I wanted to give some updates on the Pine and Palm. I recently had a meeting with Caltrans District 6 to discuss the project and what our intentions are for the landmark trees.
Signage
We explained that, while we appreciated and liked their idea of planting more trees along the southbound side of the roadway, we would like to see a marker or sign placed in both directions to help commemorate the site and increase public awareness of the landmark itself. They agreed this would be a good idea in concept but were uncertain if it could gain approval as the signs as proposed may not be MUTCD compliant. The main issue was with the graphics of the pine and palm itself, as they are not standard for signage. Should the sign be approved, that portion of the sign would likely have to be removed. There is precedent for such a sign in Oregon which marks the 45th Parallel along I-5. The Pine and Palm are similar in nature, though not as specific, so that should help us in our quest for approval. We look forward to finding a way to make this happen.
Median Barrier
Caltrans also is looking into putting something on the median barrier itself, which has been done in many other locations through the state. These, in addition to the signs and new trees, should help mark the site and its significance. We are confident we can make something happen at the Pine and Palm site, even if it takes longer than construction.
Existing Trees
The existing trees may not likely survive, unfortunately, due to the problems of moving such plants. If they are moved, those accepting the trees may have to bear the costs of the move, which can be prohibitive to some. Their disposition isn’t likely to be known for a while and we will try to keep everyone informed as to where they end up. For now, we have until early 2026 before they are torn down, so make sure to enjoy them while they last.
The Caltrans project calls for planting 15 new pine and palm trees along the southbound side of the roadway 330 feet south of the existing location.
Caltrans Proposal for new trees in relation to the existing trees
Design Help
As a side note, we are looking for an artist to design a “Pine and Palm” logo for placement on t-shirts and stickers which we’d like to sell. Let us know if you’re interested in helping us with this project. We are looking to get things started soon.
One of our Highway 99 Partners needs your help! For reference, they gave a wonderful presentation in July 2022 on the historic Red Bluff Chinatown. Help show them the 99 Association is there for them by signing their petition to save this historic building!
From The Helen & Joe Chew Foundation:
Dear Beloved Friends and Family, we have an update. We still urgently need your support, no donation necessary, just your kind signature, to protect a significant piece of California’s Gold Rush era heritage: 202-206 Walnut Street in Red Bluff, the Chew family’s birthplace and the last standing structure from their Historic Chinatown. This site is being purchased by the Resource Conservation District of Tehama County (RCDTC) which has communicated they are now in escrow to purchase the property for office use.
Despite RCDTC’s mission to manage and conserve Tehama County’s natural resources, this plan disregards the immense cultural and historical value of the Chew family’s birthplace. Following a face-to-face meeting with Joe Chew’s granddaughter on February 7th, the RCDTC submitted an offer to purchase the property on February 8th, coincidentally the same day she informed them via email of her intentions to submit an offer for her grandfather’s birthplace. We are rallying for your help to prevent this sale and ensure the preservation of this irreplaceable landmark goes back to the hands of the Chew family.
By signing our petition, you’re not just supporting a building; you’re honoring the legacy of a family that contributed immensely to the local community through their Traditional Chinese Medicine practice and cultural heritage. We aim to secure the right of first refusal for Joe Chew’s granddaughter, offering a chance to protect and celebrate our shared history.
Join us in this critical effort to preserve the Chew family’s birthplace and keep the story of Red Bluff’s Historic Chinatown alive for future generations. Together, we can make a difference.
For Immediate Release Media Contact: Kate Holden Director of Public Relations 559-683-4636 kate@yosemitethisyear.com Mammoth Orange to Squeeze Back into the Spotlight at the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County The historic structure was restored to its former glory thanks to the generous donation of time and materials by the Rotary clubs of Chowchilla, Madera and Madera Sunrise.
MADERA COUNTY, CA – September 8, 2023 – Many long-time residents of California’s Central Valley will remember The Mammoth Orange as a local landmark. The Mammoth Orange was a refreshment stand located on Highway 99 and was known for its giant hamburgers, excellent fries, and out-of-this-world orange shakes.
This historic building is set to make a juicy comeback on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 6:00 PM, when the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County invites the public to celebrate a piece of local history with a fundraising dinner and ribbon-cutting ceremony.
The original Mammoth Orange closed in 2007 and was abandoned in a storage yard. Later, the 20-foot orange was brought to the Fossil Discovery Center and painstakingly revived. The structure was carefully restored to its former glory as a concession stand and a San Joaquin Valley attraction, thanks to the generous donation of time and materials by the Rotary clubs of Chowchilla, Madera, and Madera Sunrise.
“We are thrilled to be reopening the Mammoth Orange at the Fossil Discovery Center,” said Michele Pecina, Director of the Fossil Discovery Center. “This iconic landmark is a believed part of our community, and we are excited to share it with a new generation of visitors. The Mammoth Orange is a great example of how history creates unique and memorable experiences.”
The Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County is a museum that houses a collection of fossils, including ancient Columbian Mammoths. It sits adjacent to one of North America’s most extensive middle-Pleistocene fossil excavations, where discoveries continue to this day. The museum offers a variety of educational programs and activities for visitors of all ages.
“The Mammoth Orange is a great addition to the Fossil Discovery Center,’ said Pecina. “It will help us attract more visitors to the museum and learn about our region’s rich history.”
Tickets for the ribbon-cutting event are $25 for members of the Fossil Discovery Center and $30 for non-members. Tickets include a Smashburger meal served from the Mammoth Orange.
The Mammoth Orange ribbon-cutting ceremony is an excellent opportunity to celebrate local and ancient history.
Come one, come all to the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County on Saturday, September 23, 2023, at 6:00 PM. For more information and to purchase tickets, please visit www.maderamammoths.org or call (559) 665-7071.
About Visit Yosemite | Madera County Formed in 1985, Visit Yosemite | Madera County’s mission is to draw the millions of Yosemite National Park visitors to its gateway’s many businesses and attractions. We invite visitors to take a journey from the Fossil Discovery Center to the Madera Wine Trail and onward to the High Sierra. Discover incredible dining, talented tradespersons, four seasons of water sports at Bass Lake, the Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad and mighty adventures right up to the massive Giant Sequoia trees. Madera County is the gateway to so much more.
Yosemite Sierra Visitors Bureau | 40343 Highway 41, Oakhurst, CA 93644
Either through heavy wind, corrosion, or a combination of the two, a section of “greenout” fell off a sign on the eastbound Ventura Freeway (State 134) recently at Victory Blvd. This sign, approaching the Golden State Freeway (I-5) has been there since 1961 when the freeway opened. In 1961, the Golden State Freeway was still US Highway 99. In 1965, the sign was covered over with an overlay for I-5. In early 2023, that overlay (“greenout”) fell off, revealing a portion of the original signage. The left side of the sign has a State 134 EAST sign as 134 proceeded east toward Pasadena via the Golden State Freeway and Colorado St until 1968.
Pyramid Rock and Cut along the Ridge Route Alternate
Surveying of the new “Ridge Route Alternate”, as it was to be called, began in 1928. The new alignment of the highway would diverge from the existing Ridge Route at Castaic and head north through the mountains via Violin Summit, Whitaker Summit, Piru Gorge, and Peace Valley rejoining the Ridge Route about one mile south of Gorman. From there, the new alignment would follow a much straighter path through Gorman and Tejon Pass. The old summit at Tejon Pass would be lowered from 4213’ to 4183’. The northern terminus of the “Ridge Route Alternate” was Lebec. The name Ridge Route Alternate came from the fact that the Division of Highways thought that people would still travel the original Ridge Route and use the new road as a faster way to travel. Their idea proved false as traffic completely disappeared from the Ridge Route as soon as the new road opened.
In late 1929, construction began on the new Ridge Route Alternate. The new alignment was built to the latest in highway standards. The new route was 9.6 miles shorter and had only 1/14 the curvature of the original Ridge Route. The Ridge Route Alternate was also much lower and more protected which made it less susceptible to fog, sleet, and snow. Instead of two ten-foot lanes on a 24-foot roadway like the Ridge Route had, the new roadway had three ten-foot lanes on a 38-foot roadway. This however only proved to be just as dangerous as two lanes as the center lane was a common passing lane, more commonly known as a “suicide” lane.
In Piru Gorge, massive cuts and fills had to be constructed. The largest cut, known as the Pyramid Cut, was 206 feet deep, 400 feet long, and required the removal of 230,000 cubic yards of material. This left a landmark along the highway that would outlast the highway itself, Pyramid Rock. In total, over 4.3 million cubic yards were excavated and over 30.2 million station yards of overhaul had to be moved. This is 77 times greater than what was moved in the construction of the Ridge Route back in 1915, just 18 years earlier.
Opening Ceremonies at the “Channel Change”
After more than four long years of work, the Ridge Route Alternate was finally opened to traffic on October 29, 1933. Thousands of people attended the ribbon cutting ceremony at the “Channel Change” in Piru Gorge, a change to Piru Creek that saved the cost of two bridges, which is near the halfway point along the route. Many cars were waiting at each end of the new route for the barriers to be removed, which were simultaneously removed at 10 am. Harry A. Hopkins, Chairman of the California Highway Commission, cut the ribbon and formally accepted the Ridge Route Alternate on behalf of the State of California in the name of Governor Rolph. One of the speakers at the ceremony, State Highway Commissioner Phillip Stanton stated that the completion of the Ridge Route Alternate was “the greatest blow to sectionalism in California since the construction of the original Ridge Route in 1915.” He said this because the new “high speed” route through the mountains would allow faster commerce and travel between Northern and Southern California.
Conversion of US 99 to an Expressway from a Three-Lane Highway
As traffic increased through the late 1930’s and the early 1940’s, the need to upgrade the Ridge Route Alternate became evident. Plans and contracts were ready as early as 1940 but World War II delayed those plans. The Collier-Burns Act of 1947 made more funds available from the gasoline tax to upgrade US 99 to an expressway through California. From 1947 to 1951, the Ridge Route Alternate would finally be widened from three lanes to a four-lane expressway. Work began on the first section, the bottom of Five Mile Grade at Castaic to Frenchman’s Flat, on March 13, 1947. The new, wider 78-foot roadway would consist of four twelve-foot lanes, a six-foot dividing strip, and two nine-foot shoulders. Where the divider had to be narrowed to four feet, raised concrete bars were used in the median to separate each direction of travel. The center divider was at its widest at Big Oak Flat, where an unpaved center dividing strip thirty-six feet wide was built.
Instead of concrete, asphalt was used in the paving of the roadway. The grade and curvature were changed just enough so that the original concrete could not be used. It was paved over in some places and completely torn up in others. There are many places where the original concrete is still visible and is usually found about one to two feet below the level of the current roadway. Construction was finally completed June 9, 1948 on Five Mile Grade, February 24, 1949 on the segment from Violin Summit to Whitaker Summit, September 1, 1948 on the segment from Whitaker Summit to Frenchman’s Flat. Widening work was completed through Peace Valley from Los Alamos Creek to just south of the junction of State Highway 138 on December 8, 1949.
By 1951, almost all of US 99 through the mountains was a four-lane divided expressway. Only three segments remained as a three-lane highway – 5.3 miles in Piru Gorge, 11 miles over Tejon Pass, and 5.1 miles in Castaic. Piru Gorge would be the most expensive and most difficult segment to widen. This section extends from Frenchman’s Flat north to the old Oak Flat Maintenance Station. More than 500,000 station yards were moved in the widening of the Piru Gorge segment. As a part of this project, the two bridges at Pyramid Rock were eliminated to save on costs. Instead of widening the bridges, they were removed and replaced with fill as Piru Creek was realigned through the widened Pyramid Cut. All but three miles of that expressway are under Pyramid Lake.
Even with these improvements, fatality rates along Five Mile Grade due to runaway trucks made a runaway truck ramp necessary. It was constructed about 3.5 miles south of Violin Summit and was opened in August 1956. It would be used many times in its 14-year span. The escape ramp was used for the last time in Mid-January 1970 just before the freeway was completed.
September 2022 Meeting and Presentation
Join us via Zoom on Tuesday, September 13, 2022 at 6 pm for a presentation on the Ridge Route Alternate between Castaic and Tejon Pass by Michael F Ballard. To register for the meeting:
I would like to welcome the City of Redlands to our Highway 99 Association. The City of Redlands is our first major sponsor, and we look forward to seeing more in the future. Redlands will also be the first city in San Bernardino County to have Historic US Highway 99 signs posted along its segment. Thanks to their generous donation and application, we can make sure US Highway 99 remains an important part of California history. We hope other cities and organizations follow their lead in the near future.
Remember, When You’re Through Getting Your Kicks on Route 66, Come Wine and Dine on Route 99! There are a lot of good places to do both in Redlands along 99. Come check them out and tell them the Historic Highway 99 Association of California sent you!
The Helen and Joe Chew Foundation, which gave a wonderful presentation in May on the history of the Chinese culture in Red Bluff is looking to raise funds for their cause. If you’d like more information and would like to help, we recommend checking out their website. You can also use the links below to directly contribute. I personally donated $50 toward their Historic Chinatown Signage project. They are a wonderful group with a great cause that needs your support. You can also get a special tour of the area, which is another Highway 99 Adventure, through your membership. Contact us for more details about that benefit.
As we slowly ramp up our efforts to get Historic Route signage placed in various cities and historic locations such as the Pine and Palm, we need your support. You can do this by becoming a member, donating money, or by volunteering with our Association. We are a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation and your donations may be tax deductible. Why not help reduce your tax burden for 2023 by donating prior? We can also use your help with some of our projects, website, and our newsletter. Having someone local to act as our ambassador or liaison would be of great help. We are also working out how to handle renewals for existing members. Initially, we had planned to have all memberships expire at a specific time. At this time, we are looking to have memberships expire at the end of the month initially obtained. Join now and help us grow!
We are working on an article about the town arches along Highway 99 and we need your help. We are seeking photos of the following arches:
Modesto
Lodi
Orland
The photos should show preferably the entire arch. If there is a dedication plaque nearby, we could use help with that as well.
Featured Photo
Abandoned section of the Historic Ridge Route near the Tumble Inn site
The Historic 1915 Ridge Route has seen quite a bit of changes since it was first constructed. Among those are the many “curve corrections” which were an effort to reduce the number of sharp curves along the roadway in the mid 1920’s. This particular location was bypassed about 1925, making it nearly 100 years since traffic last passed over it.
The historic structure was restored to its former glory thanks to the generous donation of time and materials by the Rotary clubs of Chowchilla, Madera and Madera Sunrise. 
