Mammoth Orange

Mammoth Orange. . , In the early days of highway travel, there was very little in the way of convenience for hot and tired travelers. In 1926, Frank “Pops” Pohl got the idea to open a giant orange shaped juice stand in Tracy, Ca. The stand sold orange juice, lemonade, orangeade, and grapefruit juice, and became very popular., Pops soon expanded his operation, and his “Giant Orange” juice stands appeared on many California highways. In 1947, the Mammoth Orange was built in Chowchilla, near old Highway 99 and Robertson Blvd. The stand first sold various juice blends and hot dogs. As hamburger stands became more popular, the Mammoth Orange began to sell “Alaska Sized Burgers and Texas Sized Fries.” Its owner, Margaret “Peggy” Dorler, could take ten orders and never pick up a pen. In 1954, due to construction of the “new” Highway 99, the Mammoth Orange was moved to the intersection of Highway 99 and Ave 22 1/2 in Fairmead, Ca., In 1991, the Stiggins family bought the Mammoth Orange, and the competing Whoa Boy Orange across Highway 99. The Whoa Boy Orange closed in the mid 1990’s. Still very popular, the Mammoth Orange finally closed in 2008, a victim of highway realignment construction. It was the last operating giant orange on Highway 99. The name Mammoth Orange is quite fitting, since history now shows it probably had mammoth fossils buried under it at the Fairmead location.