Before freeways when drivers passed through small towns across the county on two-lane roads and stopped at locally-owned diners, another common sight upon entering a town was a sign featuring the logos of local service clubs like the Rotary, Elks and Lions Clubs. Oftentimes those signs were created by the local Chamber of Commerce, such as the one pictured at right that once welcomed visitors to Arcadia in 1964.
Like many other things, many of those signs have disappeared or fallen into disrepair.
Such is the case for another such sign in Arcadia created many years ago as a stone monument in the median of Huntington Drive on the western border of town, pictured at right. After determining last fall that the stone monument needed to be refurbished the City also noticed that some of the service clubs represented on the porcelain plaques no longer exist.
A refurbished monument will be officially dedicated at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 11, which includes logos on similar circular plaques of additional and newer service organizations, including the Arcadia Historical Society, the new Friends of the Arcadia Museum, the Arcadia Chinese Association, and for the first time on this monument, the Arcadia Chamber of Commerce.
Anyone wanting to attend the ceremony should park in the lot across the street north of the sign or on the street on the south side of Huntington Drive. The crosswalk will take you to the area. — By Scott Hettrick