7UP 'ghost sign' in Cedar City sparks memories of wedding proposal 50 years ago

CEDAR CITY — When Gloria Bratton heard the news that the historic 7UP sign on Main Street in Cedar City had been uncovered, memories of one of the most important days of her life came flooding back.

"I was working at Lin's grocery at the time, and Richard came to pick me up for my lunch break ... and the sign was right there," Bratton said.

The year was 1974, and that lunch at Hugh's Café turned into a marriage proposal.

"He came to pick me up and we were going to go to lunch at the café, and we were in the parking lot getting ready to go in and he popped the question with the engagement ring," she recalled. "We had been talking about getting married, but it was still a surprise — and the sign was right there, so it's kind of special. I'm glad they uncovered it."

The sign was painted sometime around the 1960s, according to the Cedar City Historic Preservation Commission, and remained "in plain sight" for roughly 20 years before the Best Western Town & Country Hotel moved in next door. It was uncovered this past summer when that building was demolished to make way for a new Maverik gas station.

The sign, which is considered a "ghost sign," sat there completely covered for 40 years, but the memories of that fall day in 1974 had always been with Bratton — especially since she had no pictures to prove her engagement ever happened.

"He didn't plan to do it in front of the sign; he was just excited to ask me," she said. "There was no big show like nowadays where everybody has to have some big presentation.

"It was October and he had gone deer hunting with his brothers in New Harmony," she continued. "I guess he missed me so much that he left and got a ride back to Cedar and didn't tell his brother or anybody else; he just left. They didn't know where he was until he came back the next day. I went hunting with him the next day, but his brother was kind of ticked off that he didn't tell anyone that he was leaving and going back to town."

The couple married in 1975 and had two daughters, whom they raised in Cedar City. And while they now reside in Las Vegas, Bratton said she has kept an eye on the small town that holds so many memories.

"When it was uncovered, I thought, 'Oh, my goodness. That was exciting!'" she said.

Bratton has not been able to make the trip back to Cedar City since the sign was uncovered, but she said she and her husband hope to do so soon.

The 7UP ghost sign has had a good cleaning but is a long way from being completely preserved. Cedar City Historic Preservation Chair Aleese Cardon said she is in the process of applying for grants and securing funding to clean it up and restore it for residents and visitors to enjoy.

"We have been trying to secure some funding for supplies," Cardon said. "We are also wanting to see if we can find some local artists who are willing to donate their time and talents to help with the sign."

"It's always nice to have things from the past (preserved)," Bratton said.

Correction:A prior version of this article misspelled Gloria Bratton's last name as Gratton.

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