88 Custer Street, Detroit, MI
The Walker & Company was established in 1885 by two brothers, Henry and John Walker located in Detroit, MI. During that time, Walker made a huge name for themselves for producing and manufacturing large outdoor porcelain enamel and neon lighted advertising signs for various companies and industries across the country. By 1913, Walker Co. expanded their business with branch offices and manufacturing plants across the state of Michigan in cities like Monroe, Mt. Clemens, Ypsilanti, Pontiac, Flint, and Saginaw.
By the 1950s, ninety-five percent of auto company and auto dealer signs were produced by Walker & Co., and it was top five nationally in outdoor advertising. Some of the major clients that Walker and Company produced and manufactured large outdoor signs were for companies like Pontiac, International Harvester, Case, Ford, Chevrolet, Federal Trucks, Texaco, Esso, Phillips 66, Sinclair, Gulf, Shell, Atlantic, Mobil, Firestone, Good Year, and United Service Motors just to name a few.
Their main competitor was a local outfit called Mulholland Sign Company located in Kalamazoo, MI. Mulholland Sign Company produced similar outdoor porcelain enamel neon signs too but mainly for Ford, Mercury, and Lincoln.
They also produced large outdoor porcelain signs and tin sign for the brewing industry as well; for breweries like Old Reading, Sunshine, Yuengling, Kaier, Duke, Fort Pitt, Stroh, Coors, Miller, Anheuser-Busch, Budweiser, and Goebel just to name a few.
Below are a few of their signs:
