City", due to it's location at the intersection of two major highways-the Lincoln Highway, the first transcontinental road, and Rt. 51, one of the first to go north/south. Although the Lincoln and 51 have diminished in importance through the years (they're known as State Routes 38 and 251 respectively), the town is still crossed by major routes going in both directions. It's also the center of the universe for local area train buffs, with both Union Pacific and BNSF having major lines that intersect in town. It's proven to be such a draw that the city put up a park just for rail fans.

Anyway, that's how the Hub Theater got it's name. It's been around forever, and features a well weathered neon sign atop the marquee. I believe it still works. Sadly, the Hub is currently out of business and is up for sale-hopefully someone can save it.

South Shore Line

The Chicago, South Shore, and South Bend Railroad, better known as the South Shore Line, was an interurban that ran from Chicago's Loop, south around Lake Michigan, and out to South Bend. An electric road, the South Shore handled both passengers and freight, and was a popular way to get into the city. Having it's roots in the Chicago and Indiana Air Line, the South Shore fell under the control of industrialist Samuel Insull, who turned the road around and got it turning a profit again. The South Shore's classic orange cars were a fixture in and around the Chicago and eastern Indiana area for the next forty years, and is still remembered fondly by longtime residents.

This amazing South Shore sign used to be in front of the road's Gary, Indiana stop, and now is on the property of the Illinois Railway Museum. It's a fantastic piece, with that little train running across the top and all the chaser lights. The before shot dates from 2006 (and is sadly the only shot I have of it in that shape-note the North Shore sign in the background)-and in the intervening years the museum has completely restored it to working condition. It looks fantastic-I hope to eventually go to the museum after dark and shoot it.

Dewey's

Another Chicago ghost neon sign. This one hung over a Mexican restaurant on Clark Street, near Devon. At the time I don't think they sold burgers, and probably not chili either, but I never actually ate there. This is obviously a really old sign, from the fifties I'd guess, and dates from the time this was a greasy spoon called Dewey's. I was surprised that it stayed in place so long-it was clearly an anachronism, but I suppose the expense of taking it down and having the power shut off was prohibitive. And, I have to admit, an old sign like this is eye catching, so it couldn't have hurt things to leave it up.

I shot this in the spring of 2009, and I understand that this sign came down later that year.

Neon Friday!

Bear Neon, originally uploaded by William 74.

Something slightly different for this week's Neon Friday. I took this at a classic car auction, which had a nice selection of automobilia going at the same time. This included quite a few excellent, restored signs, all working perfectly.

This one's for Bear Wheel Alignment, which was (and is) a major company specializing in wheel alignment equipment. A sign such as this would have been at a service station that used Bear equipment. I've seen quite a few metal and plastic Bear signs, but this is the only neon one I've seen.