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email: roadarch@outlook.com |
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| Portland Signs (page 1) |
(hit "refresh" to get the most recent version of this page; click on photos for larger images)
| Ron Tonkin Chevrolet Portland, OR |
Holiday Motel [gone] Portland, OR |
Wishing Well Restaurant Portland, OR |
Rumpus Room [gone] Portland, OR |
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This Ron Tonkin Chevrolet sign was built in 1965. [map]
The Holiday Motel sign was probably built in the 1960s. By 2014, it had been replaced with a plastic box sign. For more, see this website. The Wishing Well Restaurant is better known as a dive bar. This sign is probably from the 1950s. [map] The Rumpus Room has supposedly only been around since 1972. However, this sign appears to be from the 1950s or 1960s. By 2018, the neon had been replaced with backlit plastic letters. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Miller Paint Portland, OR |
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| Miller Paint was established in Portland in 1890. The first store opened in 1905. The lower half of this sign is believed to be from 1938. The windmill panel was installed on top of the text panel around 1950. The company's windmill logo was designed by Ernest's son, Herb. It is a reference to the stone mill that was originally used to grind the pigments for the paints. These photos are from 2015. In 2020, the sign was restored by Security Signs. During the sanding process, painted-over black lettering for "Miller Paint" on the bottom of the windmill was found and recreated. The stones on the windmill's base had been crudely painted for decades and were repainted as a grid. I don't know the age of the billboard sign in the nearby parking lot. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Whole 9 Yards Portland, OR |
Tip Top Cleaners Portland, OR |
Original Hotcake House Portland, OR |
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The Whole 9 Yards was established in 1991. The company moved into this building in 2006 and repurposed the Columbia Neon sign. The building appears to be from the 1940s. This sign appears to be from the 1950s. [map]
Tip Top Cleaners has been here since at least the mid-1950s. This sign is probably from then. For more, see this website. [map] The Original Hotcake House has been here since at least the 1960s. This sign appears to be from then. [map] |
| Palms Motor Hotel Portland, OR 2008: |
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| The Palms Motor Hotel opened in 1949. This sign was built around 1952. This sign is about 50 feet tall and 15 feet wide. It was repainted and the neon was repaired in 2012. [map] |
| The Alibi Portland, OR |
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| The Alibi opened in 1947 as a tiki bar. The restaurant was added in the 1950s. These signs were built around 1963. The interior still features extensive Polynesian decor. [map] |
| McCoy Plumbing Portland, OR |
Hatch Lumber Portland, OR |
Viking Motel Portland, OR |
Nite Hawk Cafe & Lounge Portland, OR |
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McCoy Plumbing is closed but this sign remains. [map]
Hatch Lumber is long gone but this sign remains. It was probably built in the 1950s. [map] The Viking Motel was built in 1959. This sign appears to be from then. It was painted blue in 2006. This photo is from 2008. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map] The Nite Hawk Cafe & Lounge opened in 1931 as an oil change shop that served coffee and pie. Over the years, it developed into a bar and restaurant. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Billy Ray's Neighborhood Dive Portland, OR |
Salvation Army Harbor Light Portland, OR |
Salvation Army Portland, OR |
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Billy Ray's Neighborhood Dive is probably just the latest in a string of occupants to occupy the space beneath this "Tavern" sign. Does anyone know the history of this place? [map]
The Salvation Army Harbor Light sign appears to be modern. [map] This Salvation Army sign also appears to be modern. For more, see this website. [map] |
| Westerner Motel Portland, OR |
Tulip Pastry Shop [gone] Portland, OR |
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The Westerner Motel sign is probably from the 1950s. These photos are from 2008 (night) and 2015 (day). In 2017, the sign was painted brown. The neon for the "Direct Dial Phone" text was removed and painted over. The brands at the top of the sign were also painted over. [map]
The Tulip Pastry Shop opened here in 1950. This sign appeared to be from then. It was apparently built as a double-sided projecting sign with only one side visible in recent years. The portrait of the chef was probably a recent repaint. The store closed in 2017 and the sign was removed. |
| States Motel Portland, OR |
Mr. Plywood Portland, OR |
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The States Motel sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. For more, see this website. [map]
Mr. Plywood was established in 1966. The single-sided pole sign was installed around then but has been rebuilt a few times, most recently around 2005. The sign tucked under the canopy must be more recent. [map] |
| Chevy Store Portland, OR |
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| These neon signs hang inside the Chevy Store, a dealership selling vintage Chevrolets. [map] |
| Portland (page 2) | Portland (page 3) |
| Oregon (page 1) | Oregon (page 2) | Oregon (page 3) | Oregon (page 4) |
| Main Signs Page |
| RoadsideArchitecture.com |
Copyright. All photos at this website are copyrighted and may only be used with my consent. This includes posting them at Facebook, Pinterest, blogs, other websites, personal use, etc. Tips & Updates. If you have suggestions about places that I haven't covered, historical info, or updates about places/things that have been remodeled or removed, I'd love to hear from you: roadarch@outlook.com. |