The large neon sign for the Cattleman’s Club & Cafe along Route 66 in Amarillo, Texas, was removed a few days ago so it can be restored and relighted for the first time in decades.
Neon signs for The Nat and Eastridge Lanes, also on Route 66 in Amarillo, also are due for rejuvenation.
NewsChannel10 in Amarillo reported on the Cattleman’s:
“We’re so excited to get it done. It’s been out of order for quite a long time,” said Jeanie Campbell, Cattleman’s Cafe.
Campbell says the sign will be taken to Dallas and brought back.
“I think this sign has been up at least about 70 years — 65 for sure, and it is a historical landmark. We’re happy to still be here and be open, just a local, little cafe trying to serve the community, the people that live around here,” said Campbell.
The Texas Historical Commission in February offered the City of Amarillo a grant to restore the three historic neon signs along the Route 66 corridor.
The Cattleman’s Club has been around since 1952 and is considered one of Amarillo’s oldest watering holes.
The Eastridge Lanes bowling alley opened in 1959, though a restaurant and children’s nursery were part of the complex at the time, as well.
The Nat is short for Amarillo Natatorium, which opened as a swimming pool in 1922. By the mid-1920s, it had been converted into a dance hall and performance venue. Over the decades, it transitioned from the big-band era to rock ‘n’ roll by hosting Tommy Dorsey, Bob Wills, Louis Armstrong, Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Little Richard, Roy Orbison, Buddy Holly, Dixie Chicks and Joe Ely. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, it now serves as an antique mall.
(Image of the Cattleman’s Club sign by Stu Rapley via Flickr)