the 85+ yr. old Black Bear Brand ghost sign in Sultan, Wash.

The United States first became a carnival of signs around the end of the 19th century, when advertising took hold like never before. Back then, there were no rules about signs–where or how big they could be, or how much valuable wall space they were allowed to take up. Commercial buildings, barns, depots, grain silos: any place people gathered or traveled past was fair game!

Sultan, Wash. played an important role in the building of the Burlington Northern Railroad. During the railroad construction Sultan was a key supply station and then grew into prosperous logging town.