Libbey Owens Ford (Closed)
Pocatello, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Here's an old ghost sign for Libbey Owens Ford, though it appears the company is still represented on glass products today.

What caught my eye here was the amount of information packed into a single wall advertisement. In addition to Libbey Owens Ford Glass, the sign also promotes Bennett Paints and the Idaho Glass & Paint Company. Signs like this were the billboards of their day, painted directly onto brick walls and intended to be seen for decades.

The faded paint, weathered brick, and old-fashioned lettering make this one a great survivor from Pocatello's commercial past. 09-06

UPDATE: The Libbey Owens Ford ghost sign remains visible in downtown Pocatello and continues to be one of the city's more recognizable painted wall advertisements. While the original Libbey-Owens-Ford company no longer exists as an independent corporation, the historic sign remains as a reminder of an earlier era of glass, paint, and building supply advertising. 06-26

Idaho Home Flour
Twin Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This ghost signage is on a flour mill found in Twin Falls, Idaho. The sign advertises Idahome Flour as well as lettering that appears to say Pikes Peak.

The large painted signs on the silos are what stand out here. They turn an old industrial building into something much more interesting and give a glimpse into the milling history of Twin Falls.

I like old grain elevators and mill buildings because they often carry these huge faded advertisements that were meant to be seen from a distance. Even after the milling days are gone, the lettering remains as a reminder of what once took place there. 09-06

UPDATE: The old Twin Falls milling complex no longer operates as a flour mill, but the buildings and silos remain standing. The painted Idahome Flour and Pikes Peak Flour signs still survive, preserving one of the area's more visible pieces of industrial ghost signage. 06-26

Cornell Seed
Twin Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Twin Falls, Idaho is also home to this ghost sign for Cornell Seed. Old warehouse districts are often some of the best places to find ghost signs, and this is a good example. The faded lettering serves as a reminder of Twin Falls' agricultural roots and the businesses that once helped move crops and seed throughout the region.

I always enjoy finding signs like this because they tell a story that might otherwise be forgotten. While the business itself is long gone, the painted advertisement remains as a connection to the city's commercial and farming history. 09-06

UPDATE: The Cornell Seed ghost sign remains visible within Twin Falls' historic warehouse district. The building still stands, allowing this piece of agricultural advertising history to survive for another generation of photographers and history buffs. 06-26

Century Printing Company Inc.
Salt Lake City, UT
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This ghost sign on the wall of this building prominently displays the lettering for the Century Printing Company Inc.This wall can be found in Salt Lake City, Utah.

There's something fitting about an old printing company being remembered through painted lettering on a brick wall. Long before digital files and desktop printers, businesses like Century Printing produced everything from reports and catalogs to promotional materials and official documents.

The bold lettering has weathered the years surprisingly well and remains an interesting reminder of Salt Lake City's commercial past. Signs like this help tell the story of the industries that once occupied these older downtown buildings. 09-06

UPDATE: The Century Printing Company ghost sign remains visible on the building today. Although the printing company is long gone, the painted advertisement survives as one of Salt Lake City's many reminders of its early commercial history. 06-26

Hotel Rogers
Idaho Falls, ID
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

This wall sign in Idaho Falls features Campbell's Hotel Rogers, which proudly proclaimed itself as "One of America's better places... to eat and sleep."

The old painted advertisement is hard to miss and gives a glimpse into a time when hotels promoted themselves directly on the sides of buildings. The slogan is a memorable one, and the large lettering has managed to survive long after the days when travelers checked in for a night's stay.

I always enjoy signs like this because they preserve a little bit of a building's history. Even if you knew nothing about the Hotel Rogers, the faded paint tells you it was once an important part of downtown Idaho Falls. 09-06

UPDATE: The Hotel Rogers building still stands in downtown Idaho Falls and has been repurposed into apartments, short-term rentals, and retail space. The large Campbell's Hotel Rogers ghost sign remains visible and continues to be one of the city's best-known pieces of painted advertising. 06-26