Glass Sign
Oklahoma City, OK
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

This weather-beaten sign once advertised a neighborhood glass business in Oklahoma City. Most of the paint has long since disappeared, but the sturdy steel frame managed to survive decades of Oklahoma sun, wind, and storms. It's the kind of roadside survivor that's easy to drive past but hard to forget once you notice it. 10-10

Back in the mid-century years, independent glass shops relied on signs like this to grab the attention of passing motorists. Whether you needed a new windshield or a broken window replaced, businesses wanted their message to be simple and easy to spot from the road. Thousands of these commercial signs once lined city streets, but very few remain today.

I don't know much about the business itself, but the sign tells enough of the story. Even faded and worn, it stood as a reminder of a time when local businesses invested in sturdy, eye-catching roadside advertising instead of plastic storefront signs.

UPDATE: The vintage roadside sign has since been removed from the property. After years of exposure to the elements, the weathered structure was dismantled, leaving only photographs to preserve this small piece of Oklahoma City's roadside history. 06-26

Jewelers
Lawrence, KS
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

This old Jewelers sign in downtown Lawrence comes with a useful extra—a little clock hanging beneath the marquee. Whether it was still keeping perfect time is another question, but it certainly gives passersby a reason to look up.

Clocks made fitting advertisements for jewelers who also sold and repaired watches. You could check the time, admire the neon and perhaps remember that watch you’d been meaning to get fixed. Not bad for one small storefront sign.

The business name is difficult to read, but the combination of neon lettering and a hanging clock recalls the days when downtown shops had their own distinctive advertisements. This one deserves a closer look even if jewelry shopping isn’t on the schedule. 11-10

UPDATE: The sign’s present status remains unconfirmed. Its clock and neon detailing preserve the character of an era when the neighborhood jeweler could also help keep the town on time. 06-26

Moody's Jewelry
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Three sparkling neon diamonds crown the colorful Moody's Jewelry sign on Harvard Avenue in Tulsa. Between the bright lettering and those oversized gems, this advertisement starts showing off the merchandise before you reach the door. 04-17

Ernest Moody Sr. founded the business as a watch repair shop in 1944. It grew into a familiar family-owned jewelry business, while the neon became a landmark for motorists passing through the neighborhood. Apparently, a little sparkle wasn’t reserved for the display cases.

Just a few blocks from Route 66, Moody’s offers roadside visitors a worthwhile detour. The storefront and sign make an appealing combination during the day, but an evening visit gives those neon diamonds their chance to shine. Window shopping can wait a minute while you admire what’s above it.

UPDATE: Moody’s remains family owned and serves customers through several Tulsa-area stores. The Harvard Avenue sign survives, keeping a familiar piece of the company’s roadside identity glowing above the street. 06-26

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Skateland (Gone)
Tulsa, OK
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

The colorful neon at Skateland promised an evening of fun before visitors even laced up their skates. Opened by Ed and Wanda Enlow on October 23, 1968, the Tulsa rink welcomed generations of birthday parties, weekend crowds and first dates. 08-17

Its familiar sign along 11th Street became part of the Route 66 scene. Inside, music and the rumble of wheels across the maple floor kept things rolling for more than fifty years.

UPDATE: Skateland closed in March 2021 following the Enlow family’s retirement and sale of the property. The building remains under new ownership, while the neon sign was removed and preserved rather than scrapped. 06-26