Red Beard opened his eponymous car dealership in 1947, and two years later the Chrysler sign was raised. A June 5, 1949 Tulsa World article described the sign with six foot high letters made by local welder Floyd Metlock, and 20 tons of steel that when lit could be seen for 6 miles. The article quoted Bill Farha saying about Bristow 'Our town isn't very big, but we're used to doing things in a big way.'
Duane Mass, an architect with a specialty of restoring antique buildings and structures, came to visit us a couple of years ago to talk about Town Square and the Train Depot, which both need major work. As we ended our discussion, he said 'And I would love to restore that and that, too', as he pointed first to the Frisco water tower, and then the Chrysler/ Plymouth sign. So we put together projects to renovate and restore all four structures.
A year or so ago, Jim Davis, one of our volunteers, was walking along west 6th when a car pulled up next to him and asked where to find the Chrysler sign. Jim's screen saver on his phone is a Chrysler sign photo by Harold Nobles', so Jim showed the man in the car his phone and said 'You mean this one?'. That man was Doug Cataline, who is a partner in the Southern Plains MOPAR Fest, and that bit of serendipity led to their festival being here on Tabouleh Fest day. The Bristow Historical Society partnered with them on the downtown car show, and all proceeds from the Historical Society booth that day went towards the Chrysler sign project.
Mass provided a $1.4 million estimate of the construction cost for all four projects. The Chrysler sign restoration is estimated at $275,000. The Historical Society has been working for over a year and a half on fundraising and writing grants.
The Bristow Historical Society purchased the empty property at 9th and Main recently, and that's the new site planned for the sign. MOPAR fans love to take pictures with their car sitting in front of the sign, so that will be a consideration as the site is designed. We also want to have benches and to make it like a little park, maybe with some EV charging stations. The Historical Society expects our final vision to come in phases due to the costs involved, but we have big dreams.
Imagine that sign sitting on Main Street, the frame repainted, the 6' letters repaired and restored, and neon glowing again. We believe MOPAR, neon, and Route 66 fans will be drawn here, and we believe this will be very positive for Bristow. Plus, there are two significant events happening in 2026. One is the 100th anniversary of Route 66, and two the soccer World Cup is being played in the United States, split between Dallas and Kansas City. We want to be ready for those visitors with a renovated Chrysler sign.
Another Historical Society fundraiser that is active now is selling personalized bricks. Part of the 9th and Main design will include a brick wall behind the tower and a plaza area. The 4'x8' brick has up to three lines of text, and the 8'x8' brick can include a logo. People who want to support us by buying a brick can find specifics and the order form by following a link on our website (bristowhistory.org) or on our Facebook page (Bristow Historical Society). Or come by the Depot and order a brick, and buy a Chrysler sign magnet for you and everyone you know.
We have been working hand-in-hand with Jay Krumme and the Krumme family in all our planning, and they have been unbelievably supportive.
courtesy photo