Grassroots effort restores historic 91-year-old Petaluma neon sign

PETALUMA, Calif. - The age-old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg, may have finally been answered over the weekend in Petaluma, where a beloved but neglected historic sign was reborn through community power. In this case, the chicken and the egg both came first.

Historic neon sign 

What we know:

Petaluma's "Baby Chicks" neon sign, located in front of the former Poehlmann Hatchery, looks just like it did the day it was first mounted 91 years ago. From the 1920s through the 1940s, Petaluma was known as the "Egg Basket of the World," and it remains an important agricultural center today.

The Baby Chicks sign was originally erected in 1935, but it fell into poor repair as the decades passed. The total $22,000 restoration was strictly a grassroots GoFundMe effort. Historian Katherine Rinehart served as the initial catalyst for the project.

"These signs need a spokesperson, need an advocate. So, I formed the Petaluma Signs Project," said Rinehart, the organization's founder.

Preserving local history 

Local leaders praised the community's willingness to step up for local history.

"Petaluma is really a community that will stand up when there's need, make sure the project gets completed," said Stacey Atchley, Executive Director of the Petaluma Museum.

Organizers said choosing the iconic hatchery sign to launch their preservation efforts was an easy decision.

"Of all the signs in Petaluma, which is the one we should kick it off with? And, it was a natural," Rinehart said. "People love this sign. It's just like it's this happy, welcome to Petaluma. Really heartwarming; people are just ecstatic."

Atchley noted that preserving such landmarks helps connect residents to the town's roots.

"Our history isn't confined to textbooks and museums like this one," Atchley said. "There's special qualities in our historic environment that can really not only transport us to the past but help us feel grounded in the present, and I think the sign is a great example."

More to come 

Preserving forlorn and abandoned old signs may be a growing sign of the times, and organizers already have eyes on other potential candidates in the area.

The Elm Court sign is a neon sign that currently has no neon. While it is still sitting in place, advocates hope that one day it could shine again. 

Another option includes local "ghost signs," such as a Coca-Cola sign painted in the 1940s that is an official city landmark. Proponents say it could easily be restored with proper funding and community will. Additionally, a Ghirardelli Cocoa sign was recently unmasked when a shed was torn away from the side of a building, making it a high priority for refurbishment.

While some local business owners have taken it upon themselves to restore their own signs, others now have the opportunity to do the same.

"This identifies our community and people just feel the glow," Rinehart said.

Active sign preservation projects are currently underway in California cities like San Jose, San Francisco, and San Diego. However, organizers believe there is a massive opportunity for hundreds of other cities, towns, and hamlets to start their own historic preservations.

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