Can Depot
Somewhere in AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Looking to turn that box of empty cans into a little pocket money? The cheerful fellow on this Can Depot sign appears happy to point the way. With a box tucked under one arm and the other stretched toward the payout window, he makes recycling look like the best deal in town. Judging by that big smile, there must be quite a payday waiting inside.
Not much is known about this independent Arizona recycling business, including exactly where it was located. The name gets right to the point, while the homemade cartoon mascot adds just enough personality to pull motorists off the road. No sleek corporate logo or complicated advertising campaign was needed here. Just bring in your cans, collect some cash and let the happy fellow show you where to go.
UPDATE: The location of the Can Depot remains a mystery, and the fate of its happy can-carrying mascot is unknown. Perhaps he is still out there somewhere in Arizona, walking that box toward payday. 09-26
Tucson Seat Cover Co.
Tucson, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The marquee for Tucson Seat Cover Co. is one of those signs that becomes more interesting the longer you stare at it. Maybe it is the curious lettering, the weathered panels or simply the fact that a seat-cover shop once had neon advertising this elaborate. Either way, the sign had the kind of roadside character that once made Speedway Boulevard such a colorful drive.
The company opened in 1949 and remained at the corner of Speedway and Craycroft for nearly 60 years. Generations of Tucson motorists stopped here for seat covers, convertible tops and upholstery work while the old marquee kept watch over the intersection.
UPDATE: Tucson Seat Cover Co. moved a few blocks west after its original property was sold to Circle K. The business remains open, but city sign regulations prevented the vintage neon marquee from being installed at the new location. Its final whereabouts are unknown. 09-26
Phoenix Greyhound Park (Demolished)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
The enormous roadside marquee for Phoenix Greyhound Park made certain that passing motorists knew exactly where to turn. Its giant green and yellow arrow practically shouted “DOG RACING,” while the running greyhound up top pointed the way toward the track at 40th and Washington. Yes, the greyhounds were definitely this way.
The park opened in 1954 and became one of the Valley’s popular nighttime attractions. During its peak in the early 1970s, more than 4,000 spectators might fill the grandstand on a busy evening, wagering over $200,000 as the dogs raced beneath the lights. That big neon sign became a familiar beacon along East Washington Street.
The track also crossed into one of Arizona’s darkest stories. Arizona Republic reporter Don Bolles investigated organized-crime connections surrounding Emprise, a company associated with the park. Bolles was fatally injured by a car bomb at Phoenix’s Clarendon Hotel in 1976, turning the track’s business dealings into part of a nationally known murder investigation.
By the 2000s, competition from tribal casinos and growing concerns over animal welfare had taken their toll. The old neon marquee was removed during Valley Metro light-rail construction, and live racing ended on December 19, 2009.
UPDATE: Recently, the greyhound park was sold to the city of Phoenix, for the use of Sky Harbor Airport. The park will be open for about another 5 years, then torn down to make way to parking and extended airport services. The sign was
replaced by a really ugly plain sign and all the
character was lost. The park is still packing them in
though. i do not know the fate of the sign, or if it even it still exists. Light rail construction might have caused the sign to come down. Many thanks to Adam Falk for update 01-07
UPDATE : The old Phoenix Greyhound Park closed in 2009. The building still stands and the lot is the home of the Phoenix Park & Swap that features a swap meet and amusement park rides. According to Arizona Central, dog racing at the park was quite popular for a while until animal cruelty cases became raised in the 1990s and early 2000s. Alas, live greyhound racing became prohibited in 2017 and no longer exists in Arizona. Too bad as the Phoenix Greyhound Park featured the American Totalisator, which "guaranteed accuracy". Not sure how it worked but it sounds really cool. 11-20
UPDATE: Arizona banned live greyhound racing in 2017. The abandoned Phoenix Greyhound Park grandstand was demolished in early 2022, leaving neither the racetrack nor its unmistakable roadside sign standing today. 09-26
Pat's Bicycle Shop (Gone)
Tempe, AZ Photo courtesy Allen Sandquist
The colorful marquee for Pat’s Bicycle Shop featured a wonderful collection of shapes, colors and one big golden arrow swooping toward the store. Although the original caption placed it in Tempe, Pat’s was actually a longtime fixture along Main Street in Mesa.
Ross “Pat” Patterson opened the business in 1947, and his sons later carried on the family tradition. Pat’s became one of the East Valley’s best-known Schwinn dealers and operated from its Main Street location for more than 50 years.
UPDATE: Pat’s Cyclery moved to Gilbert Gateway Towne Center in 2009 before eventually closing. The classic Main Street sign disappeared around 2010, and its whereabouts remain unknown. 09-26
Rich's Hitch Works (Gone)
Phoenix, AZ Photo courtesy Elgin MacMillan
Time had not been kind to the faded old sign for Rick’s Hitch Works along East Van Buren Street. By the time it was photographed, only traces of its original lettering and design remained beneath years of Arizona sun. The ghostly patches of color make it hard to imagine exactly how the marquee looked when it was new, but it must have been much easier to spot from the road.
Van Buren was once filled with the kinds of businesses needed by motorists passing through Phoenix. Motels, service stations, used-car lots and repair garages lined the old highway, so a shop devoted to trailer hitches fit right into the neighborhood. Anyone preparing to tow a camper, utility trailer or boat could pull in and have the necessary equipment installed before heading back onto the road.
Rick's Hitch Works (Closed)
Phoenix, AZ Photo by RoadsidePeek.com
Rick’s Hitch Works sold and installed trailer hitches, towing equipment and accessories during the 1970s and 1980s. The shop carried familiar trailering brands such as Reese and Eaz-Lift, names that would have meant plenty to travelers pulling something large behind the family car.
Although the original photo caption calls the business “Rich’s,” vintage advertisements and business records identify it as Rick’s Hitch Works. Considering how badly the sign had faded, it is easy to see how that little roadside mystery began.
UPDATE: The sign serves as a memory to days when businesses advertised their goods and service with eye-catching signage. 11-20
UPDATE: Rick’s Hitch Works has closed and its weathered marquee has been removed. The exact closing date and fate of the old sign remain unknown, leaving only photographs of this nearly faded-away piece of Van Buren history. 09-26
Watson's Flowers (Gone)
Mesa, AZ Photo courtesy Tony Craig
The towering neon lily for Watson’s Flowers was quite a sight along busy Main Street in Mesa. Standing about 30 feet tall, the pink flower and green leaves glowed above the roadside on a sign created around 1955 by Paul Millet, the same sign maker responsible for the famous Diving Lady at Mesa’s Starlite Motel.
Irene Watson began selling flowers from her garden in 1927, earning the nickname “The Rose Lady.” In 1933, the family purchased an old gas station and 18 acres along the Mesa-Tempe Highway, turning the little roadside stop into a flower shop that remained in the family for four generations.
The giant lily survived until a powerful monsoon storm toppled it in 2014. Years of watering the planter beneath the sign had rusted its support poles, but fortunately it fell backward onto the building instead of crashing into the street.
UPDATE: Word is that the sign came down in a storm. Haven't seen the sign since. 09-17
UPDATE: The original Watson’s Flowers property has been demolished, although the family business continues elsewhere in Mesa. The old lily was saved, restored and relit at The Post’s Neon Garden in downtown Mesa on May 15, 2025. This roadside flower is blooming once again. 09-26
Can Depot
Tucson Seat Cover Co.
Pat's Bicycle Shop (Gone)
Rich's Hitch Works (Gone)
Rick's Hitch Works (Closed)
Watson's Flowers (Gone)
