In 1934, Tulsa pioneer and civic leader Early Cass hired the Claude Neon company to create the iconic Meadow Gold sign at 11th and Lewis for the Beatrice Creamery Company. Legend has it that it was built angled in such a way that the nearby Hawk Dairy Company couldn't avoid seeing the brightly-lit neon when they looked out their window.
By the 1970s, the sign had fallen into disrepair and no longer lit up. In the early 2000s, the building that the sign sat upon was sold and slated for demolition…and the sign along with it.
Photos of Meadow Gold sign disassembly in 2004 by Brad Nickson
Several preservation efforts joined forces to save the iconic sign. The Tulsa Foundation for Architecture, in partnership with the Oklahoma Route 66 Association, was awarded a grant from the National Park Service Route 66 Corridor Preservation Grant Program to restore the sign. The City of Tulsa also pitched in with Vision 2025 funds.
Claude Neon, the original builders of the sign, restored the porcelain letters and rebuilt the metal scaffolding. A brick pavilion was built on donated land near 11th and Peoria to provide a permanent home for the sign.
The sign was formally re-lit on May 22, 2009. The clocks, lost decades prior, were restored in 2016. The Tulsa Route 66 Commission continues to keep the neon lit for everyone to enjoy.
