GRANTS PASS, Ore. — For a few months, it looked like the old Redwood Empire would succumb to the ravages of time and be supplanted by something new.
In Spring of last year, city officials were debating the merits of renovating the iconic sign that has stood in front of the Caveman Bridge for decades or replacing it entirely. One City Council member said that the sign was becoming an "eye sore."
By June, it seemed likely that the sign would be getting a replacement. Some wanted to hold onto the historic sign and display it elsewhere. But for better or worse, the renovation camp won out in the end.
On Monday, February 11, the Redwood Empire sign will fall — however it's coming back with some modern touches.
According to Lora Glover, Parks & Community Development Director, contractor ES&A out of Eugene will be taking the sign down at 7 p.m. on Monday, then repainting the sign in "historic green" and re-installing neon lights — also in "historic green and white."
Work on the sign is expected to be done within 40 days, and then the sign will be put back in front of Caveman Bridge and reconnected to electricity.
The current Redwood Empire sign, though aged, is not the original iteration. There have been several versions since the 1930s.
