Savoini's Western Wear (Gone)
Prescott, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Savoini’s Western Wear, Tack & Feed store was pretty easy to find along Iron Springs Road. Just look for the horses standing on the roof. There were originally two watching over the passing traffic, although the herd eventually dwindled to one. No flashing arrow was needed when a rooftop horse could point the way. 06-23
Artie Savoini opened the family business with his wife Susie and brother Joe in 1963. For the next several decades, Savoini’s supplied Prescott-area ranchers and riders with Western wear, boots, tack, feed, and other necessities for life around horses and cattle.
Savoini's Western Wear (Closed)
Prescott, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The store was also home to an unofficial gathering spot known as the “BS Counter,” where Artie talked with local ranchers about cattle, horse nutrition, community news, and probably a few subjects that wandered far from the original conversation. Every good feed store ought to have a counter like that.
Savoini’s closed in 2017 after 54 years in business. By then, the rooftop horses had become as familiar to many local families as the store itself.
UPDATE: J&J Ice now occupies the former Savoini’s property. The Western-wear signs and both rooftop horses are gone, and their present whereabouts remain unknown. 09-26
Plaza Appliance
Yuma, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Plaza Appliance building has been a familiar sight along Fourth Avenue in Yuma since the family-owned business opened in 1979. Operated for decades by the Van Horn family, the store sells and repairs washers, dryers, refrigerators, and other household appliances. 07-23
A collection of antiques inside the showroom adds a little vintage flavor among all the newer machines.
UPDATE: Plaza Appliance remains open at its longtime location, and the familiar storefront signs are still in place. 09-26
Sheep Camp
Buckeye, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Looking for some home cooking along old Highway 85? The Sheep Camp has been serving Buckeye since 1984, long before the little farming town began turning into a booming Phoenix suburb. The roadside diner is known for generous breakfasts, friendly service, and the comfortable atmosphere of a hometown gathering place. 07-23
Biscuits and gravy, pancakes, omelets, and patty melts are among the favorites coming out of the kitchen. The restaurant even has an unofficial nickname among some longtime locals: the “Sheep Dip.” Hopefully that one is not listed on the breakfast menu.
UPDATE: The Sheep Camp remains open, serving breakfast and lunch from its longtime Buckeye location. Its familiar roadside sign also survives. 09-26
Bacon's Boots & Saddles (Closed)
Globe, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The Bacon's Boots & Saddles storefront was easy to spot along Broad Street in Globe. Its projecting neon sign promised “The Complete Western Store,” and inside were the boots, tack, leather goods, and ranch supplies needed to back up that claim. 07-23
Ed Bacon and his wife Doris opened the Globe store in 1953, although the family’s leatherworking roots went back even further. Ed’s great-grandfather settled near what became Roosevelt Lake in the 1880s, raising cattle and working in mining until construction of Roosevelt Dam flooded the family’s ranch land.
Ed learned the saddlemaking trade in Phoenix and passed the craft along to his son Earl. Working at benches in the back of the store, they produced about a dozen heavy-duty custom saddles each year for Arizona cowboys and ranchers.
Ed died in 2015 at age 91. With no next generation prepared to continue the demanding leatherwork, Earl closed the store in 2016 after nearly 63 years in business.
UPDATE: Bacon’s Boots & Saddles remains closed. Its old neon sign was removed in 2016, and its present whereabouts are unknown. 09-26
Savoini's Western Wear (Gone)
Savoini's Western Wear (Closed)
Plaza Appliance
Sheep Camp
