Not listed in order of importance or any other parameter, the full list for the California 12 Most Endangered List 2007/2008 includes:

Amboy School, Amboy.

Operated by the Needles School District, this site was recently trashed by vandals.

Though the school sits within the sphere of the community of Amboy it is not a part of the town purchased by restaurateur Albert Okura. It sits next to the world famous Roy’s Motel and last was utilized by the Needles Unified School District as a K-8 grade school from July, 1980 to June, 1999.

In addition to the pictured one room school house built in the 1930’s, the site includes a newer large facility with several classrooms and a cafeteria/gymnasium. Vandalism has debased much of the character and interiors of the school but most of the structures are still useable.

Okura has hired a watchman/caretaker for his facilities and this has helped in keeping the vandalism down.

The Bureau of Land Management is the owner of the school facility and is considering several options to make the facility functional again. Perhaps as a Route 66 Information center. We are working with the BLM in developing a plan and with the use of the National Parks Survey that could become a reality.

Aztec Hotel, 311 W. Foothill Blvd. Monrovia.

This 1925 Mayan Revival building it is listed on the National Historic Register, but is located in a redevelopment zone that does not acknowledge its historic importance.

Opening on Sept. 6, 1925, the Aztec Hotel was the first known completion of a Mayan architectural design to an American building. Architect Robert B. Stacy-Judd based this style upon his infatuation of Mayan art and named this style “Mayan Revival”. He also names the hotel the “Aztec” because he felt that the general public was better acquainted with that tribe and culture.

Its uniquely ornate stature and close proximity to the Santa Anita Race Track made the Aztec a popular place to party and stay for such Hollywood celebrities as Bing Crosby, Bob Hope, Mickey Rooney and many more.

Kathie Reese-McNeill purchased the Hotel on Sept, 6, 2000 and immediately fell in love with it. It has become her passion to restore the hotel to its initial glory. She has gained the support of CART66PF who has assisted her with projects and gaining recognition on the National Historical Register.

Many Mayan murals have been restored or added to the hotel to give it a romantic ambiance. The courtyard has become a favorite spot for Sunday brunch, wedding receptions and hotel celebrations.

The Brass Elephant Bar was renovated in July and renamed the Mayan Bar & Grill in keeping with the Mayan Revival atmosphere. Further work to totally strip the years of paint from the outside and restore the exterior to it initial beauty will soon start as the next phase.

The building sits within a Monrovia Redevelopment District but has yet to receive proper acknowledgement of its historic importance. CART66PF is encouraging the city of Monrovia to establish a long-term development plan for the W. Foothill Corridor with the Aztec hotel as a key anchor property.

Bono’s Italian Restaurant, Fontana.

National Historic Register nomination in progress, but the property faces city redevelopment challenges.

In the early 1920’s, the Bono family migrated to Fontana and established an orange orchard and a grape vineyard. In 1936, the influx of Route 66 travelers gave the Bono family the inspiration to open an orange shaped juice stand and sell glasses of fresh orange juice to hot travelers. The travelers could sit at tables in the orchard, take a break from the road, smell the sent and get refreshed.

A few years later the family opened an Italian restaurant that became world famous. Looking as if time stood still the restaurant has recently reopened but still faces removal if the City of Fontana chooses to widen Foothill Blvd. (Route 66).

The restaurant and juice stand (relocated next to the restaurant in the early 1990’s) are current nominees for the National Historic Register. This is the only remaining “Big Orange” stand on Route 66, though there are a few others scattered throughout the state.

College Street Bridge, Los Angeles.

This 1939 bridge is structurally sound, but faces Caltrans demolition plans.

The Arroyo Seco Parkway has had 4 numeric designations US6, US66, CA11 and now CA110. Though the names may change the College Street Bridge has remained a sturdy and handsome servant to Los Angeles traffic since 1939.

To redirect traffic flow, Caltrans is considering the demolition of this community monument that is part of Chinatown. CART66PF is working with the Los Angeles Conservancy, Arroyo Seco Parkway Scenic Byway Program and with Chinatown advocates to assure any proposed changes conform to the approved Corridor Management Plan established in the year 2000.

Daggett Inspection Station, Daggett.

State police used this facility to either approve or deny entrance into the Golden State during the 1930-40 migration.

Closed in the mid-70’s, when I-40 officially replaced Route 66, this is the third of the Daggett Inspection Stations at this location. Opened in 1952, this station was preceded by the famous Daggett station portrayed in the Grapes of Wrath and actualized during the Dust Bowl migrations of the 1930’s.

Until a few years ago the facility served as a diesel repair shop, then when that close it became the object of vandals. Still standing tall and strong is the inspection bay area, but the separate office and restrooms were destroyed by fire during the summer of 2006.

CART66PF has been working with the County of San Bernardino to restore the facility as a county park and rest stop area. Documentation of its historic value will be part of the National Park Service Survey and will hopefully lead to it being listed on the National Register.

El Garces Harvey House and the Town of Needles.

A major gateway attraction dating back to the railroad era, this historic area is a neglected oasis to many route travelers.

Often referred to as the “Crown Jewel” of Harvey Houses, the El Garces has been given new life from the city of Needles, California and especially the volunteer group “The Friends of El Garces”.

The El Garces opened for business in 1908 as a full service Harvey Facility that included a Restaurant, Hotel, Santa Fe Railroad office and gift shop. Its sculptured colonial pillars and long stature gave an oasis to the traveler, comfort to the social elite and a significant revenue to the city of Needles. Because Needles has short mild winters and long hot summers (often exceeding 120 degrees) a maze of duct work and exhaust ports were part of the initial construction to provide a cooling of the concrete walls. The cooling came from an Ice box car being left at the station connecting a canvas duct with blower fans from the box car to the hotel. This box car was replaced every 3 days and railroad employees would restack the ice sometimes twice a day to give the ultimate cooling relief. Initially a fountain was in the center of the courtyard but around 1918 it was replaced by a news stand.

The facility closed in September 1949. It was partitioned and converted into Santa Fe Railroad offices until 1988. Hearing that the railroad wanted to tear the structure down, the Friends of El Garces was formed in 1993 and in 1999 encouraged the city to purchase the hotel for $130,000 from the railroad.

Since that time the combined efforts of the friends and the city have raised approximately $10 million for the renovation primarily through state and federal transportation grants.

It is planned to keep the exterior as original, including the fountain, but that the interior would include substantial modern renovations to utilities, while maintaining its colonial décor with a Victorian style restaurant and the inclusion of a restroom in each hotel room. Originally only a few suites had bathrooms and common restroom facilities were used for the other guest rooms.

Though the El Garces is well on its way to sustain a new life, the surrounding Historic business community has a long way to go. Historic Needles consist of a number of vintage motels, a former 1930’s J.C. Penney’s store, a 1929 classic movie theater and many historic storefronts.

The movie theater has formed a “Friends of the Needles Theater” organization to help raise $400,000 in restoration funds for the theater.

The El Garces and historic Needles site will be included in a focused survey funded by the National Park Service to document its historic importance and contribute to a National Register nomination. We are working with Friends of the El Garces, the Downtown Needles Business Owners Association, and officials of the City of Needles to preserve and restore Needles heritage.

Former Packard dealership 1285 E Colorado, Pasadena.

A prime example of Automotive Architecture this facility was designed using the stately 1930 Packard grille configuration for windows and doorways. This grille work was as recognizable to Packard as the Bow-Tie is to Chevrolet.

The City of Pasadena has included this building in a survey of important auto related architecture. The CART66PF survey will also document its historic importance and potential eligibility for the National Register of Historic Places.

Former Standard Station, Rancho Cucamonga.

Vacant and unused for many years, part of this structure has already been demolished for a strip mall.

The remaining structures are the original service station and part of the service bay area. Sitting on the corner of Foothill Blvd. (Route 66) and Vineyard Ave, the site is threatened by the expansion of the current mall or an additional retail outlet.

The history and cultural importance of this structure will be documented in the CART66PF historic survey. Meanwhile CART66PF is working with the city of Rancho Cucamonga and local preservationists to explore ways preserve this classic service station property.

Irv's Burgers, West Hollywood.

Having survived numerous demolition threats, Irv's is a unique example of a 50/60's walk up hamburger stand.

The original stand is still there just like regulars Shelly Winters, Gena Rowlands, Sally Marr (mother of Lenny Bruce), John Cassavettes and many 50's stars and starlets. According to Mollie Zucker (one of the original owners and still a regular), Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin and other 60’s-era rockers were regulars. Linda Ronstadt features the stand on her cover of the “Living in America” album.

By visiting Irv’s you will find that the hometown quaintness that it was built upon is still a solid foundation for local regulars to interface with Route 66 travelers. CART66PF will continue to work with local preservationist and the Los Angeles Conservancy to insure its future.

Rialto Theater, South Pasadena.

Established during the vaudeville/silent movie era, this theater’s 82 years of continuous operation as a movie theater has ended.

Recently closed in August, 2007, the 1200 seat, single screen theater is still listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Its classic mid-1920’s architecture features a gargoyle that sits on the proscenium with illuminating red eyes beckoning you to come and visit.

Still useable within its wall are the 10 dressing rooms, a green room and other features that are part of the theaters vaudeville and silent movie heritage. The theater sits within the South Pasadena Community Redevelopment Zone that seeks its restoration and continued use as Community Theater and possible Playhouse. CART66PF will be working with the Redevelopment Commission, plus regional preservation and theater groups to help empower a collective effort in bringing the theater to her majestic stature.

Route 66 between Victorville and Barstow.

This neglected, but primarily intact section of Route 66 is the proposed path for a bullet train to Las Vegas.

Like most segments of Route 66 through the Mojave, this segment was originally part of the old National Trials Highway. It links two major desert communities Barstow and Victorville and is often used as an alternative route to Interstate-15. This alignment has not changed in over 50 years as travelers find themselves crossing a stately steel truss bridge built in the 1930’s. Significant roadside resources from the 20’s-40’s included Barton’s General Store, Sagebrush Annie’s, the rock motel and Bill Potapov’s Douglas gas station and auto court. (Note: these river rock buildings from 1945 were torn down recently on Sept 10, 2007 by a realtor who owned the property.

The Roy Rogers Racing Ranch is still actively breeding and nurturing future competitors for the race horse industry along this stretch of America’s Main Street. Just down the street you will find the Iron Hog Saloon which was a regular hangout for Rogers and his friends. You can still find their names carved in the bar.

A proposed “bullet train” between Los Angeles and Las Vegas may use this section of Historic Route 66 as part of their pathway. We will work with the Surface Transportation Board, State Office of Historic Preservation and other interested groups to mitigate the significant negative impact of the bullet train project on this important surviving section of the Mother Road.

Currently we are working with the San Bernardino County to identify other possibly condemned properties along Route 66 from border to county border. Once identified we can work with the owner in either having the property donated or restored.

York Street Bridge, South Pasadena.

An attractive arched structure over the Arroyo Seco, this bridge dates back to 1911. Caltrans and the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering seek to alter its historic appearance to increase traffic volume.

The Arroyo Seco is one of California’s top natural wonders. The York Street Bridge was built jointly by the County of Los Angeles and the City of South Pasadena and carried Route 66 travelers across the Arroyo between the years of 1931 and 1936.

The classic Roman Arch bridge has been a significant aesthetic contributor and a much-photographed architectural feature for several decades. It was also part of the final alignment of Route 66 along the Arroyo Seco Parkway from 1940 through the 1970’s when “America’s Main Street” went under the bridge. It will be a key resource in the focused California Route 66 Historic Survey funded by the National Park Service.

We have asked to be included in any discussion of proposed plans to alter the bridge and have aligned ourselves with the los Angeles Conservancy, Arroyo Seco Parkway Scenic Byways Program, also preservation advocates in South Pasadena and Highland Park. This alliance seeks to assure that any proposed changes conform tp the approved Arroyo Seco Parkway Corridor Management Plan.