The following history of the Fremont neighborhood's elephant is from Roadsideamerica.com:
The life-size statue dates from 1926-36, created by mosaic craftsman John Giovanni Braida to promote his tile business in Fremont. Braida and his employees spent nearly a decade building and embellishing the elephant.
The family sold the elephant in 1946, and businessman Denny Grindall got a great deal -- $500 -- to represent his Aurora Avenue flower shop.
The business flourished under the pachyderm, and Denny's son Paul Grindall eventually assumed the mantle. Since the connection between a florist and an elephant is not apparent to all, the marquee sign on which the elephant stands could aid the conceptual leap: "Elephants have a great memory -- do you? Don't forget your wife's birthday!"
The pachyderm is equipped with an Indian howdah (like Lucy the Elephant) and was constructed from a wooden frame wrapped with chicken wire. At one time, you could climb a ladder and sit in the elephant’s belly -- but no more.
Over the years, people asked Paul Grindall about future restoration plans, but he pointed out that would cost tens of thousands of dollars, "and we’re just a little florist shop." He assured us the elephant would be there as long as the business is.
Then, in 2004, the Aurora Flower Shop closed. Fans of the elephant grew anxious. It was fairly certain the aging landmark couldn't survive another move. Fortunately, since December 2005 the property has appreciative new owners, who plan to renovate the elephant as a symbol of their contracting business -- "The Elephant Among Us."
The company is now owned by Aurora Rents, a construction rental company and as of yet little has been done to rehabilitate this aging beast.