Vince Staten

SIGNS, SIGNS, EVERYWHERE SIGNS

The Story of 'Sign By Felix'

You probably didn’t know his face but you certainly knew his name. and his work. “Sign By Felix” was a familiar sign around town.

Felix was Raymond Felix who created such iconic signs in Kingsport as the Oakwood Market waterfall and the Art Deco Fuller & Hillman sign. .

His daughter Lois told me his story several years back.

“My father started from scratch, coming here from his native Kentucky with nothing but some paint brushes, a talent for drawing and lettering, a creative mind, and the ambition to do something with all of the aforementioned.”

Raymond Felix arrived in Kingsport in the 20's and, according to his daughter, began his sign-painting career by going to local businesses, such as J. Fred Johnson's, and asking to paint their storefront windows.

In a 1934 classified ad he announced he was opening Felix Signs. He did the neon Freels Drug sign in 1935, painted the outfield signs for the Cherokees Ball Park and did a neon sign for Miller Service Station.

Lois said, “He was one of the first companies to do neon work in the Kingsport area. He was responsible for the Fuller & Hillman sign and almost every sign along Broad Street at one time was his handiwork, including both theaters.”

When Oakwood Supermarket opened on Supermarket Row Nov. 21, 1949 there was no waterfall sign. That was added in 1956 when the store was remodeled and enlarged. The newspaper story announced, “One of the features of the store will be a huge sign atop the building. Lighted by 16 huge colored flood lights, the sign will be an actual waterfall. Approximately 10,000 gallons of water a day will ripple down the rugged sign, giving the effect of a natural rock waterfall. It is believed to be the first of its kind in the nation.”