Creamer Heating (Closed)
Boise, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the matching rooftop signs at Creamer Heating and Sheet Metal in Boise, Idaho. The bold lettering advertised the company's two specialties high above the street, giving motorists something more memorable than an ordinary storefront sign. Quite a pair of roadside attention-getters. 09-06

Creamer was founded in 1942, and its longtime building dates to 1948. The business supplied heating, air conditioning, and sheet metal services while its rooftop lettering became part of the West End streetscape. The signs outlasted the original operation, keeping the Creamer name visible above the vacant building.

UPDATE: The building found a new use as West End Food Co, housing commercial kitchens for food businesses. Redevelopment plans specifically called for retaining and refurbishing the vintage signs. Good to see a new chapter for the property that makes room for its old roadside identity. 06-26

Ioof
Pocatello, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The bright IOOF neon sign adds a little glow to downtown Pocatello, Idaho. Those four letters stand for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, marking a lodge hall rather than a store or theater. It's a familiar downtown landmark with a history reaching well beyond the neon era. 09-06

The front portion of the Odd Fellows building was constructed in 1892 at a reported cost of about $6,000. The sign came later and is thought to date from the 1940s or 1950s, adding a colorful advertisement for the organization meeting inside the older brick building.

UPDATE: The Pocatello lodge remains active, and its vintage neon sign has been restored. Downtown's preservation program credits the owner with bringing the lettering back to life. Good to see both the organization and its old sign continuing to be part of Pocatello. 06-26

Dunkley's
Boise, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the flowing script on the Dunkley's neon sign in Boise, Idaho. The lettering belonged to Dunkley Music, a longtime destination for instruments, sheet music, and musical supplies. It gave the downtown store a recognizable calling card above the sidewalk. 09-06

William and Dorothy Dunkley founded the business in 1950. The store occupied its Capitol Boulevard location beginning in 1961, offering more than merchandise: practice studios and a recital hall helped make it a place where local musicians could learn and perform.

UPDATE: The downtown building was demolished in September 2015 for redevelopment, and the old sign was removed. Dunkley Music continued at its new Meridian location, carrying the business into another chapter. Good to see the music continue even after the familiar downtown storefront disappeared. 06-26

Red's Cycles
Pocatello, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the giant key-shaped sign for Red's Cycle & Key Shop in Pocatello, Idaho. The unusual marquee advertised two useful services in one memorable package. Whether you needed a bicycle repaired or a spare key made, the sign helped point you toward the right shop. 10-06

The business was operated by A. R. “Red” Bartoschek, whose locksmith connections brought an unusual visitor to town in 1958: national lock-picking champion Glen Hickenlooper. The two had returned from a locksmith convention in Chicago, where Hickenlooper won his second national title. Quite a story behind an everyday key counter.

UPDATE The old key sign became a preservation project, receiving a $2,000 grant announcement in 2017. Identified in that announcement as a 1938 neon sign, it earned recognition as a piece of Pocatello's commercial history worth saving. 06-26

Fred's Photo Service
Pocatello, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

The camera-shaped sign at Fred's Photo Service in Pocatello, Idaho, leaves little doubt about what customers could find inside. Its old-fashioned camera outline made a fitting advertisement for a business serving picture takers long before digital photography arrived. 10-06

Fred's opened in 1938, and the sign is thought to date from the 1940s or 1950s. For decades, the shop belonged to the familiar world of film rolls, developing, and prints—the days when seeing your vacation photographs meant another trip to the photo counter.

UPDATE: The store closed in 2010 following the owner's death, but the camera sign escaped disposal. Removed and stored by 2014, it was restored through efforts involving Blaze Signs, Relight the Night, and the Cuoio family, returning to public display in 2019. Good to see this old camera get another moment in the spotlight. 06-26

Packham Real Estate (Gone)
Blackfoot, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's the old Packham Real Estate & Insurance sign in Blackfoot, Idaho. The weathered marquee has the look of an advertisement that spent many years greeting downtown customers. Its lettering recalls a time when local offices put as much personality into their signs as the neighboring shops. 10-06

Established in 1941, the business was founded by Charles Orson and Catherine Packham. It combined real estate and insurance services under one family name, becoming part of Blackfoot's downtown business community. The sign may date to the company's early years, although its exact installation date remains uncertain.

UPDATE: By 2018, the Packham sign had been removed and another insurance business occupied the location. The building survived the change, but the old marquee became another missing piece of downtown's roadside scenery. 06-26