SHREVEPORT, La. ( KTAL/KMSS ) – Those hurrying down the busy streets in historic Shreveport may not notice ghost signs that tell stories of businesses from long ago. But if you consciously choose to search for these literal signs of the past, you’ll find them everywhere in old Shreveport.
And these old signs aren’t just to be found in Shreveport, either. They’re fading into hidden history status across the American South as you read these words.
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Dr. Gary Joiner, Professor of History at LSU Shreveport , told KTAL NBC 6 News there are still hints of the historic signs that were painted on the sides, backs, and even storefronts of old businesses in downtown Shreveport. But he also said many of these old signs advertising Shreveport businesses are gone now, either because they were painted over, pressure washed away, or faded into oblivion.
“These signs illustrate how business was done, particularly in the first half of the 20th century, when people were as likely to drive down a street and see a sign than to read an advertisement in a newspaper,” Joiner told KTAL in Mar. 2024.