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California Signs (page 29)

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Virgil's Bait Shop
Suisun City, CA
Paul & Harvey
Sunnyvale, CA
Virgil's Bait Shop opened around 1948. This sign was built around 1936 and came from Stockton, CA. In 2020, the sign's neon was replaced with LED rope. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Paul & Harvey bar opened around 1937. This sign might be from the 1940s or 1950s. For more, see this website. [map]

Pink Motel
Sun Valley, CA
The Pink Motel opened in 1946 and is now used for apartments and motel rooms. The Pink Cafe next door is now called Cadillac Jacks and has been non-operational since 1989. Both the restaurant and motel are used for film shoots. For more, see this website. [map]

Big Jim's Restaurant & Bar
Sun Valley, CA
Big Jim's Restaurant & Bar has been around since at least the 1970s. [map]

Cooper's Hardware
Sylmar, CA
2012: 2019:
Cooper's Hardware was established in the 1940s. This sign might be from the 1950s. It was repainted around 2016. [map]

Elks Lodge
Susanville, CA
Pioneer Saloon
Susanville, CA
Grand Cafe
Susanville, CA
This Elks Lodge sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

The Pioneer Saloon was established in 1862 as the Humboldt Exchange Saloon. It became the Pioneer Saloon in 1863. The Pioneer sign may be from the 1920s. The cocktail glass and "cafe" signs were probably added later. The building now houses the Lassen Ale Works at the Pioneer Saloon. For more, see this website. [map]

The Grand Cafe opened in 1921. The building collapsed in 1934. In 1935, the restaurant reopened at its present location, next door to the original site. This sign appears to be from the 1950s. The restaurant has been closed for many years. [map]

More Susanville:
Knights' Inn Motel: 1, 2 [gone]
Marsh & King Drugs
Sierra Theatre
two bulb arrows

Oasis Restaurant
& Nightclub
Taft, CA
Independent Order
of Odd Fellows
Taft, CA
Rotary
International
Taft, CA
OCAW
Taft, CA
The Oasis Restaurant & Nightclub sign is probably from the 1950s. It may have been reworked from a previous business name. [map]

The Independent Order of Odd Fellows Hall was built in 1939. This sign is probably from the 1950s. [map]

This Rotary International club was established in 1924. This sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. [map]

The OCAW acronym stands for the Oil, Chemical and Atomic Workers Union. The Union was established in 1955 and this sign is probably from around then. [map]

More Taft:
Fox Theatre

Tarzana:
Corbin Bowl

Ranch House Motel [gone]
Tehachapi, CA
Santa Fe Motel
Tehachapi, CA
Burger Spot
Tehachapi, CA
Kelcy's Restaurant
Tehachapi, CA
The Ranch House Motel sign appeared to be from the 1950s. By 2022, the sign was gone. For more, see this website.

The Santa Fe Motel sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. For more, see this website. [map]

The Burger Spot was probably built in the 1960s. For more, see this website. [map]

Kelcy's Restaurant opened in 1933 as the Squires Coffee Shop. It became Kelcy's in 1969 and this sign may be from then. [map]

Wonder Cleaners
& Draperies
Temple City, CA
Ralph's Club
Tracy, CA
Lighthouse Inn
Trinidad, CA
Wonder Cleaners & Draperies opened around 1950. [map]

The Ralph's Club sign has been here since at least 1953. The "Liquors" panel at the top of the sign was added later. At some point, the cocktail glass was moved from the middle to the end of the lower panel. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The neon on the Lighthouse Inn sign appears to be broken. I'm not sure if the place still functions as a motel. For more, see this website. [map]

Torrance:
Circus Donuts

Wagon Train
Coffee Shop
Truckee, CA
Loch Leven Lodge
Truckee, CA
Zander's Spirits Etc.
Truckee, CA
I believe the lower part of the Wagon Train Coffee Shop sign was built for Brown's Cafe around the time it opened in 1944. There was a red horizontal neon panel above the vertical panel reading "Brown's." There was a "Wagon Train Coffee Shop" a few doors away that opened in 1947 and had a horizontal sign. I don't know when Brown's closed or when this plastic panel on top was installed. [map]

The Loch Leven Lodge opened in 1952. This sign might be from then or slightly later. [map]

The Zander's Spirits Etc. sign was built in the late 1940s for the Gateway Bottle Shop. In 1969, it became Zirbel's Gateway Bottle Shop. Zander's Spirits Etc. moved into the space in 2015 and the sign was restored then. [map]

Mazon Auto Center
Tulare, CA
Canby's Air Conditioning & Heating
Tulare, CA
The Mazon Auto Center sign is probably from the 1950s or 1960s. It probably advertised for a different business originally. Around 2018, the neon was removed from the sign and the panels were painted yellow. The building houses an antiques shop now. [map]

Canby's Air Conditioning & Heating was established in 1924 at a different location. Canby's moved to this building in 1944. There was a fire just a few months later. The store was rebuilt and this sign feature was added around 1949. The building was repainted between these 2008 and 2013 photos above. [map]

More Tulare:
Lyn's Cafe [gone]

Youngdale's
Appliances
Turlock, CA
Veterinary
Medical Center of Turlock [gone]
Turlock, CA
Polly Ann Bakery
Turlock, CA
Youngdale's Appliances opened in 1921. This sign is probably from the 1950s. The store closed in 2009. There is a furniture store in the space now. This sign remains tucked around the side of the building. [map]

This dog sign at the Veterinary Medical Center of Turlock was previously installed on top of the building. It had neon at that time. The dog appeared to be a Cocker Spaniel. By 2023, the sign was gone.

This Polly Ann Bakery sign was built by the mid-1950s. It was installed on the roof of the business at a shopping center in Modesto, CA. It's possible that there were two of these signs if there were two locations operating at the same time. The sign is now displayed on the back of the building of the Sunrise Bakery. The store operated as the Polly Ann Bakery until about the 1990s. The sign was evidently moved behind the building when the business name changed. The "BAKERY" neon is protected by a wire mesh screen. The Polly Ann letters had neon originally as well. However, I don't believe this sign is lit anymore. For more, see this website. [map]

Venice Motel
Turlock, CA
2014: 2023:
The Venice Motel sign was previously painted blue. There were clear plastic panels over the letters to protect the neon. Around 2020, the sign was repainted and the neon stored by Robinson Electric Sign Service of Modesto, CA. [map]

Frostie
Ukiah, CA
(now Lakeport, CA)
Forest Club
Ukiah, CA
Mobil Country Club
Ukiah, CA
Frostie opened around 1950. This photo is from 2016. This sign remained in Ukiah until 2023 although the business was demolished in 2002. In 2023, the sign was removed and restored with LED tubing instead of neon. It is on display at the Lake County Fairgrounds in Lakeport, CA.

The Forest Club has been around since at least the early 1950s. This sign might be from then. It was repainted between 2012 and 2015. It was previously painted brown. This photo is from 2016. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

This Mobil Country Club mobile home park sign is from the late 1950s or early 1960s. There was another location in San Jose, CA which opened in 1960. I don't know if there were other locations. [map]

More Ukiah:
I.O.O.F. [map]
El Rebozo [vintage; gone]
Triple S Camera Shop [map]
Water Trough [gone]

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Yuba City
Museum of
Neon Art
Valley Relics Museum

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