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(Photo by Jeff Prince)
(Photo by Jeff Prince)

The Jacksboro Highway is eye candy to me. Even though I’ve driven it a million times over the years I always enjoy checking out the old advertising signs.

My favorite — most everyone’s favorite, I imagine — is the Rocket sign that sits atop A-1 Muffler & Welding.

The Rocket Club was a hotspot for music and dancing way back in the 1940s. Later it became a rock ‘n roll club, and then a Latino dance spot.

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“Then it turned into a skating rink, then an indoor go-kart track, and then a furniture store, I think,” said Scott Pack, who owns the building along with his father, Jimmy. They’ve been operating A-1 Muffler & Welding there for 18 years.

I’ve often wondered how many times people have tried to buy the sign over the years.

It happens a lot, Pack said.

“The biggest money we’ve been offered is $5,000,” he said. “My dad said ‘no.’ Times would have to get a lot tougher before we’d sell it.”

SCOTT PACK AND HIS BELOVED 'ROCKET' SIGN (photo by Jeff Prince)
SCOTT PACK AND HIS BELOVED 'ROCKET' SIGN (photo by Jeff Prince)

The Packs see the sign as a part of the building. So do customers — some mistakenly write out checks to “Rocket Muffler Shop.” The Packs were already operating the A-1 Muffler business when they bought they building and they didn’t want to change the business name. But they didn’t want to take down the landmark sign either.

Business got rough about seven years ago, and Jimmy Pack toyed with the idea of accepting that $5,000 offer.

But the Packs persevered the hard times and kept the sign intact. Now they’ve paid off the building free and clear. Business is good. The thought of stripping the sign from the building for a few grand, which would quickly be spent and gone, just doesn’t sit right with them.

So, what’s the magic amount of money somebody would have to offer to convince them to sell the sign?

“With me, there really ain’t no amount,” Scott Pack said.

“Good, I hope you never sell it,” I said.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Glad to hear that money isn’t the bottom line on every situation. Kudos to Scott and Jimmy Pack for proving that not everything is for sale.

  2. I thought everybody had their price in this day and age. Bush and Cheney sold out their country to make their Halliburton buddies rich. Rick Perry sold out his state to make his big oil buddies rich. Mike Moncrief did the same to Fort Worth. Glad to see some people haven’t made money their God! Way to go Scott Pack!

  3. My dad use to go here and I think he played in a band here as well. I have not seen him in 25 years.

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