Crenshaw's General MDSE
IL
Photo courtesy Don Gardner

Old painted wall ads are always worth slowing down for. At Crenshaw's General Merchandise, it looks like Pepsi won this particular wall, but not before Coca-Cola left its mark underneath. You can still spot traces of the older mural peeking through if you look closely. 03-01

That's one of the fun things about ghost signs. As businesses changed and advertisers came and went, one layer was often painted right over another, leaving behind little clues from decades past.

UPDATE: Not sure of the status of this gem of a ghost sign. 07-26

Goodrich Service Station (Demolished)
Detroit, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Ghost signs always seem to stop people in their tracks, especially when they're hiding in the middle of a big city. This faded Goodrich Service Station advertisement stood just a few blocks from Detroit's Renaissance Center, quietly reminding passersby of the city's automotive past. 03-07

Even after decades of weather, the painted wall still advertised "Goodrich DeLuxe Truck Tires" along with the familiar slogan, "Best In The Long Run." It's the kind of sign that probably wasn't meant to last, yet somehow managed to outlive the business it once promoted.

Unfortunately, this ghost sign is now a ghost itself. The building was eventually demolished as downtown Detroit continued to evolve, taking the old painted advertisement with it.

UPDATE: The building has been demolished, and the Goodrich ghost sign has been lost. 07-26

Willy's Overland Service Building
Detroit, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Located in Detroit is this ghost sign for theWillys-Overland Service Building. This building and the sign were restored last year as the building was being converted to condo's. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 06-07

Ghost signs don't always fade away. Every once in a while, one gets a second chance, and that's exactly what happened at the Willys-Overland Service Building in Detroit. Built in the 1910s as a service center for Willys-Overland automobiles, the building served Detroit's growing automotive industry for decades. The faded painted sign remained long after the cars were gone, quietly overlooking the neighborhood through years of change.

Fortunately, when the building was converted into lofts, the ghost sign was carefully restored instead of being covered up or lost. Today it remains one of the building's defining features and a nice reminder of Detroit's automotive heritage.

UPDATE: The Willys-Overland Service Building has been restored and converted into lofts. Its historic ghost sign was preserved during the renovation and still survives today. 07-26

Millers Market (Closed)
Whitehouse, OH
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

Ghost signs always make a downtown a little more interesting. The faded lettering on the side of Miller's Market is the kind of thing that's easy to miss unless you're taking the back roads instead of the interstate. 03-07

The building began as Townsend's Family Store before later becoming Miller's Market, serving the Whitehouse community for many years. Even as the businesses changed, the old painted advertisement remained on the side of the building, slowly fading with each passing decade.

The market has since closed, but the ghost sign still hangs on. It's a nice reminder that sometimes the most interesting roadside attractions aren't the ones that were meant to last.

UPDATE: Miller's Market has closed, but the faded ghost sign still survives on the side of the building. 07-26

Klef Bros Drugs
Kansas City, MO
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

Klef Bros Drugs is one of those ghost signs that's easy to miss if you're driving by too fast. Faded into the brick on the side of a building that later became the famous Club Mardi Gras, it's a great reminder that every old wall has a story to tell. 11-07.

The painted advertisement has been fading away for decades, leaving behind just enough lettering to catch the eye of anyone who enjoys hunting for these forgotten pieces of roadside history. It's the kind of sign that makes you stop, stare, and wonder what the building looked like when the paint was fresh.

The building later became Club Mardi Gras, a well-known jazz club in Kansas City's historic 18th & Vine district, where legends like John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Duke Ellington, and Miles Davis once performed. It's pretty amazing that traces of an old neighborhood drugstore can still be found on the same walls.

UPDATE: The building is still standing but remains vacant after years of structural problems. The ghost sign is still hanging on, although it's getting harder to spot as time takes its toll. Hopefully both will be around for years to come. 07-26

Henry George Cigars
Rochester, IN
Photo courtesy Doug Harvey

Henry George Cigars is one of Indiana's more unusual ghost signs. At first glance, it looks like an old faded Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement. But if you spend a few minutes studying the brick, another sign begins to appear underneath. 04-08.

The original advertisement was for Henry George 5¢ Cigars, a popular brand in the early 1900s. Years later, a Mail Pouch Tobacco sign was painted right over it. As both layers faded, the lettering blended together, creating the famous "I Chew Men" effect that has puzzled—and amused—roadside travelers for years.

It's a great example of how old ghost signs can tell more than one story at the same time. What started as one advertisement eventually became two, with decades of weather leaving behind a one-of-a-kind piece of roadside history that's much more interesting than either sign would have been on its own.

UPDATE: The building is still standing, and this layered ghost sign continues to fade a little more each year. Thankfully, it's still easy enough to spot if you're walking along Main Street in Rochester. 07-26