Castle Dome Signs

While at Castle Dome Mine and Museum one of my tasks was to paint signs. Big ones, little ones, new ones, redo old ones. Two aren’t included because I forgot to take pictures of them. One was “Parking at end of Road” and the other was “Picnic area for Castle Dome Visitors.” I used outdoor house and door paint so it would last, after I’d sanded and prepared the surfaces with primer to prevent rust and weather from damaging the signs. Well, some rust, after all somesigns are on older, rusty pieces of metal.

One of the signs is about a little piano player that brought her piano with her. I identified with her since I have my electronic keyboard in my camper. It seems, after she’d met the love of her life, married him, and left her piano at Castle Dome for life with the love of her life for the big city, was apparently murdered by him. Oh, and he took all her money she’d made playing the piano also. I picked the music, Douce Plainte or Gentle Lament, because of her story.

As you will see, some signs, like HULL for the Hull Mine where there are tours down into the mine, are very, very big. Some, like the little piano player, are smaller. Two of the signs were in disrepair so, after I’d cleaned off the shellac, I repainted over the work of the former sign painter.

The map is a partial map of the area of the Museum to help people looking for the road to Castle Dome peak. Kofa Wildlife Refuge built a new road that is on the map I made, but not on the one on their kiosk a few miles from the museum. You’ll notice there is no road through the private property of the Museum. Lyman Wall was one of the last people to live here permanently, he raised his family here. He also made wood and metal sculptures on display at the museum. Ruby’s is a bar out by the Hull Mine. The painted sign is for the outside. The “fancy” sign, made of ribbon, is for the inside. The rest of the signs are for the buildings that house the Miner’s Supply store, the Undertakers, and the Office building for the Hull Mine.

Hope you like the signs and the music.