Hi Bruce When I took down a barn next to Tweitmans Halfway House (halfway
between Ithaca and Cortland) I found the bottom 1/3 of the front completly
covered with staples - from old circus posters I was told. A shell with
advertising. Also the old ghost Burgess Clothing. Next time I'm over I'll
ask Maynard how many overalls he got for his sign. creighton
-----Original Message-----
From: Bruce Marcham <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask]
<[log in to unmask]>
Date: Tuesday, March 02, 1999 8:24 PM
Subject: Signage as history


>Here's one for those from Central NY--last weekend I was flying a friend
>over  her house to see what it looked like from above.  It was the first
>time I'd seen it since it was "remodelled."  It turns out they'd knocked
>down an old barn and rebuilt it on their lot where their house had sat.
>Despite being about 1000 feet above it I could still see the original
>weathered barn boards and that it was finished with an icon from this area,
>a very simple white-on-black "Burgess Clothing--Cortland" sign.
>
>As one who had spent a lot of time hitchhiking and driving through the area
>(Rtes 13 and 20) since the early 70's I've grown used to seeing those signs
>and others stuck on barns.  Sometimes it appears as though the sign is all
>that holds the structure together.
>
>I wonder what kind of a deal the merchant struck with the farmers to allow
>the signs to be hung on their barns--a free pair of coveralls each year?
>
>The signs seem to have outlasted their purpose as the company doesn't
appear
>in the '85-'86 Cortland/Homer phone book...
>