New life for iconic sign

MANAWA – The 45 Outdoor theater in New London opened its doors on July 1, 1953 and closed August 24, 1986. Its classic road sign, a relic of the beloved pastime of going to drive-in movies, is now getting a much needed makeover and a new home.
Randy Genske bought the land that held the outdoor movie theater in 1989 and used the sign to advertise his storage units, when they redid the highway the county took the sign down and it was never put back up.
With the sign in storage for a number of years, Genske eventually decided to donate the sign and the large letters for the marquee to the Thresheree Grounds.
From there it made its way to a number of people who promised to fix the sign but it was to no avail. Mark Craig told the Thresheree men to bring the sign to him and he will tackle the project. Craig, who is vice president of the Thresheree, said the sign ended up back in the area about three years ago and this year he, along with the help of his son, Dalton Craig, decided to finally take the project up and restore it. They started in January 2024.
Mark said the sign was pretty beat up by the time it got back to Manawa and all of the moving parts had been lost.

The sign was originally donated to the Thresheree Grounds in 2015, when the poles that held the sign were installed at the cell phone tower on the property.
“People wanted to see it, they knew it was out there and nothing was happening with it,” Mark said. “I knew nothing was happening with it so I figured I’d get it back and do something with it.”
Mark said they have been working on Saturdays, along with other members of the Craig family who have also assisted in the renovation. It is housed in G-Force Trailers in Manawa.
Mark said the sign was stripped down to the frame with Dalton grinding all rust off.
The galvanized steel frame was bolted together when it was built in 1953 and it was most likely assembled on site, as it measures nine feet tall and is 14 feet long.
Mark and Dalton had to cut new pieces for the sign, using the old sign as a template and piece them together, a process Mark describes as putting together a puzzle.
When pieces have been missing, they have been relying on pictures of the old sign to try to get all the pieces re-made that needed to be and to be able to do it with accuracy.
The goal is to finish the sign prior to the Thresheree, which will take place this year on July 25-27, Mark said the installation of the new sign will not be an easy task, requiring a crane and multiple people to assist.
The sign was sitting in a swampy area and pointing from east to west originally when it was at the outdoor theater property. When the sign is placed in its final home it will be facing north to south, which may make the sign vulnerable to wind.
The sign’s frame is galvanized steel, and the pieces that were added to the frame were also made from galvanized material. To further strengthen the sign they will be adding aluminum to the outside.
The aluminum will be blue to restore it to its original colors of blue with white lettering. It will also be backlit, as it was originally, as there is a power box on the hill where they intend for the sign to go.
The power box was put in as part of the agreement with the cell phone company; if they could place a tower there then they would add power so the Thresheree could use it as needed.
The electric aspect of the sign is still being figured out, whether they will be putting in a meter and hooking directly into the box. They are also looking into solar power or just running the sign with a generator during events.
The letters for the sign are also aluminum and about a foot tall and there are about 100 of them.
Mark said they will use those letters during the events on the Thresheree grounds, putting up the day’s activities and times for the Thresheree and Symco Weekender. During holidays it will say things like “Happy Easter” or “Merry Christmas.”
Mark and Dalton are continuing to work on the vintage sign, getting it ready for adding the blue aluminum.
Mark said he has been able to teach Dalton ironwork, electrical and metal fabrication, among a long list of skills the 19-year-old has learned hands-on.