New Exhibit Highlights Iconic Signs From Our County’s Past

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- A new exhibit will make its debut this weekend at the Stearns History Museum. "Get the Message" features advertising that has shaped the landscape of the county from the late 19th century through the mid-20th century.

The idea for the sign exhibit started when the museum acquired the Frenchy's Dinner Club sign about a year ago. They've also had the Kleis Motel sign in storage for a number of years.

Executive Director Amy Degerstrom says it's meant to trigger a lot of memories for visitors.

The most enjoyable part of putting this exhibit together has been hearing people share their stories, such as, "My wife and I went on our first date there, and then we went on our 40th anniversary."

You'll also find the Bachman Jewelers sign in their lobby. But you'll also see some signs that will be unfamiliar to the general public.

For example, we have the Electrolux sparkle board, which was on the floor of the factory.  If you were a public person, you would never see that, but for the thousands of people who worked there, that was their que every day about what was going on.

Spokesman Eric Cheever says they put a lot of work into restoring some of the signs.

Frenchy's had been sitting out in the elements since the late 1990s, so it was pretty rough.  We were able to salvage only two tubes from it.  We had to disassemble some of the signs and rebuild them.

About 60 percent of their gallery space is filled with signs from all over the county. They will accept sign donations from residents who have unique signs that they want to share with the public.

Cheever says one sign he'd like to get his hands on is the "Granite City Sign" that used to be over the old Lincoln Highway. He says he's heard rumors that it still exists out there somewhere.

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"Get the Message" will open to the public on Friday at 10:00 a.m. with a special donor and member preview night on Thursday from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. The exhibit, which is included with your admission to the museum, will be on display through 2027.

The Grand Matel Saloon Sign used to hang in downtown St. Cloud, where MC's Dugout is now.

Videos funded by the American Institute of Architects Minnesota and produced by Nichols WE tell the stories of the four largest signs in the exhibit: Cold Spring Brewing Company, Kleis Motel, Frenchy's Dinner Club, and Grand Mantel Saloon.  The videos should be available on that website and on touch screens in the gallery by the end of November.

The museum is also planning on special demonstrations with the neon sign expert, Mary Bruno of Bruno Press, and others.