Traveling Through History with America's Motel Signs

[Jim Koepke]

Found an interesting post on a friend's FaceBook page.

Diving Lady - Starlite Motel - Mesa, AZ.jpg

This sign went up after my first trip across six states at about 6 years of age. Back then there was a lot of neon signs, many with flashy movements.

My photo of the restored "Diving Lady" neon sign for the Starlite Motel, Mesa, AZ
Thirty-nine years ago, in 1985, I pulled my car over at the very furthest eastern edge of Mesa and photographed this iconic sign. It was in major disrepair at the time; neon tubes were missing and/or broken, pieces hanging off the sign; paint was faded and peeling. But yet there she stood. Even though she was down on her luck, she still looked everywhere as elegant as she looked that first day she was first switched on.
The "Diving Lady" (as she's commonly called by the locals,) was still performing her precise, three-part dive from atop a 70-foot pole into a pool of cool, blue neon water; only now the blue neon tubes were just shards of broken glass.
When she debuted in 1960 she was the tallest thing in the city, her dive was visible for over a mile in either direction along Mesa's Main Street. The owners of the Starlite Motel erected her to draw attention to their beautiful kidney shaped swimming pool located directly below the sign. But 25 years later the property had fallen onto hard times. The motel sat empty. The pool had been cemented in leading the local skater kids to dub her, "Suicide Girl," because now she appeared to be taking a full-on header into the hot, hard cement below. I found out later that in 2010 the entire sign was brought down and destroyed in a violent storm. The Diving Lady had taken her last dive.
Thanks to some passionate admirers and community support, the Mesa Preservation Foundation raised $120,000, and two and a half years later she was fully restored. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a little emotional. After all, who doesn't like a good comeback story? Who said you can never go home again? The Diving Lady shows us that we all deserve a second chance so that we could show the world that we can still shine and light up the night and the heavens above!

From Ma & Pa Motels > https://www.facebook.com/groups/936308390284947/

[Maurice Mcmurry]

That looks like it would fit right in on Route 66. We have historic Old Bloody 40 near by. Our neighbor is a descendant of Pete Christus who had Petes Cafe. Pete had nationwide advertising like Wall Drug in one of the Dakotas. I hope we to get to see more of the West.
Screen Shot 2024-06-19 at 8.52.37 AM.jpg IMG_2044.jpg
http://www.route40.net/page.asp?n=122

[Patty Hann]

Found an interesting post on a friend's FaceBook page.

Diving Lady - Starlite Motel - Mesa, AZ.jpg

This sign went up after my first trip across six states at about 6 years of age. Back then there was a lot of neon signs, many with flashy movements.
From Ma & Pa Motels > https://www.facebook.com/groups/936308390284947/

Six miles from my house...5 miles east and one mile south.
I drive past it every other weekend when visiting friends.
Still executing that perfect pike.

[Earl McLain]

Great stuff!! If we ever get around to taking a Route 66 drive from Joliet to the west...one of our stops will be for at least one night at Earl's Motor Court in Winslow, AZ. Just because. Would make it easy to start the next morning standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ. Just because.

[Jim Becker]

A variation on this theme are old, painted signs on buildings. Marlen Kemmet who worked for Wood Magazine for many years prior to retiring photo shoots a lot of those as he travels. It helps preserve history that is constantly disappearing due to natural and human actions.

Many kinds of signs from the past are pretty interesting, too. During our discussion of a revised sign ordinance last night in the Planning Commission meeting for our jurisdiction, one member was remembering a "Chock full of Nuts" sign on a building in NYC that had a moving pot that "poured" coffee into a cup. That's all been replaced by digital these days...

[Maurice Mcmurry]

If we throw a Frisbee too hard at our sons house in St. Louis it lands in Chippewa St. AKA Historic route 66. There is an impressive collection of signs along Chippewa, some are real vintage ones, many are modern copies. A little further west of STL is the former site of Times Beach MO, we don't stop there.

[Frederick Skelly]

Great stuff!! If we ever get around to taking a Route 66 drive from Joliet to the west...one of our stops will be for at least one night at Earl's Motor Court in Winslow, AZ. Just because. Would make it easy to start the next morning standing on a corner in Winslow, AZ. Just because.

I just visited Winslow. Stayed for a couple hours. Ate lunch at the old historic hotel there. It was well worth the side trip!

[Michael Weber]

I’ll always remember the animated “ACEE Milk” neon sign locally where a tilting pitcher would fill an initially empty glass. It was in the late 40’s early 50’s. Got interested in making neon in the 90’s for some reason. Built a neon shop in one half of a two car garage (wood shop on the other side lol). It’s an interesting process but dangerous and potentially fatal one.

[Patty Hann]

If we throw a Frisbee too hard at our sons house in St. Louis it lands in Chippewa St. AKA Historic route 66. There is an impressive collection of signs along Chippewa, some are real vintage ones, many are modern copies. A little further west of STL is the former site of Times Beach MO, we don't stop there.

I thought that site finally got cleaned up (I'm from St Louis)

[Rick Potter]

We have done Route 66 twice in our Mustang convertible. To do it right it took a week to drive to Chicago, and two weeks to do Rt. 66. We had six books telling us what to stop at all the way, and stayed on the old route as much as possible, staying off the interstate. I remember having so many changes over the years in St. Louis there were several variations you could take. A small portion was even dirt road.

We stopped at many interesting small diners, and pocket museums, one memorable stop in St. Louis was at Drews Ice Cream which is so popular locally that while we were there we waited in one of three lines to get our 'concrete'. We had just gotten it and saw a wedding limo stop across the street. Out hopped a bride and groom plus attendants in full regalia. They ran across the street and got in line to order. A local told us this was not unusual.

Our second trip was about 6 -7 years ago, and the newest travel guides said to avoid E. St. Louis, as it was unsafe. Going through it was more forlorn and empty than several years earlier. So sad to see all the empty buildings. I hope they are having a revival soon.

I highly recommend taking the route 66 trip as soon as you can. Between our two trips many things had been changed (lost). Neon signs were fewer, the Pig Hip restaurant was burned down just weeks before we arrived for lunch, Hotel California in Winslow is completely gone but for one wall with the sign about the song. Don't miss Seligman AZ. which is 'Radiator Springs' in the movie Cars. Grand Canyon Caverns are right down the old road, neat place not too well known.

[Jim Koepke]

A variation on this theme are old, painted signs on buildings. Marlen Kemmet who worked for Wood Magazine for many years prior to retiring photo shoots a lot of those as he travels.

This reminded me of one day back in the late 1960s or early '70s. At the time my job was as a telephone installer. This was in Richmond, California. The downtown Richmond area was going through "redevelopment." To me this essentially tearing down the old buildings and moving all the businesses a few miles away to a new mall. While closing up my truck and getting ready to leave a man with a camera approached me. He said he was photographing old signs on buildings that had disappeared when a new building was built. He had heard one building that was taken down revealed a sign for an old Hudson Automobile dealer. He was interested in any information about where it might be. Not knowing my gaze kind of widened and gazed at a building about a half a block away and said, "Turn around and look at the building across the street." He gasped, thanked me and went across the street to take his picture.

Not sure if this is from the late 1930s or from the 1940s. It was before my time.

Richmond, CA Late 1930s ?.jpg

So many things that are only memories for not having a camera.

jtk

[Stan Calow]

There's been a revival of interest in old neon signage, including museums based on them - one here in KC featuring old signage from local landmarks https://thelumineonmuseum.org.

I also see one is under development in St Roberts Missouri, on old Route 66, featuring old signage from the highway https://www.saintrobert.com/357/Route-66-Neon-Park.

[Jerome Stanek]

I always loved the Burma shave signs

[Jim Koepke]

Here is one that could be seen when entering San Francisco on the bridge from the east bay.

Hamm's Brewery Sign SF 1954-1975.jpg

On this day in 1954, the 13-foot neon beer glass atop the new Hamm’s Brewery in San Francisco was turned on. The glass of beer was 13 feet high and 18 feet in diameter. Rings of lager-colored neon turned on and off, giving the illusion of beer being poured and consumed. it was the largest commercial sign on the West Coast. This sign sat on a 12-story building at 1550 Bryant Street, located across the street from Seals Stadium. Brewing continued there until 1974, however, the 13-foot-tall 3D neon chalice was removed by crane in 1975 and then disappeared. There are rumors that the giant glass was hauled away on a flatbed truck to parts unknown — possibly Southern California. The 12-story building is now a classy mixed-use office and residential space. It's still called the Hamm's Building, embracing the past. [blog.sfgate.com]

jtk

[Patty Hann]

We have done Route 66 twice in our Mustang convertible. To do it right it took a week to drive to Chicago, and two weeks to do Rt. 66. We had six books telling us what to stop at all the way, and stayed on the old route as much as possible, staying off the interstate. I remember having so many changes over the years in St. Louis there were several variations you could take. A small portion was even dirt road.

We stopped at many interesting small diners, and pocket museums, one memorable stop in St. Louis was at Drews Ice Cream which is so popular locally that while we were there we waited in one of three lines to get our 'concrete'. We had just gotten it and saw a wedding limo stop across the street. Out hopped a bride and groom plus attendants in full regalia. They ran across the street and got in line to order. A local told us this was not unusual.

Our second trip was about 6 -7 years ago, and the newest travel guides said to avoid E. St. Louis, as it was unsafe. Going through it was more forlorn and empty than several years earlier. So sad to see all the empty buildings. I hope they are having a revival soon.

I highly recommend taking the route 66 trip as soon as you can. Between our two trips many things had been changed (lost). Neon signs were fewer, the Pig Hip restaurant was burned down just weeks before we arrived for lunch, Hotel California in Winslow is completely gone but for one wall with the sign about the song. Don't miss Seligman AZ. which is 'Radiator Springs' in the movie Cars. Grand Canyon Caverns are right down the old road, neat place not too well known.

*Ahem* sir,... that would be Ted Drewes Frozen Custard.

(Frozen custard is not the same as ice cream...you want Ice cream, go to Cold Stone or B&R)