Tagus Theatre

Franey's Floor
Visalia, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

When wandering around downtown Visalia, stop by and check out the sign for Franey’s Floor Coverings. The familiar lettering stretches across the storefront along North Encina Street, letting customers know where to find something new for the floors back home.

Roger Franey established the business in October 1955. More than 70 years later, it remains a family-owned Visalia fixture, offering flooring, window coverings, and other interior design services. Franey’s was also named the Downtown Visalians Merchant of the Year in 2016.

UPDATE: Franey’s remains open at its longtime location as Franey’s Carpet One Floor & Home Design Center. The original storefront and familiar signage survive, even though the branding has been updated over the years. 09-26

Kozy Trailer Lodge
Beaumont, CA
Photo courtesy Adriene Biondo

Pulling into Beaumont, check out the old neon sign for the Kozy Trailer Lodge. The friendly name and weathered roadside marquee welcomed travelers looking for a place to park the trailer and settle in for a while. Whether the neon still worked when this photo was taken is another question, but the sign had plenty of old highway character.

Kozy Trailer Lodge was already welcoming guests by 1951. An early advertisement offered tile showers, a patio, and a lawn for $18 a month. Nothing too fancy, but apparently enough to make trailer living a little more kozy.

UPDATE: The property remains open as the Kozy Manufactured Housing Community, an all-ages residential park. Recent improvements included repaving and laundry facility renovations, but the old neon marquee was removed and replaced with a modern park sign. 09-26

7up
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Look up toward the roofline along East Olive Avenue for this old 7UP Sign. The curved framework, circular slogans, and animated neon made it hard to miss while traveling through Fresno’s Tower District. Back in the day, spotting a giant 7UP sign meant there might be a cold bottle waiting somewhere nearby.

The sign was built locally during the 1940s by Hamlin Neon Sign Co. It was one of several similar displays installed around the Central Valley, promoting familiar slogans such as “Fresh Up with 7UP” and “It likes you!” Sequential neon tubing once added movement to the design, giving the rooftop a little extra fizz after dark.

UPDATE: This particular sign still survives above the building occupied by Teazer World Cafe, just east of Wishon Avenue and a short walk from the Tower Theatre. The animated neon tubing has disappeared and the sign face has weathered, but this old Tower District landmark remains right where motorists have seen it for generations. 09-26

Arcade Trailer Park (Rem.)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Cruising along Fresno’s old Motel Row, check out the blue neon sign for the Arcade Trailer Park. Perched high above the entrance, the marquee could be spotted by passing motorists traveling along the old Highway 99 corridor. With a sign like this, there was little chance of driving past the park without noticing it.

The Arcade Trailer Park offered more than a place to park the trailer. By 1963, advertisements were promoting a swimming pool for residents and the telephone number AMherst 4-3658. It joined the motels, diners, and tourist courts that once filled this busy stretch of the highway with neon.

UPDATE: The Arcade Trailer Park remains open as an all-ages manufactured housing community. Unfortunately, the old blue neon marquee has been removed, and its present whereabouts are unknown. Another familiar piece of Fresno’s Motel Row has slipped away from the roadside. 09-26

Florist
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out this simple yet elegant Florist somewhere in Fresno. The graceful lettering is outlined in real neon, giving the flower shop a little extra color after dark. No complicated design or giant bouquet needed here. One glowing word says everything.

UPDATE: The current status of the flower shop, building, and neon sign remains unknown. 09-26

Pay Less and Save (Closed)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

At the corner of E Street and Mariposa Avenue in Fresno, check out the old sign for Pay Less Market. “Pay Less and Save” was the message, a catchy little phrase with plenty of universal appeal. After all, who wants to pay more and save nothing?

Pay Less Market served Fresno’s historic Chinatown neighborhood with fresh meats, produce, and groceries. A 1976 advertisement also promised Blue Chip trading stamps, giving customers another reason to fill up the shopping cart and save those little stamps for later.

UPDATE: Pay Less Market has closed, and the current status of the building and roadside sign has not been confirmed. 09-26

Palms Groceries (Closed)
Bakersfield, CA
Photo courtesy Tony Craig

Along Chester Avenue in Bakersfield, check out the old Palms Grocery. With its rustic exterior and open roadside appearance, the little market looked more like a highway produce stand than a regular neighborhood grocery store. It must have been an easy place to pull over for a few supplies before getting back on the road.

Palms Grocery was doing business at this location by at least November 1932. The market stood directly beside Palms Liquors, creating a handy little stop where customers could pick up groceries and a few liquid refreshments without traveling very far.

UPDATE: Palms Grocery has closed, while the neighboring Palms Liquors remains open. It is unclear how much of the grocery store’s weathered roadside structure or original signage survives today. 09-26

7up Sign
Merced, CA
Photo courtesy Jimmy Bowman

Just off the main drag in downtown Merced, check out the towering 7UP Neon Billboard. The old sign invites passing motorists to “Fresh Up with 7UP” while promising that “It likes you!” Animated neon bubbles once moved across the face, adding a little extra fizz to Main Street after dark.

The sign likely dates back to the 1940s and stands beside Maria’s Mexican Kitchen. Local memories suggest that a metal Seven-Up character may have once watched over the top, although exactly when he disappeared is unknown. After years of weathering, the neon was restored and the sign returned to glowing duty in late 2011.

UPDATE: The 7UP billboard remains standing along Main Street as one of only four vintage 7UP sign structures known to survive in the San Joaquin Valley. Its paint has faded again and the sign could use some attention, but the old bubbles and familiar slogans are still there waiting to freshen up the streetscape. 09-26