Tony's Town & Country Clothing (Demolished)
The Dalle,s OR Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The rooftop sign at Tony’s Town & Country Clothing let you know where to find a pair of boots in downtown The Dalles. Its bold lettering fit the old brick storefront perfectly, advertising a shop where work clothes and western wear were serious business.
Tony Foote and his father Gordon started the business in 1965. By 1990, the store reportedly stocked 5,000 pairs of cowboy boots and 20,000 pairs of Levi’s. That’s quite a few reasons to stop downtown. Customers included railroad workers, ranchers, and anyone who needed clothing built for something tougher than sitting behind a desk.
UPDATE: Tony’s closed in 2016, and the building was demolished in 2023. The rooftop sign was removed before demolition, leaving photographs to recall a downtown landmark that outfitted generations of customers. 07-26
American Building Maintenance Co. (Gone)
Tacoma, WA Photo courtesy Lauren Freeland
A maintenance company might not be your first stop when hunting for roadside signs, but American Building Maintenance Co. had one worth noticing. The towering lettering caught your eye, while the little character below gave the whole display a welcome bit of personality.
The company behind the name began in San Francisco in 1909, when Morris Rosenberg started washing windows with just $4.50 worth of equipment. That modest operation eventually grew into ABM, a major building services company. Somewhere along the way, its Tacoma office decided a memorable roadside sign belonged among the tools of the trade.
UPDATE: The distinctive Tacoma sign has been removed. ABM continues operating, but this photo preserves an earlier advertising style when even a company cleaning buildings could give passing motorists something fun to look at. 07-26
Food Mart (Gone)
Hazel Dell, WA Photo courtesy Jeff
Raber
The giant Food Mart sign didn’t waste much time explaining why you should stop. With “SAVE!” perched high above the road, it made its pitch to motorists traveling Highway 99 through Hazel Dell. You could probably spot the promise of a bargain before you could read the grocery list.
The tall sign belonged to a commercial strip filled with businesses competing for passing traffic. Its neon lettering gave a routine grocery stop a little roadside flair. That oversized “SAVE!” was the best part, turning an everyday sales message into something worth pulling over to photograph.
UPDATE: Food Mart has closed, and the familiar sign is gone. The property has changed since these photos were taken, but details of the building’s demolition and subsequent redevelopment remain unconfirmed. The marquee was certainly the part worth remembering. 07-26
Willoughby Hearing Aids (Gone)
Portland, OR Photo courtesy Jeff
Raber
The rooftop lettering at Willoughby Hearing Aids reached well above the building to catch passing traffic. Flowing script and bold block letters made an appealing combination, giving a hearing aid office the sort of roadside presence usually associated with motels and restaurants.
Paul Willoughby established his hearing aid business in Oregon during the 1940s, eventually building a regional chain. The Portland office stood at East Burnside Street and Northeast 20th Avenue, rather than along Southeast 82nd Avenue. Its low modern building and elevated sign made quite a pair on the busy corner.
UPDATE: The Burnside office closed in spring 2023. The sign was still standing when the property was reported on in May 2024, with a dental clinic proposed for the building. Its status beyond that date remains unconfirmed. 07-26
Bambi Mobile Park (Rem.)
Sutherlin, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The little deer above Bambi Mobile Park gave this Sutherlin sign a personality all its own. You didn’t need elaborate neon or a spinning arrow when a familiar woodland character could do the welcoming. It was the kind of small roadside surprise that made a drive through town more interesting. 09-05
Trailer courts and mobile home parks often had distinctive entrance signs, giving each property something motorists could recognize from the road. Bambi’s was especially easy to remember. Even if you weren’t looking for a place to stay, the deer was worth a second glance.
UPDATE: Bambi Mobile Park continues to appear in Oregon park listings. The original deer cutout and vintage lettering have been removed, with a replacement sign using the old support structure. The name survives, although the entrance has lost some of its woodland charm. 07-26
Handyman Paint
Roseburg, OR Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Handyman Paint sign has been brightening Stephens Street in Roseburg for years. At first glance it looks like a typical hardware store sign, but look a little closer and you'll notice the glowing neon paint flowing across the top. It's a clever bit of advertising that gives the whole sign a little extra personality. 09-05
Handyman Paint & Hardware has long been a favorite stop for local homeowners, painters, and do-it-yourselfers looking for paint, tools, hardware, and those hard-to-find items that seem to disappear from the larger chain stores. While the business has built its reputation on friendly service and a well-stocked inventory, the sign out front has become just as memorable.
The neon paint effect is what makes this one stand out. Rather than settling for a plain sign with a business name, someone came up with a design that actually fit what was being sold inside. It's the kind of creative roadside advertising that once filled towns across the Northwest, where businesses weren't afraid to add a little fun to catch the eye of passing drivers.
SWP sign close-up
Roseburg, OR Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Today, signs like this are becoming harder to find. Many have been replaced with standard backlit panels or corporate logos, making the old Handyman Paint sign an increasingly rare reminder of a time when a little imagination went a long way.
UPDATE: Here's another shot of the Handy Man sign with the Sherwin Williams paint can with paint pouring over a globe of the world. 03-06
UPDATE: Handyman Paint & Hardware continues serving the Roseburg community, and its colorful neon paint-themed sign remains one of the city's classic roadside landmarks. 07-26
Tony's Town & Country Clothing (Demolished)
American Building Maintenance Co. (Gone)
Food Mart (Gone)
Willoughby Hearing Aids (Gone)
Bambi Mobile Park (Rem.)
Handyman Paint
SWP sign close-up
