A&W Highway Sign for Drive-In Restaurant, circa 1965

Roy Allen ran a small walk-up root beer stand in California in 1919. In 1922 he partnered with his employee Frank Wright. Together, "A" and "W" opened three more stands and then began an aggressive program of selling franchises. By 1933, 171 outlets were selling the famous beverage. Many of these stands catered to the drive-in customer, making A and W one of the earliest drive-ins. Drivers could patronize a stand where "tray boys" and "tray girls" were ready to serve -- all without leaving the comfort of the car. This mug-shaped sign stood at the roadside entrance of the A and W Restaurant in Litchfield, Minnesota. Roadside signs enticed motorists during the drive-in boom years after the Second World War.