Palms Liquors
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
This shot is of the Palms
Liquors sign located near downtown Bakersfield.
The old palm tree sign for Palms Liquors stood near downtown Bakersfield, adding a little tropical color to the busy corner of Chester and California avenues. The red cabinet, block lettering, and neon palm made this an easy roadside landmark to spot.
Getting a photograph was not always so easy. On my own later visits to photograph the sign, I was chased away from the property more than once. Apparently the owners were not especially interested in having their vintage sign documented, even from the edge of the parking lot.
For generations of Bakersfield High School students, Palms was a familiar bus-stop landmark and a place to grab a soda or candy. The palm tree joined a colorful group of old commercial signs once found along Chester Avenue, including Bail Bond Leon and the Big Shoe Repair.
UPDATE: Palms Liquors closed in 2026 after a brief revival under new owners. The building and vintage palm tree sign remain standing. 09-26
Gene
& Larry (Gone)
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's a night shot of the neon sign for Gene
& Larry in Bakersfield. The lettering glowed above the corner of 23rd and R streets, fitting right in with the older garages and storefronts around the neighborhood.
The family-owned electrical repair shop opened in 1953 and remained at this corner for 66 years. Along with the main Gene & Larry sign, the building carried a companion neon marquee advertising “Carburetor Repairs,” giving nighttime photographers another reason to stop.
UPDATE: The shop closed in 2019. Both vintage neon signs were donated by the Medearis family to the Kern County Museum and moved to its Mission Bank Neon Plaza. 09-26
Bakersfield Electric Motor Repair
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Here's a night shot of the neon sign for Bakersfield
Electric Motor Repair. The glowing lettering would be enough to catch the eye, but those jagged electric bolts really finish the job. Nothing subtle here, and that is exactly how an old roadside sign should be.
The company opened in 1949 near the old Highway 99 corridor and has spent more than 75 years repairing and rebuilding electric motors for the valley's agricultural and industrial businesses.
UPDATE: Bakersfield Electric Motor Repair remains open, and its vintage neon sign and electric bolts still light up after dark. 09-26
Leon's Bail
Bonds (Gone)
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
Just off the main road into downtown Bakersfield was the bright neon sign for Leon's Bail Bonds. Day or night, the sign pointed the way toward a little red barn near the courthouse and jail. Nothing says emergency legal assistance quite like getting bail at a barn.
Leon James Faulkner and his wife Martha started the business in 1958. The Little Red Barn was built in 1962 by Leon's friend, local developer Maurice St. Clair. Its location was certainly convenient for anyone who had just taken an unexpected trip through the nearby court system.
Leon's Bail Bonds
Bakersfield, CA Photo courtesy Devil Doll
The unusual building, oversized neon sign, and late-night television commercials made Bail Bond Leon a Bakersfield institution. Generations of viewers remembered the bouncing-ball jingle, “It's the little red barn... Bail Bond Leon!” The business later passed to Leon and Martha's daughter Susan and her husband Steve Dodgin.
UPDATE: Bail Bond Leon no longer operates from the Little Red Barn, although the building remains standing. The roadside sign was removed in July 2023 and relocated to the Kern County Museum's Mission Bank Neon Plaza. 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
Don Bonander's Buick (Closed)
Madera, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Check out the glowing rooftop script for Don Bonander's Buick in Madera. The big Buick name looked especially sharp after dark, with the neon lettering still working well when these photos were taken. On the opposite corner of the same building was a companion GMC Trucks sign, giving the old dealership two roadside landmarks for the price of one.
The showroom stood near the old Highway 99 route through downtown Madera. Don Bonander operated the business for decades as Vintage Buick Pontiac Cadillac GMC Truck before expanding his automotive interests into Turlock.
Don Bonander's Buick
Madera, CA Photo courtesy Dave & Debra van Hulsteyn
Both rooftop signs survived well into the 2000s, long after many dealerships had replaced their neon with standardized plastic corporate signs. That old Buick script was simple, clean, and easy to recognize from down the road, which was really all a good auto dealer sign needed to do.
UPDATE: The dealership closed after the business changed ownership around 2012–2013. The building now houses Wilson's Powersports, and the vintage Buick and GMC rooftop signs have been removed. 09-26
Leon's Bail Bonds
