Pacific Electric Freight Station - Fontana, CA
Posted by: 
fresgo
N 34° 06.050 W 117° 26.245
11S E 459652 N 3773422
16822 Spring St. Fontana, CA 92335
Waymark Code: WM9KG8
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 08/29/2010
Views: 2
The Fontana Pacific Electric Railroad Freight Station was once a popular place in town. The company also handled passenger traffic from the famed Red Car Interurban Trains that provided rail service between San Bernardino and Los Angeles. The passenger Depot was removed long ago. The Freight Depot was constructed in 1915 and was used until 1961. The PE line was absorbed into its parent Southern Pacific Company and operations were moved to Colton. The depot remained vacant until 2004 when the city finally found an adaptive reuse.
The Depot is now an Art Gallery/Museum operated by volunteers the building is maintained by the City of Fontana.
A plaque on the building reads:
Still at its original site, this Freight Depot was an
important facility for Fontana as commerce
traveled through the Inland Empire along the
Pacific Electric Railway. This Freight Depot
supported the burgeoning local citrus and
agricultural industry.
The Pacific Electric Railway was established by
Henry Huntington in 1901 and operated until
1961. The Pacific Electric Railway was the first
mass transit system in Southern California
using street cars, light rail and buses. At its greatest
extent, the system connected cities in Los
Angeles and Orange Counties to the communities
in the Inland Empire.
While the passenger depot no longer exists, both
the Fontana Historical society and the City of
Fontana have worked to preserve this early
symbol of Fontana's budding commercial
industry.