Blasterz LOVED this awesome sign -- but were only in Casper in the morning. The nighttime shot of this landmark sign is from Taubert's Facebook page, and is used with permission.
From the Casper WY Tribune (reprnted in the Billings MT Gazette): (
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"Taubert’s sign set to shine again in Casper
August 14, 2010 11:20 PM
BY JACKIE BORCHARDT Casper Star-Tribune
CASPER — Years of Casper wind and weather have worn down the neon sign that runs along the front of the Lou Taubert Ranch Outfitters building, dulling the paint and unhinging the neon bulbs.
Louis Taubert Jr. turned the sign off a few years ago, hoping to find someone to repair it.
The sign still stands as tall as it did when it was erected in the 1960s, back when Louis Taubert Sr. owned the ranch store in downtown Casper.
Earlier this month, it got a much-needed face lift. Workers from Schlosser Signs of Loveland, Colo., sanded, primed and painted both the vertical and horizontal signs outside the store. Neon was repaired or replaced.
Last week, the sign was ready for Taubert to flip the switch again. He’ll probably turn it on at the end of the day and turn it off around midnight — just enough time for people going to the movies or strolling downtown to enjoy it.
Decades ago, Taubert said, people called Casper “little Las Vegas” because of all the neon-adorning businesses. When businesses left, their signs left, too.
If he took the sign down, he probably wouldn’t be able to put it up again because of building codes.
“It always worked. It just needed new paint,” Taubert said.
The difference could be seen halfway through the extensive paint job. Sign technician James Johnson did most of the work with a small paintbrush and lettering enamel paint. Johnson was surprised at the sign’s excellent condition, showing minimal damage from water and birds’ nests.
“People don’t really do this kind of work anymore,” Johnson said. “This is probably the only time I’ll be able to do work like this.”
“This is a landmark in this city,” Johnson said. “Even people who don’t shop at Lou Taubert’s know where it is because it’s got a big sign.”
The sign is a giant X, marking the store many shoppers first learned of while driving Wyoming’s open roads. Hand-painted billboards boasting Taubert’s nine floors of western wear are scattered along state highways.
“There is not a better ad for the city of Casper than those billboards,” Taubert said."