|
|
|
|
Shadows of a By-gone Era |
||
|
Burden's Store and Post Office The old highway leaves Barstow and Interstate 40 to follow the Mojave River through the old Route 66 towns of Lenwood, Hodge, Helendale, and Oro Grande to rejoin the Interstate at Victorville. Along the way ghostly shadows of the Mother Road can still be seen. This old gas station near Helendale made an irresistable target for spray can art. Originally this was Burden's Store and Post Office and is one of the oldest buildings on this stretch of Route 66. It was built in 1926 before Route 66 was even paved in this area! |
|
Potapov's Service Station and Auto Court Originally built in 1943 and now in ruins, this old stone gas station and auto court along the highway between Helendale and Oro Grande attest to busier days once. The unique stone work makes this an interesting reminder of the glory days of Route 66 in the area. Will it be around much longer to remind the passerby that there once was a busier day along this stretch of road? |
|
|
Oro Grande, California |
||
|
Oro Grande (Grand Gold in English) was named for the high hopes of the early prospectors who came through the area. Unfortunately the gold mines in the area never turned out to be all that grand. In the late 1880's a limestone quarry replaced the gold mines as the reason for the town's existence. The demand for cement for construction projects in Southern California at the turn of the century prompted the formation of the first cement company in Oro Grande in 1906. Cement rather than gold became the main economic reason for Oro Grande. The Riverside Cement Co. is still in operation and the Santa Fe tracks that parallel the town are busy with trains carrying the powder. There are numerous businesses still located here that owe their existence to Route 66 too. | |
| The Iron Hog Saloon (formerly the Lost Hawg) is
still going strong on Route 66. Originally the Iron Hog biker bar was the Case farm
equipment dealership in the 1930s and 1940s. The building is said to have been built in
1931. Oro Grande was a popular stopping place on Route 66 for travelers, but those days are over as this recently closed independent gas station shows |
|
|
Victorville: Route 66 and the High Desert |
||
|
After leaving Oro Grande, Route 66 crosses the Mojave River at a great old steel-truss bridge, a vintage Route 66 structure built in 1930. Once across the bridge you are entering Victorville, another town that got its start from the demand for cement at the turn of the century. During the hey-day of Route 66 Victorville had the western flavor that Hollywood was looking for and many an old B western was filmed in the area. Dude ranches and apple orchards rounded out the "getting out in the country" feel of the town. | |
| The New Corral Motel is a Route 66 classic in Victorville that harks back to the wild west image of Victorville 60 years ago. Today it is still going strong and is a clean, nostalgic stop for Route 66 visitors. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
These vintage postcard shots of Victorville in the Route 66 days shows the downtown section, now know as Old Town. Once lined with cafes and road houses it is now the center piece for Victorville's historic preservation efforts. The Red Rooster Cafe (center of top right photo) is now the home of the Califotnia Route 66 Museum. Sadly, the buildings on either side of the Red Rooster are now gone. The upside of this historic loss is that there is plenty of parking for the Victorville Museum now. The California Route 66 Museum in Old Town Victorville, another "must stop" for the Route 66 roadologist. | |
Click anywhere along Route 66 on the map below to go there ... |
|
 |
NAVIGATION NOTE: Buckle up and hold on to your mouse! These pages are arranged like the map above, Pacific Ocean being West Route 66 and the Colorado River East Route 66. I have set up this site as if you were traveling from EAST to WEST, much like the Joad family in The Grapes of Wrath. You can click on the Route 66 shields to "travel" the Mother Road in either direction though. Clicking West Route 66 or East Route 66 will take you to the next town or area on the map in that direction. |
|
Photographs taken between January 2000 and September 2002 Courtesy Western Trails
Vintage Post Cards Courtesy PostCards From the Road
(c) 2003 GRandallWebDesign 
