Clear Spring, Maryland: House of Hocus Pocus (Gone)

My great grandfather, Obern Carbaugh, was a professional sign painter, and he painted some outdoor advertisements for Knepper's House of Hocus Pocus.

Unique little restaurant, gas station, novelty store, roadside attraction. Long gone.

Just outside the little town of Clear Spring, along Rt 40, was Knepper's, a gas station/novelty store/restaurant/tourist trap, referred to as the "House of Hocus Pocus." Their slogan: "We sell a thousand things, but nothing anybody needs!" They had several little attractions ... at one point they had a fenced-off enclosure with a sign reading "World's Largest Bull" by a hole in the fence. If you peeked through you would only see a pile of concrete painted to look like bull dung, and a sign saying "As you can see, he got away". (Clearly quite a bit of bull.)

Supposedly the owner took numerous road trips in the 50s and put up signs saying "(X distance) to KNEPPER'S" nationwide to drum up business. A photo exists of one in Death Valley.

Knepper's operated in the '50s and early '60s, but by the time I was born the owner died and the new Interstate 70 had diverted traffic off of Rt 40. It is now a gas station and convenience store, but there are many happy memories by the locals. Does anyone remember this place, or have any mementos? Does anyone remember the signs?