Stephen's Meat Products

Jessen's
Rio Vista, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Heading through Rio Vista, check out the windmill sign for Jessen’s. It might bring Van de Kamp’s to mind, but take another look at the name. This one gave Jessen’s its own little touch of Dutch roadside scenery here in the Delta. No bakery connection needed to put a windmill out front.

The shape did much of the advertising before a motorist even read the lettering. A windmill is a little harder to overlook than a plain rectangular sign, especially when it turns up somewhere unexpected. Spot the blades, catch the name, and there’s a landmark to remember on the next trip through town.

Windmill-themed signs were a more familiar sight along California roads back in the 1970s. Bakeries weren’t the only businesses getting in on the act, and Jessen’s is a good example of that roadside imagination. Sometimes a business just needed something a little different to make passing drivers take another look.

UPDATE: Not sure what’s become of Jessen’s or its old windmill these days. Hopefully, those blades are still catching the eye of travelers passing through Rio Vista. 09-26

Time to Save
Stockton, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Got a minute? This Time to Save sign in Stockton puts a clock to work making its sales pitch. It’s a fitting combination for a bank, reminding passersby about their money while giving them a chance to check the time. Whether the hands were keeping up when this photo was taken is another question.

The clock has a connection to the old Stockton Savings & Loan Society building, constructed in 1907. Long before checking the time meant reaching for a phone, a prominent sidewalk clock could be a useful downtown landmark.

UPDATE: The “Time to Save” clock was installed by the mid-1950s. The bank changed its name to Bank of Stockton in 1958, and the accompanying bank sign was updated that year. The clock’s current timekeeping condition has not been confirmed. 09-26

Battens Florists
San Jose, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the sprouting decoration above the Batten’s Florists sign in San Jose. Apparently, the flowers weren’t all inside the shop. That flourish up top gave the marquee a little personality of its own, making this flower business worth a look even without an occasion to buy a bouquet.

Behind the roadside sign was Batten’s Art Florist, where Ethel Batten owned and operated the business for 20 years. Her daughter Judy also worked at the shop, adding a family connection to the name out front. Here was a neighborhood specialty business with more behind it than a catchy marquee.

Ethel’s interest in flowers continued after she and her husband Jack retired to Hilo, Hawaii, in 1970. There, she grew orchids and tropical plants. Sounds like a fitting next chapter for someone who had spent years in the flower business.

UPDATE: Not sure what’s become of Batten’s or that sprouting old sign these days. The family’s 1970 retirement doesn’t tell us when the shop closed, so that part of the story is still a little hazy. 09-26

Pink Poodle
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

How can a pet owner resist a name like Pink Poodle? This Sacramento grooming shop brought a little canine personality to the roadside, with a poodle helping announce the business. Apparently, the customers weren’t the only ones expected to look stylish.

The name sounds right at home on a neighborhood grooming shop, promising a little attention for a shaggy companion. Check out this specialty sign, giving the four-legged crowd its own representative among the usual storefront marquees.

UPDATE: Not sure if this place is closed these days. 09-26

Johnson's Sewing Machine Center (Closed)
Ukiah, CA
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Check out the old sign for Johnson’s Sewing Machine Center in Ukiah. Here’s a specialty-shop marquee from the days when a sewing machine could mean a trip downtown to a dealer who knew the equipment. The sign announced a place for the sewing crowd to stop, rather than another department buried inside a giant store.

Johnson’s was already part of Ukiah’s business scene in 1962, when the local newspaper included it among a group of participating merchants. That puts the name alongside familiar downtown businesses such as Montgomery Ward, shoe stores, and neighborhood markets.

UPDATE: A December 1962 newspaper listing confirms Johnson’s Sewing Machine Center was operating by that year. Its exact opening and closure dates have not been established. 09-26

Dahl's Shoe Repair
Stockton, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Need a shine and dye? This old Dahl’s Shoe Repair sign in Stockton advertises a place where tired footwear could get a little attention. The older commercial surroundings make a fitting backdrop, with the shop’s sign adding another piece of character to the streetscape.

A favorite pair of shoes didn’t necessarily have to be retired when the heels wore down. A trip to the cobbler could put them back into service, and Dahl’s had a roadside marker to help customers find the shop.

UPDATE: Dahl’s Shoe Repair may be closed by now. 09-26

Western Piano (Demolished)
Sacramento, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

A few musical notes help tell the story on this fading Western Piano sign in Sacramento. Even without playing a sound, the marquee let passing motorists know what kind of business waited inside. A little sheet music for the roadside, with the shop’s name supplying the rest of the tune.

UPDATE: The photographed Western Piano property was demolished. 09-26

Diamonds
Oakland, CA
Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn

Looking for something that sparkles? This old Diamonds sign in Oakland points the way, although the advertisement itself could use a little polishing. Its faded lettering blends into the weathered background, giving the sign a much less glittery appearance than the merchandise it promotes.

Hopefully, the diamonds inside had more shine left in them than the paint out front. The contrast gives this worn roadside advertisement a little personality, even with its brighter days behind it.

UPDATE: This Diamonds business may be closed. 9-26