Rexall Drugs Neon Sign – New Tazewell, Tennessee
Whenever I research the particulars of something I’ve seen while out exploring, I’m bound to find an interesting little tidbit that makes me say, “Huh. I didn’t know that.” The most recent such instance was learning about the name “Rexall.” You know the one on the vintage neon signs found outside some drugstores?
The “Rex” in the name was derived from the name of Ellen M. Regis—”Regis” being Latin for “of the king”—who developed “Rexall remedies” and from whom the company purchased the mark.
– Wikipedia
The eye-catching blue and orange signs were featured on independent druggists franchise stores which exclusively carried Rexall branded products. According to Rexall history on Wikipedia, the company itself started as a retailer cooperative under the name United Drug Company by Louis K. Liggett in 1903.
From what I can gather based on the documented ins-and-outs of corporate buyouts and so forth, the Rexall-branded stores petered out primarily in the 70’s. The remaining Rexall signs we see around these days are like historical artifacts. Seeing them in the wild is kind of special.
This Cunningham Rexall sign was one I saw in New Tazewell, Tennessee in the summer of 2025.
