Category: Travel

And the connections to the Past.

Ghost Signs: “Old hand painted advertising sign that has been preserved on a building for an extended period of time”. Old and fading signs or ads on exterior walls. They are all around in every city, even on old barns along the highway in rural america. Every downtown in every city has them. You just have to be open to see them.

This image has multiple layers of advertising. It is located in the Lemp/ Cherokee historic district (on The Mud House).On the top is an advert for a chewing tobacco. Only the word ‘Chew’ is still available. The largest part of the sign says ‘Buettner’s’. It was a home and furnishings store in downtown in the old garment district. There is another large word toward the top that isn’t legible and a sign at the bottom looks like it says ‘cold’ and maybe ‘broadway’. That is part of the fun of these signs. Trying to read what it says and researching the products to see if it’s still in production or where it originated. The entire Washington Ave. garment district, several blocks, was nominated for the National Historic registry in 1986.

The ghost signs above advertise: ‘King Bee Hats, King Brinsmade Merc. Co.’ ‘Wrigley’s Spearmint Pepsin Gum~ Trademark’ ‘Buettner’s Home Furnishing Seventh and Washington~Arrow Stamps’. Upper corner is part of the Gum ad. It says ‘Buy it by the Box~The Flavor Lasts’ and the last sign on the right is for ‘Antikamnia Tablets ~Ask for A-K Tablets’. Looks like there was a newer sign over the gum sign.

The fun part was learning about the products I’ve never heard of before. The Antikamnia Chemical Company manufactured the tablets in St. Louis from 1890 to 1930. They produced “cures” for pains using at various times heroin and quinine (now used to treat Malaria).

Beer Capital

At one time, St. Louis was known as the beer capital because of the many breweries around the area. Hyde Park Beer was one of many. This sign says “Hyde Park Bottled Beer” This Brewery was started in 1889 and closed during prohibition in 1919. The Hyde Park neighborhood was home to mostly German immigrants. The brewery was at Florissant and Salsbury in North St. Louis. They were sold and after prohibition ended opened again in 1933, they also once produced Stagg beer. The routing of the interstate through the middle of the area has left the once thriving area impoverished.

More Beer Ghost Signs

This whole article isn’t about beer, but what history of STL can one tell without the illustrious past. The Lemp Beer Factory is without a doubt on of the most well known, besides Budweiser, but Bud is still going strong, so I don’t have ghost signs of that advertising.

The Lemp family came to St. Louis in 1864, when William J. Lemp built the brewery near the Mississippi River, which had several caves in the area in which to keep the beer cold. The Lemp family has had many tragedies, early deaths and suicides are the legacy that is left of the once great beer baron.

You can tour the Lemp Mansion and book an overnight stay if you are brave enough. It’s said to be haunted. Or you can go for lunch or a four course dinner. After the family lost interest in the business and prohibition began, the complex was sold to the International Shoe Company and was for a time, the largest shoe manufacture in the world.

Other beverages

Least you think beer is the only advertising in the area, we see many signs for Coca Cola, the refreshing drink once made with cocaine from the coca leaf, where the Coca part of the name is from. Ghost signs are found everywhere. Some are ‘hidden’ behind other buildings or in alleys that over time have obstructed what was once visible street.

This next sign is completely hidden in an alley in the Bevo neighborhood. The alley was 18 inches wide, just enough for me to use the wide angle on the camera.

Some signs advertise local businesses and some nationally known brand products. The paints used in these early signs were mixed by the sign painters, usually with a mix of white pigment made with lead. The men that hand painted these signs were called Wall Dogs. The paint used was made to last a lifetime, sometimes longer! Its no wonder why there are so many that are faded or painted over. Someone buys a business and wants to put their own stamp on it, freshen up the outside. That is how we get some signs with more than three layers visible.

This sign was lost for over 100 years behind a building that crumbled and fell leaving this beauty behind. The Pattison Whisky Co. was only in production for a few years. The Star Saloon and Cafe opened during that time.

The works of art were visible from high above and ground level, easy to see by those on foot and horse and carriage. Then later the early automobiles.

Enjoy the rest of the photos. More will be added as I come across more!

Where are some of your favorite old ghost signs? Like and share, subscribe for more fun and historic content.