July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
The case of the missing Model sign
Back in the Saddle
The question popped up about a month ago.
"Where's the sign?" a man asked me.
To which I cleverly responded, "What sign?"
"You haven't noticed?" he asked, implying that as a journalist I am not always the sharp-eyed observer of the passing parade that I'd like to be.
"Noticed what?" I said, now sounding like the bad end of a comedy act.
"The Model sign," he explained, as if talking to a dog. "It's missing."
"Missing?" I said, finishing off the routine.
And he was right, of course. The sign - one of those landmarks in the county that has been around for scores of years - was gone.
It's been gone for a few months now, and while some folks have noticed its absence, others have overlooked the disappearance.
The good news is, the sign is in safe hands.
The better news is, it's going to be restored.
Emily Roberts of Patriot Sportswear, which now does business in the former location of The Model Clothing House (to use its full 19th century name), explained that the sign was in need of repairs. In particular, there was rust damage at the bottom of the sign where water had collected.
So late last year she prevailed on friends at Display Craft to take the sign down. From there it went to J&P Custom Plating where her father, John Goodrich, hopes to do some restoration work.
"If anybody can do it, Dad can," said Emily.
Other local icons haven't been so fortunate.
The Sky-Vue Drive-In sign disappeared in the months after a fire in the projection booth put the drive-in out of business in 1978.
It is presumably in some scrap heap.
The bank clock sign in Dunkirk had a somewhat better fate. Though it no longer graces downtown Dunkirk, it's safely stored amid the archives and relics of east central Indiana at Minnetrista in Muncie.
John will work on the metal and probably the paint, but don't look for restoration of the neon lighting.
That would not only be incredibly expensive, it would also confuse shoppers.
There's little point in advertising a long-gone store.
But there is a point in restoring a local landmark, and the downtown Portland cityscape will get a boost one of these days when the restored sign returns to its place at Main and Meridian streets.
Don't look for it to happen soon. It's one of a long list of projects John has taken on, and there are only so many hours in the day. But you can count on it happening.[[In-content Ad]]
"Where's the sign?" a man asked me.
To which I cleverly responded, "What sign?"
"You haven't noticed?" he asked, implying that as a journalist I am not always the sharp-eyed observer of the passing parade that I'd like to be.
"Noticed what?" I said, now sounding like the bad end of a comedy act.
"The Model sign," he explained, as if talking to a dog. "It's missing."
"Missing?" I said, finishing off the routine.
And he was right, of course. The sign - one of those landmarks in the county that has been around for scores of years - was gone.
It's been gone for a few months now, and while some folks have noticed its absence, others have overlooked the disappearance.
The good news is, the sign is in safe hands.
The better news is, it's going to be restored.
Emily Roberts of Patriot Sportswear, which now does business in the former location of The Model Clothing House (to use its full 19th century name), explained that the sign was in need of repairs. In particular, there was rust damage at the bottom of the sign where water had collected.
So late last year she prevailed on friends at Display Craft to take the sign down. From there it went to J&P Custom Plating where her father, John Goodrich, hopes to do some restoration work.
"If anybody can do it, Dad can," said Emily.
Other local icons haven't been so fortunate.
The Sky-Vue Drive-In sign disappeared in the months after a fire in the projection booth put the drive-in out of business in 1978.
It is presumably in some scrap heap.
The bank clock sign in Dunkirk had a somewhat better fate. Though it no longer graces downtown Dunkirk, it's safely stored amid the archives and relics of east central Indiana at Minnetrista in Muncie.
John will work on the metal and probably the paint, but don't look for restoration of the neon lighting.
That would not only be incredibly expensive, it would also confuse shoppers.
There's little point in advertising a long-gone store.
But there is a point in restoring a local landmark, and the downtown Portland cityscape will get a boost one of these days when the restored sign returns to its place at Main and Meridian streets.
Don't look for it to happen soon. It's one of a long list of projects John has taken on, and there are only so many hours in the day. But you can count on it happening.[[In-content Ad]]
Top Stories
9/11 NEVER FORGET Mobile Exhibit
Chartwells marketing
September 17, 2024 7:36 a.m.
Events
250 X 250 AD