Longtime Fort Worth lawyer and politician Jim Lane’s backyard stretches down a hill to the Jacksboro Highway, and his business sign has become a familiar sight over the years. The sign sports his business phone and familiar profile wearing a suit and cowboy hat.
Okay, the sign is not in the same league visually as the other signs I’ve been spotlighting recently on the notorious strip of highway (and I’ll be showcasing more in the future on Blotch).
But Lane’s metal-pole, hand-painted, leaning and weathered billboard still looks cool to me as I drive by, particularly when his horses are grazing nearby.
Lane, a member of the influential Tarrant Regional Water District board, is currently running for mayor of Fort Worth.
Skeptics might say, “Should the top elected official in a city of 750,000 have an old sign like that in his backyard?”
Well, Lane may or may not become our next mayor, but either way his sign is alright with me. Reminds me of Fort Worth.
Some folks might also say, “Hey, what’s he doing with a billboard in a residential area? That’s illegal!”
Not really. The sign, along with several others nearby, was erected before the law changed to outlaw billboards from residential areas. The signs are grandfathered, said David Hall, assistant director of planning and development.
The signs can’t be replaced, but they can be maintained and they can remain as long as they don’t fall into disrepair or get destroyed by Mother Nature.
Previous entries in the Jacksboro Highway sign series:
Jacksboro Highway Avalon Motel Sign A Keeper
Grand Ave is one of my favorite streets in Fort Worth. I think ol’ Jim Lane claims his house is haunted.
You should take a picture of the Statue of Liberty at the Caravan motel and the Caravan’s sign too since you’re doing Jacksboro Highway pics.
If you want to.
@Bob — Thanks for the tip, and keep watching Blotch as I’ll be photographing and writing about more Jacksboro Highway signs in the future.