The historic Grants Cafe neon sign in Grants, New Mexico, was taken down earlier this month after it reportedly was purchased by a collector.
An exact date when the sign was taken down wasn’t available, but Sam Fiorella said the sign still was up when she went through town Aug. 9. Blue Miller — best known for her Never Quite Lost blog — reported Aug. 16 on Facebook the sign had been removed.
With a photograph she shot of the sign, Miller wrote:
The Grants Cafe sign, New Mexico, for many years one of the highlights of Route 66 through Grants. Restored through the New Mexico Route 66 Neon Sign Restoration Project in 2003 and now, like the Paradise Motel sign in Tucumcari which was restored through the same project, in the hands of a private collector.
Zeon Signs of Albuquerque built the sign in 1958. The restaurant itself, which opened in 1949, closed in 2011 after the death of an owner.
The Route 66 neon-sign restoration program in New Mexico targeted nine signs in 2003. Of those, the Paradise Motel sign and, restored by a later grant, the Cactus RV Park sign, both in Tucumcari, were purchased by private collectors.
The long-closed Paradise Motel sign had suffered two fires in less than a year, and the Cactus property was slated to be bulldozed to make way for an O’Reilly Auto Parts store.
Taxpayer money through the Route 66 Corridor Preservation Program was used for the restoration of the signs in 2003. Alas, it’s my understanding grant agreements at the time didn’t contain stipulations against selling the sign later. Such requirements were added to future grant applications.
Johnnie Meier, the former president of the New Mexico Route 66 Association who shepherded the 2003 neon-sign program, told me at the Quay County Sun last year that Route 66 was facing a crisis.
Meier said the loss of the Cactus sign puts the spotlight on a larger issue on Route 66 – the disappearance of its historic neon signs to collectors and eBay hawkers.
“Our signs are in danger,” he said. “This thing is going to snowball, I’m afraid.”
Meier recommends Route 66 cities to adopt landmarking ordinances so it becomes more difficult for historic neon signs to leave the highway.
UPDATE: Andy Westerholt chimed in with an email to clarify a few things:
On our way home from California to St. Louis, Missouri this summer on Route 66, my family and I went through Grants, NM on June 26, 2019. While going through town and stopping here and there to take pictures, we came upon the Grants Cafe and a crew of men and trucks by the sign. When I saw they were taking it down, I asked where it was going and I think they said a museum in Albuquerque. They definitely said a museum, and it was a New Mexico town that he said, I just don’t remember 100% whether or not it was Albuquerque that he mentioned. This was just a worker, he didn’t look like the guy in charge who was giving directions, so maybe he didn’t know the complete story. Anyways, it was sad to see it being taken down, but I was at least happy that it was going to a “museum”. Reading your story and seeing the mention of it reportedly being “purchased by a collector” makes me even more sad.
When we were there on June 26th, they were taking the big red arrow down (as you will see in the attached photos). They must have left the remainder of the sign up until recently, or no one noticed the sign was gone for a month and a half. Either way, it looks like they started the removal as early as June 26, 2019.
Below is one of Westerholt’s photos, showing the arrow on the ground and the partially dismantled sign:
(Image of Grants Cafe sign in Grants, New Mexico, in 2007 by Dennis Dixson via Flickr)
Johnnie is right , the communities have to step up and NOT allow these historic sign to be removed!
In addition, these pendejos (collectors) should be locked up for capitalising and hoarding our history, it should be socially unacceptable!
At this point all these treasures should be returned to the communities and dig this, it could be a tax right off, what a noble thing to do!
We need someone to step up and do the right thing–who wants to be first?
In the UK there is “listed status” for buildings, etc of historic value. Neighbourhoods can be listed, so that the character does not get destroyed. There should be such status for the likes of Route 66. Whoever took this sign down – if to keep it hidden away as a collector’s item – should have to erect a replica in its place.
So sad, another one lost… and this one’s future more unknown…? Seems many will find there fate at least hopefully in the Garcia funded neon park in Albq. on display. Sounds like this one met a different fate perhaps?
The Grants sign is allegedly destined for the Garcia neon zoo.