Famous Men's Clothing Shop

Famous Men's Clothing Shop, 10208 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Nu-Way Cleaners

 

Nu-Way Cleaners, 1419 Florence St, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo courtesy of the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

This building is currently home to DAVA (Downtown Aurora Visual Arts) and next to the newly remodeled Cerebral Brewing taproom at Colfax and Florence. Unfortunately, the sign is long gone.

John's Liquors, The Squire Lounge and Husky Gas, 1974

Courtesy Save the Signs

 John's Liquors, The Squire Lounge and Husky Gas, 1800 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1974

Tipsy Tiger

Courtesy Save the Signs

Tipsy Tiger, 6000 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1975

Other signs and businesses include Hadley Music, Skelly Gas, Wild Bills, Empire Olds, Colfax National Bank and Chevron.

Blake's Auto Repair

Blake's Auto Repair, 15611 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo courtesy of the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Cozy Cafe

 

Cozy Cafe, 9742 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Suburban Toppers

Courtesy Save the Signs

Suburban Toppers, 5795 East Colfax Avenue, Denver

King's Inn & King's Bar

Courtesy Save the Signs

 King's Inn & King's Bar, 11800 East Colfax, Aurora, Colorado, 1975

Sly's Court

 

Sly's Court, 14715 East Colfax, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo courtesy of the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Sly's Court is listed under "Motels" in the 1954 Denver Yellow Pages. A mobile home community called Hillcrest Village now appears to be located near this spot.

Blue Sky Motel

Photo courtesy of Sophia Bozio and Maria Macke

Blue Sky Motel, 6205 West Colfax, Lakewood, Colorado, 1980s(?)

Pictured is motel owner Michael Bozio standing beneath the original Blue Sky Motel sign.

The Blue Sky Motel was demolished in March, an event that was mourned by fans of these vanishing vintage roadside fixtures. The sign was saved by Heritage Lakewood and is in storage awaiting display.

Aurora Fox Theater

Courtesy Save the Signs

 

Aurora Fox Theater, East Colfax, Aurora, Colorado, 1956

PHOTO CAPTION: Former manager Ralph Roe wishes Jack Flemming good luck as the new manager of the Fox-Aurora Theatre. Roe has been transferred to Laramie, Wyoming. Flemming, right, has represented Fox Inter-Mountain Theatres for the past ten years, having managed theatres in Denver, Las Vegas, New Mexico, and Walsenburg, Colorado. His Denver assignments were at the Rialto, Webber, Bluebird, Centre and comes to Aurora directly from the Ogden, where he has been manager for the past year.

Mammoth Garden

 

Mammoth Garden, 1510 Clarkson Street, Denver, CO

Known today as the Fillmore Auditorium concert venue, Mammoth Skating Rink first opened as a roller skating rink in 1907. It then went through several iterations, including as a manufacturing plant for Fritchle automobiles. From 1935 to the early 1960s, Mammoth Garden once again hosted roller skating (as well as ice skating, boxing and wrestling) and then eventually became a concert venue called Mammoth Gardens and later, the Fillmore.

Hanger Neon & Sign Co.

(undated photo courtesy of the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Hanger Neon & Sign Co, 1420 Kingston Street, Aurora, Colorado.

 

Hanger Neon later moved from 1495 Kingston St to 15225 East Colfax Avenue.

Blarney Castle

Courtesy Save the Signs

Blarney Castle, 3014 East Colfax Avenue, Denver

Originally located at 3015 East Colfax, newspaper articles indicate that Blarney Castle was granted permission to transfer the liquor license across the street to 3018 East Colfax in 1951. By the late 1950s, Blarney Castle was being listed at 3014 East Colfax.

In 1947, the owner of Blarney Castle was kidnapped and robbed. Fortunately, he survived and continued supplying libations to a thirty neighborhood.

Executive Inn

Courtesy Save the Signs

Executive Inn, 3015 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1975

Other signs and businesses include Los Dos and Red Barn. There's also a Meadow Gold truck at the right edge of the photo

 

This motel was originally called Fountain Inn but the name was changed to Executive Inn in 1969.

Normandy Restaurant

 

Professional Arts Building

 

Professional Arts Building, 1245 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1969 & 1956.

According to a 1956 ad announcing the grand opening, this structure was "Denver's most modern office building." It was designed by architects Huntington & Brelsford, "exclusively for the medical and dental professions." The building still exists, but has been given a makeover that hides its mid-century features. It's now known as the Upper Colfax Business Center.

 

 

Dutch Mill Cottage Court Barber Shop

Courtesy Save the Signs

 Dutch Mill Cottage Court Barber Shop, 11937 East Colfax Avenue, 1975.

Altura Liquors

Altura Liquors, 14832 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger Collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Denver Hospitality Center

Courtesy Save the Signs

 Denver Hospitality Center, Colfax Avenue & Court Place, 1950s

National Jewish Hospital

  

Birdseye View of the National Jewish Hospital for Consumptives, at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Colorado Blvd.

Broncho Buster Statues

 

"On the War Path" - Broncho Buster Statues
Denver Colorado 1929

Trailer Haven

 

Trailer Haven, 12900 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Trailer Haven first appeared in the Denver phone book in 1948. It was originally listed at 12800 East Colfax. Starting in 1953 the address was listed as 12850 East 14th and starting in 1957 the address was listed as 13396 East Colfax.

Tiny's Pizzeria

 

Tiny's Pizzeria, 9512 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

It doesn't look like Tiny's Pizza lasted very long. The Denver Yellow Pages only listed the business from 1955 to 1957.

 

 

Elaine Motel

 
Elaine Motel, 12037 East Colfax, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

West Colfax & Delaware St, Denver, 1973

Courtesy Save the Signs

West Colfax & Delaware St, Denver, 1973

Signs and businesses include Chicken Unlimited, Zook Apartments & Hotel, Centennial Industrial Bank and McDonald's.

Alcove's

Courtesy Save the Signs

 

Alcove's, 4200 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1975

Aurora Optical

 Aurora Optical, 9650 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado.

Other signs and businesses include JD Hardware and Holli's Used Furniture & Antiques. 9650 East Colfax is now home to La Morena Restaurant. (undated photo from the collection of Shorty Hanger and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Aladdin Rexall Drugs

Courtesy Save the Signs

Aladdin Rexall Drugs, 2032 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1974. Other signs and businesses include the Aladdin Theater, Conoco, Sinclair, Baskin-Robbins, Exxon and IHOP.

Original Aurora Parade

 

Parade on East Colfax Avenue in Original Aurora. Anyone have a guess as to the year?

East Colfax and Krameria Street

Courtesy Save the Signs

 

1974 photo showing the intersection of East Colfax and Krameria Street.

Signs in this photo include Pizza Oven, House of Wu, Tipsy Tiger and the Paragon Motel.

Herb Wong's New China Cafe

Courtesy Save the Signs

 

Herb Wong's New China Restaurant, East Colfax Avenue, 1974

White Spot Coffee Shop

Courtesy Save the Signs

White Spot Sign at East Colfax & Pearl, 1975

Handy Store Groceries & Soda Fountain

The Handy Store Groceries & Soda Fountain, 10722 East Colfax, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the collection of Shorty Hanger and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

Colfax Avenue 1954

Courtesy Save the Signs

Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1954

The lone sign in this photo is the Sinclair Gasoline sign at the corner of Colfax and 14th Street.

Starlite Lounge

Courtesy Save the Signs

Starlite Lounge, 629 East Colfax Avenue, Denver, 1975

East Colfax Avenue, 1971

East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado, 1971
-
In this picture, the Band of the Rockies from Lowry Airforce Base is seen marching down Colfax Avenue in the annual Gateway to the Rockies Parade.

Signs and businesses include Lehrer's Flowers, Jester Lounge, Goodyear, Taylor's Liquors, Coach Light Restaurant, Silver State Bank and BF Goodrich.

Aurora Cocktail Lounge, 1975

Courtesy Save the Signs

 Aurora Cocktail Lounge, 1975

Pace Setter Motel

 

Pacesetter Motel, 14291 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo from the Shorty Hanger collection and scanned by Todd Matuszewicz)

McDonald's Grand Opening

 

Courtesy Save the Signs

McDonald's Grand Opening, 11025 E Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado, 1960

West Colfax Avenue and Federal Blvd.

These photos are from West Colfax Avenue and Federal Blvd. before the Colfax-Federal Cloverleaf was built in 1960.

Radiant Motel

Courtesy Save the Signs

Radiant Motel, 10950 East Colfax Ave., Aurora Colorado, 1957

The caption below this photo reads, "This happy quintet of Aurora visitors are shown above enjoying the new swimming pool at the Radiant Motel. Getting ready to play another game of water polo are, from left to right, Mr. and Mrs. Don Lux, Jerry Schulte, Mrs. and Mr. Richard Stenzel. Jim Prather, owner of the motel, installed the 40' x 15' pool recently and it has been attracting a great number of tourists during these hot days."

East Colfax Avenue, 1983

 East Colfax Avenue, 1983 (photo by John Sunderland)

Miles Plaza and Altura Drugs

Miles Plaza Superette and Altura Drugs, 15751 East Colfax Avenue, Aurora, Colorado (undated photo courtesy of Bob Endersen)