Table of Contents
Bridge Repair in Sight
Dump Issue to Boters by Geoffrey Sillis
City of Needles Acquires El Garces
More Nuggets... Route 66 Celebration
Route 66 Center Proposed
Over the Road
California Route 66 Museum - Victorville
Roy's Revisited
Are We There Yet? by Jenny Avila
Hummel's Station by JoAnne Willis
Botero - In Beverly Hills by JoAnne Willis
BRIDGE REPAIR IN SIGHT
At long last, a time frame for replacing the bridge at Essex on National Old Trails
Highway has been set. The 90 day project will take place June through August of 1996. The
bridge has been closed since late summer of '94 and the resulting detour north to I-40 has
had "Mother Roaders" frustrated and confused, not to mention the ire of Southern
Californians who use this section of Historic 66 between Amboy and Essex as a popular
route to Laughlin, Nevada. Unfortunately, these frustrations will continue through yet
another travel season. However, at least the end of this long running saga is now in
sight.
The delays in the bridge project largely were caused by miles of red tape the San
Bernardino Department of Transportation had to deal with in order to obtain federal
funding to get it accomplished. Because the road had been Route 66, an historical report
had to be done to see if the bridge would have to be reconstructed with wood timbers
instead of poured concrete, for example. A paleontological report had to be completed to
determine if significant fossil finds would be disturbed or damaged by the project. A
desert tortoise survey was required due to its endangered species status. All of this
appears to be redundant because all of these issues have been dealt with previously, such
as the fact that the bridge had already been repaired in 1970 with poured concrete, thus
erasing its historic integrity. However, aggravating the slowness of this process has
been, the net result is that the federal government will now pick up 80% of the repair
costs, which is what the County had hoped for.
Historic Route 66 in California should be intact from Victorville to Searchlight
Junction (US 95 and I-40) in time for participation in the 70th Anniversary Route 66
"Run to the Heartland" Auto Rally, October 4th and 5th of this year.
DUMP ISSUE TO VOTERS By Geoffrey Willis
On March 26, 1996, voters of San Bernardino County will have their chance to approve or
deny plans for a trash and garbage mega-dump near Amboy, California, formally called the
Bolo Station Landfill. The finished project would be a man-made mountain of waste 400 feet
high, 3 miles long and 1 mile wide. This controversial proposal to haul up to 21,000 tons
of refuse per day by train to the Amboy site (just south of Historic Route 66) is the
brainchild of Rail Cycle, a joint venture between Waste Management Inc. of Oak Brook,
Illinois and the Santa Fe Railway. Many significant environmental concerns have been
raised by this project, the foremost being the threat of contamination to a huge aquifer
of clean water that begins at the edge of the dump site.
Measure L, a citizens initiative sponsored by the Clean Desert Water Coalition, would
prevent the construction of any landfill or waste dump within 10 miles of a large source
of water usable for domestic, agricultural, or industrial purposes. A YES vote for Measure
L would stop Rail Cycle in its tracks.
Measure M would put a tax on landfill operators using a sliding scale reflecting the
tonnage dumped at each site. However, this is not a special tax which could earmark
revenues for dump cleanup and closure costs. The money would simply go into the County
general fund and could be spent on paper clips, copy paper, or anything else (more raises
for elected officials?). Furthermore, the tax paid by the operators would likely find its
way back to County consumers in the form of higher fees for trash hauling. Rail Cycle
advocates have projected a boon for San Bernardino County if the Amboy dump is approved.
In the long run, though, county taxpayers may well end up paying more for little or no
benefit. A NO vote on Measure M would also derail the trash train headed for Amboy.
Beyond the sobering issues of potential fresh water contamination, insect infestation
from transported garbage, air and noise pollution, and negative scenic impact is the long
term image of the Mojave Desert. Once this "landfill" is operating, interstate
traffic cannot be restricted from it. Waste literally from across America can be shipped
to Amboy. Do we really want our desert to become known as the Nation's dumping ground?
March 26 is the opportunity for voters to protect the resources and image of the Mojave
and demand innovation in disposal of waste in the future.
CITY OF NEEDLES ACQUIRES EL GARCES
Restoration of the Needles Harvey House, El Garces, has become a definite goal as the
City of Needles proceeds in acquisition of the property. An earlier private escrow failed
to clear. With that possibility in mind, city officials included an option to buy the
property when recently negotiating a large deal with Santa Fe Railway for real estate and
water rights. The option was contingent upon the failure of the private effort, and the
latter came to pass. The City is now moving ahead and the purchase should be completed in
a short time.
Definite plans for reuse are not as yet firmly in place. Ownership had to be the
priority, but discussions suggest use of portions as a transportation center to fulfill
requirements of a grant that is in the mill at this time. Other suggestions are small
unique shops, some museum space and possibly government offices. Lots of folks would like
to see a restaurant upstairs, whence the view is breathtaking. No doubt a portion will be
designed for travelers on Route 66, which in it's various titles has always been in tandem
with the "Railroad to the West".
Friends of El Garces, a non-profit organization, stands ready to assist with El Garces
restoration in any way possible
People tend to forget that there had to be a wagon road as the railroad was originally
built with mule power and human power, picks, shovels, wheel barrows, and Fresno scraper.
That road eventually became Route 66. Through the years, as traffic increased, travelers
stopped at El Garces, conveniently located between Old Trails/Route 66, and the Santa Fe
Railway.
The Needles Harvey House is one of the best built structures in Needles. It was begun
in 1906, and completed with landscaping in place in 1908. The walls are poured concrete,
with Mojave Indians having supplied much of the labor. The earlier Harvey House had been
of wood, and burned with loss of life and injuries. It was determined the new building
would be as nearly fireproof as possible.
Jerry Lewis, head of city promotion, said El Garces should be available for tours when
the Route 66 "Run to the Heartland" Auto Tour comes to Needles in October this
year. Jerry said, "Tell the Route 66 folks that the City of Needles will do
everything possible to make the occasion a success.
More Nuggets... ROUTE 66 CELEBRATION
Route 66 will be the theme of the Rotary Club's Annual Antique Car event here in
Needles. This year it will be two big days, Saturday and Sunday, March 9th and 10th.
Saturday will be centered around "Old Town" (Broadway and Front Street)
featuring the Rotary's 10K Run, relay walk, 20-mile bicycle race, and a picnic at Santa Fe
Park with special activities for our youth. There will be a classic car show on Broadway
with slow drags, a street dance, and a showing of the 1940 film classic, "The Grapes
of Wrath" to tie in the history of Route 66 in Needless.
Sunday will be devoted to a "Show and Shine" in Jack Smith Park on the
Colorado River. Once again, there will be music, a food court, and games for the kids. For
classic/custom car registration and more information, call 760 326-2050.
Another exciting event being planned for Needles is the "Run What You Brung"
motorcycle drags on Broadway, tentatively scheduled for April 20, 1996. This coincides
with the annual Laughlin Harley Days, when thousands of motorcyclists are riding in the
area.
ROUTE 66 CENTER PROPOSED
A first of its kind Route 66 Retail / Entertainment Complex has been proposed to occupy
the abandoned shopping area adjacent to the Azusa Foothill Drive-In Theatre. The
development will rely heavily on a 40s Road House Theme, colors, materials, graphics and
neon signage. "Made In America and Proud of It" will be the theme of this
complex.
Principle components of the present plan are:
1) a Route 66 Travel Center which would disseminate information and sponsor Route 66
events,
2) a Commercial Vehicle Museum celebrating the contribution of trucks and other
commercial vehicles to the growth of the United States throughout the 20th century,
3) a free standing Drive-In Restaurant with authentic decor and car hop service,
4) an auto parts emporium and state-of-the-art vehicle restoration facility envisioned
as the "Route 66 Motor Works", a one-stop facility which includes:
a. Full range of restoration parts and supplies,
b. Upholstery and trim shop,
c. Custom fabrication and machine shop,
d. Tire and wheel shop,
e. Comprehensive book, periodical, and technical literature store,
f. After-Market parts and accessories,
g. Specialized tools and equipment,
h. Paint, coating, cleaners, polishes, lubricants, and related supplies,
i. Design studio, photo salon and historical vehicle archive, and
j. Insurance and financing center, transportation, special event vehicle rentals.
5) a Motorcycle Dealership specializing in new Harley clones, used, customized, and
restored Harley Davidson, Indian, and other American made vintage motorcycles, parts and
accessories (to be the largest west of the Mississippi),
6) Harley's Bar & Grill featuring a Tex/Mex menu, evening entertainment and
dancing, with a special motorcycle motif with pumps, signage, prints, etc,
7) Route 66 Galleria Shops specializing in antiques and transportation memorabilia:
a. Roy's Antique Toys--Toy cars, trucks, pedal cars, bicycles, cast iron, miniatures,
b. Americana Gallery--Vintage paper, original art, posters, prints, labels,
advertising,
c. Roadkill Clothing Company--Motoring gear, T-shirts, leather wear, jewelry, casual
and party wear, logo hats, etc
d. Floyd's Super Service--Petrolina collectibles, signage, neon, gas pumps, etc,
e. Mildred's Vintage Clothing & Costume--Period clothing, shoes, costume rentals,
f. Pickwik Used Books--Books, Magazines, cards and comics, pogs, etc,
g. PattyWax Nick-Nacks--30s thru 60s dishes, pottery, glass cooking utensils,
nick-nacks, cloth items, quilts, etc,
h. Cal's Corral--Country and Western wear, cowboy boots, etc.
i. Acme General Store--General antiques, furniture, dry goods, candy, etc, and
j. The Pump Room--Breweriana collectibles, back bars, pub mirrors, signage, home bar
and brewing equipment, supplies, etc.
8) Route 66 Motor group offering vintage, restored, classic cars, trucks and sport
utility vehicles for sale,
9) Historic Function Gas Station, an authentic de-sign, historically correct, fully
functioning 50s era gas station with uniformed attendants,
10) an authentic 30s era ice cream parlor and soda fountain strategically located with
a commanding view of the entire complex.
It is hoped that a series of special entertainment events at the Foothill Drive-In
Theatre, such as last year's Route 66 benefit, Azusa Palooza can be integrated with
on-going activities of the Route 66 Center next door. A calendar of events for the complex
would include hosting auto rallies, celebrity car shows, concerts, exhibits, collections,
and more.
The City of Azusa has enthusiastically endorsed this proposal and various companies,
such as Harley-Davidson, Ruby's Diner, and Arco have expressed interest in participating.
Startup venture capital to purchase the 11 1/2 acre lot is being sought for this ambitious
concept. Potential investors are invited to contact the CHR66A at 714 289-8666 for more
information.
OVER THE ROAD
Note: In this column we refer to ISTEA, which is not a beverage or a rap star. ISTEA
stands for Inter-modal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act, a federal highway bill of
1991. This legislation mandates that 10% of highway funds be set aside for activities that
enhance the livability of transportation systems and involve state and local matching
funds.
ILLINOIS
Signage: You'll see brown historic signs with reflective strips across the words
"Historic Route". They are provided by the Illinois State Highway Department.
Access signs direct you to Route 66 from the interstates. ISTEA funds were used for the
whole project. Some towns are signed with dates posted for that particular alignment. Are
there theft problems? Twelve were stolen in the first five months, but considered not bad
out of 500.
MISSOURI
Signage: Their historic sign design was copied by Illinois and Oklahoma. They are
posted by the state highway department including through some towns. It is up to the
larger cities to sign themselves. The Missouri 66 association no doubt has the cheapest
rate going at $16 per sign, as they are supplied by inmates of the state penitentiary. Not
all cities have signs, but you will see a good many on the road. Access information signs
are in progress and may be complete by Spring '96. Theft problem? Per Ron Burden,
President 66 Association, there's been evidence of fire at the bottom of wooden poles,
hack saws and cutting torches to metal ones.
Howdy from member, "Miss Conviviality" Ada Moore of Hall-Moore Stuff Co.
Their beautiful stone barn in Lebanon, built in 1928 is just full of great stuff. 1-800
840-7747.Detour: Missouri 66 has had a bridge out west of Carthage since September '95 .
Detour in effect.
KANSAS
Signage: All 13.2 miles. You'll know you're there. Kansas probably originated the
shield design being painted right down on the asphalt.
OKLAHOMA
Signage: Historic signs look like Illinois and Missouri's. Access signs are posted from
the interstate. There have been theft problems, but less so since the state highway
department has a new nut and bolt device affixed to standard sign posts. National Route 66
Museum: The Old Town Museum Commission of Elk City has landed a $380,000 federal ISTEA
grant for the construction of a National Route 66 Museum. Construction for the new
building should begin this year. The projected opening is summer or fall of 1997. This
will be the 66th anniversary of the National Route 66 Association Convention in Elk City
of 1931. An impressive collection of vintage automobiles and a recreated old filling
station will be primary attractions.
A call for artifacts, photos, etc related to Route 66 to be donated or loaned to the
museum is in effect. Donations of money, advertising, and ser-vices to promote the museum
are needed as well. Please contact: Pat Baker, Old Town Museum, PO Box 542, Elk City, OK
73648-0542. 405 225-0111.Route 66 Museum, Clinton featured in our last issue, previously
Western Trails Museum, was a state project also funded through ISTEA.
TEXAS
Signage: They have 178 miles and 96 brown and white square-shaped signs posted by the
highway department. Since legislation is still pending to declare the route historic,
their shield reads "Old Route 66". They appear on both rural and urban roads.
There are access signs from the interstate and confirmation signs to let you know you made
the right turn. Theft? Not much. They would need a 16 foot ladder says Delbert Trew, TX
Association Editor.
NEW MEXICO
Signage: Signs are patterned after Missouri and Oklahoma's except they have round 6es.
They are in the care of the state highway department who has very few of them up. Access
signs? None. Towns of Grants, Gallup and Santa Rosa are signed. Cultural Corridors is one
of the few ISTEA projects in the U.S. funded for public art. It is an open competition to
all artists. Major sculptures or functional artwork will appear at various sites along two
major historical corridors: El Camino Real, north and south and Route 66, east and west,
having four sites each.. Each work celebrates the history and culture of these significant
roadways. Projects are directed by New Mexico Arts Division.
ARIZONA
Signage: The state highway department is currently signing the entire road, as well as
posting access signs from I-40. They are square and definitely noticeable! They have a
brown-orange background with a large white reflective shield design and rounded 6es. No
theft problems are being reported. Small business owners throughout the state proudly
display 66 shields in their windows. Burma Shave type signs are up in Peach Springs
courtesy of Reminisce Magazine.
Frasher Foto, 1945 - Courtesy Old Trails Museum" I was standing on the corner in
Winslow, Arizona"...The name of the song is actually "Take it Easy", an
early mega-hit by the Eagles. Tourists like to have their picture taken at that corner of
Kinsley and 2nd Street although there's nothing behind them but dirt. A stately building
that was on this corner since 1890 burned down in 1991. La Posada Foundation, a non-profit
group has bought the land for the cost of back taxes. Because Winslow never got the
downtown park they so wanted in the 1930s, they will now have "Standin' on the Corner
Park" de-signed in a 30s style to compliment the town. Two women landscape artists
from Laguna Beach, CA have been awarded the contract. La Posada Foundation is the
name for its original mission. ISTEA funding will help them to accomplish the restoration
of La Posada, the last and finest Harvey House in the chain of hotel/restaurants serving
travelers along the Santa Fe Railroad line. It was opened in 1930 and is on the National
Register of Historic Places. The Governor's Pride Award was given to "La Posada
Guardian Angels", volunteers who maintain the grounds. Although the Foundation
obtains grant money, they work hard to find their own financial means, such as the sale of
replicated La Posada stationery and T-shirts bearing a print of an impressionist painting
of the grand hotel done by a talented Winslow lady in 1935. The director of these
projects: Janice Griffith, Old Trails Museum, Box 280, Winslow, AZ 86047. Call 520
289-5861.
CALIFORNIA
Signage: Historic signs have been going up in Route 66 communities since 1991. They
vary in design. Some are patterned after Missouri. Those posted by the City of Los Angeles
have brown shields against a cream background and bear the historic Auto Club logo. Signs
designed by CHR66A have cream shields against a "Park Service" brown back-ground
and are non-reflective as per Caltrans requirements.
Access signs from I-40 and I-15 went up in 1992 as a direct result of appeals made by
CHR66A founding secretary Vivian Davies to Caltrans.
Theft has plagued all efforts to sign the rural areas of the Mojave Desert and the
Cajon Pass. CHR66A has suggested to the San Bernardino County Director of Transportation
that we follow the Kansas example of painting the shields on the pavement. To his credit,
he has responded with an open mind to the possibility and an open door to our association.
66 Diner, 1405 Central Ave. NE, Albuquerque. This sleek retro diner was closed for nine
months due to a serious fire. The neon is back on! They opened with a 50s party on
February 2.
CALIFORNIA ROUTE 66 MUSEUM BRIGHTENS
FUTURE FOR OLD TOWN VICTORVILLE
The perception from Interstate 15 is that Victorville is similar to many of
California's new towns built in only the last decades. However, there is an old town in
Victorville and it has found new life.
"Turning On the Lights In Old Town" celebrations were held on November 11,
1995 to recognize the progress of Old Town Victorville restoration and the grand opening
of the California Route 66 Museum.
New street lights were in-stalled on 7th Street resembling turn-of-the-century lamps.
Repaved and landscaped, this stretch of Route 66 begins to recall its hey days. California
Route 66 Museum opened its doors with an official ribbon cutting. Lines of visitors viewed
the historic exhibits and contemporary gallery. Many were re-minded of the time when Route
66 was "The Highway". Others were surprised to discover its long history in
Victorville.
The museum is a project of the Old Town Victorville Property Owners Association and is
located near the heart of Old Town at "D" Street and Sixth in the City's first
bank building. This is also Route 66 as the association president Mark Ward is quick to
point out.
"This is where the trails meet," Ward states. "It's all right here. The
Santa Fe Railway, Mormon Trail, National Trails Highway and
Following the introduction of Interstate 15 in the first years of the 60's, the town of
Victorville began to grow south toward the Cajon Pass.
"We could have just watched as the heritage of Victorville was lost." Ward
remarks. "Instead we asked 'What's wrong with this picture'. Not only did we ask
questions, we acted on the answers."
The first act was to form the Old Town Victorville Property Owners Association. They
followed with the restoration of 7th Street and the establishment of the California Route
66 Museum on "D" St. with the help of the California Historic Route 66
Association, many volunteers and donors. Ward makes clear that this is only the beginning
and plans for a continuing calendar of restoration and celebration.
"It was clear from the outset that the museum would have to expand," he
explains. Exhibits such as the "Mojave 66" display, now on loan from the
California Historic Route 66 Association, are in slight short hand. Approximately half of
the restored panels are on display currently. Other exhibitions cover a very wide range of
topics including the history of the railroad as it relates to Route 66, an exhibit
furnished by the Western Railroaders' Hall of Fame and Museum. Also, space has been set
aside for the beginnings of a research library which already includes many Route 66 texts,
photos, and guides.
A contemporary gallery was created to exhibit new artwork on the old highway. The
museum's curator, Dan Harlow, hopes the art will help remind visitors that Route 66 is
still alive. Harlow is a past president of the California Historic Route 66 Association.
His photographs and hand-tinted prints are part of the grand opening exhibit in the
new gallery.
Interest in the museum as a destination point is spreading. Two bus tours of Route 66
stopped there even before the museum was officially open. One bus tour was the Annual
Route 66 Tour sponsored by the Smithsonian Institute of Washington, DC.
Plans to expand include the incorporation of adjoining and nearby buildings on Route 66
and the recreation of 50s Victorville along with a bed and breakfast with railroad themes.
Joy Robertson's parents purchased the bank building in 1955. "I know the museum is
going to outgrow this space quickly." Robertson is a member of the California
Historic Route 66 Association as well as one of the old town property owners. "It's
just marvelous to see old town come to life again."
A new arts competition exhibit of local artists will open February 15 and continue to
May 19th occupying the contemporary gallery. A full day of fun activities and exhibitions
is planned for May 4th to celebrate the centennial of the automobile.
Museum hours are staffed by volunteers from 10 am to 4 pm Thursday, Saturday and
Sun-day and by appointment.
For more information on the California Route 66 Museum, write PO Box 2151, Victorville,
CA 92393. Or call 760 291-US66.
ROY'S REVISITED
Roy's Cafe, Amboy, has been the Mojave Desert's oasis as far back as anyone can
remember, including Hollywood who has taken numerous shoots out there. Every time we call
out there we conclude that this place is "hot", no pun intended. Roy's has
international appeal, being perceived as "Americana" and "Route 66".
You may have seen it in a Saturn commercial with an "average" family standing in
the foreground. Fleetwood Mfg. of Riverside, CA, makers of RVs, have been there as well as
Lucky Strike of Asia. There was a shooting there for Route 66 Cologne, can you believe?!
It was made by Coty of New York exclusively for the German market whose commercials were
to begin airing in Germany, January 1996. The above artists rendering was part of a poster
made by the Club of Ancient Automobile Rallies (CAAR) for their 1993 Route 66 tour in
which 272 Europeans shipped their own cars to the USA to get their kicks.
"ARE WE THERE YET?" By Jennie Avila
We here in Azusa are proud of the float "Are We There Yet?" that represented
our community in the 1996 Tournament of Roses Parade on New Year's Day. I spoke with Vera
Mendoza, Executive Director of the Azusa Chamber of Commerce; she was still beaming with
pride about the excellent efforts and success of the City's float committee. She advised
that the necessary total of $75,000 was raised entirely by volunteer community effort.
Neither public nor city funds were used. Business and community-minded persons strongly
supported the effort with their monetary donations and in-kind goods Services.
To name a few examples, local businesses such as Miller Brewery donated beverages for
the fundraisers, Monrovia Nursery and Very Special Chocolates provide plants and candies
to be used as door prizes and for sale items.
Margaret Hall (on courtesy loan) from the Azusa Redevelopment Agency, headed the float
committee made up of many local volunteers who also contacted many of the smaller
businesses and Mom-and-Pop merchants.
There were several fundraising events held and most of the 1995 year seemed like one
long, hard working party planning for a Casino Night, a Float Reception Party and a
"Blast to the Past" Day in our park. Even the school children raised over $2,000
in pennies.
The suggestion for a Route 66 float was made by Beverly Piper (a member of the Azusa
Historic and Cultural Commission). Originally, the idea for the float came a few years
eerier from Harry Stemrich, a former colleague with whom I served on the Azusa City
Council (but, I understand, his health and other commitments kept him from being float
committee chairman as some persons felt would have been an appropriate tribute for his
enthusiasm at the time).
Of the six riders on the float as it traveled down Colorado Boulevard, which we all
know is Route 66, two were children who wrote winning essays and another two children won
their seats in a raffle at the Blast to the Past event. The adults were Murray Hirota
(Azusa's own World Champion Goldpanner and 1994 Citizen of the Year) and Rachel Tapia
(employee of Azusa Light & Water Company), both top bidders for the two remaining
seats at the auction held on the Casino Night. The winning entry for the float name was
"Are We There Yet?". My own entry of "Cruisin' Down Route 66" was
among the top four finalists from over 100 entries received.
The committee had sold pins, cups, T-shirts, candies and pictures. Everything was sold
out except two T-shirts. I bought one to add to my pin and cups that I had previously
purchased. That was one great successful party to end up with only one unsold item but I
feel assured even that will soon be gone.
Let me tell you a little more about some wonderful things that happen in Azusa. While
many people brave the cold, either staying up all night on the parade route or go early to
get a good seat on the front row, we Azusans have the opportunity to witness sort of an
unofficial mini-parade, usually one or two days before the actual Tournament of Roses
Parade. You see, Azusa is the home of four float companies, Fiesta Parade Floats and
Festival Artists which also shares its location with Bravo Productions and Floatmaster,
Inc. Raul Rodriguez, the designer of the Azusa float and highly respected in his field,
works for Fiesta Parade Floats. He and Jim Hynd, Floral Director/VP for the same company,
worked hand-in-hand with float entrants to produce fifteen beautiful creations that joined
other floats, bands and assorted participants to become this year's nationally televised
Rose Parade.
There were 55 floats in the parade. Of the 15 produced in Azusa, percentage-wise the
Azusa Float companies won the most awards. Sorry I don't have available information on
those categories (as I played that old game of phone-tag with persons who could have
provided other important details). I can tell you that Azusa won the Governor's Award for
the "Best depiction of life in California". The theme was of a family driving
down Route 66 with the mountains and pine trees in the background. Actually it was much
more intricate than my description. I wonder if that family noticed that grizzly bear?
After months of building the final products, the float builders are joined during the
last couple of weeks by armies of volunteers who cut, glue, and decorate the floats with
thousands and thousands of seeds and flowers.
Then comes the mini-parade for the local citizens who line up along the streets to view
the floats as they are moved out and guided down about a mile to Arrow Highway on their
way to Pasadena and Route 66. Then most of us can sleep late in our warm beds on New
Year's Day because we've already "been there and seen it" or is it "been
there, done that?'
Other Route 66 cities that entered floats in the 1996 Rose Parade were Glendora,
Monrovia, Duarte, Arcadia, and South Pasadena.
HUMMEL'S STATION By JoAnne Willis
You could probably go right by it on a daily basis and never know it's there. Amidst
the mini-malls and fast food drive-thrus, there's a tiny gas station from a bygone era.
It's kind of camouflaged by tall blue cypress trees and a tall fence. The pumps are gone,
but there's still a gleam left in its block glass windows. The little station is in
Glendora where 66 is Alosta Avenue. I talked to owner Ron Hummel knowing that behind every
Route 66 relic is a Route 66 story.
It starts with Ron's dad, Earl, who had a penchant for anything that was kind of wild
or grabbed your attention even if it was a bit garish. It's beyond Ron's own recollection,
but his mother would always tell of the time her husband came home from work at a radio
shop (that's right, a radio shop). He'd made a delivery to someone's house and his eyes
lit up describing their red living room walls. Her appalled reaction kept him razzing her
about red walls for some time.
Earl quit the radio shop, packed the family with the pots and iron pans in his 36 Buick
and blew out of Chicago. It was an end to end Route 66 journey that his older sisters
would certainly remember, but Ron was too little. His only indelible memory of that trip
was seeing the big California mountains and Mom screaming at Dad as he was recklessly
driving down the edge of a pass that had no guard rails, Earl loving every minute of it!
(Ron says as he looks up at an old narrow abandoned road in the Cajon Pass, he knows that
must have been the one.) Thinking of his dad behind the wheel, Ron exclaims, "Rules
just weren't meant for him, he had a wild streak!" Flying down a highway in one of
his Buicks doing 90 miles an hour with a big fat stogie hanging out of his mouth was
normal for Earl. Ron seems to see the connection for the first time: his dad taught him
how to drive when he was a teenager. No wonder he flunked his driving test the first two
times!
In Southern California Earl got a job in the ship yards. It was 1941, the year the war
began. He was able to buy a tract home in what was then called Hollydale near what is now
Paramount. All of the homes were white. Earl painted his pink. "He al-ways had to be
different," Ron complained. "It could be embarrassing when you're a kid."
In 1945 at war's end the shipyard job folded. Earl had to commute to Azusa where he
opened an abandoned 20s vintage gas station, a Texaco Ron thinks. It used to be at the
corner of Orange and Alosta. Earl didn't own it and it wasn't more than a year after he
cleaned and painted it up (brown) that the owner closed it. The pumps were torn out and
Ron thought the building destroyed. Years later he would go to Citrus High School (now a
college) and play softball in Glendora Park. One day he noticed that the park building
used for changing clothes was the old gas station.
Ron can now see by his dad's paperwork that Earl's next move was to get a loan from
Bank of America for the land he sits on now so as to build a gas station (pictured below)
and later a home. He put the family up at the Sundeck Motel on 66 in Glendora for about
two years before getting a tiny house trailer. (The Sundeck Motel, Grand and Alosta, is
currently boarded-up with a fence around it.) All by himself, Earl dug a two block trench
to get water lines to his station, did the electricity, etc. Professionals built most of
the structure itself. In 1947, Ron and his cousin etched their names in the cement at its
base. The cute little station with its Earl-designed rounded overhang and octagonal canopy
over the pumps proved to be novel. Kids on the school bus pointed at it and laughed. Ron
was embarrassed and didn't claim it.
Originally it was a Union Oil station and later became a Richfield station. (The name
can still be seen under white paint on the side of the building.)
Their home built in 1950 was set back behind the station and the auto-announce hose was
hooked up to it. Ding-ding, ding-ding, people pulling up in the morning would have to move
on. Mrs. Hummel would say, "Earl why don't you get out there and make some
money," but Earl was a night person. He didn't start work until noon or 1:00 p.m. and
stayed open until 3:30 a.m. When Ron was old enough to make a little money he got out
there earlier. Profit was five cents per gallon.
The little station lived through the days of personal service, but if customers
expected service, Earl had standards for his customers too. Ron wonders if his dad should
have been in a business of greeting the public. "Wash my windows"; "Check
the oil"; "Do I need air in my tires?" Earl had his ways of letting them
know they'd better be buying his gas. With changing times Earl got even more scrutinous of
his clientele so he locked the bathroom doors at night. One night a non-paying customer
pulled up to the restroom and protested the lockout by whizzing on the bathroom door. Earl
saw the man and in turn did the same to his car. Seemed the story got around and it got a
lot of laughs. When Ron happened to pull into a different Richfield station in E1 Monte,
the story was relayed to him. Ron was embarrassed and once again didn't let them know it
was his dad. He admits to laughing all the way home though.
Hummel's Station finally closed in 1971. Ron thinks its demise was a combination of the
new bigger stations and maybe Earl's ways getting back at him. It was now the Vietnam War
era which brought Ron plenty of work. His dad joined him in his machine shop in Azusa and
luckily it was good for both of them.
I met Ron to obtain these photos. We stood on the lot inside the gate where the station
looks out to the lovely foothills. Ron has somewhat long hair in the back like an artist
or one who likes to be distinct. He had said he was more conservative like his mom and
clearly a little shy too. I laughed when he would pensively say things referring to Earl
like, "A lot of people really liked him. I can't figure it out."
Along with the photos he had two newspaper clippings. Both involved drunks. The one
from 1958 read: "Auto Plowed Into Glendora Gas Station." The suspect damaged the
building and was caught in Pomona, about $300 damage. The older article from 1948, was
wilder: "Glendoran Assaulted By Drunk Judo Expert - Both Regret It." The caption
under a nice photo of Earl says "Law on his side." Under the Navy-uniformed
assailant it reads: "The Winnah! - Or Was He?" Sparing some details, the
assailant who couldn't be reasoned with, followed Earl back to his trailer where Mrs.
Hummel stopped him from threatening the drunk with a gun. Customers drew Earl back to the
station where the man interfered with him at the cars. A fight ensued and Earl ended up
with a badly fractured arm.
The paper mentioned that it was the one year anniversary of Hummel's "modernistic
gas station." Most notable, however, was the sympathetic sentiment towards veterans.
Post-war readjustment was given high profile in the first paragraph. Reading further, the
assailant was described as "handsome," his wife, "lovely" (although
she lived away in Washington), his mother, "charming and wise"...the likable,
truthful chap when sober, admitted to consuming two pints of whiskey before the
fight."
The station has sat idle for over twenty years except for a short lease to a tax agent.
Ron would like to sell his house and station but it's not easy. The city has him
"grandfathered in". His family ran the business and lived in the rear. There are
other businesses having a home in the rear which have continued in Glendora in this way,
but no one's seen a use for the little station in its defunct state. So perhaps both his
house and the station would be mowed down in this commercial zone. Maybe the station could
be moved. Right now it's in limbo. So is Ron.
BOTERO - IN BEVERLY HILLS by JoAnne Willis
I hope you saw this!-- a landmark public art exhibition called Botero in Beverly Hills
held November 1995 through January 1996 in Beverly Gardens Park on Santa Monica Boulevard
(66) adjacent from City Hall. It is amazing that renowned Colombian artist Fernando
Botero's exhibit is a traveling one, given it consists of 15 to 17 monumental sculptures
of bronze, some as tall as 12 feet and weighing 5,000 pounds.
Botero's work is loved, but like most art, also misunderstood. Some viewers wonder why
the characters are so "fat" and find this somewhat offensive. After studying his
work, you can see a pattern. Before I ever knew of this artist, I was intrigued by a book
I picked up called Botero. It was filled with pictures of his paintings. "They're all
fat", was my first reaction too. However, they had such an innocent and content
quality. Some subjects were humorous, but nothing was offensive in the least.
The women in his art are many, having all hair colors. You know that he is pleased with
them and interested in their most mundane tasks. His male characters are not as varied.
His own father, a voluminous man in a suit, is a reoccurring image. He was a salesman who
had to travel by horse to neighboring villages in the mountains. He died when Fernando was
only four, but he obviously left quite an impact. Even in Botero's sculpture, where volume
and purposely incorrect proportions are explored, both "Man", his father, and
"Horse", another important character, together and separately, are four figures
out of the fifteen.
In his pieces, "Roman Soldier", "Maternity" (Madonna and Child),
"Reclining Nude", and others, it is obvious that he has fun giving his own
treatment to traditional Greek and Roman subjects.
His sculptures made between 1984 and 1992 could not have been made in his homeland of
South America. This was accomplished in a foundry in Piestrana, Italy, where skilled
craftsmen using many arduous steps passed down through the ages, is still the only way to
achieve these beautiful results.
Coincidentally, this exhibit has been at each end of Route 66, having also been at
Grant Park in Chicago. It has been in Madrid, Paris, and New York City. In 1996 it will be
at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem and some pieces and other artwork in six cities in
Japan. (In Tokyo call 81-3-3563-5884 or fax 81-3-3563-5872.)
