What was once a bustling hotel and restaurant along the Santa Fe Railroad, the El Garces Train Depot in Needles, California has fallen into disrepair. It was constructed in 1908 after fire destroyed the original wooden structure. This time it was made of concrete with the native Americans of the Mojave tribe providing the main source of labor. The building is named for Father Francisco Garces, a missionary who visited the area in 1776.
The structure is enhanced by many columns and balconies. The most ornate side faces the tracks so as to service the train passengers. Its purpose was to provide elegant dining and hotel accomodations. From 1949 to 1988 it was used by the railroad for offices and as a station. Since then, it has been unused.
The Friends of El Garces, a group dedicated to seeing El Garces restored, has raised $5.7 million toward the cause. In 1999, the City of Needles purchased the property from the Santa Fe Railroad. In 2007, work began on refurbishing the facility. However, after a few starts and stops and the unexpected expenditure of $2 million on an earthquake study, it remains largely unfinished. An additional $3 million will be needed to complete the restoration and the recent recession has made acquiring government funding more difficult. Further, apparently some red tape attached to some of the money already provided by the government put some restrictions on private ownership. One of the main principals in the deal is a private hotel owner who owns the famous La Posada Hotel in Winslow, AZ. Due to this relationship, the work has stopped on the project until they can sort it all out.
In the meantime, one can only imagine what this huge train station was like back in the glory days of the railroads. Perhaps with a little good fortune and a trend back toward public transportation it will once again regain its prior majesty.
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