Built in 1908 (Neoclassical architecture). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2002. 10 historic topographic surveys show this location, the earliest from 1903.
One of 98 National Register listings published here for San Bernardino County · listed in 2002 · category: Building · built in 1908, Neoclassical architecture.
Sources: the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service · the Wikipedia article
The ground this property stands on, surveyed 82 years apart. Drag the handle to wipe between them. Both sheets are United States Geological Survey originals; neither has been altered.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 343 fires within 5 miles of El Garces between 1992 and 2020, burning about 12,977 acres in total. 14 started naturally. 31 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 208 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 31 |
| Equipment and vehicle use | 23 |
| Misuse of fire by a minor | 22 |
| Debris and open burning | 15 |
| Recreation and ceremony | 14 |
| Natural | 14 |
| Smoking | 9 |
| Fireworks | 4 |
| Other causes | 1 |
| Railroad operations and maintenance | 1 |
| Power generation/transmission/distribution | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | San Bernardino Unit | HOMESTEAD |
| 7 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | not named |
| 7 September 1993 | Misuse of fire by a minor | under an acre | San Bernardino Unit | SPOT |
| 5 September 2020 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Colorado River Agency | COURTRIGHT |
| 4 September 2003 | Natural | 1.0 acres | Lake Havasu Refuges Complex | KNIGHT |
| 3 September 1993 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | San Bernardino Unit | BRIDGE |
| 28 September 2014 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management - State Office | WILLOW |
| 28 September 2010 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 2.0 acres | Colorado River Agency | COURT WRIGHT |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of El Garces: 4 producers, 3 occurrences, 2 past producers, 1 prospect. 4 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Gold, Silver, Copper. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Big Butte | Copper, Gold, Silver | Past Producer | Vein | |
| Lavic Stone Cor. Volcani | Pumice | Unknown | ||
| Stemwinder | Lead, Copper, Gold, Silver | Occurrence | ||
| Chouse | Gold, Silver | Occurrence | ||
| Van Deemen | Gold, Silver | Prospect | 1941 | |
| Vaughn & Benedict | Gold, Silver | Occurrence | ||
| Gourd Wash Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Gravel Girty Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Needles Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Needles Sand and Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Needles, the town this property stands in, in 49 storm reports between 1996 and 2025: 25 flash flood, 14 thunderstorm wind, 4 flood, 3 hail. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | 1 hurt, $1,000,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew the roofs off two restaurants, damaged several roofs of homes, blew down some signs and at least 50 power poles, and blew down several trees in and around Needles. One person was injured when a roof collapsed. |
| January 2010 | Flash Flood | Needles | $2,000,000 | U.S. Highway 95 was closed south of Interstate 40 due to flooding and roadway damage. Portions of the highway were closed for a week. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Needles | $1,500,000 | Interstate 40 was closed at Highway 95, as high water and thick mud stranded several vehicles. A 500 pound propane tank was washed off its foundation. Several stretches of BNSF track totaling about 2.6 miles in length were damaged, and a bridge in the Sacramento Wash was undermined, suspending freight line and Amtrak service. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $200,000 | Several large pine trees and power poles were blown down. One house had roof damage, and the Needles Movie Theater had its roof completely blown off. |
| September 1996 | Flash Flood | Needles | $100,000 | no account filed |
| July 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $75,000 | no account filed |
| September 2014 | Flash Flood | Needles | $50,000 | A large chunk of Highway 95 just south of Needles was washed away. |
| August 2011 | Lightning | Needles | $50,000 | Lightning knocked out phone service and electric service to a fire station and a newspaper office in Needles. Computer equipment was also destroyed at the newspaper office and at a food service business. |
| September 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $20,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines and large trees. |
| July 2014 | Flash Flood | Needles | $20,000 | Highway 95 was closed between Interstate 40 and Highway 62 due to flooding in multiple places. There was at least one swift water rescue. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged a patio roof, blew down a street light, and damaged trees. |
| August 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $10,000 | Thunderstorm winds tore large sections of roofing and siding off a boat storage unit. |
| August 2010 | Flash Flood | Needles | $10,000 | Highway 95 was closed just south of Interstate 40 due to flooding. |
| July 1999 | Flash Flood | Needles | $10,000 | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Flash Flood | Needles | $10,000 | no account filed |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Needles | $7,000 | Several training thunderstorms moved through Needles, CA producing over an inch of rain in less than an hour causing roads to become flooded over much of the town. Several people were stranded for about two hours on Highway 95 between Ft Mohave and Needles due to the flooding. |
| August 2014 | Flash Flood | Needles | $5,000 | Highway 95 was closed from 5 Mile Road to Interstate 40 due to flood damage. One swift water rescue occurred at mile marker 56. |
| August 2014 | Flash Flood | Needles | $5,000 | Highway 95 flooded in multiple places between Needles and Vidal Junction. |
| July 2013 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $5,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees. |
| July 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $5,000 | Needles fire department reported a semi truck blown over by the strong winds just east of Needles. The strong winds also snapped several telephone poles at the 4 foot level. |
| June 2000 | Flash Flood | Needles | $5,000 | A slow moving thunderstorm dumped over an inch of rain in Needles, CA causing roads throughout much of the town to become flooded. The Sheriff's office reported that many roadways were covered with debis. Power was also knocked out to much of the town for the majority of the night. |
| July 2015 | Flash Flood | Needles | $2,000 | Water and debris covered Highway 95. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $2,000 | Thunderstorm winds blew down two 12-foot tall trees. |
| August 2013 | Flash Flood | Needles | $2,000 | Spikes Road was flooded and closed, and the J Street underpass was also closed due to a foot of flowing water, mud, and rocks. |
| August 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | $2,000 | A tree was blown down at an apartment complex, and a metal frame blew off the roof of a business. |
| September 2025 | Flood | Needles | $1,000 | There was minor flooding of Highway 95 south of Needles. |
| March 2023 | Flood | Needles | $1,000 | The J Street offramp of Interstate 40 East was flooded. |
| March 2023 | Flood | Needles | $1,000 | Needles Highway was flooded. |
| August 2022 | Flash Flood | Needles | $1,000 | Needles Highway was flooded. |
| July 2021 | Flash Flood | Needles | $1,000 | Lillyhill Drive was flooded six to eight inches deep near Bailey Avenue. |
| November 2019 | Flood | Needles | $1,000 | The K Street underpass was closed due to poor drainage flooding. |
| August 2014 | Flash Flood | Needles | $1,000 | A series of thunderstorms caused street flooding in Needles. The first storm in the series caused the wind damage documented in a separate entry. |
| July 2007 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | Needles Highway was closed from Interstate 40 to the Nevada state line due to flooding. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | - | Thunderstorm winds damaged trees. |
| July 2007 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | Piute Wash was flooded, and a car was rolled into a ditch. |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | - | Minor property damage. |
| July 2006 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | Flooding closed U.S. Highway 95 near Needles. Several cars stuck in the water. |
| October 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | - | Thunderstorm winds blew down trees, power lines, storm gutters, signs, and a circus tent, and ripped off a sheet metal roof. Trained spotters and law enforcement contributed reports, and the Needles ASOS reported a peak gust of 57 knots. |
| August 2005 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | Several roads flooded, including Needles Hwy., which was washed out north of Rainbow Beach. |
| August 2005 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | U.S. Highway 95 closed at Interstate 40 interchange. |
| October 2005 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | U.S. Highway 95 flooded from Interstate 40 to the NV state line. Also up to three feet of water over several roads in Goffs. |
| October 2005 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | U.S. Highway 95 flooded. |
| October 2005 | Flash Flood | Needles | - | U.S. Highway 95 flooded. |
| August 1997 | Tornado (F0) | Needles | - | A Mohave County Deputy Sheriff sighted a tornado briefly touching down in open country near I-40. |
| August 1997 | Funnel Cloud | Needles | - | A Skywarn Spotter observed a funnel cloud near I-40 just west of Topock, AZ. |
| July 2007 | Hail | Needles | - | no account filed |
| July 2006 | Thunderstorm Wind | Needles | - | no account filed |
| August 2005 | Hail | Needles | - | no account filed |
| January 1997 | Hail | Needles | - | no account filed |
United States Geological Survey topographic sheets whose coverage includes this point. Matched by taking the coordinate the National Park Service records for this property, then testing that coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet.
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 02000537 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| San Bernardino County | All 98 listed properties in this county. |
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