Powell's Update

Powell's Books, 1918

After some damage repair to the roof at Powell's City of Books exposed some old signs on a couple roof beams (noted here and here), they've finally completed work. Fortunately, they've left the signs, dating to when this housed a car dealership, intact. The "Parts Dept." sign even has a nifty little finger pointing downward.

Powell's City of Books is at NW 10th and Burnside. The beams are in the Blue Room and if you stand on the stairs between the Blue and Yellow Rooms you can see both signs.

2009:

Crane Display Room

The Crane Building, 1909

I first covered the Crane Building and its external sign almost two years ago. This recently found beauty is a remnant of when the Crane Company manufactured railing, piping and plumbing fixtures. You can see it inside the Lizard Lounge clothing/art/music store on the building's first floor at NW 14th and Irving.

2009:

Tool Shed

Building, 1949

This unique sign is painted on the roof, rather than the wall. Now home to Ted's Tool Shed, it once advertised, "???IN BOYS' TOOL SHED." It's in the process of being roofed over and will disappear forever one of these days.

See it at SE 88th and Powell while you still can.

2009:

Green Dragon

Followers of this website know that I occasionally throw in a modern building sign, straying far from the site's "ghost sign" origins. I do it here simply because this is a pretty neat sign, covering a large portion of the building. The building in this case is an old quonset hut. Now part of the Green Dragon Bistro & Brewpub, this building's previous incarnation sported its own unique hand-painted QHUT sign (bottom) which still stands.

Stop by SE 9th and Belmont and hoist a brew for your troubles.

2009:

Samtrak

This was a pleasant little hand-painted surprise I found across the street from the Oaks Park entrance. Samtrak was a small tourist railroad that ran between OMSI and SE Spokane Street near the Sellwood Bridge with this stop at Oaks Park. The train ran between 1993 and 2001. Here's more information about it.

Next time you go to Oaks Park, take a look to your right as you turn into the main entrance to the parking lot.

2009:

Oaks Rink

Oaks Rink, 1905

This is a beautiful old sign. It's probably been updated and maintained in the last 100 years but it certainly has that old-time feel. Visit Oaks Park on the east side of the Willamette river just north of the Sellwood Bridge to see this classic.

2009: