Historical Advertising Signs Exhibit Coming To Stearns Museum

ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- Signs from our past will be on full display later this year.

The Stearns History Museum is putting together an exhibit called "Get The Message".

Executive Director Amy Degerstrom says the museum recently had the old 1959 Frenchy's Dinner Club sign donated to them.

We've heard a lot of people talk about how Frenchy's where it sits now it kind of in the middle of town, but it was really not when it was open. So it was a fun thing to hear from people about seeing that neon sign in the distance in the countryside and going out for supper.

Degerstrom says the museum has launched a fundraising campaign to raise $10,000 to repair and transport the sign to the museum in time for the exhibit.

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Other big signs that will be a part of the display include the Kleis Motel, the Grand Mantel Saloon - which is now Mc's Dugout- and a Cold Spring Brewing sign.

Kleis Motel Sign, WJON

Degerstrom says the Grand Mantel Saloon sign took some digging to find.

That particular one, his (the owner's) daughter used to work here at the museum, and she spent about 10 years trying to find that sign. It was the only thing of her dad's that she couldn't find. Finally, tracked it down and donated it to the museum.

Degerstrom says the Stearns History Museum has a connection to the Mc's building as its first research center back in the 1970s.

The exhibit will feature advertising signs from the 1890s through the 1960s.

The museum is also looking to gather stories from residents about their memories of the signs and their original locations.

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When it opens later this year, the Get The Message exhibit will take over about half of the main gallery space at the Stearns History Museum.

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