Is it worth saving?
The Cucamonga Service Station, built in 1914, was a bustling business during Route 66's heyday. The front building is still standing but the back building, once used as a garage, fell victim to inclement weather.Photo illustration courtesy of Ed Dietl
Some readers have called to share their thoughts about the article published Sunday on the abandoned service garage that caved in during the post-Christmas rains. They were mostly history buffs who want the city to buy the property.
It seems the old service station on Archibald and Foothill is in purgatory. Lamar Advertising wants to demolish it. History buffs want to save it. (There's still two walls standing.) And the city wants to buy it.
Do you think the city should buy the property? What should be done with it?
There isn't enough left of the original Cucamonga now, so this must be saved or we have completly lost our past.
I hadn't heard about the recent damage. But, recalling the high $$$ figures presented a few months back in city council meetings, it just isn't feasible for the City to invest such funds in the current economic climate.
Wasn't there a historic museum for a time in the old Vineyard/Foothill center where Coffee Klatch is now? It is one thing for people to say they want history preserved, but it is another for them to actually go and patronize/support these types of endeavors. If a private investor wants to come in and buy the property to pay some sort of hommage to days past, more power to them, but it shouldn't come from precious government funds.
Given the station's current state of disrepair, the real question isn't whether or not history should be preserved, but rather are we going to try to preserve it at all costs.
Rebuilding it to the original plans isn't really an option, since it won't pass code anyway. So what we're really talking about is building a replica.
Is a replica really history?
Yes. This landmark must be saved. If we cannot preserve our most visible landmark than we are not the city the Chaffey brothers founded. This is a Grapes of Wrath style historical landmark. Our great city was built because of two reasons...Route 66 and the Pacific Electric Railway. We have denied the rebuilding of the Metro Gold Line light rail system through Cucamonga and replaced it with a bicycle trail instead...so why not just tear down the last remaining piece of history our city has and replace it with some stucco condos...right? Also if you look at the Mc Donalds across the street you will see that when they tore the old restaurant down they rebuilt it to resemble the historic gas station across the street. The architecture is identical. The city would not make Mc Donalds use this architecture if they weren't going to save the station. If the station is torn down then I guess I will have to look at that Mc Donalds architecture to remind me of my heritage...and that's just sad.
For many years on a Sunday morning my family would drive from Covina to Rancho Cucamona to go to the Wineries & just drive around & look at the wonderful history of the area. Little by little track houses & Condo's were built & so much history lost. I drove my classic car to the station a few years ago & took pictures before the fence went up. So now it may be torn down while that horrible, disgusting huge lighted sign on the corner at Archibald remains. As much of "old" Route 66 should be preserved as possible.