Daggett in San Bernardino County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Daggett Garage

Photographed by Michael Kindig, November 28, 2010

1. Daggett Garage Marker

Inscription. The Daggett Garage began life in the 1880s at the borax town of Marion, located on the northeast shore of Calico Dry Lake, as a locomotive repair roundhouse for the narrow-gauge Borate and Daggett Railroad. Daggett blacksmith Seymour Alf used a twenty-mule team to move the building to the Waterloo Mill and mine, southwest of Calico, circa 1896, where it served a similar purpose for a silver ore narrow-gauge railroad. Walter Alf, Seymour Alf's son, moved the building to its current location in Daggett circa 1912.

The building was an auto repair shop on the National Old Trails Highway until World War II, when it became a mess hall for United States Army troops guarding the local railroad bridges. The Fouts brothers bought the building in 1946 and operated an automotive garage and machine shop in the building until the mid-1980s. The building is currently owned and operated by the Golden Mining and Trucking Company.

Erected 2003 by Billy Holcomb Chapter No. 1069, E Clampus Vitus and the Daggett Historical Society, Inc. (Marker Number 115.)

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Buildings • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the E Clampus Vitus series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1896.

Location.

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34° 51.795′ N, 116° 53.021′ W. Marker is in Daggett, California, in San Bernardino County. It is at the intersection of Santa Fe Street and 4th Street, on the right when traveling east on Santa Fe Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 35565 Santa Fe Street, Daggett CA 92327, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Los Angeles,

in the Mojave Desert,

in the Peninsular Ranges,

and specifically in the Transverse Ranges.

It is also in the American Southwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 4 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: The Stone Hotel (within shouting distance of this marker); Daggett (approx. 0.2 miles away); The Daggett Ditch (approx. 0.2 miles away); Alf’s Blacksmith Shop (approx. 0.2 miles away); 1956 Seagrave Pumper (approx. 0.3 miles away); C-Block (approx. 0.3 miles away); The Russian House (approx. 0.3 miles away); Liberty Sculpture Park (approx. 3.9 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Daggett.

Regarding Daggett Garage. Daggett was named for Lt. Governor John R. Daggett, owner of the Bismark Mine in the Calico Mountains. The town was a supply point for the desert miners, the Calico area and also was the terminus of the Borate & Daggett Railway. Twenty mule teams were used to haul borax out of the Calico Mountains to the railway at Daggett. By 1907 most of the mines had closed. SOURCE: Billy Holcomb Chapter 1069 35th Anniversary Plaque Book by Phillip Holdaway

Daggett Garage and Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Kindig, November 28, 2010

2. Daggett Garage and Marker

Daggett Garage image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Kindig, November 28, 2010

3. Daggett Garage

Dedication Patch image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Michael Kindig, May 4, 2003

4. Dedication Patch

Photographed by Denise Boose, June 4, 2025

5. Daggett Garage Marker

Photographed by Denise Boose, June 4, 2025

6. Daggett Garage Marker

Photographed by Denise Boose, June 4, 2025

7. Daggett Garage Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on June 7, 2025. It was originally submitted on December 20, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. This page has been viewed 2,194 times since then and 103 times this year. Last updated on November 3, 2014, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. Photos: 1. submitted on December 20, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 2, 3. submitted on December 25, 2011, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 4. submitted on May 8, 2012, by Michael Kindig of Elk Grove, California. 5, 6, 7. submitted on June 5, 2025, by Denise Boose of Tehachapi, California. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.