Tuller Trophy & Awards
Tucson, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The tall sign for Tuller Trophy & Awards really stands out beside this little Tucson storefront. At a quick glance, the script lettering might look like “Trailer Trophy,” but the name is definitely Tuller. 07-23
Morton Tuller opened the business in 1955, making it Tucson’s first dedicated trophy and awards shop. Before moving to Arizona, Tuller had been a Hollywood child actor who appeared in early films alongside Mickey Rooney. He later served in World War II before beginning his trophy business. Really!
The shop remained in the family after Morton died in 2013, with his son Howard continuing the operation. Through all those years, the old roadside sign stayed right beside the building.
UPDATE: Tuller Trophy & Awards celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2025 and remains open under family ownership. Its familiar mid-century sign continues standing along Sixth Avenue. 08-26
Bacon's Boots & Saddles (Gone)
Globe, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Here is the colorful neon for Bacon's Boots & Saddles in downtown Globe. The sign proudly called Bacon’s “The Complete Western Store,” and judging by the boots, hats, ropes, and saddles inside, that description was probably accurate. 07-23
The Bacon family business began in 1948, although 1953 is often given as the opening of the familiar Globe store. Ed and Doris Bacon operated the shop, later joined by their son Earl and his wife Linda. The family’s Arizona roots reached back to the 1880s.
The front of the store sold western clothing and equipment, while the real action took place in the workshop out back. Ed Bacon learned traditional saddlemaking through the famous Porter Saddle Company of Phoenix and passed the trade along to Earl. Their handmade saddles earned a reputation among working cowboys for being especially sturdy on steep mountain terrain.
Bacon’s became one of the longest continuously operated businesses in Gila County. After Ed died in 2015 at age 89, Earl decided it was time to close the shop. The doors shut in 2016 after more than six decades of family operation.
UPDATE: The Bacon’s Boots & Saddles neon sign was removed following the 2016 closure, and its present whereabouts are unknown. In 2026, local volunteers arranged original tools, benches, and leatherworking equipment inside the storefront windows, giving visitors a look at the Bacon family’s long saddlemaking legacy. 08-26
