White Stag sign
Encyclopedia
The White Stag sign, also known as the Made in Oregon sign and the “Portland Oregon” sign, is a lighted neon
-and-incandescent-bulb sign located atop the White Stag Building, at 70 NW Couch Street in downtown Portland
, Oregon
, United States
, facing the Burnside Bridge
. The sign faces westbound traffic as it enters downtown Portland
coming across the Willamette River
. The sign was acquired by the City of Portland in September 2010, and the lettering was changed to read "Portland Oregon" in November 2010.
Due in no small part to a Christmas tradition in which the nose of the stag on the sign glows red in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
, the sign is an identifying landmark of Portland and was designated a City of Portland Historic Landmark in 1977.
Since its installation in 1940 the sign has carried various messages and animations, generally advertising Portland companies, the longest-lasting version being for White Stag Sportswear
, from 1959 until 1997.
In 1959, the sign was changed to advertise White Stag
, an apparel manufacturer that owned the building and had occupied it since 1924. The lettering was changed to "Home of White Stag Sportswear" and a silhouette of a white stag
was added to the top of the sign. For the 1959 Christmas season, a red neon "nose" was added to the stag's snout in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
, a tradition that has been repeated annually ever since.
White Stag was purchased by the Warnaco Group
in 1966, and the company left the building in 1973. In 1972, the building was sold to the H. Naito Corporation and occupied by one of its divisions, Norcrest China Company, but Warnaco still paid for the sign's electricity and maintenance. In 1977, the sign, which had come to symbolize Portland, especially at Christmas time, was designated a City of Portland historic landmark. It continued to be owned by Ramsay Signs, who leased it to White Stag/Warnaco.
In 1986, White Stag moved out of Oregon entirely, but Warnaco continued to pay for the sign to be lit until May 1989, when the sign went dark. Bill Naito
, president of the H. Naito Corporation, owner of the Norcrest China Company which occupied the building, agreed to pay for the sign's electricity for the Christmas season beginning in October, but trouble with the wiring led to the sign remaining dark until after Thanksgiving. With Naito paying the approximately $200-a-month electric bill and the Ramsay Sign company providing maintenance, the sign remained lit into the mid-1990s.
Bill Naito died in 1996; later that year, Ramsay Signs and the H. Naito Corporation, now run by Bill's son Bob, got into a dispute about who would pay for deferred maintenance and repairs on the sign, with both sides threatening to either turn off the sign permanently or move it. Led by mayor Vera Katz
, the city mediated the dispute, which resulted in Naito agreeing to continue to pay for the electricity and also pay for a long-term contract for Ramsay to maintain the sign. In exchange, Naito proposed that the sign's lettering be changed to advertise a Naito-owned gift retailing company called Made in Oregon. Asserting that "the sign always has been maintained commercially," Portland's Historical Landmarks Commission approved the proposal by a 5–1 vote in April 1997 and the sign was altered that summer. Along with the change of "White Stag" to "Made in Oregon", the smaller neon lettering along the bottom of the sign was changed from "Sportswear" to "Old Town
," indicating the location of the sign. Other elements of the design remained unaltered: the outline of Oregon and the leaping deer at the top.
signed as the development's primary tenant, providing a more centralized home to its multiple Portland-based programs and offices in the state's largest urban center, more than 100 miles (160.9 km) away from the university's campus in Eugene
.
In November 2008, Ramsay Signs proposed altering the display to read "University of Oregon
," at the request of the new occupants of the building, whose lease of the property extended to the rooftop sign. The proposed change caused some uproar in the community, including some who viewed the promotion of an out-of-town university as inappropriate, and some who simply preferred to keep the existing lettering. In April 2009, the City of Portland and the University of Oregon reached a compromise wherein the sign's wording would read simply "Oregon." In July, the city's Historic Landmarks Commission approved the change in lettering, but rejected another part of the compromise in which the university planned to place its "O" logo in neon on the water tower adjacent to the sign, in place of the current, painted "Old Town" lettering on the tower. No new compromise was reached, and in late September 2009 the university decided not to renew its lease on the sign, leaving its future unclear.
, the city government began exploring options to save the landmark, including possibly changing the wording to read "Portland Oregon." The sign remained dark until the Friday before Thanksgiving
, when it was illuminated to start the Christmas holiday season. It remained lit into January 2010, with electricity expenses paid by Ramsay Signs' then-president Darryl Paulsen.
In September 2010, the Portland City Council
approved an agreement in which the city took ownership of the sign. Under the agreement, Ramsay Signs donated the sign to the city, and the city agreed to pay the company a monthly fee of $2,000 for sign maintenance and electricity using funds collected from a city-owned parking lot. Art DeMuro, president of Venerable Properties (which owns the building on which the sign sits), donated $200,000 to the city to have the lettering changed to "Portland Oregon" in time for a re-lighting ceremony on the day after Thanksgiving. The deal also stipulated that the city must keep Ramsay Signs' name on the sign. Work to change the sign began on the Tuesday of the week before Thanksgiving, and the altered sign was ceremonially turned on for the first time 10 days later, on November 26, 2010. At the time of the ceremony, two of the neon
tubes in the stag's head had yet to be re-attached, but that work was completed within one week.
.
Neon sign
Neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tube lights that contain rarefied neon or other gases. They are the most common use for neon lighting, which was first demonstrated in a modern form in December, 1910 by Georges Claude at the Paris Motor Show. While they are used worldwide, neon signs...
-and-incandescent-bulb sign located atop the White Stag Building, at 70 NW Couch Street in downtown Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, facing the Burnside Bridge
Burnside Bridge
The Burnside Bridge is a bascule bridge that spans the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon.-Design:Including approaches, the Burnside has a total length of and a center span. While lowered this span is normally above the river. The deck is made of concrete, which contributes to its being one of...
. The sign faces westbound traffic as it enters downtown Portland
Downtown Portland
Downtown Portland, the city center of Portland, Oregon, United States, is located on the west bank of the Willamette River. It is in the northeastern corner of the southwest section of the city and is where most of the city's high-rise buildings are found....
coming across the Willamette River
Willamette River
The Willamette River is a major tributary of the Columbia River, accounting for 12 to 15 percent of the Columbia's flow. The Willamette's main stem is long, lying entirely in northwestern Oregon in the United States...
. The sign was acquired by the City of Portland in September 2010, and the lettering was changed to read "Portland Oregon" in November 2010.
Due in no small part to a Christmas tradition in which the nose of the stag on the sign glows red in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
, the sign is an identifying landmark of Portland and was designated a City of Portland Historic Landmark in 1977.
Since its installation in 1940 the sign has carried various messages and animations, generally advertising Portland companies, the longest-lasting version being for White Stag Sportswear
White Stag (clothing)
White Stag is an in-store brand of women's clothing and accessories sold by Wal-Mart. Originally founded as a skiwear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, the company was purchased by the Warnaco Group in 1966, which in turn sold the brand to Wal-Mart in 2003....
, from 1959 until 1997.
History
The city permit for the original sign was received on September 19, 1940. The sign was built by Ramsay Signs in 1940–41, and Ramsay also owned it. The sign read "White Satin Sugar" inside an outline of the state of Oregon, advertising a brand of sugar. In 1950, the sign was animated to show the state filling with sugar.In 1959, the sign was changed to advertise White Stag
White Stag (clothing)
White Stag is an in-store brand of women's clothing and accessories sold by Wal-Mart. Originally founded as a skiwear manufacturer in Portland, Oregon, the company was purchased by the Warnaco Group in 1966, which in turn sold the brand to Wal-Mart in 2003....
, an apparel manufacturer that owned the building and had occupied it since 1924. The lettering was changed to "Home of White Stag Sportswear" and a silhouette of a white stag
White stag
A white stag or white deer is a red deer with a condition known as leucism that causes its hair and skin to lose its natural colour. The white stag has played a prominent role in many cultures' mythology.-Biology:...
was added to the top of the sign. For the 1959 Christmas season, a red neon "nose" was added to the stag's snout in imitation of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer is a fictional reindeer with a glowing red nose. He is popularly known as "Santa's 9th Reindeer" and, when depicted, is the lead reindeer pulling Santa's sleigh on Christmas Eve. The luminosity of his nose is so great that it illuminates the team's path through...
, a tradition that has been repeated annually ever since.
White Stag was purchased by the Warnaco Group
Warnaco Group
The Warnaco Group, Inc. is an American textile/apparel corporation which designs, sources, markets, licenses, and distributes a wide range of intimate apparel, sportswear, and swimwear worldwide. Its products are sold under several brand names including Calvin Klein, Speedo, Chaps, Warner's, and...
in 1966, and the company left the building in 1973. In 1972, the building was sold to the H. Naito Corporation and occupied by one of its divisions, Norcrest China Company, but Warnaco still paid for the sign's electricity and maintenance. In 1977, the sign, which had come to symbolize Portland, especially at Christmas time, was designated a City of Portland historic landmark. It continued to be owned by Ramsay Signs, who leased it to White Stag/Warnaco.
In 1986, White Stag moved out of Oregon entirely, but Warnaco continued to pay for the sign to be lit until May 1989, when the sign went dark. Bill Naito
Bill Naito
William Sumio Naito , better known as Bill Naito, was a noted businessman, civic leader and philanthropist in Portland, Oregon, U.S...
, president of the H. Naito Corporation, owner of the Norcrest China Company which occupied the building, agreed to pay for the sign's electricity for the Christmas season beginning in October, but trouble with the wiring led to the sign remaining dark until after Thanksgiving. With Naito paying the approximately $200-a-month electric bill and the Ramsay Sign company providing maintenance, the sign remained lit into the mid-1990s.
Made in Oregon lettering
Vera Katz
Vera Katz is a Democratic politician in the state of Oregon. She was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the Oregon House of Representatives and was the 45th mayor of Portland, Oregon's most populous city. Growing up in New York City, she moved to Portland in 1962 and was elected to the Oregon...
, the city mediated the dispute, which resulted in Naito agreeing to continue to pay for the electricity and also pay for a long-term contract for Ramsay to maintain the sign. In exchange, Naito proposed that the sign's lettering be changed to advertise a Naito-owned gift retailing company called Made in Oregon. Asserting that "the sign always has been maintained commercially," Portland's Historical Landmarks Commission approved the proposal by a 5–1 vote in April 1997 and the sign was altered that summer. Along with the change of "White Stag" to "Made in Oregon", the smaller neon lettering along the bottom of the sign was changed from "Sportswear" to "Old Town
Old Town Chinatown, Portland, Oregon
Old Town Chinatown is a neighborhood in the Northwest section of Portland, Oregon. The Willamette River forms its eastern boundary, separating it from the Lloyd District and the Kerns and Buckman neighborhoods...
," indicating the location of the sign. Other elements of the design remained unaltered: the outline of Oregon and the leaping deer at the top.
White Stag Block
In 2004, Naito closed the Norcrest China Company and two years later, sold the building to Venerable Properties, a real estate developer and management company. Venerable renovated the White Stag Building and several other nearby historic buildings to create a development called the White Stag Block.Controversy over proposed changes (2008–2009)
In 2008, the University of OregonUniversity of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
signed as the development's primary tenant, providing a more centralized home to its multiple Portland-based programs and offices in the state's largest urban center, more than 100 miles (160.9 km) away from the university's campus in Eugene
Eugene, Oregon
Eugene is the second largest city in the U.S. state of Oregon and the seat of Lane County. It is located at the south end of the Willamette Valley, at the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast.As of the 2010 U.S...
.
In November 2008, Ramsay Signs proposed altering the display to read "University of Oregon
University of Oregon
-Colleges and schools:The University of Oregon is organized into eight schools and colleges—six professional schools and colleges, an Arts and Sciences College and an Honors College.- School of Architecture and Allied Arts :...
," at the request of the new occupants of the building, whose lease of the property extended to the rooftop sign. The proposed change caused some uproar in the community, including some who viewed the promotion of an out-of-town university as inappropriate, and some who simply preferred to keep the existing lettering. In April 2009, the City of Portland and the University of Oregon reached a compromise wherein the sign's wording would read simply "Oregon." In July, the city's Historic Landmarks Commission approved the change in lettering, but rejected another part of the compromise in which the university planned to place its "O" logo in neon on the water tower adjacent to the sign, in place of the current, painted "Old Town" lettering on the tower. No new compromise was reached, and in late September 2009 the university decided not to renew its lease on the sign, leaving its future unclear.
Acquisition by city of Portland
With the University of Oregon no longer paying for the sign, Ramsay Signs turned off the electricity in October 2009 and indicated that it might dismantle the sign. Led by city commissioner Randy LeonardRandy Leonard
Randy Leonard is a politician in the U.S. state of Oregon. He is currently a city commissioner in Portland, serving his third term on the Portland City Council.-Career:...
, the city government began exploring options to save the landmark, including possibly changing the wording to read "Portland Oregon." The sign remained dark until the Friday before Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving
Thanksgiving Day is a holiday celebrated primarily in the United States and Canada. Thanksgiving is celebrated each year on the second Monday of October in Canada and on the fourth Thursday of November in the United States. In Canada, Thanksgiving falls on the same day as Columbus Day in the...
, when it was illuminated to start the Christmas holiday season. It remained lit into January 2010, with electricity expenses paid by Ramsay Signs' then-president Darryl Paulsen.
In September 2010, the Portland City Council
Government of Portland, Oregon
The Government of Portland, Oregon, a city in the U.S. state of Oregon, is based on a city commission government system. Elected officials include a Mayor, a City Council, and a City Auditor. The mayor and commissioners are responsible legislative policy and oversee the various bureaus that...
approved an agreement in which the city took ownership of the sign. Under the agreement, Ramsay Signs donated the sign to the city, and the city agreed to pay the company a monthly fee of $2,000 for sign maintenance and electricity using funds collected from a city-owned parking lot. Art DeMuro, president of Venerable Properties (which owns the building on which the sign sits), donated $200,000 to the city to have the lettering changed to "Portland Oregon" in time for a re-lighting ceremony on the day after Thanksgiving. The deal also stipulated that the city must keep Ramsay Signs' name on the sign. Work to change the sign began on the Tuesday of the week before Thanksgiving, and the altered sign was ceremonially turned on for the first time 10 days later, on November 26, 2010. At the time of the ceremony, two of the neon
Neon lighting
Neon lighting is created by brightly glowing, electrified glass tubes or bulbs that contain rarefied neon or other gases. Georges Claude, a French engineer and inventor, presented neon tube lighting in essentially its modern form at the Paris Motor Show from December 3–18, 1910...
tubes in the stag's head had yet to be re-attached, but that work was completed within one week.
Honors
In 2011, Ramsay Signs' work on the redesigned sign won the company First Place in the Historic Reproduction category of an annual design competition held by the International Sign AssociationInternational Sign Association
The International Sign Association is a 2,600 member organization of manufacturers, users and suppliers of on-premise signs and sign products from all 50 U.S. states and an additional 54 countries. ISA exists to support, promote and improve the sign industry, which sustains the nation’s retail...
.
See also
- Skidmore/Old Town Historic District: the 1907 White Stag Building on which the sign is located is a contributing propertyContributing propertyIn the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the historic district
External links
- Old Town Chinatown Neighborhood Notes, with historical images of the sign (March 2009)
- Simulation of sign's light sequencing when the change to "Portland Oregon" was still just a proposal (Windows media file, from city commissioner Randy Leonard's blog)