New 'Go To Church or the Devil Will Get You' sign being erected on I-65

Source: AL.com, by Kelly Kazek




Many travelers along Interstate 65 have been wondering for more than a year what happened to the iconic sign with the image of a red-tailed Satan and the message "Go To Church or the Devil Will Get You." Whether passing motorists agreed with its sentiment, the sign was a well-known landmark that many will be happy to know is being replaced.

The sign, erected decades ago by W.S. "Bill" Newell, was toppled by a storm in fall of 2016. It was located on Newell's private property near the Verbena exit beside the north-bound lanes. Newell was known as a Christian and a patriot who enjoyed providing the message for motorists to contemplate.

Newell's sons, Sam and Keith, took over maintenance of the sign upon their father's death in 2009. A new signboard has been erected, this time closer to a picturesque mill waterwheel so that it is more visible to those traveling north, according to Althea Newell, wife of Sam Newell. The signboard is currently covered with blank, white paper.

Despite the fact that the original sign was damaged when it fell, the devil image was salvaged and will be used on the new sign, Mrs. Newell said. The message will be the same, likely with the exact wording as the original, she said.

Mrs. Newell didn't know when the message would be added to the new signboard, saying it depends on when crews at her husband's firm, Newell and Sons Construction in Montgomery, will be available to work on it.

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2018/01/new_go_to_church_or_the_devil.html#incart_river_home