Ghost Signs: Ghost Sign with an Old Picture painted on top- Day 15

This ghost sign has an old picture painted on top of it. I can't read at all what the ghost sign says underneath, but what's interesting is that there appears to be a signature in the bottom of the ghost sign. Unfortunately, I can't read that either.

Ghost Signs: Macomb Journal-Day 14

This sign is admittedly more recent. This building used to house the Macomb Journal. A paper that had served Macomb since 1855. The paper is now the McDonough Co. Voice and is housed in a completely different building.

Ghost Signs: A.W. Smith & Son...- Day 13

Well, well, well, I have to say my ghost busting skills are getting better everyday, despite this post being a day late. But we're going to have two Ghost Signs posts today to make up for it. Our first ghost sign is on the side of a building in Colchester, Illinois.

Ghost Signs: W.B. Martin -Day 12

This ghost sign is on an old building in Good Hope, IL. The business used to be W.B. Martin's and it sold notions, shoes, and furnishings.

Then it became Happy Days Antiques. Neither of the two businesses are still around and there is very little information on them.

Ghost Signs: One Horse Grocery- Day 11

This is quite possibly my favorite ghost sign so far. When I first saw the sign all I read was "Horse Grocery" which I thought was hilarious, imagining a whole bunch of horses going shopping for food.

After doing some searching I finally figured out that the word in front of horse is "one." So the sign actually reads ".....'s One Horse Grocery." So far the only one horse grocery I've been able to turn up and records on is in Iowa, but in Council Bluffs- all the way across the state. That One Horse Grocery was started by "Honest John" Clausen in 1866. For more information on that check out The Historical Society of Pottawattamie County's website here. I don't think this sign says "Clausen's" even though the front of the first word looks like it could be Clausen's I think the word ends with a "t." It's possible the sign could have been repainted or altered since it was first painted so maybe it is an advertisement for Clausen's One Horse Grocery after all.

Ghost Signs: Illegible Sign- Day 10

An unreadable sign on the side of a building in Colchester, Illinois.  I think the last three letters are SON. 

Forgive me for this uninspired post, today is finally my Friday!!!

Ghost Signs: Paule Jewelry Co- Day 9

One of the things I love most about old jewelry store facades is how distinct they are. It doesn't matter if it's still a jewelry store or not you can always tell that's what it was supposed to be. Such is the case with the Paule Jewelry Co. store in Burlington, IA.

Ghost Signs: ...Hardware, Co. Wholesale- Day 8

A ghost sign near the Mississippi River in Burlington, IA.

It's advertising "... Hardware, Co. Wholesale." Unfortunately the first word in the sign is unreadable.

Ghost Signs: The Worm Hole- Day 7

This is definitely going to be one of the more humorous entries in our twenty days of ghost signs. In downtown Colchester, Illinois there is a small, putrid pink building called... "The Worm Hole."

Ghost Signs: .... Flour- Day 6

This ghost sign is pretty much unreadable except the word flour at the very bottom. I would assume it's for Gold Medal Flour but since I can't pick out "Gold Medal" or the logo, I'm not going to commit to that.

The sign is found in Macomb, IL.

Ghost Signs: Consignment Shop- Day 5

Going back to Abingdon, we're going to check out another ghost sign that's a little bit more modern. The consignment shop was long gone the first time D and I visited Abingdon last winter, but now even the sign itself is gone. It's almost like a ghost sign exorcism.

Ghost Signs: Sears, Roebuck and Co. Day 4

This is a sign on a building off the square in Macomb, IL that advertises a Sears, Roebuck and Co. Service Center that is long gone.

Ghost Signs: Firestone Tires- Day 3

Let's go back to the Columbia Dry Batteries sign that we looked at yesterday in Good Hope and look a little bit closer. Because right next to that ghost sign is another one.

Ghost Signs: Columbia Batteries- Day 2

For the second day of ghost signs, we're going to be visiting Good Hope, Illinois, population 415.

Ghost Signs: Carriage Depository- Day 1

Our first October ghost sign is from downtown Abingdon, IL. It advertises a carriage depository and farm implements at the top of the sign. (I can't read the very top... anyone?) And the bottom which is sadly mostly covered up is a Mail Pouch Tobacco advertisement.

20 Days of Ghost Signs

In honor of the month of October (okay the half that's left), the advent of Halloween which happens to be D's favorite holiday, and a day that's just very special to us, we have decided to do 20 Days of Ghost Signs, in which everyday you will be regaled with a new and exciting (well old and exciting) ghost sign.

For those of you who are wondering what a "ghost sign" let me explain. I didn't know the term until quite recently myself. A ghost sign is a sign that has essentially outlived whatever the sign itself was advertising- like those old painted advertising signs on the sides of buildings (my favorites!!). Another example is a sign for a business that's no longer in business. Once you start looking you'll find that ghost signs are everywhere. And even if you just don't see them, we'll show them to you here!

Spotted: Purington Pavers in a wall

I know that posting has been... spotty at best. But it's about to get a lot better, my work schedule is going to change soon, so stay tuned. Please!! There will be more great posts coming up very, very soon.

Until then though, please enjoy a picture of my favorite vintage bricks- these Purington Pavers found in a wall in our personal favorite Abingdon.