A Sign That Was Worth Saving
Sometimes a sign is worth saving, in Tulsa just such a sign was worth the trouble & expense. Plus the building it sat on too!
In the 1930’s, Meadow Gold put it up atop a small building at 11th and Lewis. It was a beacon along Route 66 until sometime in the 1970’s. “It’s more than just a sign, it lives in people’s hearts and memories it truly is a landmark,” said Lee Anne Ziegler. A few years ago the owner of the building on which the sign rested decided to tear the building down. The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture and others mounted a sign rescue project. They got a grant from the National Parks Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program. They were able to take the sign down and begin restoration. Other grants and donations helped finish the project. (source)
open-air tribute to Tulsa’s Route 66 history.
I took these images in September 2009, about 5 months after this opened. I had decided to drive Route 66 from the Oklahoma border to Oklahoma City, much more interesting than I-44.
The new location is 9/10th of a mile west of the original. I like the sign and the windowless building, makes an interesting stop for those seeing Route 66 sites.
— Steve Patterson
I love old signs, especially ones such as the AB Eagle on Grand/64, the Vess Soda bottle, etc. And recently, with the increase in wall murals (or graffiti to some) in the Grove, I’ve developed an appreciation for murals and wall ads of years gone by.
Before I left Denver I and others were really interested in saving Gates Rubber’s iconic sign on the water tower at their old manufacturing plant in south Denver: http://www.jimprophoto.com/abandoned-gates/h27F913AC#h27f913ac . . . Surprisingly, we got significant push back from Gates, about their being able to maintain copyright and trademark rights.