In keeping with this year's Route 66 Centennial celebration, we're taking a look back at one of the defining features of America's golden age of automobile travel—the motor court. As a key Route 66 city, Monrovia welcomed thousands of motorists seeking a comfortable night's rest as they journeyed along the Mother Road.
Long before today's hotel chains lined the freeways, America's motorists found lodging in roadside auto camps, motor courts, and motor lodges. As automobile travel exploded in the 1910s and 1920s, communities developed places where travelers could park, rest, and spend the night close to their cars.

As these accommodations evolved, they added private cabins, bathrooms, restaurants, and service stations to better serve the growing number of motorists. In 1925, California introduced a new name when the Milestone Mo-Tel near San Luis Obispo combined the words "motor" and "hotel," giving rise to the now-familiar term motel.

With the arrival of Route 66 in 1926, roadside lodging flourished. Monrovia's motor courts and motels, particularly along Huntington Drive after the highway was realigned in the 1930s, welcomed generations of travelers exploring the Mother Road.

Motel “66”
A period postcard identifies Motel “66” at 913 East Huntington Drive, openly using its Route 66 location as part of its name and advertising. The postcard depicts the classic postwar motel arrangement: a low row of rooms, automobile parking immediately outside, prominent roadside signage, and easy highway access.

In celebration of Independence Day and America's 250th anniversary, we're pleased to share three patriotic treasures from the Monrovia Historical Museum's postcard archives. We wish you and your family a safe, joyful, and Happy Fourth of July!

The first in this series reminds us that the ideals of freedom, patriotism, and community have united generations of Americans. A colorful, vintage postcard, circa 1910–1912 during America's "Golden Age of Postcards," captures the festive spirit of the era with Uncle Sam, a majestic bald eagle, fireworks, and the familiar phrase, "The Ever Glorious Fourth of July."

Long before greeting cards and social media, postcards like these were exchanged to send holiday wishes to family and friends, offering a glimpse into how Americans celebrated our nation's birthday more than a century ago. An interesting second chapter in its history indicates that it was not used and mailed until June 28, 1948, over three decades later. It bears a one-cent stamp and a message from William Manson of Ray's Western Books and Magazines, located at 331 South Hill Street in Los Angeles, to an apparent stamp collector in Arcadia--the note is an invitation to visit the bookstore to share collectible stamps. This postcard's journey—from a patriotic holiday greeting to a piece of correspondence connecting collectors nearly four decades later—adds another fascinating chapter to its story.

This colorful postcard was also published around 1910. It celebrates George Washington's Birthday with one of the nation's most iconic patriotic images—Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night in 1776. It reflects the pride and admiration Americans held for the nation's first president more than a century ago. Mailed the day before Washington's Birthday, February 21, 1910, the postcard is a beautiful work of art and a reminder of a time when postcards were a popular way to share holiday greetings and celebrate our nation's history. 

​About the publisher, Raphael Tuck & Sons: 
Founded in London in the 1860s, the company became famous for producing beautifully printed postcards that were sold throughout Europe, and the United States. Their artwork was considered among the finest of the "Golden Age of Postcards."  The crest that reads "By Appointment to Their Majesties The King & Queen" indicates that the company held a Royal Warrant, meaning it had been officially appointed to supply printed goods to the British Royal Family—a prestigious honor.

Our third featured postcard was also published around 1910 by the same, renowned Raphael Tuck & Sons as part of its George Washington's Birthday series. This elegant postcard combines a portrait of America's first president with the Stars and Stripes, symbolizing the leadership and ideals that shaped the young nation. Delicate embossed details and gold accents reflect the high-quality craftsmanship for which Tuck & Sons postcards were celebrated.

​Adding to its historical charm, this example was postmarked in Cincinnati on February 21, 1910—the day before George Washington's Birthday—and mailed locally to a Cincinnati resident, preserving a tangible connection to how the holiday was observed more than a century ago.

Today, the postcard stands as both a beautiful patriotic keepsake and a small but meaningful piece of American history, linking its artwork with a real moment in time through the handwritten address, one-cent stamp, and original postmark. 

​August 2024

​​In 2015, the California State Office of Historic Preservation approached Ili Lobaco*, associate planner for the City of Monrovia at the time, to contribute an article in their newsletter about historic preservation in selected cities. Monrovia was among the nine cities featured. As part of her role in the city planning office, Ili Lobaco had been called upon to present at a few workshops with the state office, and it was was through her network of friends there that they became well aware of the success of local preservation efforts being made in Monrovia. This article was a result of that. Ili wrote it in October 2015, two months before she retired from the city. 

The article, "Monrovia: Preserving Big in a Small City" was published in 2016 in ‘Preservation Matters,’ a newsletter of the California Office of Historic Preservation, Vol. 9, Issue 1. "It was an honor to be included with the other eight California cities, and it also gave Monrovia great visibility with their historic preservation program." Here's the link to the full 2016 document posted in the city's website.  

* Ms. Ili Lobaco, the author of this document, retired from the City Planning Office of the City of Monrovia in 2015, after 15 years of service. Thereafter, she served on the board of the Monrovia Historical Museum from 2016 to 2021, and re-joined the board in May 2023. A passionate advocate for preservation, she devotes her time as our archivist and curator. 

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Monrovia Historical Museum:
A physical space dedicated to preserving and showcasing the history of Monrovia with over 10,000 documentary artifacts on exhibit – that’s 8,000 square feet of indoor space including the East and West wings which houses permanent and temporary displays, an office, a library and an expansive courtyard*. The Monrovia Historical Museum is a place for people of all ages to experience and learn about our city's history and it is managed by an all-volunteer board and staff. ​

Monrovia Historical Society:
An organization composed of proud Monrovia citizens dedicated to preserving and promoting the history of Monrovia. They are the custodians of John Anderson’s 1886 self-built home, filled with every imaginable artifact of family life. The Monrovia Historical Society is actively engaged in collecting historical materials, organizing events, and advocating preservation. They are instrumental in the creation of The Monrovia Legacy Project, the digitization of a massive collection of vintage photographs and documents, and transforming them into an online resource through the  Monrovia Public Library.

Monrovia Historic Preservation Group:
A membership organization of private citizens, originally named Monrovia Old House Preservation Group, thus the acronym, MOHPG. The following objectives were originally listed as concerns for the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group: 1) meetings to discuss restoration and/or remodeling of old houses; 2) facilitating resources for needed services; 3) researching historical information on members’ older homes; 4) serving as the source of a library of information; and  5) holding social events for its members and invited organizations, as well as public tours.

Monrovia Historic Preservation Commission:
​A government-appointed body, comprised of seven Monrovia residents, responsible for overseeing historic preservation efforts for the city. The Monrovia Historic Preservation Commission is responsible for administering Monrovia's Historic Preservation and Demolition Review Ordinances. Included in their purview is the approval of exterior changes to historic landmarks, design review for building facades in Old Town along Myrtle Avenue. The Commission also reviews all applications for historic landmark designation and Mills Act Contracts and makes a recommendation to the City Council on the request. All positions are volunteer and receive no compensation.

*The City of Monrovia’s Community Services Department is responsible for the rental of the courtyard at the Monrovia Historical Museum. ​