Leon's Bail Bonds (Closed)
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Leon's Bail Bonds was hard to miss along Chester Avenue. The business operated from a little red barn near the courthouse and jail, making it a strangely cozy place to get bail.
Leon and Martha Faulkner established Bail Bond Leon in 1958. The familiar barn-shaped office followed in 1962 and became a local landmark through its roadside sign and memorable television jingle, “It's the little red barn... Bail Bond Leon!”
UPDATE: Bail Bond Leon is closed, although the Little Red Barn still stands. Its classic sign was removed in 2023 and preserved at the Kern County Museum's Mission Bank Neon Plaza. 09-26
15 Mile Stop
Morgan Hill, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
This old rusted-out sign points the way to the 15 Mile Stop, where travelers once found diesel, fuel, and eats along busy Monterey Road. There is not much left to advertise these days, but the weathered sign continues to tell passing motorists that something once happened here. 02-06
The 15 Mile Stop took its name from its location about 15 miles south of San Jose. During the 1950s and 1960s, it served as a fuel stop and roadside diner for truckers traveling the old highway toward Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and the Salinas Valley. The mileage name followed an even older stagecoach tradition, when stops along this route were identified by their distance from San Jose.
UPDATE: The original fuel stop and cafe are long closed, and the property has been repurposed as an industrial yard. The rusty “15 MILE STOP / DIESEL / FUEL / EATS” sign still survives beside Monterey Road. 09-26
Ponzini's Community Garage
Morgan Hill, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's the old roadside sign for Ponzini's Community Garage in Morgan Hill. With the fenced yard filled with vehicles, it might look like a storage facility at first glance, but this is a longtime neighborhood garage and towing operation along old Monterey Road. 02-06
Fred and Lucille Ponzini took over the property in 1951, and the family business continued under their son Gary. The garage has provided auto repair, towing, and smog-check services for generations, even earning recognition as Morgan Hill's Small Business of the Year in 2018.
The pole sign may be older than the Ponzini business itself. Look closely and the “Community” panel appears to have been fastened over an earlier sign face, leaving a little mystery about what it originally advertised.
UPDATE: Ponzini's Community Garage remains open along Monterey Road, and its wonderfully altered roadside sign still stands outside the property. 09-26
Greyhound Bus
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's the old Greyhound Bus Station in downtown Salinas. The running greyhound looks especially sharp on the projecting marquee, ready to race off even if the next bus is running late. At the time, there was talk of replacing the station with a hotel, leaving the future of this grand old sign uncertain. 02-06
Built around 1950, the depot served generations of travelers making their way through the Salinas Valley. Its location in the heart of downtown made it a familiar departure point for residents and a first glimpse of Salinas for visitors stepping off the bus.
The corner marquee was the real roadside attraction. Blue Greyhound lettering stretched across the canopy while the familiar running-dog emblem projected above the sidewalk. When the neon was glowing, there was little doubt where to catch the next bus. It was the kind of transportation sign that made even an ordinary bus station feel like a gateway to somewhere else.
Greyhound Bus
Salinas, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
UPDATE: Unfortunately, word is that this Greyhound station may be moved to make way for a hotel proposal. If this goes through, it is unsure what would happen to this grand marquee. 02-06
UPDATE: Greyhound left the building in March 2015 and moved its passenger service to the Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center. The proposed hotel never replaced the old depot, and the building survived under new ownership. Unfortunately, the Greyhound marquee and running-dog emblem were removed after the station closed. Whether the sign was saved or scrapped remains unknown. 09-26
Pioneer Mercantile Co. (Gone)
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
There is not one, not two, but three old signs advertising Pioneer Mercantile Co. in downtown Bakersfield. Two blade marquees project from the building while a third sign rests against the wall. Together they made sure shoppers approaching from nearly any direction knew they had reached the right place.
All three signs were showing their age after years of baking in the hot Central Valley sun. The faded paint, weathered metal, and old lettering fit this longtime hardware store rather well. A shiny new plastic sign probably would have looked out of place on a business that had already been around for more than a century.
Pioneer Mercantile Co.
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
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Pioneer Mercantile traced its roots to the late 1800s and grew into one of Kern County's oldest commercial businesses. Locals remembered it as the kind of hardware store that carried just about everything. Its shelves and warehouses held farm equipment, industrial pipe, sheet metal, electrical supplies, household hardware, and plenty of odd parts that were hard to find anywhere else.
The company's original downtown building was destroyed during the 1952 Kern County earthquake. Pioneer Mercantile rebuilt in 1953 and continued serving Bakersfield's farmers, contractors, oil workers, and backyard repair experts. Ralph Barker Sr. managed the rebuilt store for nearly 50 years, becoming almost as familiar to customers as the merchandise.
Pioneer Mercantile Co.
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
The company also wandered into broadcasting during the 1930s, operating radio stations W6XAI and KPMC. The KPMC call letters stood for Pioneer Mercantile Company. The store is also credited with selling some of Kern County's first air-conditioning units in 1927. Considering the Bakersfield heat, that may have been one of the most useful products ever placed on its shelves.
UPDATE: Pioneer Mercantile closed in 2012 after more than 120 years in business. The 1953 building survives with antique vendors and other commercial uses inside. Portions of the old painted lettering and weathered signage remain visible around the property. 09-26
15 Mile Stop
Ponzini's Community Garage
Greyhound Bus 
Greyhound Bus 
Pioneer Mercantile Co. (Gone)
Pioneer Mercantile Co.
Pioneer Mercantile Co.
