Stephen's Meat Products

Trade East (Closed)
Stockton, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Here's another old sign to check out while passing through Stockton. Trade East is the name on this one, though the marquee doesn't immediately explain what shoppers might find inside. 11-09

The business sold imported goods, with a selection that included martial arts shoes. A slightly different shopping stop from what the name alone might bring to mind.

Trade East was around during the late twentieth century, giving local customers a place to browse items from farther afield. The sort of shop where a quick look could turn up something unexpected.

Outside, the old sign supplied a reason to pause without doing any shopping. Take a look before continuing along Pacific Avenue.

UPDATE: Trade East Imports has closed. 09-26

Lan Mart Shops
Petaluma, CA
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

Take a look at the faded sign for Lan Mart Shops in downtown Petaluma. The lettering has picked up a weathered look, fitting right in with the older buildings along Petaluma Boulevard. 12-10

Beyond the name is a little collection of shops tucked into buildings with roots going back to the 1876 Centennial Building. A stop here offers more than one storefront to look through.

Victor and Marisa DeCarli bought the worn buildings in 1969 when demolition was looming. Instead of clearing the site, they turned the spaces into an indoor marketplace.

That gives a passing visitor a good excuse to step off the sidewalk and wander inside. Get a look at the old sign first, then see what the shops have waiting beyond it.

UPDATE: Lan Mart continues as a downtown shopping arcade, and the exterior sign remains. 09-26

Renewing
San Francisco, CA
Photo courtesy Scott Strickland

Need those shoes renewed? Check out this old Renewing sign in San Francisco. The shoe graphic gives the word some context, making it look like a place where worn soles could get another chance. 11-09

“Renewing” is a nice way to put it. A little stitching, a new heel, and perhaps that favorite pair wouldn't have to be replaced after all.

The neon script gives the message more flair than a plain repair notice. Even someone with perfectly good shoes could find a reason to stop and photograph this one.

Linch Jewelry
Petaluma, CA
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

Here's an old jewelry store sign worth a look along Western Avenue in Petaluma. Linch Jewelry has the kind of storefront name that seems right at home among the downtown shops. 12-10

Arthur Linch opened the business here in 1946. The neon became part of the shop's familiar face, giving customers something to look for before reaching the display windows.

The building is older still, dating to 1910. Designed by Brainerd Jones, it was Petaluma's first steel-frame building, though the sign is likely to catch a passing photographer's attention before the construction does.

UPDATE: Linch Jewelry is still open, and its restored neon sign remains on the building. 09-26

Town House (Gone)
Fair Oaks, CA
Photo courtesy Rod Holcomb

Check out the faded Town House sign in Fair Oaks. The old neon marquee looks like it has spent plenty of years above the sidewalk, with the weather leaving its mark on the finish. 12-10

The name wasn't the first one used here. Guy Marlette originally opened a restaurant called the Dog House, then added a bar and changed the name to Town House.

Quite a promotion from the dog house to the town house. The sign gave the restaurant and bar a familiar name for customers to spot while passing through the village.

UPDATE: The former Town House has been converted to apartments, and the old neon sign has been removed. 09-26