Quaker Oats
Owosso, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

In Owosso, they had recently torn down a building revealing part of an old Quaker Oats sign. It appears that when the recently town down building was built, they must have plastered over the remaining exposed brick wall of the building next door and of course the Quaker Oats sign. If you look close it seems as though Quaker Oats was painted over an earlier sign. Many thanks to Richard Weiss for info. 10-08

UPDATE: Artists Philip Martin Luckhurst and Jennifer Ross repainted the century-old advertisement in July 2023 through a Shiawassee Arts Center project. Overlooking Main Street Plaza, the revived mural gives the old wall another visible chapter. Fortunately, this Quaker got more than a brief appearance before fading away again. 07-26

Henry George Cigar
Sheridan, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's the faded Henry George Cigar advertisement in Sheridan, Indiana. Enough lettering remains to reward a closer look, while traces of other painted messages make the wall something of a puzzle. These old advertisements rarely give up their whole story at once. 05-09

Henry George cigars were widely advertised around the turn of the twentieth century, although this particular mural's painting date hasn't been established. Its bold lettering was meant to be readable from the street, selling an everyday product on a surface that otherwise would have been plain brick.

UPDATE: The Sheridan advertisement remains documented in ghost-sign inventories, but its latest condition hasn't been confirmed. The overlapping paint is worth studying whenever it's visible—a reminder that a useful advertising wall could serve several businesses and brands over the years. 07-26

Red Gold Tomatoes
Farmland, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a wall advertisement with a vintage look and a more recent origin. Red Gold Tomatoes adds a colorful touch to downtown Farmland, Indiana, using the bold lettering and product imagery associated with old hand-painted commercial signs. 05-09

Unlike a rediscovered ghost sign, this mural deliberately celebrates an Indiana brand. Its traditional “walldog” appearance fits the older brick storefronts, while a Pizza King mural adds another familiar business name nearby. Together, they give visitors a reason to slow down and explore beyond the main intersection.

UPDATE: The Red Gold mural remains included in local community mural listings. Its painting date hasn't been confirmed, but it continues the tradition of using a building wall as an oversized advertisement. New paint can have roadside appeal, too, especially when it suits the setting. 07-26

Otto Peters Drug Store (Closed)
Wayne, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's the Otto Peters Drug Store lettering on Broadway in Fort Wayne, Indiana. Sharing the wall with a Coca-Cola advertisement, it offers two reminders of the building's earlier life. That's a good combination for anyone hunting old neighborhood signs. 05-09

The building stands at 2725 Broadway and has housed later businesses, including Trubble Brewing. The painted advertisements outlasted the drugstore, remaining visible through changes in ownership and use. Together, they recall an era when pharmacies advertised both medicines and the familiar products customers could pick up inside.

UPDATE: The Otto Peters and Coca-Cola signs were documented as surviving in recent local reporting. Their latest condition hasn't been independently confirmed, but the building's reuse has allowed these traces of its commercial past to remain part of the Broadway streetscape. 07-26

Lee's Drug
Anderson, IN
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Downtown Anderson, IN is being nicely kept up, even with the loss of many jobs. Anderson is also home to Lee's Drug Store and this great ghost sign. This ghost sign on the wall of this look to be early turn of the century building features advertising for "The justly famed General Arthur cigar", "Lee's Family Tourist" and "medicine Case". A look at this wall is a distinct throwback to the days when the old main streets of towns were the central hub for businesses. Many thanks to Alan Culley for info. 05-09

The advertisements occupy the old Lee Block on Meridian Street. Their combination of tobacco and medicine reflects the broad assortment once found in neighborhood drugstores. Large painted lettering turned the building's side wall into advertising space, giving products attention well beyond the front display windows.

UPDATE: The Lee Block and its painted advertisements remain documented among Anderson's ghost-sign landmarks. Their precise painting dates and latest condition haven't been confirmed. Fortunately, enough lettering has survived to reveal more than a business name—it offers a glimpse of what customers were once encouraged to buy. 07-26

Spearmint Gum
Cairo, IL
Photo courtesy Alan Culley

Here's a faded Wrigley's Spearmint Gum advertisement in Cairo, Illinois. Part of the familiar package remains visible against the weathered brick, making the brand recognizable even after much of the paint has disappeared. 05-09

The oversized wrapper did the same job as a modern product photograph: show customers exactly what to ask for inside. Painted advertisements like this turned commercial walls into billboards, and the gum package gave the artist a familiar shape to work with. Today, the fading surface draws a different kind of attention.

UPDATE: The advertisement has been documented among Cairo's surviving commercial artwork, although its latest condition hasn't been confirmed. The building and paint have both weathered considerably, leaving an increasingly faint reminder of the shoppers and storefronts that once kept these streets busy. 07-26

Star Ham
Saginaw, MI
Photo courtesy Richard Weiss

“Fixed Flavor” catches the eye on this Star Ham advertisement in Saginaw, Michigan. The unusual wording and faded lettering make the brick wall worth studying, especially once the Armour name and product begin coming into focus. 07-09

The mural promoted Armour's Star Ham, turning an everyday grocery purchase into a large roadside message. Food advertisements were natural companions to neighborhood markets and butcher shops, where customers could buy the products pictured overhead. The exact date of this painting remains uncertain, but the surviving slogan gives it a personality of its own.

UPDATE: The Star Ham wall has been reported as surviving, although its latest condition hasn't been independently confirmed. Continued weathering makes the message harder to read, but enough remains to recall a time when even a ham could command an entire brick wall. 07-26

Coke Sign
Rockford, IL
Photo courtesy Kelly Sullivan

You don't need much red paint to recognize this Coca-Cola advertisement in Rockford, Illinois. The familiar script still stands out against the brick, even where the surrounding colors have faded. Some trademarks are remarkably good at surviving the weather. 09-10

A closer look reveals “Delicious and Refreshing” beneath the later “Enjoy Coca-Cola” wording. The overlapping messages suggest successive painting campaigns rather than a single untouched advertisement. As newer layers wear away, older lettering can return, giving the wall a history that changes with the light and viewing angle.

UPDATE: The layered advertisement has been reported as surviving, although its current condition hasn't been independently confirmed. The combination of recognizable script and competing paint layers makes it worth another look whenever you're exploring Rockford's older commercial streets. 07-26