Sign of the Times

The bright lights of the arrow serve as a guide. Pull over. Stop by on your way home. Maybe it was a long day on the job. Perhaps there’s cause for celebration. Regardless, the neon sign at Rudy’s Liquors promises a nip and a tote, a little now and more to tote home.

In 1965 Rudy Faleskin added the neon sign to the Tap Room at 285 Chartres St. in La Salle when he added a liquor store to his drinking establishment.

The bar was opened in 1906 as Ajster’s Tap. As a child, Rudy lived across the street. His mother would give him two pennies and Rudy would visit the tap and buy a hunk of cheese, cut from a large wheel.

It’s the appreciation for the history of Rudy’s that keeps Patti Hall, owner since 1982, maintaining the bright neon beacon.

“It’s uniquely us. Even the younger generations are more nostalgic because things are changing so rapidly,” Hall said.

As much as Hall loves the sign and preserving history, she acknowledges that maintaining the sign, including more than 100 bulbs in both sides of the arrow alone, can be costly and difficult as parts become more scarce.

“I can’t help but wonder if there will be a time when we can no longer do it,” she said. However, for now, the sign will continue to offer passers-by a nip and a tote.

For more information on Rudy's, visit: www.facebook.com/rudys.liquors/

Rudy's Liquor's and Taproom

285 Chartres Street

Lasalle, IL 61301

(815) 223-2351