email: roadarch@outlook.com

California Signs (page 14)

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Independent Order of Odd Fellows
Lodi, CA		 Rancho Grande Motel
Lodi, CA		 Modern
Motor Lodge
Lodi, CA
The Independent Order of Odd Fellows sign might be from the 1940s or 1950s. It looks like it was restored recently. For more, see this website. [map]

The Rancho Grande Motel sign has been here since at least the 1950s. The snoozing Mexican at the top of the sign was not there originally. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Modern Motor Lodge sign has been here since at least 1950 when it advertised for The Modern Motel. There was a "The" at the top of the sign originally. For more, see this website. [map]

Vintage Reserve Garage
Lodi, CA
The Vintage Reserve Garage sells vintage and classic cars. The business has a nice collection of vintage, car-related signs as well. For more, see this website. [map]

Imperial Hotel
Lodi, CA		 Hollywood Cafe
Lodi, CA		 Victor Brand [gone]
Lodi, CA
The Imperial Hotel was built in 1912. It closed in 1989. This sign is probably from the 1930s or 1940s. The top piece of this sign is a match for the Fall River Hotel sign in Fall River Mills, CA which has an Electric Products Corp. badge. The Imperial Hotel sign probably had a bottom piece as well. This sign has a Zeon Neon badge under the "T". [map]

The Hollywood Cafe opened in 1938. This sign is probably from the 1950s. It was repainted from light blue to red sometime after 2005. For more, see this website. [map]

This Victor Brand meat packing plant closed in 1991 but the sign remained until 2009. It's not known if the sign was destroyed or if any of it was saved. Under the vinyl tarp, the sign read "Victor Brand". For more, see these websites: 1 and 2.

More Lodi:
Lodi Arch
Richmaid Restaurant

Rice Bowl
Lompoc, CA
The Rice Bowl opened in 1948. It was previously known as the Lompoc Coffee Shop. This sign was built by Modern Neon Sign of Santa Barbara, CA. For more, see this website. [map]

former Hi Let's Eat
Lompoc, CA
2013: 2023:
The Hi Let's Eat sign originally advertised for the Hi Restaurant which opened in 1960. The "Let's Eat" portion of the sign was missing and painted over in 2006. It was repainted when the Jalama Beach Cafe moved into the building in 2007. This photo is from 2013. The Jalama Beach Cafe closed in 2016. In 2017, the sign was removed. In 2022, the sign was restored with 220 LED bulbs and no longer has neon. It is now installed at the American Host Restaurant. For more, see this website. [map]

Star Motel
Lompoc, CA		 IOOF
Lompoc, CA		 Stillman's Modern Cleaners
Lompoc, CA
The Star Motel signs are probably from the 1950s or 1960s. For more, see this website. [map]

This IOOF, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Lodge was built in 1905. This sign is probably from the 1940s or 1950s. It probably had more neon originally and appears to have been refurbished in recent years. By 2023, the sign had been painted black and the neon removed. [map]

Stillman's Modern Cleaners opened in 1949 and this sign appears to be from then. The business is still operating. [map]

Cessna
Lone Pine, CA		 Slaters Sporting Goods
Lone Pine, CA
The Cessna sign is located at the Lone Pine Airport. It is probably from the 1950s. [map]

The Slaters Sporting Goods signs appear to be from the 1950s. Since 1994, the business has been known as High Sierra Outfitters. The sign's neon was restored in 2020. [map]

Margie's
Merry-Go-Round
Lone Pine, CA		 Gardner's True Value Hardware
Lone Pine, CA
Margie's Merry-Go-Round opened in 1957 and this sign is probably from then. The merry-go-round part of the sign revolved originally. The restaurant is now the "Merry-Go-Round" Chinese restaurant. The sign remains. The sign's neon was restored in 2020. For more, see these websites: 1 and 2. [map]

The Gardner's True Value Hardware sign appears to be from the 1950s. The neon on these signs was restored in 2020. [map]

Mt. Whitney Motel
Lone Pine, CA
The Mt. Whitney Motel pole sign is probably from the 1950s. The text panels were repainted sometime between 2004 and 2007. They were previously painted brown. The horizontal sign might be from the 1940s. It was previously painted green. The pole sign's neon was restored in 2020. For more, see this website. [map]

Alamo Motel
Los Alamos, CA
The Alamo Motel was built in the 1940s. This sign is probably from then. [map]

Los Molinos Meats
Los Molinos, CA		 Earle M. Jorgensen Co.
Lynwood, CA
The Los Molinos Meats sign may be from the 1930s. [map]

The Earle M. Jorgensen Co., aka EMJ Metals, is a steel and metal distribution company. It was established in 1921. The first warehouse was built in Lynwood in 1923. I don't know if this is the same location. This rooftop sign is probably from the 1950s. It might be older than that and reworked with these channel letters later on. The company now has about three dozen locations in the U.S. and Canada. There are very similar rooftop sign at the company's Tulsa, OK and Dallas, TX locations. [map]

Alameda Albany -
Apple Valley		 Arcadia -
Barstow		 Bakersfield Bay Point -
Beverly Hills		 Big Bear Lake -
Bridgeport		 Buellton Buena Park -
Carpinteria
Catheys Valley -
Corona del Mar		 Cotati -
El Centro		 El Dorado -
Escondido		 Eureka -
Garden Grove		 Fresno Gilroy -
Harbor City		 Hawthorne -
Lakeport		 Hayward &
San Leandro
Lakewood -
Live Oak		 Long Beach Los Angeles Macdoel -
Mendota		 Merced -
Monte Rio		 Monterey Park -
Oceanside		 Oakland
Ontario -
Palo Alto		 Pasadena -
Petaluma		 Pico Rivera -
Pomona		 Porterville -
Redondo Beach		 Redwood City -
Richmond		 Rio Nido -
Roseville		 Sacramento Salida -
San Bernardino
San Bruno -
San Luis Obispo		 San Diego Area San Francisco San Jose San Mateo -
Santa Barbara		 Santa Clara -
Santa Monica		 Santa Paula -
Stanton		 Stockton
Suisun City -
Ukiah		 Upland -
Vernon		 Victorville -
Wilmington		 Woodland -
Yuba City		 Museum of
Neon Art		 Valley Relics Museum

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