We don’t often pause to appreciate just how big the supposedly small things in our lives really are. When you take a detour to the gas station to fill up, you might not stop to think about what a marvel it is that we can simply pump fuel into our vehicles given the extraordinary journey that gas has taken to get there. Often, a gas station is a simple pitstop to fill up, get some food or a drink for the journey ahead, and maybe use the bathroom. (Though at this point several gas stations have become giant convenience stores.) Sometimes, however, you might be lucky enough to come across a special, historical one that offers something more. Take, for example, the Cucamonga Service Station on Route 66.
Located on Foothill Boulevard in Rancho Cucamonga, California, this service station was used for almost six decades before the national network of highways funneled traffic away from Route 66 in the 1970s and there were no customers left to service it. You might expect, then, that little of the former service station would remain all these years later. On the contrary, it’s been transformed into a fascinating and beautifully nostalgic museum. The key to its success, of course, is its location, as Route 66 became a popular tourist site. Let’s take a look at this now beloved landmark and highlight of one of the most famous stretches of road on the planet.
The Cucamonga Service Station flourished for years before closing in the 1970s
There are over 150,000 gas stations in the United States, but this Richfield spot is a real rarity. The service station, lovingly restored to look just as it did when it was still new, is one of the biggest draws to California’s historic Route 66. It was in October 2015 that the famous museum reopened as it is seen today, but it took quite a process to get there.
That year marked a century since the initial opening of the Cucamonga Service Station. It was initially built by William Harvey, an Illinois man who brought the plot of land it would be built upon as a means to expand the Cucamonga Garage and Cyclery. He began to build on the new 400-square-foot plot of land and constructed the service station in November 1915. In addition to servicing bikes, cars, and tractors, Harvey also had gas pumps out front in the expanded business and sold ice cream from a soda counter inside…