An undated photo of the Ranchmen Motel cowboy sign. -- Esplanade Archive Photo
You can’t miss it! The big cowboy sign on the Trans-Canada Highway. Built in 1964 for the Ranchmen Motel, it is a city landmark. But did you know there were once two neon cowboy signs in the city? Larger than life, only the Ranchmen Motel cowboy has survived.
The existing Ranchmen Motel sign is part of a grouping of mid-century signs built in the 1950s to 1960s along the Tran-Canada Highway through Medicine Hat. During this era, commercial buildings were generally identified by neon and painted signs, advertisement for automobiles passing by on the highway. This sign is an important reminder of the ‘golden age’ of highway signs that once dominated the highway.
Although many neon signs from this highway grouping have been destroyed, fortunately one other historic neon highway sign also still exists. The restored Crescent Motel sign can be viewed in the museum gallery, Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre.
The Ranchmen Motel cowboy sign was conceived in 1964 by first owners Russell and Mary Papoe, who owned the motel from 1959 to 1974.
The sign was constructed to replace a simpler “Ranchmen Motel” sign. Russell and his daughter Audrey initially sketched the design on a piece of wallpaper from one of the motel’s rooms and worked with the Neon Products architect to create their concept.
The cowboy portion of the sign was built in the Neon Products Edmonton warehouse using metal panels which were pieced together into three sections. The metal was acquired from scrapped World War II planes and ships, which were readily available at this time.
Smaller panels situated strategically on the sign were made to open up in order to access the interior neon and lighting system.
The newly installed sign was leased to the Papoes and maintained by Neon Products (today Pattison Sign Group), a common practice during the heyday of roadway signs.
The Ranchmen Motel sign was not the first neon cowboy to light up the city sky. In 1954, a neon cowboy sign was built to promote the City of Medicine Hat.
The 25-foot sign was manufactured by a neon sign company in Lethbridge. It was purchased by the city at a cost of $2,600, the modern equivalent would be about $28,350. The City of Medicine Hat neon cowboy twirled his lasso on the old City Hall from 1954 to 1971. According to the Archives, it was removed by two employees of a Lethbridge sign company and put into storage.
No record has been found of its eventual fate. It was possibly sold. There is an unsubstantiated rumour that it was buried in with the remnants of old City Hall under what is now BATUS Park.
That neon cowboy has seen his last roundup. The Ranchmen Motel cowboy continues to swing his lariat high.
Sally Sehn is a past Member of the Heritage Resources Committee, City of Medicine Hat. Donald Luxton and Associates provided the Ranchmen Motel research.
