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Ma Millet's Cafe

35421 National Trails Hwy. (Route 66), Daggett, CA
Phone:

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This interesting little 1920s building at the intersection of National Trails Rd (Route 66) and Daggett-Yermo Rd. (A Street) was built by the Minneola Land Development Company as a real estate development marketing office. That doesn't seem to have worked out too well.

Sometime after the real estate business moved out Marie "Ma" Millet apparently bought the building and moved in and used it as a home. The little building with it's Ski Lodge style roof is commonly known as the former Ma Millet's Cafe by Route 66 travelers. Millet turned her house into a cafe to feed travelers as well as the inspectors that worked at the agriculture inspection station on the other side of Route 66. That business was successful enough that the Millet's eventually built a new house next door to live in while the cafe continued in this building. I haven't found a date for when the real estate company moved out or when Millet opened the cafe, but I have found news articles indicating the cafe was open in 1930. The cafe closed in May 1947 on the same day that the Kelly's Cafe and Motel opened a block or so to the east east.

The interesting shape of the roof earned the building the informal Ski Lodge Roof House name.

Some sources say this was a Welcome Center after the cafe closed, but I haven't been able to pin that down. I did find a 1929 newspaper article that mentioned a new privately operated "information bureau" had opened across the road from the inspection station. Was that here, I don't know, more history hunting required.

Photo(s): 2013