Today, a quick stroll down the 100-block of East Main still shows many “signs” of the Odd Fellows that met on the second floor on the south side of the street:

• Elaborate three-dimensional concrete IOOF logos on the north and west sides of the building facade
• Decorative IOOF tile work on the external entry to 104 East Main
• A commemorative plaque at 131 E. Main mentioning our presence after the fire of 1902

Photo Credit: Unknown. Image enhanced by AI.

But a photograph in a law office that now resides in the building, reveals that we had a prominent metal sign installed, which actually made “IOOF” the first thing a visitor might see when leaving the Norman train station and making their way downtown.

AI Estimates the photo was taken between 1938-1948

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyze the photo, it guesses that the image was taken somewhere within a decade of the late 1930s or 1940s.

BEST GUESS: Between 1938 and 1948, with a slight lean toward the early 1940s due to the car models and storefront styles.
KEY INDICATORS:
Automobiles: The parked cars appear to be from the late 1930s to early 1940s, with rounded fenders and prominent grilles typical of pre-WWII American vehicles.
Signage & Typography: The signs use bold serif and sans-serif fonts common in the 1930s–1940s.
Business Types: Drugstores, electric companies, and bookshops were staples of mid-century downtowns.
WATER ELECTRIC CO. and DUCK BOOKS suggest a pre-suburban retail model, before malls and big-box stores.

Presumably the sign was removed when we vacated in the building in the 1950s.