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:

Goldstar

East Morrison Apartments, 1928

While certainly not the oldest sign around, I've decided to include this since it has such a nice aura of decrepitude about it. It's on the corner of SE 8th and Morrison.

2009:

Empire Rubber & Supply Update

As noted several weeks ago, Empire Rubber & Supply suffered a fire. As a part of the restoration process, they gave the building a spiffy new paint job. They've finally painted in their new sign on the west wall, but the old sign on the north wall, over the small side door, appears to be a part of history.

2009:

East Side Central Garage

1921

This sign may date back to the building's origins.
EAST SIDE CENTRAL GARAGE
STORAGE
Underneath that, barely visible now, in huge letters is
OLDS
Below that was a Union Jack, now painted over in white. This building has probably always been automotive-related. It still holds a detail shop and a car repair business. It's on the corner of SE 6th and Taylor. This sign is on the north wall.

2009:

Theater

Bob White Theater, 1924

"THEATER" is all that remains on the top of the west wall, along with "THEATER PARKING IN REAR" down below. Once a very ornate theater, it degraded to showing adult films in the early 1980s. It's now a private residence. Apparently the owner bought and installed a giant 4/36 Robert Morton - Wurlitzer organ from the old San Francisco Orpheum Theater.

This theater is located at SE 64th and Foster.

2009:

East Morrison Apts.

East Morrison Apartments, 1928

I suspect "EAST MORRISON APTS." along the top is restored since it so crisp and bold. Below that is a pretty neat, original ghost sign:

PROFESSIONAL
PAINTING PAYS!
and to the right of that is a logo:
MEMBER OF
PAINTING
AND
DECORATING
CONTRACTORS
of AMERICA
The PDCA is still around, by the way. See this nice sign at SE 7th and Morrison.

2009:

Trim & Upholstery Supplies

Yale Union Laundry Building, 1908

This small sign, painted on metal, is on the west wall of the Yale Union Laundry Building and is probably a remnant of its use as the Perfect Fit - McDonald, Inc. headquarters.

I've added photos of a few other interesting details of the building. It's worth a trip over to SE 10th and Belmont to take a look.

2009:

Perfect Fit - McDonald, Inc.

Yale Union Laundry Building, 1908

Perfect Fit Manufacturing and McDonald & Company merged under the Perfect Fit-McDonald name in 1980; I'd guess this sign dates from then. They have since moved from this building so I suspect the sign will disappear once the owners find new tenants. It's visible on SE Morrison between 10th and 11th.

2009:

Hippo Hardware

Hippo Hardware Store, 1921

Hippo Hardware has carried these signs since 1976. The most striking part of the display is the crowned and toga-ed hippos on pedestals adorning the six curbside columns. Hippo Hardware is on the corner of SE 11th and Burnside.

2009:

Rebel SK8s

Building: 1950

This sign is obviously way out of the normal for the type I chronicle here. Two reasons: 1) I like it for its color, attitude and home-made quality. And 2) I'm lazy after a long Memorial day weekend. Enjoy this yourself at SE Ankeny at Sandy.

2009:

Cromwell Tailors

Hippo Hardware Store Building, 1921

The back of the Hippo Hardware store at SE 11th and Burnside has this nice old sign. The top line is pretty sketchy but it's something like,

??? Tailored
Clothing
CROMWELL
TAILORS
The view is obscured by trees on SE 11th, so go down to SE 10th and Ankeny to see this sign.

2009:

Loans

1931

There's very little of this "MORTGAGE LOANS" sign left to see. Most painted signs just fade into obscurity; this one is peeling off. I wouldn't give it too many years to be even this visible. The top photo is the best view of the sign, from the adjoining parking lot. The bottom photo is the sidewalk view. More ascetically pleasing but mostly obscured by trees.

This is on the east wall of the Old Wives' Tales restaurant at SE 13th and Burnside.

2009:

Balzer Machinery Co.

By the looks of the script, this sign looks like it may date back to the 1970s. It's degrading nicely and the original orange paint has a nice rust-like look about it. This is on the north side of the building; there's another similar one on the south side. See it from SE 8th and Lincoln.

2009:

Miller's Truck Parts & Equipment Co.

1937

This still-colorful sign on the back of the Portland Engine Rebuilders shop has at least two layers. I can't read the yellow-lettered lower layer but the top white letters are still quite visible

MILLER'S TRUCK PARTS & EQUIPMENT CO.
TRUCK PARTS - TIRES
The building is at SE 10th and Hawthorne; the sign is best seen from Madison.

2009:

Empire Rubber & Supply

Part of the Empire Rubber & Supply Co. complex at SE Water & Taylor suffered a fire in September 2008. During the ongoing restoration process most of the building has been repainted and the old signs on the west and north have not been restored. The east wall, facing the railroad tracks, has not been repainted and the old sign still remains.

For now this will go into the Extinct category. We'll see if all the signs reappear in the near future. Stay tuned...

2007 (west wall):
2009 (west wall):
2007 (north wall):
2009 (north wall):
2007 (east wall):
2009 (east wall):

Salesroom 2nd & Taylor

Chas. H. Lilly Co. Building, 1911

The back side of the Chas. H. Lilly Co. building featured earlier has one more sign, this one on the west facing wall. It's below the all-too-obvious "CITY SIGN CO." at the top.

"SALESROOM ??? 2nd & TAYLOR" can be made out fairly easily. If you can read the word after Salesroom, let me know. You can see if from SE 2nd between Oak and Ash.

2009: