The historic El Garces Hotel must have seemed like a mirage to early travelers.

IN addition to representing the quintessential American road trip, America’s fabled Route 66 between Chicago and Los Angeles is also a string of living time capsules.

In Needles, California, on the Colorado River, the original alignment of Route 66, and its predecessor the National Old Trails Road, paralleled the railroad tracks. At Santa Fe Plaza with its towering palm trees those old highways passed in front of the stately El Garces Hotel, Harvey House and depot complex.

Named after Padre Francisco Garces, a noted Spanish priest, who journeyed through the area in the mid-1770s and first contacted the Mojave tribe, the hotel and plaza must have seemed like a mirage for early motorists, especially for the traveler that had crossed the vast and forbidding Mojave Desert. This oasis was in stark contrast to the rugged Black Mountains in Arizona on the east side of the mountains and the desert that stretched west from the Colorado River Valley.

In November 1914 the colonnaded upper mezzanine of the El Garces Hotel was crowded with excited spectators as drivers participating in the last of the Desert Classic “Cactus Derby” commenced the second leg of the race from Los Angeles to Phoenix, Arizona from the plaza.

As that grueling test of man and machine featured internationally acclaimed drivers such as Barney Oldfield and Louis Chevrolet, journalists from throughout the world that had arrived in Needles by train were amongst the crowd on the mezzanine that provided panoramic views of the city.

Distracted by the excitement in front of the hotel when the drivers roared into town the evening prior, few in that crowd noticed the arrival of the “Howdyites.” The increasingly intoxicated group of fans outfitted in outlandish costumes were following the race by train. Their reputation for rowdiness preceded them and on arrival in Needles they were greeted by local law enforcement officers that prevented them from disembarking.

In the summer of 1915, Edsel Ford and friends from college were guests at the hotel. They were counted among the more than 20,000 motorists that followed the National Old Trails Road west to California that year.

Edsel’s journal dated July 16 noted that, “Heat very oppressive. Slept on mezzanine of hotel. Stutz crew arrived half hour after ourselves.” For Route 66 adventurers that have made a stop in Needles during the months of summer, Edsel’s notation would seem an understatement. The Colorado River Valley is often the hottest place in the continental United States in July and August.

The expansive El Garces complex built at a cost of nearly $US250,000 opened in 1908. It was one of California’s first modern depots built of concrete that included a hotel, Harvey House dining room, and railroad offices. In May 1908, Santa Fe Magazine published an article about the pride of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe railroad.

“El Garces, the new Santa Fe hotel at Needles, was opened for business on April 3. It was erected at a cost of almost a quarter of a million dollars and is one of the finest station hotels on the Santa Fe. It is constructed of reinforced concrete and is 518 feet long and two stories high, the architecture being colonial. It will be managed by Mr. Riley, who will have almost 150 employees to help him. Mr. Riley is one of the youngest and most popular of the Harvey hotel managers and is fully capable of doing El Garces justice.”

During World War II, the El Garces boomed as Needles was a stop for troop trains crossing the country. A countless number of trucks, Jeeps and tanks were unloaded at the railroad yards at the El Garces for troops being trained in the desert for the invasion of North Africa. General Patton was a frequent guest at the hotel during these years and the soda fountain proved to be very popular for troops, especially during the months of summer with its searing heart.

With the rerouting of Route 66 in Needles, the construction of more modern motels, and a post war decline in passenger rail travel, business plummeted. The hotel closed in 1949. In 1961, the Santa Fe Railroad demolished the east wing. The rest of the building was gutted and remodeled as offices and crew quarters for the railroad.

Now, after years of abandonment, the picturesque El Garces has been given a new lease on life. The chamber of commerce is building offices in the complex. The former dining hall with original tile floors is now rented for events. And the entry hall has been transformed into a conference centre for events such as the Route 66 Info Fair and car show scheduled for February 11, 2023.

Architectural treasures and gems abound all along Route 66. Some have colourful and fascinating histories. Many are overlooked as that highway was realigned several times. But with a knowledgeable guide you are assured a memorable odyssey that includes forgotten places such as the El Garces Hotel in Needles, California.

Written by Jim Hinckley of Jim Hinckley’s America