Another "wha' happened?": "Moore Says 'Smile America' " on I-35 water towers...

[Joe Kimball]

So it used to be there years ago, three or so water towers emblazened as such (along with distinctive star-spangled "have-a-nice-day" happy faces), and last I looked, the paintings are long missing. Also, what was the origin of such a slogan?

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

Weird!

smileamerica.com used to be the city's page, but now the DNS changes that to cityofmoore.com when you punch it in.

I guess they're moving on from it.

[Martin]

when the tower on 27th & i35 was repainted over a decade ago, i remember that the excuse was that it would cost too much to have the logo repainted.

-M

/nice a mighty wind reference, btw.

[Intrepid]

The "cylindrical" water tower on 27th is being repainted as we speak.

About a week ago, there was a curtain-like object covering then entire tower.

Now, that is gone and there is what looks like a primer coat in a brick pattern.

[OKCTalker]

Who remembers the Gene Williams Chevrolet ads, with him standing in front of the water tower? (You'd think that automobile advertising would have evolved since then, not regressed.)

[Oh GAWD the Smell!]

I-35.......NORMAN!

[Intrepid]

Who remembers the Gene Williams Chevrolet ads, with him standing in front of the water tower? (You'd think that automobile advertising would have evolved since then, not regressed.)

Sadly, I remember.

[bornhere]

"Smile America" actually began with Williams-Kilpatrick Shivolay (as they pronounced it) 'on the ole prairie field in southtown' (actually Moore). I think it may have been a syndicated ad campaign before that. The lyrics were generic enough they could be used anywhere for about any product.

The City of Moore picked up the logo and slogan from the dealership. I'm thinking that Gene Williams may have paid for the logo to be put on the water towers originally.

[traxx]

Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

[Joe Kimball]

Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

They do, and I might agree depending---it's true I've become attached to the vanilla-brown-sugar accent against the horizon when going around the lake. Even with its datedness, it certainly beats the old aviation orange and white checkerboard pattern preceding it (and extant on Draper's tower, I believe). I'm not sure how long tower paint lasts, so perhaps they're waiting for the next painting for a new coat (and a hopefully decorative one).

Why are the towers shaped like a sausage, anyway? Is it for more reason than the same contractor? I do like its aesthetics; it's rather unique, like the WSM Blaw-Knox tower.

[traxx]

I believe (and I may be incorrect) that it has been repainted and touched up since it's original OK89 painting. I'm not saying it looks bad (although I did kind of like the checkerboard) it just seems that we're clinging to some past glory or at least the perception of glory.

I wonder too, what out of towners think when they see that. They don't know that it was in celebration of the olympic trials being held here that summer. I try to always think of how non-Oklahomans view our city and state when passing through or coming for a visit.

[Joe Kimball]

I believe (and I may be incorrect) that it has been repainted and touched up since it's original OK89 painting. I'm not saying it looks bad (although I did kind of like the checkerboard) it just seems that we're clinging to some past glory or at least the perception of glory.

I wonder too, what out of towners think when they see that. They don't know that it was in celebration of the olympic trials being held here that summer. I try to always think of how non-Oklahomans view our city and state when passing through or coming for a visit.

I read a bit more about tower painting (and on such a beautiful day, sigh. I think maybe I'll go by the lake later to compensate ) after I posted that just now, and I realize that it would have to have been at least touched up a bit over the past 20 years. I also remember the tower looking quite dirty after the June 13, 1999 tornado, so it must have been attended to an extent where it couldn't be overlooked that the structure marks the occasion of an Olympic Festival quite honestly long forgotten by many, the efforts of the athletes notwithstanding.

Perhaps there's an agreement for a number of years to have that design up? I too have worried about its presence as a vestige of the times when OKC was in its lull between recognition, as it would seem.

[Intrepid]

Here's a pic of the tower on 27th street. This is the north side view of the tower:

[Patrick]

It's a good thing Moore got rid of those smiley faces. Those were kind of cheesy.

[bwana_bob]

As a child, I remember ads for Alan Merrell Chevrolet and thought that he also did business in Moore, perhaps using the water tower as a back drop. Did his operation predate or follow Gene Williams - or am I just mixing together long ago memories? This I am sure of: Merrell had a distinctive style of speech some might compare to Daffy Duck. He always closed his ads by saying, "Thank you for allowing me into your home or place of business."

[bornhere]

Alan Merrell Chevrolet, Route 66 in Yukon.

I remember his son, Alan, Jr. ran an expensive campaign for Congress - 1978, I think - and lost the Democratic nomination to a welder named Jesse Knipp who didn't campaign at all. He didn't have to.

[dismayed]

That poop brown fake brick pattern is really ugly. Bring back the smiley face.

[Intrepid]

I think I found what's going on with the tower on 27th street.

The blog post below was from over a year ago, so I'm not sure if it's still true, but I haven't found anything out there, that's more recent, stating anything different:

Red Dirt Reporter: Moore to paint "Home of Toby Keith" on water tower

Friday, April 20, 2007

Moore to paint "Home of Toby Keith" on water tower

I was reading the paper version of The Norman Transcript the other day (April 18) and noticed a story headlined: "Moore council OKs repainting water tower with 'Home of Toby Keith.'"

Writes Transcript reporter M. Scott Carter regarding Moore City Council plans to repaint the city water tower at NW 27th and just west of I-35: "The tower does need to be repainted," said City Manager Steve Eddy. "We're going to be doing that; it also has rust on the outside as well as on the inside so we'll be doing some maintenance." The tower was last painted, Eddy said, in '95 or '96, so it does need to be repainted now."

Continuing: "Once covered in a base coat, the tower would have the phrase: "Moore Home of Toby Keith" painted in large, blue letters."
Eddy said he wanted to get the council's opinion on the repainting of the water tower and added, "It (the wording) would be on both sides of it, essentially where you could see what's on there from the southbound and northbound traffic on the Interstate."

Carter ended with the following phrase: The project was approved without debate.

[John]

Speaking of such, do they still have the OK89 on the water tower by lake hefner? Isn't it about time to retire that?

I was actually hoping that in the previous couple of years they would have repainted it with the Oklahoma Centennial logo. I know water towers paint jobs usually last in the 15+ year range. Might as well have us celebrating the Centennial on into the next century, as opposed to OK89.

[edcrunk]

i always liked the ok89. i was in high school when we hosted the event and snatched up everything i could find with that logo on it... hah.
i don't mind it since the 1889 date has significance to oklahomans.
however, the centennial logo (as someone mentioned) would be tight as well. too bad that opportunity was missed.

[so1rfan]

The OK89 water tower has become an icon, no way should we paint over it.



What really needs a paint job is the OKC Water works tower

[brianbusboy]

I remember him hawking "79 Malibu Colonade coupes for 29 hundred and ninety five dollars. Proof Positive you get more at Alan Merril Chevrolet"

[Free J Toddy]

I am new to this community and I had heard recently that the 73170 zip code was the "richest" in the state of OK. Can anyone verify this?

[flintysooner]

It is a pretty decent zip code and there are many ways to measure different things. Following are a couple of links for further consideration:

City-Data Link

Mongabay Highest Income Zip Codes in Oklahoma

[Intrepid]

Is it me, or has this thread gone off topic?