There are several ghost signs on this building at 480 N Front Street, for at least 3 companies, as far as Blassterz can tell. According to the Memphis Central Appraisal District, this building was built in 1880. (
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The Sanitary Bag & Burlap Co. Incorporated in 1956 and went inactive in 1987. However, the business was active well before then, since the style of lettering on this waymarked ghost sign clearly dates from around the turn of the century.
In the 1909 issue of June 5, 1909 issue The Engineering Record, a free e-book on the Google Play store, Blasterz found this entry: (
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"NEW INDUSTRIAL PLANTS
[page 601]
...
The Memphis Bag Co. intends erecting a 3-story building for the manufacture of cotton and burlap bags. Cost $50,000."
The most obvious ghost sign:
"Sanitary Bag and Burlap Co." which is painted across the south side of a 2-story red brick building along N Front Street.
Beneath this sign, on an attached 1-story building is another sign that reads "Panhandler Inc." Under another "Sanitarty Burlap & Bag. Co" sign, a "Panhandler" logo sign reads:
"It Stops the Grease.
PANHANDLER
It Stops the Heat."
A banner sign across the roof appears older to us, and looks like sevreal signs painted over one aother. The oldest we think says Lee Company, but we havd a hard time with this one.
The Sanitary Bag Co. and Panhandler Inc. are listed in records as two separate companies, but the Federal government found that that operated as one company during an action to enforce National Labor Relations Board orders against the company in 1969. Source: (
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This building also advertises a mill supply business:
"Awnings & Tarpaulins
LEE BROTHERS CO.
Mill Supplies"
Lee Bothers were manufacturers of cordage, oils, railway, mill, and naval supplies in the late 19th-early 20th century. We found an 1893 advertising calendar for them on an antiques website.
We also found this company mentioned on page 21 in Vol 84 of Iron and Machine World, published 30 Jul 1893, a free e-book in the google play store: (
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At the time of publication (30 Jun 1893) Lee Bros. was in a larger building at 294 N Front Street. This building is gone, so the waymarked building at 480 N Front Street must have been their earlier home.
"LEO JONES CO." is all we could read of another ghost banner sign across the front of this building.
Leo B. Jones was in the truck-farming agriculture business in Memphis. We found this reference to him on page 38 of the March 1922 issue of The Packers, a trade journal, a free-e-book available in the Google Play store: (
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"Memphis Tennessee -- Eight carloads of berry crates and vegetable hampers have been ordered by the Shelby County Berry and Truck Growers Association in which to market the 1922 crop. The Association is a confederation of six community truck growers associations in the Memphis area. Leo B. Jones, of White Station, is the president."