Gallup's heritage includes some of the Southwest's largest trading posts and a notable strip of neon signs along old Route 66. Neon once served as the calling card of virtually every diner and motel along Gallup's main street, and such signs have long been a hallmark of roadside commercial advertising that beckoned weary travelers off the highways. Although historic neon signs remain prevalent in many communities across the United States, they are also at risk. Gallup has preserved some of its vintage neon signs with help from Route 66 Corridor Act monies and support from the New Mexico Route 66 Association, and the State Historic Preservation Office recognized both their value and the need to preserve them. In 2000, former New Mexico State Historic Preservation Officer and Gallup Downtown Development Director Elmo Baca proposed restoring some of New Mexico's vintage neon. As part of Gallup's downtown renovation project, the roof-mounted Lexington Hotel sign, constructed in 1931 in downtown Gallup, was refurbished. Each sign is unique to its business, including the pink neon outside the El Rancho Hotel, built in 1937 by movie mogul D. W. Griffith's brother, which still proclaims "Charm of Yesterday, Convenience of Tomorrow." Vintage trading posts, hotels, and other businesses continue to entice travelers to stop along Route 66 through historic downtown Gallup, where neon signage also marks places such as Richardson's Trading Co. and Cash Pawn, the Rex Museum in the 100 year old Rex Hotel Building, and the Gallup McKinley Chamber of Commerce.
