Old Sunkist sign emerges from rubble of packing house

Photo by David Allen

Inland Valley Daily Bulletin columnist David Allen spotted the faded Sunkist logo that reappeared during demolition of a century-old packing house in Upland. "Upland was founded on citrus, not grocery stores," he writes. "Many of the homes in this neighborhood were built on former groves. This sign was like an apparition, the Ghost of Citrus Past."

It was a surprise to all, especially as the building had been studied, walked and documented.

“It looks like the sign was originally on the exterior of the building but was covered over with a later addition,” Jeff Zwack, Upland’s development services director, wrote in an email after an inquiry from Councilman Gino Filippi.

“There’s a lot of interest in the community about it,” Filippi told me.