Tagus Theatre

Kerr Rug Co. (Demolished)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

At the corner of G and Ventura streets in Fresno, check out the dueling marquees for Kerr Rug Company. With signs facing different directions, motorists had a good chance of spotting the business no matter which way they approached. The streamlined storefront added a little extra mid-century style to the roadside scene.

Kerr Rug Company had roots at this corner dating back to 1912, when the operation included rug weaving. The later building appeared on local maps by the late 1940s and carried subtle Streamline Moderne details. By the 1960s, Kerr was advertising itself as the Valley’s largest rug and furniture cleaner, along with California’s largest broadloom selection.

UPDATE: Kerr Rug Company eventually closed, and the old corner pole sign was removed around 2011. The Streamline Moderne building followed in 2015, when it was demolished. 09-26

Topper Men's Shop (Closed)
Delano, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along Main Street in Delano, check out the old sign for Topper Men’s Shop. This was the kind of independent clothing store that once kept downtown sidewalks busy before shopping malls and giant department stores became the norm. A fellow could stop in, find a new outfit, and probably leave looking a little sharper than when he arrived.

The store was a familiar part of Delano’s downtown shopping district during the 1960s and 1970s. Local memories place it near the old Army surplus store and a neighborhood hot dog stand. Before becoming Topper Men’s Shop, the storefront reportedly housed Cameron’s Men’s Clothing.

UPDATE: The original Topper Men’s Shop on Main Street has closed. 09-26

La Cucaracha (Gone)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along E Street in Fresno, this old sign pointed the way into La Cucaracha Store. The name alone was hard to forget, and the directional arrow made sure customers knew exactly where to turn. It was the kind of small roadside sign that added a little personality to an otherwise ordinary storefront. Just follow the arrow and see what was waiting inside.

La Cucaracha operated in Fresno’s historic Chinatown district by at least 1967. Proprietor Alfred G. Flores ran the neighborhood shop as an importer of Mexican goods, offering merchandise that could not always be found in the larger department stores around town. The store joined the many small independent businesses that once kept Fresno’s Chinatown streets busy.

UPDATE: La Cucaracha Store has closed, and its vintage directional sign has been removed. The surrounding E Street block has also been heavily altered by redevelopment and construction along Fresno’s old railroad corridor. Another little piece of the neighborhood’s commercial history has disappeared from view. 09-26

Fowler Sign
Fowler, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Pulling off old Highway 99, check out the big neon arrow on the Fowler Downtown Sign. The marquee points travelers along Merced Street and toward the center of town. No mapping software needed here. Just follow the glowing arrow and see what Fowler has waiting down the road.

The sign dates back to the days when Golden State Boulevard carried highway traffic through the Central Valley. It became a familiar gateway into Fowler, a farming community now promoted as “The Blossom Trail City.” During blossom season, that arrow points toward plenty of colorful scenery.

UPDATE: The City of Fowler restored the vintage sign in 2007, bringing its neon and roadside appearance back to life. It continues to stand along Merced Street, welcoming travelers and pointing the way downtown just as it did during the old Highway 99 days. 09-26

Cooled by Refrigeration
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Somewhere along Fresno’s old Highway 99 corridor, this sign proudly announced Cooled by Refrigeration. It may sound like a rather ordinary promise today, but during the early days of roadside travel, a genuinely air-conditioned room was something worth advertising. After crossing the hot San Joaquin Valley, those four words must have looked pretty refreshing.

UPDATE: Without a wider photograph showing the main marquee or surrounding building, its original location and current whereabouts remain another Fresno roadside mystery. 09-26

Komoto's Department Store (Closed)
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Check out the vertical Komoto’s Department Store sign along Kern Street in Fresno. “Sony Sales & Service” shares space with the department-store lettering, recalling the days when a downtown merchant might outfit both the customer and the living room. Komoto’s was reportedly the Central Valley’s first authorized Sony dealer.

The 1908 building originally housed the Kamikawa Brothers general merchandise business in Fresno’s Japantown. Kanichi Komoto purchased it in 1938, operating the store below the upstairs Asia Hotel. The business closed during the family’s forced wartime incarceration from 1942 to 1945. They continued making property payments and returned to reopen after the war, keeping Komoto’s in business until 1993.

UPDATE: The building survives on Fresno’s Local Register of Historic Resources. Its vertical sign was repaired and relit in August 2026, returning the Sony and Komoto’s lettering to the nighttime streetscape. The department store has closed, but its familiar roadside introduction shines again above the old neighborhood. 11-26

“Bill” Billings Wholesale Farm Equipment
Fresno, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Along South G Street in Fresno, check out the weathered sign for “Bill” Billings Wholesale Farm Equipment. Years beneath the Central Valley sun have peeled away much of the paint, leaving different layers of lettering competing for attention. Even in its faded condition, the sign looks right at home beside an old equipment yard.

The business belonged to Garnet L. “Bill” Billings. Advertisements from the 1980s promoted wholesale farm equipment and Red Head hitch pins, along with the old telephone number 442-0311.

UPDATE: Billings Wholesale Farm Equipment has closed, but its aging roadside sign was still standing in November 2025. The paint has continued to fade and rust, yet enough of this old South G Street landmark survives to reveal the business hiding beneath all those weathered layers. 09-26

Canby's
Tulare, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Looking for appliances, heating, or something to cool down a hot Central Valley afternoon? Check out the rooftop sign for Canby’s in Tulare. The marquee is easy enough to spot, although the open hole in the middle raises a question. Was there once a clock, thermometer, or rotating logo up there? Whatever filled the space has apparently taken the answer along with it.

Canby’s has been serving the Tulare area since 1924. The third-generation family business once offered appliances along with heating and cooling products, but eventually shifted its focus toward air-conditioning, heating, sheet metal work, and HVAC repairs.

UPDATE: Canby’s Air Conditioning & Heating remains open at its longtime location on North Lane Street. The century-old family business continues operating beneath its familiar rooftop marquee, and the mysterious hole in the sign is still waiting for someone to explain it. 09-26