Supervisors Back Historic Status for Jail
Registration of the 108-year-old El Monte Jail as a state point of historical interest moved a step closer Tuesday, when the city’s application was approved by the County Board of Supervisors and forwarded to the state Office of Historic Preservation.
The 1-room wooden building, which was the town’s jail for 42 years, is being moved back to its original location and will be part of the developing Santa Fe Trail Park at Pioneer Park.
Designation of the jail as a point of historical interest would fit into the city’s plans to highlight its rustic past.
A year ago, El Monte was designated a state landmark for the part it played in California history as the end of the Santa Fe Trial.
The jail was built in 1880, when El Monte was a crossroads on major routes connecting Los Angeles, San Bernardino and San Pedro and attracted its share of saloons and shoot-outs.
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