About the mule car

If you delve into the history of Ontario, California, you'll run across the history of the mule car.

I've talked about the mule car before, but I've run across another source of information on it - the Historical Marker Database. Here's the inscription that it records:

From August 14 1888, to September 24th, 1895, the Ontario & San Antonio Heights R.R. Company’s gravity mule car transported citizens up-and-down Euclid Avenue from a Holt Boulevard to 24th Street. The cars were designed by John H. Tayes. After the termination of service, the original cars disappeared.

In 1956, William Richardson headed a group of citizens to have a replica of the original Mule Car constructed for the city's 75th anniversary in 1957. With donated funds "a couple of prop guys from the MGM Studios in Hollywood" recreated it, working from old photos. After the 1957 Mule celebration, the Mule Car was stored in the City Yards, abandoned and forgotten.

In memory of their son Donald, who worked for the City of Ontario, Kip and Elinore Carlson and their friends restored the Mule Car and constructed this facility. On April 28, 1974, this Mule Car was dedicated "to the whole community."

In memory of Donald "Beany" Carlson, 1950 to 1972.