A historical society in a small Oklahoma town is trying to save a piece of Americana but it’s a big lift.
Bristow Historical Society Program Director Joe Trigalet and his wife, Linda, want to move a 102-foot neon sign.
“We’ve bought a property that’s actually on Main Street, which is Route 66,” Joe Trigalet said. “We’re planning to move the tower to Main Street.”
The Chrysler sign currently sits a block away from Route 66. To make the move, the sign would have to be broken down piece by piece and put back together again.
The tower was designed by 24-hour auto shop owner and flamboyant showman Grover Hubert “Red” Beard.
Back in 1949, the 20-ton neon beacon first lit up the night in the Creek County community. But now it sits dark despite its stature.
The plan is to take advantage of a grant program to get the sign shining again against the burnt orange of the Oklahoma sky. Linda Trigalet, the grant writer for the Bristow Historical Society, said the sign needs help.
“If we don’t restore this piece of Americana art, we fear that it can’t stand there ignored forever,” she said. “It went dark in the 1950s and it’s time to restore it.”
If the tower is chosen for the Route 66 revitalization program, the grant would pay for roughly 70 to 80% of the moving and restoration costs, according to Joe Trigalet, with the rest of the money coming from private donations.
The grant decision comes in May. The Triagets say the move and restoration would take between four to six months, with the sign expected to be lit up just in time for Route 66’s centennial next year.
