Wagon Wheel, Oxnard, California facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wagon Wheel
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Neighborhood of Oxnard
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The Wagon Wheel neon sign visible from Highway 101
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Ventura |
| City | Oxnard |
| Named for | Wagon Wheel Junction |
Wagon Wheel is a busy, planned neighborhood in Oxnard, California. It's located where Highway 101 and Oxnard Boulevard meet. This area was once a popular stop for travelers. It had offices, a motel, and restaurants. It was known as Wagon Wheel Junction.
The original Wagon Wheel Junction was a famous spot, especially in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. It was a convenient place for people traveling between Los Angeles and Santa Barbara. In 2011, all the old buildings were taken down. This made way for a new community with 1,500 homes. Today, you can find the Esplanade Shopping Center nearby. Also, The Collection at RiverPark shopping center is just across the freeway.
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Building a New Community
The Wagon Wheel area is being completely rebuilt. The plan is to create 1,500 new homes. There will also be about 50,000 square feet of shops and businesses. Before this, 450,000 square feet of old factory buildings were removed.
The first new building was the Wagon Wheel Family Apartments. This complex has 120 homes. It is managed by a group called Cabrillo Economic Development Corp. These homes were first offered to people who lived in the old Wagon Wheel Trailer Lodge. The trailer park was taken down after the first part of the apartments was finished in 2014. These apartments have different rent prices based on how much families earn and their size.
By 2018, over 200 apartment homes were ready. After that, 500 condominium units were built. By August 2022, a total of 1,000 apartments, condos, and townhouses were finished. When the whole project is done, more than 200 homes will be set aside for families. These are families who earn up to 110% of the average income for the area.
In 2023, a restored sign was put up. It shows a stagecoach driver and galloping horses. This sign is over the entrance to a business on Oxnard Boulevard. The builders also plan to fix the famous Wagon Wheel neon sign. They want to put it in the new development, perhaps at the transit center.
The Original Wagon Wheel Junction
The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant were part of a 40-acre development. This was in north Oxnard and was called Wagon Wheel Junction. It was built in 1947. This was the first project by a famous Oxnard builder named Martin V. ("Bud") Smith.
Before Smith bought the land in 1945, it was often flooded. It was located about four miles north of Oxnard. After it was built, it became a popular stop. It was a "roadside attraction" where Highway 101 and Pacific Coast Highway met.
When digging on the land, Smith found old branding irons. These were from a cattle business that used to be there. He used this idea to create a western theme for his new place. He started by using old military barracks. He bought them at an auction and moved them. He arranged them in a U-shape, which was common for motels back then.
In those days, motels didn't usually have pools. So, the rooms faced a grassy play area with picnic tables. Smith turned other barracks into a restaurant and an office. They had a western ranch style.
He hired a Hollywood set designer named Roy Beatty. Beatty designed and made lamps from branding irons and spurs. He also furnished the rooms with rustic wooden beds, chairs, and lamps. The whole place looked like something from a cowboy movie. Windows looked like wagon wheels, and the restaurant had cowhide chairs. Along the highway, real wagon wheels were placed in the middle. Next to them was a rustic wooden sign that said:
WAGON WHEEL MOTEL
NEW AND MODERN
BREAKFAST SERVICE DAY AND NIGHT
SINGLE $3 DOUBLE $4
FAMILY SUITES
Bud Smith had 40 acres to develop. Soon, the area had a bowling alley, a shopping center, and a roller skating rink. There were also industrial buildings and many restaurants. All these places were on streets with Wild West names. Some names were Winchester Drive, Petticoat Lane, Saddle Avenue, and Buckaroo Drive. His restaurant area included the Wagon Wheel Steakhouse, El Ranchito, and the Trade Winds Polynesian restaurant.
In the mid-1990s, Bud Smith started to slow down. His company was the biggest builder and landlord in Oxnard. It had about 4,500 renters and over 200 properties. He sold most of his properties but kept the Wagon Wheel.
The Wagon Wheel Restaurant closed in 2005. The Wagon Wheel Motel closed in November 2006.
A Special Roadside Stop
The Wagon Wheel Junction was a unique part of American history. In the 1950s, many independent motels competed with big chains. They used creative designs and huge, colorful signs. The Wagon Wheel was one of these special places. It used a western theme and a fantastic neon sign. This sign showed an animated stagecoach driver and galloping horses.
The Wagon Wheel's fun design and big sign made it a landmark. For over 50 years, it helped travelers know they were in Oxnard. There was nothing else like it. It showed California's love for cars and road trips. These unique motels helped give cities their own identity along the highways.
Experts looked at the Wagon Wheel property in 2005. They wanted to see if it should be a historic landmark. At first, a report said it didn't meet the rules. But later, other experts disagreed. They said the Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant were important. They were important because of their connection to Bud Smith. They also showed the unique roadside architecture of the 1940s and 1950s.
In 2007, a local board agreed. They recommended that the motel and restaurant buildings become landmarks. They also suggested the El Ranchito restaurant and the bowling alley might be important too. However, the Oxnard City Council later voted against making them official landmarks. Many people who wanted to save the buildings spoke up. But in January 2009, the City Council approved the plan to tear down the buildings.
Legal Challenge and Demolition
A local group tried to stop the demolition. In March 2009, they filed a lawsuit against the City of Oxnard. They argued that the project could be built without tearing down the Wagon Wheel. They wanted the city to stop the project.
In July 2009, a judge sided with the city. The group appealed this decision. They got a temporary stop to the demolition while the appeal was heard. In December 2010, another court heard the arguments. On March 17, 2011, the court decided that the city's process was correct.
Demolition of the Wagon Wheel began a week later. It was finished in May 2011. The famous Wagon Wheel neon sign will be saved. It will be part of a display about Martin V. Smith in the new development.
Roadside Architecture Style
The Wagon Wheel Motel and Restaurant were great examples of American roadside architecture from the mid-1900s. The ranch-style office, motel, and restaurant were built in 1947. They were right next to Highway 101. The buildings had different roof styles. They also had decorative cupolas with weather vanes and neon lights. A separate two-story motel building was added in 1953.
The Wagon Wheel Bowling Alley was also part of the area. It was a 32-lane bowling alley built in 1953. It was designed by Arthur Froehlich, a famous architect. He was known for designing supermarkets and racetracks. The bowling alley was called Hoberg's. It operated continuously from 1953 until May 2015. The building was torn down in October 2015 as part of the new development.
