The City of Walnut Creek recently shared this photo of the old “Welcome to Walnut Creek” sign on their Facebook page, but nobody knows the exact location of the sign.
Do you remember this sign, or do you know where it was located?
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Probably right near the entrance to Sunvalley Estates. (according to the sign in the back)
I don’t remember this sign, nor do I know where it was located. But the Sun Valley Estates homes for sale in Lafayette – those homes were built in 1950. I’m guessing 1950, and the sign is on the edge of Walnut Creek near Lafayette. Maybe Saranap area.
Ygnacio Valley rd,near where the hospital is,opposite side of the road.,
https://www.neighborhoods.com/sun-valley-estates-walnut-creek-ca
Looks like the Sun Valley Estates sign was from around 1946. Copy and post on the address above and it will get you close to the neighborhood the sign was in. There is a map.
I thought the sign was referring to Sun Valley Estates in Lafayette. The sign says Lafayette, and it’s a Lafayette phone number. Or maybe the realtor was in Lafayette.
Hometown, best town to live in.
I grew up in Sun Valley Estates in Walnut Creek. Need to check it out.
Based on the sun angle, along Mt. Diablo Blvd. which was the main road from Oakland (before Hwy 24 was built).
The sign was at the western edge of Walnut Creek. I’d guess around 1945 and was alongside Mt. Diablo blvd. It was before highway 24 became a freeway.
Looks like it could be westbound Ygnacio Valley Road, across from what is now John Muir Medical Center, on or near today’s St. John Vianney Catholic Church.
yes… at the city limit…
I’m guessing it was somewhere along Ygnacio Valley Road?
I don’t think I remember it. The guys working on it look a bit on the young side.
Maybe it might be a Eagle Scout project, that’s why they are so young.
And all their project could be is just adding the trees.
That’s HWY 24 in the background!!
The sign would have been on Mt Diablo Blvd-Old Tunnel but not Saranap
The Catholic Church on Ygnacio has been there for a long time. As I recall, back in the late 50’s, I think there was a convent there which was already old, along with the sulfur springs.
Anyway my guess is Mt Diablo Blvd a about where El Curtola is.
@S – it was not at the city limit.
The city limit sign was further up the road, maybe a quarter to half a mile. It was black and showed the population. The sign in the photo was at the intersection of Mt. Diablo Blvd and El Curtola Blvd.
In about ~1950 Mt. Diablo Blvd. in that area was converted into state highway 24 which ended and changed back to Mt. Diablo Blvd. at around where Boulevard Way is in Walnut Creek. El Curtola Blvd. continued to intersect with highway 24.
In the late 1950s highway 24 was widened and converted from a state highway to a freeway plus highway 680 was constructed. As part of that project, a bridge was built over Mt. Diablo Blvd for El Curtola. The Welcome to Walnut Creek sign was moved towards Walnut Creek.
I recall the relocated sign on Mt Diablo Blvd. just after Boulevard Way. I don’t remember the trees being on top of the sign and suspect they were lost or removed when the sign was moved, or the trees were still there and I ignored them.
The main memory for me was that the Mt. Diablo Blvd. exit from highway 24 was landscaped with ice plants which bloomed pink with some yellow ice plants. As I loved seeing the field of pink with yellow dots it’s possible that’s why I don’t remember the trees on the welcome sign.
There was another similar Welcome to Walnut Creek sign on the Danville highway where it changed into North Main Street. It was located about where Las Lomas high school is. That sign remained after Interstate 680 was built.
So nice to see land that has not been developed.
Is Claycord.com going to tell us who is correct????
Only problem with it being on Mt. Diablo Boulevard is Mount Diablo is missing.