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Vintage
postcard
of
Needles,
California,
Burton Frasher, 1940
Long before the town of
Needles
was founded; this valley was home to the Mojave
Indians for thousands of years, many of whom still live in the
area today, called the Fort Mojave
Indian Tribe. The area, rife with petroglyphs, pictographs,
old trails and stone work, bears witness to the ancient
Native Americans that lived here long before the white man
entered the area.
When the
railroad pushed westward at the
Colorado
River in 1883, the town was founded and called "The
Needles,” after the sharp
peaks at the southerly end of the valley. In the beginning most
people traveled to
Needles by rail and a wooden
depot was built to accommodate the steam engines and the many
travelers.
When the original depot was destroyed by fire; it was replaced by the
El Garces
Harvey House
and Train Depot which was completed in 1908. The hotel was one of the "crown
jewels" of the
Harvey Hotel and Restaurant System. It
closed in 1949. Today, the historic old building is being entirely
restored.
For those traveling the
Mother Road,
approximately ten miles of
Route 66
is located in
Needles where a number of
vintage icons can still be seen today, including the
Route 66 Motel, the Palm
Motel, the former El Garces Fred Harvey Hotel/Santa Fe Depot, the
Needles Historic Theatre, and several other vintage motels.
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