Attachment No. 3 - HPC Agenda Packet — City Council / Housing Authority, August 3, 2026 (part 1 of 2)

D E V E LO P M E N T S E RV I C ES | PLA N N IN G DIV IS IO N Staff Report
City of Pomona Historic Preservation Commission

C I T Y O F P O M O N A
5 0 5 S O U T H G A R E Y A V E N U E , P O M O N A , C A 9 1 7 6 6 9 0 9 . 6 2 0 . 2 1 9 1
w w w . p o m o n a c a . g o v
April 1, 2026
FILE NO: HDD-000111-2026
A request to Designate the Pomona Fairplex as a Local Historic District.

ADDRESS: 601 West McKinley Avenue
APPLICANT: City of Pomona
PROJECT PLANNER: Geoffrey Starns, AICP, AIA, LEED AP, Planning Manager RECOMMENDATION: Approve File No(s). HDD-000111-2026 and adopt HPC Resolution No. 26-019 recommending that the City Council designate the Pomona Fairplex as a Local Historic District.

Project Information:

GENERAL PLAN DISTRICT: Fairplex ZONING DISTRICT: Special Campus District 3 TRANSECT: Special Campus SPECIFIC PLAN DISTRICT: None
GENERAL PLAN DENSITY: None
Property Background:

The Pomona Fairplex is an event space that hosts numerous events every year but is known for being the home of the Los Angeles County Fair. The Property is over 500 acres.

Critical Issues:
• Context and integrity of the barn areas
• Creation of a noncontiguous district
• Drag Strip
ATTACHMENT NO. 3

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Discussion of Critical Issues:

1. The barn area was identified as historic in the 2011 LSA Study, however, since 2011 major alterations have occurred that has severely compromised the historic context and the integrity of the area to a point that staff no longer believes the vast majority of the barns are historic. The barns’ significance, other than Barn 1, are tied directly to the horse racing track at the Fairplex . Horse racing ceased in September 2002. For many years the racing track sat vacant. Sometime after the 2011 LSA Study, th e track, guard rails, and other structures associated with the track were demolished. This caused a significant impact on the historic context and integrity of the barns. The barns no longer had a purpose and their locations in relation to the tracks were lost. Also , since 2011, numerous barns were demolished, further compromising the integrity of the existing barns. Finally, over the years the barns had been moved back an d forth on the property, changing numerous times. One of the reasons for the move was that at one point the racetrack was enlarged. This area of the Fairplex was in constant flux. For all these reasons, staff included Barn 1 in the proposed historic district but excluded all the other barns.

2. Most historic districts are contiguous, keeping all structures within their borders. This is the case with Pomona’s existing five (5) historic districts. However, there are examples of non-contiguous districts. Typically , these districts are created when circumstances hinder creation of a contiguous district. For example , when a district is based on a specific architectural style, structures not of that style will be excluded from the district. In this case, the Fairplex is 500 acres in size. Including all the vacant land would create an unnecessary hardship on the Fairplex and would do nothing to preserve the historic portions of the Fairplex. Therefore, staff is proposing a district that is three (3) areas, the first is Barn No. 1, the second is the Flower Building, and the third is the Grandstands and Exposition Buildings.

3. The Drag strip is isolated from the rest of the Fairplex, and the grandstands around the drag strip is not considered historic. Therefore, at this time staff did not feel it was appropriate to include the drag strip in the historic district. In the future, it could be add to the district, or it may be significant enough to be considered to be designated a local historic landmark.

HISTORY:

In 2011 LSA, a consultant firm prepared a Cultural Resources Assessment for the City related to a proposed project that was never built. As part of this assessment, LSA researched the history of the fairgrounds. Their research is as follows:

In 1837, the subject property became part of the approximately 20,000 -acre Mexican land grant Rancho San Jose (Brackett 1920; City of Pomona 2010). The Rancho was granted to Ygnacio Palomares and Ricardo Vejar with the main purpose being graze land for sheep and cattle. In 1841, additional acreage, referenced on USGS maps as the Rancho San Jose Addition, was granted to Luis Arenas, Palomares’ brother -in-law (Brackett 1920). This additional acreage, which was later sold to the English Captain Henry Dalton, is where the current project area is located (USGS 1966, PR1981).

Despite the changes that occurred in the mid-to-late 1840s and the cession of California by Mexico to the United States, ranch life did not change much (Brackett 1920). In the early 1860s, the Vejar family lost its approximately 10,000-acre portion of Rancho San Jose to Los Angeles merchants Tischler and Schlesinger (ibid.). Schlesinger apparently died in 1863 and, in the mid -1860s, deeded to Louis Phillips “all the Vejar

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interest in the San Jose Rancho and the cattle that Tischler had owned…” (Brackett 1920:78). The cattle and sheep industries remained strong until the mid -1860s when the Pomona Valley experienced a severe drought. With the Valley economy in near ruin, the livestock and grain industries began being replaced by grape crops and later olive groves (Brackett 1920).

In 1875, shortly after railroad tracks were laid through the region and the Southern Pacific rail station was opened at First and Main Streets, the original town site of Pomona was created by the Los Angeles Immigration and Land Co-operative (Pomona Heritage 2007; City of Pomona 2010). The town was named “Pomona” after the Roman Goddess of fruit and fruit trees. The town founders purchased water rights and sunk several artesian wells throughout the region.

In the 1880s, Southern California, including Pomona, experienced a land boom that was largely the result of the introduction of the railroad to the area. The land boom ushered in a new era in California and ended the region’s geographic isolation as rail lines expanded and connected to nearby cities. By 1880, there were enough residents in the area to warrant a commercial center, and Pomona’s was located on West Second Street west of Garey Avenue, approximately one-and-a-half miles southeast of the subject property (Pomona Heritage 2007). Throughout the 1880s, the City experienced a massive residential and economic boom, and in 1888, Pomona incorporated and Pacific Electric cars began service through the new city, providing further impetus to establish business enterprises along the main thoroughfare with outlying residential areas.

Since its early beginning, Pomona established itself as a productive agricultural community. During the 1880s, the grape and wine industries flourished throughout the Valley. However, in the early 1890s, as European wine production began competing with local production, olive groves began replacing vineyards. By the beginning of the 20th century, Pomona was producing a variety of deciduous fruits, including oranges, peaches, prunes, apples, and pears (Lothrop 1976:74). In addition, the Pomona Valley became an important center of dairy production with several large ranches in Pomona.

Agricultural development and the relentless quest for reliable sources of irrigation water plagued the Pomona Valley well into the 20th century. In 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed from the Owens Valley in the Eastern Sierra to the Los Angeles Basin, providing further impetus for the development of the rich agricultural lands in the Pomona Valley. Between 1900 and 1920, Pomona’s population more than doubled, largely due to Pomona’s increasing importance as an agricultural producer (United States Census Bureau n.d.).

As early as 1854, the State officially recognized the importance of agriculture to its economy and began actively promoting it with the adoption of the California State Agricultural Society Act of 1854 (Haymond et al. 1892). That same year, the State Agricultural Society sponsored a State Fair that was held in San Francisco (Anonymous 2011; Anonymous n.d.). The fair included an exhibition of horses, cattle, mules, and other stock, and agricultural, mechanical, and domestic manufacture and productions [and] promoted the new state’ s growing agricultural industry” (Anonymous n.d.). By the 1880s, a number of county fairs had been organized and were taking place on an annual basis. However, as late as the 1920s, Los Angeles County still did not have a fair of its own.

In 1921, a merchants’ exposition was held along the Southern Pacific Railway in downtown Pomona (Fairplex 2010). The exposition was presented by Harry La Breque, a promoter of community celebrations for Foley & Burke Shows, a railroad carnival, and Clinton B. “Jack” Afflerbaugh, a Pomona druggist and city

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councilman (ibid.). The exposition, which consisted of exhibits in a tent and a carnival, set the stage for what would become the Los Angeles County Fair as its success inspired Afflerbaugh and others to consider having a fair (ibid.). L.E. Sheets, a local music store owner who had experience with fairs in Iowa, was asked to present plans for a fair to the Pomona Chamber of Commerce and then to the City Council (ibid.).

In 1922, a fair board was formed with Sheets as President, Afflerbaugh as Vice President, and Charles P.

Curran as second Vice President. The City of Pomona agreed to purchase a 43 -acre beet and barley field from the Ricardo Vejar estate for use as the fairgrounds (Fairplex 2010). Afflerbaugh contacted Sacramento and obtained permission to use the name “L.A. County Fair,” and the fair was incorporated as the Los Angeles County Fair with Sheets as its first president (ibid.). It was organized primarily for the promotion of the agricultural, horticultural, and animal husbandry interests of the great Southwest” (ibid.:74).

Financing came from a combination of private loans, the sale of stock, and the County Board of Supervisors (ibid.).

In August 1922, the Los Angeles Times reported that the City of Pomona had purchased a 40-acre tract of land adjacent to Ganesha Park for a fair that promised to be the “…greatest exposition of the country’s resources ever presented” (Los Angeles Times 1922a). The fair was to be held October 17 – 21 and it was reported that eight (8) buildings were being constructed along with a 400 -foot long horse barn, a half - mile racetrack, and a 68,900-square foot tent for the industrial exposition (ibid.). A horse show with $7,000 in prize money, as well as horse racing and livestock competitions were promoted as highlights of the upcoming fair (Los Angeles Times 1922a). The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce reportedly was very interested in the success of the fair because “…development of the agricultural and citrus growing districts is essential to the continued development of Los Angeles City” (ibid.).

Ground was broken and access roads were built along with the promised half-mile racetrack, a grandstand seating 4,000, two (2) cattle barns, two (2) livestock buildings, a livestock barn, and an administration building (Fairplex 2010; Figure 3). A wooden fence surrounded the grounds (ibid.) was also constructed .

The fair opened to great enthusiasm and success with 10,000 people reported the first day (Los Angeles Times 1922b). There were more varieties of livestock than anticipated and the racetrack which was created in less than three months, held its own with the more established tracks in the region (ibid.). By all accounts, the first Los Angeles County Fair was a great success with wildly varying estimates of total attendance ranging from 49,461 (Fairplex 2010) to 100,000 (Los Angeles Times 1922c). Highlights included harness racing, chariot racing, and an airplane wing-walker (Fairplex 2010).

While there, he designed several buildings including Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1, which had lions-head gargoyle downspouts that were cast from an original sculpture produced by Fi cker (Lassell

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1999:4). For several decades, the building was the largest structure at the Port of Los Angeles and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) in 2000 (ibid.; National Park Service 2009). Ficker apparently relocated to Pomona sometime after 1920 and is credited with designing several of the major exhibit buildings and/or renovations to them (Ancestry.com; Lassell 1999; Richards 2011).

By the 1930s, California had become one of the nation’s foremost agricultural producers, growing some of the leading varieties of citrus, nuts, avocados, and beans. Because California ’s agricultural production played a major role in the development of the State, the fairs that exhibited these products became very important (Tibbet and Carmack 2006). The 1934 local City Directory promoted Pomona by noting that it was home to three (3) transcontinental railroads, an electric inter -urban railroad linking it to Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County fairgrounds, two (2) hospitals, one (1) newspaper, seven (7) parks, four (4) service clubs, several lodges and fraternal orders, and approximately 21,000 people (Los Angeles Directory Company 1934). In addition, the City’s primary agricultural products were listed as citrus, walnuts, deciduous fruits, poultry, rabbits, and dairy, while its main manufacturing products were pumps, tile, paper, and knitwear (ibid.).

Despite the effects of the Depression, in 1930, the 108,000 -square foot Exhibits Building ( “the largest exhibit building in the world”) was constructed at the fairgrounds at a cost of $250,000 (Fairplex 2010:75; Figure 5). In 1931, the Fair was presented in combination with the Southern California Fair formerly held in Riverside), and Millard Sheets, renowned artist and Pomona native, was named to the Fair’s tenth annual art exhibition jury and apparently acted as the superintendent of the art exhibit (Los Angeles Times 1931 and 1932). However, attendance dropped that year by nearly 32,000 from the previous year (ibid.). In 1932, Sheets once again acted as the superintendent of the art exhibit, a post he held until 1957 (Los Angeles Times 1932; Fairplex 2010). In 1994, the Fine Arts Building was dedicated as the Millard Sheets Gallery (Fairplex 2010:78). From 1932 through 1937, the Orange County Fair was added making it a tri -county harvest festival (ibid.). In 1933, the State legalized parimutuel wagering and the Fair “became the first in Southern California to allow fans to bet on horse racing” (Fairplex 2010:75). In 1935, the Fair’s Garden Railroad, which began in 1924 and originally had all handmade rolling stock that “ran on one -half inch scale standard gauge custom laid steel track,” was moved to an outdoor location (Schreyer 1999). With over 4,500 feet of track, in 1999 it was reportedly the largest operating garden railroad in the United States (ibid.).

Throughout the 1930s, several new buildings were constructed on the fairgrounds. These included new horse and cattle barns (1932); a concrete and steel grandstand (1932; Figure 5); a lagoon (1935); three (3) new horse barns (1935); dressing rooms in the grandstand (1935); a stage in the grandstand (1935); a sunken band stand in the grandstand (1935); a new arts and crafts building (now Administration 2 Building; 1936); two (2) buildings for rabbits, poultry, and youth exhibits (1938); Anthony’s (now Avalon; late 1930s); and a childcare center (1939; Fairplex 2010). In addition, from 1937 through 1939, a number of buildings were constructed as WPA projects. These include the Fine Arts Building (now Millard Sheets Building; 1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 5 and 6 (1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 7 and 8 (1938); the Home Arts Building (now NHRA Motorsports Museum; 1939), and possibly the cafeteria (now Avalon; 1937 or 1939).

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occupied the grounds and the Army established its headquarters in the Home Arts Building (now the NHRA Motorsports Museum; ibid.). On March 25, 1942, newspapers reported that the 1942 fair had been officially canceled (Los Angeles Times 1942a). The same day, Fair Manager Afflerbaugh announced that a 29 -foot by 26-foot addition to the Administration Building would be completed within the next six weeks (Los Angeles Times 1942b). Afflerbaugh also noted that the addition would be of similar architecture and would include an 11-foot by 12-foot vault (ibid.). Fair personnel were allowed to retain use of the Administration Building during the war.

In March 1942, a complex was constructed in the west parking area that consisted of 420 prefabricated buildings including houses, latrines, showers, laundry facilities, mess halls, warehouses, a hospital, a post office, a library, administration buildings, a recreation hall, and a visitors’ area (Progress-Bulletin 1942b; Figure 6). The complex, which functioned as an Assembly Center for Japanese-Americans held a total of 5,514 persons and was surrounded by a high fence and guard towers (Blackstock 2009; The California State Military Museum n.d.; refer to Appendix A for news articles, photographs, and maps). On May 7, 1942, the first “evacuees” arrived (Japanese American National Museum 2011). In August 1942, the vast majority of the detainees at the fairgrounds were relocated to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming and by August 27, 1942, the assembly center had been completely vacated (Progress-Bulletin 1942d).

Early in September 1942, the “center was turned over to the Army’s Ordnance Motor Transport Agency and became known as the Pomona Ordnance Depot” (The California State Military Museum n.d.). In 1943, the Army used the facility as a desert training center, and in 1944, the Ordnance Command shop was established on the grounds (Fairplex 2010). In September 1945, Japan signed an unconditional surrender officially ending World War II (WWII). The fairgrounds, which remained under the control of the Army, were then used as an Italian and German prisoner of war (POW) camp until March 1946 (Fairplex 2010). The POWs were reportedly used to work the nearby groves and fields and were regarded as a reliable and affordable labor force (Los Angeles Times 1945). Although many of the local growers lobbied to keep the POWs, Afflerbaugh insisted that the fair was even more important to the local economy and eventually succeeded in securing the removal of Assembly Center buildings and closure of the POW camp. Finally, in March 1946, the POW camp was closed (Fairplex 2010).

Attendance topped the one million mark for the first time “…making the event the second largest fair in the country, surpassed only by the Texas State Fair” ( ibid.). In 1949, the six -lane road that is now known as Fairplex Drive was constructed providing better access to the fairgrounds (Fairplex 2010). In addition, 62 acres were added for parking, and the Administration Building was expanded with the addition of more than 8,200 square feet including a board of director’s room with an outdoor balcony (Fairplex 2010).

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income and more leisure time (thanks in part to the nearly universal 40 -hour work week), the demand for recreational activities grew. A new leisure industry consisting of magazine editors, builders, realtors, and sporting goods and vehicle manufacturers emerged (Randl 2004). Between 1940 and 1970, the number of paid holidays and vacation days had more than doubled for most workers and Saturdays were no longer part of the work week. Recreation was America’s new hobby and the car culture led the way.

The post -war period saw resurgence in the popularity of hot rodding and drag racing. “By 1950, hot rodders who had been racing in dry lake beds were taking to the streets” sometimes injuring or killing themselves or others (Allen 2008). In those days, if you were a hot rodder, it was the same as being in a gang today (ibid.). Pomona had its share of illegal street racers, but it also had a “car -loving” police chief (Ralph Parker) and a young motorcycle sergeant named Bud Coons who was a car enthusiast ibid.). Parker and Coons were also interested in safety and, with this in mind, Coons began organizing rally runs and shows and barbeques for racers (ibid.). In 1951, Chief Parker, Coons, and the Lions Club approached the Fairplex with the idea of setting aside an area for drag racing (ibid.). Soon street racers had a legal straightaway and complaints about speeding, as well as deaths from speeding, dropped dramatically (ibid.).

This success prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to send a bulletin to other jurisdictions regarding the Pomona approach (ibid.). The same year (1951), Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) with the goal of promoting safety (Parks 2008). In 1937, Parks was a founding member of the 1937 Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which was focused on conducting land speed events. Parks also was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presented by SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speed trials in 1949, and was editorial director for all of Bob Petersen’s magazines (Hot Rod Magazine 2009). As early as 1972, Parks began receiving awards for his participation in automotive sports including Man of the Decade (1962–1972 by Popular Hot Rodding magazine) and Man of the Year (1973 by Specialty Equipment Marketing Association [SEMA]) (ibid.). Among his myriad awards, in 1992, he was “drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame” in Talladega, Alabama, and in 1993 he was “inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Michigan” ( ibid.:2).

On April 11–12, 1953, the NHRA held its first sanctioned event, the Southern California Championship Drag Races, at Pomona Raceway, located at a far corner of the grounds. Over the weekend, 375 cars ran 850 timed races” (Fairplex 2010:77). With a first -class drag racing facility and supervised races, drag racing became a true sport (Parks 2008). In 1961, the “NHRA held its inaugural Winternationals at Pomona Raceway in February before the largest single -day audience in the brief history of drag racing” (Fai rplex 2010:77). In 1984, Pomona hosted the NHRA Winston Select Finals for the first time (Fairplex 2010:78). In 1993, the NHRA completed extensive improvements to the drag strip and, in 1998, the NHRA Motorsports Museum opened in what was formerly the Home Arts Building (Fairplex 2010).

In addition to the drag strip, many other improvements were made to the fairgrounds during the 1950s.

These include installation of the world’s largest man-made ski jump (1951, no longer extant); construction of the flower and garden building (1952); the clock tower (1952; removed in 2001); the Mexican Village (1952, now the Plaza de las Americas); the fire station and first aid building (1954); a barrel-roofed building (8A, no longer extant); a tunnel under White Avenue (1959); completion of the “ranchero” carving by John Svenson (1954); and, in 1957, participation by the Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus for the first time at any fair (Fairplex 2010). In addition, at the 1955 Fair, Fred Morrison sold flying disks that were later marketed as the Frisbee (ibid.).

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In 1960, “Phillip D. Shepherd took over as general manager, following the death of Afflerbaugh” (Fairplex 2010: 77). In 1962, a monorail (removed in 1996) and Storybook Farm (now California’s Heritage Square) were added, followed by a clubhouse connected to the racetrack grandstand in 1964, and the Golden Empire Mine in 1965 (closed in 1997; Fairplex 2010).

As might be expected, the fair has continued to grow and change throughout the intervening decades.

Buildings have been relocated, remodeled, replaced, or removed. Exhibits have come and gone and new land has been added. In 1985, the racetrack was enlarged from a half -mile to five -eighths mile and the next year the grandstand and clubhouse were renovated (Fairplex 2010). Some of the WPA buildings (5, 6, 7, and 8) were remodeled and nine (9) new horse stables (Barrett’ s Equine Complex) were added in 1989 (ibid.). In 1992, the Sheraton Suites Fairplex hotel opened and in 1996 the Mexican Village was renovated (ibid.). In 2003, one of the barrel -roofed buildings (8A) was demolished to make room for the trade and convention center (ibid.). Many other changes have occurred in the modern period (1961–present), but the Fair remains a successful enterprise that is a key component of the local economy.

Today, the Los Angeles County Fair is the largest county fair in North America and in 2009, had an attendance of 1,372,383 people, which was the fourth largest of all fairs and exhibitions in North America that year (Fairplex 2010:35). Except in 1963, attendance has topped one million at each fair since 1948 and nearly 83 million people have visited the fair since its inception in 1922 (ibid.).

Historic Context Statement:

The Fairgrounds is mentioned in several sections of the Citywide Historic Context Statement. It is mentioned in Chapter VIII. Expansion, Growth, and Depression (1920 -1940) under both the Commercial Theme, as a center for entertainment, and the Civic and Institutional Development Theme, under the New Deal, because of the improvements completed at the Fairgrounds during that time. Finally , it is also discussed in Chapter IX. Pomona During World War I I (1941-1945) in regards to the role the Fairgrounds played in interring Japanese -Americans during World War II.

Survey Information:

The Fairgrounds were surveyed in 2011 as part of the LSA study. The survey forms are included in the study, which is attached (Attachment No. 3).

City Directories:

The City Directories do not provide any information regarding potential significant persons associated with the fairgrounds.

Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps:

Only a portion of the fairgrounds is on the Sanborn maps. And they only confirm the locations of the buildings that the report discusses.

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Significance:

The Fairgrounds is significant for a variety of reasons as discussed in the history above. Architecturally it is significant through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects completed on the site. Culturally it is significant for being the site of the Los Angeles County Fair and the NHRA. Finally, historically and culturally it is significant for being the Pomona Assembly Center and the role it played in the internment of Japanese -Americans during World War II.

Designation Criteria:

The property was evaluated as part of the LSA report for both the local register and the California Register. Staff also reviewed the project for the National Register, and reviewed the findings for California Register, and local designation criteria to determine whether the property is historic.

NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CRITERIA

1. Is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history (Criterion A).

The LSA report found that the fairgrounds are associated with events that are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depression in the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construc tion/employment boom between 1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA. During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased (1942–1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and used first as a Japanese -American assembly center, then as an ordnance depot, and finally as a POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increased prosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demands for recreation and spurred the retu rn of the hot rod and dangerous and illegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctioned NHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its association with these important events in history.

Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex appears to meet this criterion for significance at the regional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period. Therefore, Staff agrees with this Criterion.

2. Is associated with the lives of persons significant in our past (Criterion B).

The LSA report found that t he fairgrounds are associated with a number of fairly well-known people. Of these, architect Peter Ficker, artist Millard Sheets, and NHRA founder Wally Parks are of particular note.

Peter Ficker was reportedly the architect of either original designs or remodeling projects for the Administration Building, the Palace of Agriculture, and most of the fairground exhibition halls. In addition, he designed noteworthy buildings in Los Angeles County, including Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1, which is listed in the National Register. While Ficker’ s association with some of the fairground’s buildings is noteworthy, none of these buildings appears to be the sole remaining building of his design or the best

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example of his work. In addition, their association with Ficker is not enough to make the fairgrounds or any of the individual buildings or features significant under this criterion.

Award-winning artist and Pomona -native Millard Sheets is the designer of the Second Street Pedestrian Mall (1962) in downtown Pomona. Sheets served as Director of the Fine Arts Exhibit for many years and was important in the success of this aspect of the fair. Although it has not been verified, he may have designed the Fine Arts Building. While his long -time involvement with the fair is notable, by itself, this association is not important enough to make the fairgrounds or the Fine Arts Building (now Millar d Sheets Building) significant under this criterion. However, if in the future evidence is found indicating that he did indeed design the Fine Arts Building and that it is a rare, high -quality example of a building designed by Sheets, that could result in a different determination under this Criterion.

NHRA founder Wally Parks is one of the biggest names in drag racing and motorsports. Born in Oklahoma, but reared in California, Parks was a founding member of the 1937 SCTA. The SCTA was focused on conducting land speed events. Parks also was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presented by SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speed trials in 1949 and won numerous awards from 1972 to 2003 for his participation in automotive sports. Parks was drag racing’ s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Alabama. Parks’ association with drag racing at the fairgrounds does not, by itself, make the fairgrounds significant. However, because we are not considering the drag strip at this time, the relationship is to the rest of the Fairplex is tangential and it does make the drag strip, which was the location of the NHRA’s first official race, a contributing element to the fairgrounds historic district.

3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period or method of construction, or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components may lack individual distinction (Criterion C).

The LSA report found that the fairgrounds embody the distinctive characteristics of a fairground such as the horse racetrack and related barns and stables, the grandstand, and the exhibition halls. In addition, there are a number of buildings that are good examples of various architectural styles as adapted to fairground/exhibition hall uses. These span a period of four decades (1920s –1950s) and include Administration Building 1 (1926), Palace of Agriculture (1930/1941), Grandstand (1932), Administration Building 2 (1936); Millard Sheets Building (1937; former Fine Arts Building), WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls (1937–1938; Buildings 5 –8), Avalon (1937 –1939), NHRA Motorsports Museum (1939; former Home Arts Building), the Longboard Bar (circa 1939), and Flower Building (1952). In addition, some of these buildings are associated with architect Peter Ficker and/or the WPA. Therefore, the fairgrounds appear to be significant under this criterion as a property type that retains several major buildings dating to its period of significance (1922–1961). In addition, based on the quality and integrity of their architecture, as well as their associations with important events and people in history, the buildings listed above, along with the horse racetrack 1922/1985), the horse racing stables (1–12A and 14–28), and the drag strip (1953/1993), are contributing features to the historic district. Therefore, Staff agrees with this Criterion.

4. Has yielded, or may be likely to yield, information important in history or prehistory (Criterion D).

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Criterion 4, which is usually associated with archaeological resources, the fairgrounds do not appear to have the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.

CALIFORNIA REGISTER OF HISTORICAL RESOURCES

1. Associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of local or regional history or the cultural heritage of California or the United States (Criterion 1).

The LSA report found that the fairgrounds are associated with events that are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depression in the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construction/employment boom between 1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA. During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased (1942–1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and used first as a Japanese -American assembly center, then as an ordnance depot, and finally as a POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increased prosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demands for recreation and spurred the return of the hot rod and dangerous and illegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctioned NHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its association with these important events in history.

Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex appears to meet this criterion for significance at the re gional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period. Therefore, Staff agrees with this Criterion.

2. Associated with the lives of persons important to local, California or national history (Criterion 2).

April 1, 2026 Historic Pre servation Commis sio n Staff Report HDD -000111 -2026

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NHRA founder Wally Parks is one of the biggest names in drag racing and motorsports. Born in Oklahoma, but reared in California, Parks was a founding member of the 1937 SCTA. The SCTA was focused on conducting land speed events. Parks also was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presented by SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speed trials in 1949 and won numerous awards from 1972 to 2003 for his participation in automotive sports. Parks was drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Alabama. Parks’ association with drag racing at the fairgrounds does not, by itself, make the fairgrounds significant. However, because we are not considering the drag strip at this time, the relationship is to the rest of the Fairplex is tangential and it does make the drag strip, which was the location of the NHRA’s first official race, a contributing element to the fairgrounds historic district. Staff generally agrees with the determination that the property is not historic under Criterion 2. The other associations are more questionable but could also support designation.

3. Embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region or method of construction or represents the work of a master or possesses high artistic values (Criterion 3).

4. Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation (Criterion 4).

CITY OF POMONA LANDMARK DESIGNATION CRITERIA

Architecture / Physical Features

1. It embodies distinctive characteristics of a style, type, period, or method of construction, or is a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship (Criterion 3 in previous ordinance);

April 1, 2026 Historic Pre servation Commis sio n Staff Report HDD -000111 -2026

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The fairgrounds embody the distinctive characteristics of a fairground such as the grandstand, and the exhibition halls. In addition, there are a number of buildings that are good examples of various architectural styles as adapted to fairground/exhibition hall uses. Many also relate to the Works Progress Administration during the depression. It, therefore, meets this criterion.

2. It is the work of a notable builder, designer, landscape designer or architect (Criterion 5 in previous ordinance);

As discussed above , the association with Peter Ficker and the WPA is significant in Pomona’s History.

Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

3. It embodies elements of architectural design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship that represent a significant structural or architectural achievement or innovation (Criterion 7 in previous ordinance);

The buildings do not have any features that represent a n achievement or innovation. Therefore , the property does not meet this criterion.

4. It is similar to other distinctive properties, sites, areas, or objects based on an historic, cultural, or architectural motif (Criterion 8 in previous ordinance);

The Fairplex is unique in Pomona and does not meet this Criterion.

5. It has a unique location or singular physical characteristics or is a view or vista representing an established and familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community, or the city of Pomona (Criterion 6 in previous ordinance);

The Fairplex is unique to Pomona and Southern California. It is a unique location and has unique physical characteristics. It is an established and familiar visual feature that is significant to Pomona. Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

6. It reflects significant geographical patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of park or community planning (Criterion 9 in previous ordinance);

The Fairplex has a strong relationship to the agricultural history of Pomona, but this relationship does not meet the intent of the Criterion, and therefore, the property does not meet it.

7. It is one of the few remaining examples in the city of Pomona, region, state, or nation possessing distinguishing characteristics of an architectural or historical type or specimen (Criterion 10 in previous ordinance).

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Fairplex is unique in Southern California and is the largest fairgrounds in Southern California. Its development through the WPA makes it one of the few remaining examples of its kind. Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

Person(s) and Events Important in Our History

1. It is identified with persons or events significant in local, state, or national history (Criterion 2 in previous ordinance);

As Discussed above, the fairgrounds are associated with a number of fairly well -known people. Of these, architect Peter Ficker, artist Millard Sheets, and NHRA founder Wally Parks are of particular note. Millard Sheets, in particular is a significant person in Pomona History, and Wally Parks is a significant person in Southern California history. Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

2. It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the city of Pomona's cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, architectural, or natural history (Criterion 1 in previous ordinance);

As discussed above, the fairgrounds are associated with events that are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. It is also the site of the first NHRA race, contributing greatly to California’s car culture. Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

Archaeology

1. Has yielded, or has the potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California or the nation.

CITY OF POMONA HISTORIC DISTRICT DESIGNATION CRITERIA

1. It is a contiguous area possessing a concentration of eligible historic resources or thematically related grouping of structures which contribute to each other and are unified by plan, style, or physical development; and (b) embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, region, or method of construction; represents the work of a master; or possesses high artistic values (Criterion 4 in previous ordinance);

As discussed above there are a number of buildings that are unified by plan and style and are architecturally similar and distinctive as WPA projects. Therefore, the property meets this Criterion.

2. It reflects significant geographical patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and

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growth, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of a park landscape, site design, or community planning (Criterion 9 in previous ordinance); and

As discussed above, The fairgrounds represented the growth of the agricultural industry and Pomona and the area as a whole.

Meets at least one of Landmark Designation Criteria as follows:
a. Architecture / Physical Features Criteria 1, 2, 3, or 4; and/or b. Person and Events Criteria 1 or 2.

The area meets multiple criteria for designation and is eligible to be designated as a local historic district.

Integrity:

As discussed in the critical issues, the barn area was severely compromised with the demolition of the racetrack.

Staff, therefore, is proposing to not include the barn area in the proposed historic district. The Fairground buildings, including the exposition halls, have a high degree of integrity and make up much of the proposed district.

Conclusion:

For the reasons discussed above, the Pomona Fairplex appears eligible for listing in the National Register as a historic district under Criterion 1 for its associations with the development of agricultural fairs and the WPA and under Criterion 3 as a property type (county fairgrounds) with several extant contributing buildings and features including the racetrack; Administration Building 1; Palace of Agriculture; Grandstand; Administration Building 2; Millard Sheets Building; WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls (Buildings 5–8); Avalon; NHRA Motorsports Museum; Flower Building; the Longboard Bar; and Horse Racing Stable 1. The horse racing stables 2–12A and 14–28; no longer have integrity or context to be historic. The drag strip is not being considered at this time, but could be considered at a later date.

It also appears eligible for listing in the California Register as a historic district under Criterion 1 for its associations with the development of agricultural fairs and the WPA, potentially Criterion 2 for its association with Millard Sheets and Peter Ficker, and under Criterion 3 as a property type (county fairgrounds) with several extant contributing buildings and features including the racetrack; Administration Building 1; Palace of Agriculture; Grandstand; Administration Building 2; Millard Sheets Building; WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls (Buildings 5–8); Avalon; NHRA Motorsports Museum; the Longboard Bar; Horse Racing Stable 1; and the Flower Building.

In conclusion, the area appears eligible for designation as a local historic district based on multiple criteria, as discussed above.

Attachments:

1. Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019

2. Proposed District Map

3. LSA Cultural Resource Assessment, 2011
HPC RESOLUTION NO. 26-019

A RESOLUTION OF THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION

COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF POMONA, CALIFORNIA,

RECOMMENDING THAT THE CITY COUNCIL
DESIGNATE THE POMONA FAIRPLEX, LOCATED AT 601

WEST MCKINLEY AVENUE , AS A LOCAL HISTORIC

DISTRICT

THE HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF POMONA DOES RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:

WHEREAS, the applicant , The City of Pomona Planning Division initiated the local historic designation of the Pomona Fairplex (HDD-000111-2026);

WHEREAS, the property was constructed generally from the 1920s-1940s;

WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Pomona, has, after giving notice thereof as required by law, held a public meeting on April 1, 2026, concerning the Historic District Designation (HDD-000111-2026); and

WHEREAS, the Historic Preservation Commission has carefully considered all pertinent testimony and the staff report offered in the case presented at the public hearing.

NOW THEREFORE, BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED by the Historic Preservation Commission of the City of Pomona, California, as follows:

SECTION 1. Based on the policies contained in the Pomona General Plan and Historic Preservation Ordinance, the Historic Preservation Commission concludes as follows:

1. Preserving Pomona’s diverse architectural styles reflecting phases of the City of Pomona's history and encouraging complementary contemporary development inspires a more livable urban environment;

2. Pomona’s historic places should be preserved to b uild civic pride by promoting the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of the City's rich heritage and cultural resources;

3. Preserving Pomona’s historic places e nhances property values and increase economic and financial benefits to the City;

4. Preserving Pomona’s historic places e nhances the City of Pomona for residents, tourists and visitors thereby stimulating business and industry; and

5. Preserving Pomona’s historic places c onserves valuable material and energy resources by fostering ongoing use and maintenance of the existing built environment.

Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019
HDD-000111-2026
April 1, 2026

Page 2 ends

SECTION 2. The Historic Preservation Commission hereby finds and determines that the application requesting a local historic district designation (HDD-000111-2026) for the Pomona Fairplex, located at 601 West McKinley Avenue, provides sufficient documentation and information indicating that the subject property meets the following City of Pomona Designation Criteria as presented in Section 800.C.2. “Designation” of the Pomona Zoning and Development Code:

As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depression in the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construction/employment boom between 1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA.

During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased (1942–1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and used first as a Japanese-American assembly center, then as an ordnance depot, and finally as a POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increased prosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demands for recreation and spurred the return of the hot rod and dangerous and illegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctioned NHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its association with these important events in history. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex appears to meet this criterion for significance at the regional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex, meets this Criterion.

2. It reflects significant geographical patterns, including those associated with different eras of settlement and growth, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examples of a park landscape, site design, or community planning (Criterion 9 in previous ordinance); and

As discussed above, as the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019
HDD-000111-2026
April 1, 2026

Page 3 ends

surrounding region. It reflects the geographic growth of southern California, and is the only example of fairgrounds site design in the area. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex meets this Criterion.

Meets at least one of Landmark Designation Criteria as follows:

Architecture / Physical Features

Person(s) and Events Important in Our History

1. It exemplifies or reflects special elements of the city of Pomona's cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, architectural, or natural history (Criterion 1 in previous ordinance);

The fairgrounds are associated with events that are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depression in the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construction/employment boom between 1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA. During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased (1942–1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and used first as a Japanese-American assembly center, then as an ordnance depot, and finally as a POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increased prosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demands for recreation and spurred the return of the hot rod and dangerous and illegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctioned NHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019
HDD-000111-2026
April 1, 2026

Page 4 ends

in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its association with these important events in history. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex appears to meet this criterion for significance at the regional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex meets this Criterion.

SECTION 3. In view of all of the evidence and based on the designation criteria contained in the staff report, the Historic Preservation Commission concludes as follows:

1. The property located at 601 West McKinley Avenue meets the criteria required to be designated as a local historic district; and

2. The Historic Commission recommends that the City council designate the property as a local historic district as shown in Exhibit “A”.

SECTION 4. All documents described in Section 1 of Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019 are deemed incorporated by reference as set forth at length.

SECTION 5. The Secretary shall certify to the adoption of this Resolution and forward the original to the City Clerk.

APPROVED AND PASSED THIS 1ST DAY OF APRIL, 2026.

____________________________________

BRITNEY GALLIVAN

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

CHAIRPERSON

ATTEST:

___________________________________

GEOFFREY STARNS

HISTORIC PRESERVATION COMMISSION

SECRETARY
Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019
HDD-000111-2026
April 1, 2026

Page 5 ends

STATE OF CALIFORNIA)

COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES)

CITY OF POMONA)

AYES:

NOES:

ABSTAIN:

ABSENT:

Pursuant to Resolution No. 76-258 of the City of Pomona, the time in which judicial review of this action must be sought is governed by Sec. 1094.6 C.C.P.

Historic Preservation Commission Resolution No. 26-019
HDD-000111-2026
April 1, 2026

Page 6 ends

EXHIBIT “A”

POMONA FAIRPLEX DISTRICT MAP
Fairplex Historic Buildings
Historic Buildings
Non-Historic Buildings
Proposed District Boundaries

CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

POMONA FAIRPLEX

CITY OF POMONA

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
March 2011

CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT

POMONA FAIRPLEX

CITY OF POMONA

LOS ANGELES COUNTY, CALIFORNIA
Preparedfor:

Mr. Brad Johnson, PlanningManager
Planning Division
City of Pomona
505 South Garey Avenue
Pomona, California 97169
Preparedby:

CaseyTibbet, M.A.
with contributions from
Tanya Sorrell, M. A., and Rachel (Ryo) Braco.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, California 92507
LSA Project No. POM1002A
March 2011

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY.................................................................................................................... 1 INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................................. 4 CULTURAL SETTING.........................................................................................................................7 PREHISTORY.............................................................................................................................7 Prehistoric Chronologies...................................................................................................7 The Early Period (Prior to 6000 BC).................................................................................7 The Milling Stone Period (6000 BC to 3000 BC).............................................................7 The Intermediate Period (3000 BC to AD 500)................................................................. 8 The Late Period (AD 500 to 1769)....................................................................................8 Ethnographic Setting.........................................................................................................9 HISTORY..................................................................................................................................10 METHODS...........................................................................................................................................19 RECORDS SEARCH ................................................................................................................19 ARCHIVAL RESEARCH.........................................................................................................19 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SURVEY..................................................................................19 ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY ................................................................................................. 20 RESULTS.............................................................................................................................................21 RECORDS SEARCH ................................................................................................................21 ARCHIVAL RESEARCH.........................................................................................................21 Fairs and Agriculture.......................................................................................................22 The Works ProgressAdministration in Los Angeles County (1935–1943)....................23 Military Involvement in the Fairgrounds (1942–1947)................................................... 25 ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SURVEY..................................................................................27 ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY ................................................................................................. 27 Contributors.....................................................................................................................27 Non-Contributors............................................................................................................. 42 Summary..........................................................................................................................49 SIGNIFICANCE EVALUATION ....................................................................................................... 50 DEFINITIONS........................................................................................................................... 50 California Register of Historical Resources....................................................................50 City of PomonaHistoric Landmark Designation Criteria............................................... 51 EVALUATION.......................................................................................................................... 51 POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO HISTORICAL RESOURCES...............................................................55 Project Description..........................................................................................................55 Potential Project Impacts Analysis..................................................................................56 RECOMMENDATIONS ..................................................................................................................... 57 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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REFERENCES.....................................................................................................................................58

FIGURES
Figure 1: Regional and Project Location................................................................................................5 Figure 2: Site Location........................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 3: PomonaFairgrounds 1922....................................................................................................12 Figure 4: Fair Photographs1926..........................................................................................................13 Figure 5: Exhibits Building 1932......................................................................................................... 14 Figure 6: PomonaFairgrounds 1949....................................................................................................16 Figure 7: Administration Building 1 ....................................................................................................28 Figure 8: Administration Building 1, north elevation..........................................................................28 Figure 9: Administration Building 1, southeastand northeastelevations............................................28 Figure 10: Palaceof Agriculture, 1948 ................................................................................................29 Figure 11: Palaceof Agriculture, north elevation ................................................................................29 Figure 12: Palaceof Agriculture, west elevation .................................................................................30 Figure 13: Palaceof Agriculture, south elevation................................................................................30 Figure 14: Palaceof Agriculture wall detail.........................................................................................30 Figure 15: Grandstand, western elevation............................................................................................31 Figure 16: Grandstandmain entrance...................................................................................................31 Figure 17: Administration Building 2 ..................................................................................................31 Figure 18: Administration Building 2, south andeastelevations.........................................................32 Figure 19: Administration Building 2, north elevation ........................................................................ 32 Figure 20: Millard SheetsBuilding......................................................................................................32 Figure 21: Millard SheetsBuilding courtyard......................................................................................33 Figure 22: Millard SheetsBuilding wall detail ....................................................................................33 Figure 23: Millard SheetsBuilding detail............................................................................................33 Figure 24: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall #7...............................................................................34 Figure 25: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall #8...............................................................................34 Figure 26: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall # 7, west elevation entrance ....................................... 35 Figure 27: Avalon.................................................................................................................................35 Figure 28: Avalon, south elevation showing pre-1948 addition...........................................................36 Figure 29: Avalon, north and eastelevations.......................................................................................36 Figure 30: NHRA Motorsports Museum..............................................................................................37 Figure 31: NHRA Motorsports Museum, eastelevation entrance ....................................................... 37 Figure 32: NHRA Motorsports Museum, north elevation entrance..................................................... 37 Figure 33: Longboard Bar....................................................................................................................38 Figure 34: Horse Racing Stable #1.......................................................................................................39 Figure 35: Horse Racing Stable #1, southwest end..............................................................................39 Figure 36: Horse Racing Stables central corridor between HRS 1–12A.............................................. 39 Figure 37: Horse Racing Stable #25..................................................................................................... 40 Figure 38: Horse Racing Stablesbreezeways.......................................................................................40 Figure 39: Flower Building.................................................................................................................. 41 Figure 40: Flower Building, view to the south.....................................................................................41 Figure 41: Drag Strip............................................................................................................................42 Figure 42: Barrel-Roofed Building # 9 .................................................................................................43 Figure 43: Barrel-Roofed Building # 9, west elevation.........................................................................43 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
MARCH 2011 POMONA FAIRPLEX
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Figure 44: Security Office....................................................................................................................43 Figure 45: Security Office addition......................................................................................................43 Figure 46: Livestock areastructures.....................................................................................................44 Figure 47: Livestock area, view to the south........................................................................................44 Figure 48: Fire Station..........................................................................................................................45 Figure 49: Facilities Yard building.......................................................................................................45 Figure 50: Facilities Yard shipping and receiving building................................................................. 45 Figure 51: Facilities Yard building with board-and-batten siding........................................................45 Figure 52: Facilities Yard wood-frame building..................................................................................45 Figure 53: Free-standing restroom....................................................................................................... 46 Figure 54: Free-standing restroom in the livestock area ...................................................................... 46 Figure 55: Plazade las Americas .........................................................................................................46 Figure 56: Plaza de las Americas, view to the north............................................................................47 Figure 57: Plaza de las Americas, view to the west .............................................................................47 Figure 58: QuonsetHut #10................................................................................................................. 48 Figure 59: QuonsetHut #10 interior ....................................................................................................48 Figure 60: RaceOfficial’ s Office.........................................................................................................49

APPENDICES
A: JAPANESE-AMERICAN ASSEMBLY CENTER
B: DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION ( DPR) 523 FORMS
C: PROJECT PLANS

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
LSA Associates, Inc. (LSA) conducted a cultural resourcesassessmentfor the 543-acre Pomona Fairplex property at 1101 West McKinley Avenue (Assessor’s Parcel Numbers [ APNs] 8378-020- 901, 8378-020-905, 8378-019-001, 8378-019-900, 8378-016-901, and 8378-016-020) in the City of Pomona (City), Los Angeles County, California. The subject property is currently developed with large parking lots, a drag strip, a horse racetrack, and numerous permanentand temporary buildings, structures, and other features, such asfountains, train tracks, and gardens. The proposedproject involves an approximately 23-acre portion of the 543-acre project areathat is currently developed with 22 horsestables. Nine of the existing stables areproposedto be converted into offices, eleven are proposed to be converted into self-storage units, and two are proposed to be demolished. The proposedproject also involves installation of paving, parking, landscaping, lighting, fencing, and signage. The City, asLead Agency for the project, required this study aspart of the environmental review processto comply with the California Environmental Quality Act ( CEQA).

The purposeof the study is to provide the City with the necessaryinformation and analysis to determine whether the proposedproject would causesubstantial adverse changesto any historical resourcesthat may exist in the project area, as mandated by CEQA. The fairgrounds have existed at this location since 1922 and severalof the buildings within the project areadate to the historic- period pre-1962). In addition, the fairgrounds were designatedCalifornia Historical Landmark 934 asthe site of a temporary detention camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II ( WWII), and as a result, were automatically listed in the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) and are a historical resourcefor purposesof CEQA. However, the fairgrounds have not previously been intensively surveyed and evaluated. Therefore, in compliance with CEQA, this study evaluatesthe fairgrounds under theCalifornia Register and local criteria.

In order to accomplish this evaluation, LSA conducted a historical/archaeological resourcesrecords search, pursued historical background research, and carried out intensive-level field surveys. LSA also analyzed theproposedproject plans to determine whether they would result in any substantial adverse changesto the significance of the PomonaFairplex (Fairplex).

As a result of this study, the following was determined regarding cultural resources:

No prehistoric or historic archaeological resourceswere identified within the project area, and no further consideration of archaeological resourcesis required unlessproject plans undergosuch changesasto include areasnot covered by this study. However, if buried cultural materials are encounteredduring earthmoving operations associatedwith the project, all work in that area should be halted or diverted until a qualified archaeologist can assessthe natureof the find and recommend appropriate mitigation measures.

In the eventhuman remains are encountered, StateHealth and Safety Code Section 7050.5 states that no further disturbance shall occur until the County Coroner hasmade a determination of origin and disposition pursuant to Public ResourcesCode (PRC) Section 5097.98. The County Coroner must be notified of the find immediately. If the remainsare determined to be Native LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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American, the County Coroner will notify the Native American Heritage Commission (NAHC), which will determine and notify a Most Likely Descendant (MLD). With the permission of the landowner or his/her authorized representative, the MLD may inspect the site of the discovery.

The MLD shall complete the inspection within 48 hours of notification by the NAHC. The MLD will have the opportunity to offer recommendations for the disposition of the remains.

The Pomona Fairplex meets the criteria for listing in the California Register of Historical Resources (California Register) asa historic district. Under Criterion 1, it is significant for its association with the development of agricultural fairs in California and specifically the Los Angeles and Inland Empire regions. It is also significant under Criterion 3 asa distinguished example of the fairgrounds property type with numerous buildings representingvarious styles and periods of architecture, including those associatedwith the Works ProgressAdministration WPA). For the same reasons, the fairgrounds are also eligible for designation asa historic district under the local ordinance. Contributing buildings and features include:
o RaceTrack;
o Administration Building 1;
o Palaceof Agriculture ( also known asBuilding 4);
o Grandstand;
o Administration Building 2;
o Millard SheetsBuilding ( formerly the Fine Arts Building); o WPA Barrel-Roofed Exhibition Halls (also known asBuildings 5–8); o Avalon ( formerly Anthony’s);
o National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) Motorsports Museum (formerly the Home Arts Building);
o Longboard Bar;
o Horse Racing Stables1–12A and 14–28;
o Flower Building; and
o Drag Strip.

The nine stablesknown asthe Barrett’s Equine Complex that are proposedto be converted into offices are of modern origin ( 1989) and therefore do not contribute to the historic significance of the Fairplex. No mitigation measuresrelated to cultural resourcesare required for thesebuildings.

The buildings that were constructedfor useby Japanese-Americans during their detainment at the Fairplex between May 7 and August 24, 1942, are no longer extant. The detention center was located in the western portion of the Fairplex where there are now large parking lots. No buildings that appearto have been apart of that facility were identified in the project area.

Similarly, no other military- related buildings associatedwith either the Pomona Ordnance Depot or the prisoner of war camp appearsto remain on the property.

Horse racing stables1–12A and 14–28 dateto the historic- period and, asa group, are contributors to the historic district. As part of the proposedproject, horse racing stables1–11 are proposedto be converted to self-storageunits and stables12 and 12A are proposedto be demolished. These LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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alterations will not result in a substantial adversechangeto any historical resources (i.e., the Pomona Fairplex Historic District) and no mitigation measuresare recommended. However, if the City would like to preservemore of the historic characterof thesebuildings, LSA suggests that the eaveoverhangsnot be reduced, the exterior walls remain sided with board-and-batten, and, wherever possible, the windows and doors not be removed.

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INTRODUCTION
From Januaryto March 2011, at the requestof the City of Pomona, LSA performed a cultural resourcesstudy and project impacts analysis on the Pomona Fairplex (APNs 8378-020-901, 8378- 020-905, 8378-019-001, 8378-019-900, 8378-016-901, and 8378-016-020) located in Pomona, Los Angeles County, California ( Figures 1 and 2). The Fairplex is located in Township 1 South, Range8 West, SanBernardino Baseline and Meridian, asdepicted on the SanDimas, California 7.5-minute topographic quadrangle map (United StatesGeological Survey [USGS] 1966, PR1981). The study is part of the environmental review processfor the proposedconversion of 22 stablesinto offices and self-storagefacilities. The City, asLead Agency for the project, required the study in compliance with CEQA ( PRC Section 21000, et seq.) and the City’s Historic Preservation ordinance (Section .5809-13 of the City’s Zoning Ordinance).

LSA performed the present study to provide the City with the necessaryinformation and analysis to determine whether the proposedproject would causesubstantial adverse changesto any historical/ archaeological resourcesthat may exist in or around theproject area, asmandatedby CEQA. In order to identify and evaluate such resources, LSA conducteda historical/archaeological resourcesrecords search, pursued historical background research, and carried out reconnaissanceand intensive-level field surveys. In addition, LSA reviewed and analyzed theproposedproject plans. This report is a complete account of the methods, results, and final conclusion of the study.

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CULTURAL SETTING

PREHISTORY
Prehistoric Chronologies
The development of a regional chronology marking the major stagesof cultural evolution in the Southern California areahas been animportant topic of archaeological research. In general, cultural developmentsin Southern California have occurred gradually and haveshown long-term stability; thus, developing chronologies and applying them to specific locales hasoften beenproblematic.

Southern California researchershave usedchanging artifact assemblagesand evolving ecological adaptationsto divide regional prehistory into four stages. Wallace (1955; 1978) developedone of two chronologies most commonly cited. Wallace (1955) usesmajor cultural developmentsto divide area prehistory into four time periods, or “cultural horizons:” the Early Period, the Milling StonePeriod, the Intermediate Period, and the Late Period. The following overview is basedprimarily on Wallace’s chronology, which hasbeenrevised slightly by Koerper (1981) and Koerper and Drover (1983).

The Early Period ( Prior to 6000 BC)
The Early Period (also known asthe Hunting Period) covers theinterval from the first presenceof humansin Southern California ( the terminal Pleistocene, circa [ca.] 12,000 yearsBP), until post-glacial times (5500 to 6000 BC). Artifacts and cultural activities from this period representa predominantly hunting culture; diagnostic artifacts include extremely large, often fluted bifaces associatedwith useof the spearand the atlatl. In Southern California, important Early Period sites have beenfound near prehistoric Lake Mohave and along the SanDieguito River ( Wallace 1955, 1978:27; Moratto 1984:81, 93–99). Early sites dating to ca. 10,000 years ago andolder have also beendocumentedin SantaBarbara County and thenorthern Channel Islands (Erlandsonet al. 1996; Lebow et al. 2007; Rockwell and Stafford 2003). Evidence at sites dating to the Terminal Pleistocene and Early Holocene increasingly suggeststhat the early inhabitants of coastal California relied on marine resourcesand seeds, possessing anadaptation quite distinct from the big game hunters of the Great Plains (Rick et al. 2001).

The Milling Stone Period ( 6000 BC to 3000 BC)
The transition from the Early Period to the Milling Stone Period is marked by an increased emphasis on the processingof seedsand edible plants and is estimatedto have occurred between6000 BC and 3000 BC. According to Wallace ( 1978:28), wild seedsand edible plants formed the primary food source during this period, with only limited useof shellfish and faunal resources; plant resourceswere processedusing deep-basinedmills and handstones, hencethe term Milling StonePeriod. Milling Stone Period settlementswere larger and were occupied for longer periods of time than thoseof the Early Period, and mortuary practices included both flexed and extendedburials, aswell asreburials.

Grave offerings were few, although rock cairns were sometimes placedover the bodies (Wallace 1955:192, Table 1; 1978:28).

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Diagnostic artifacts recoveredfrom Milling StonePeriod sites include metates, manos, andlarge projectile points, indicating the continued use of darts and atlatls. Among the more enigmatic artifacts from this period are discoidals and cogged stones. Discoidals are round to ovoid groundstoneswith flat or slightly convex facesand edges, while cogged stones arediscoidals with serratededges resembling the teeth on gears. Both types of artifacts appear sometime around 4000 BC and are dated to the Milling Stone Period; their useremains unclear, and they may have had a ceremonial function Moratto 1984:149–150).

Wallace ( 1978:28) offers two possible scenarios to explain the cultural changesthat occurred during the Milling Stone Period; quite possibly, both processesoccurred simultaneously in different geographical areas. In some regions (such aswestern San Diego County), Milling Stone cultures may have evolved gradually as the earlier hunting peoples learned to exploit a wider variety of food resources; in other areas, people migrating from interior regions may have introduced to coastalareas the technology for processingseedsand plant foods. Evidence for such migrations may be found in climatic data. The onset of the Milling Stone Period corresponds to an interval of warm, dry weather known asthe Altithermal; during the Altithermal, many of the inland lakes disappeared, andthe region becamelesshabitable, perhapstriggering the coastal migrations believed to have occurred at this time (Wallace 1978:28).

The Intermediate Period ( 3000 BC to AD 500)
By approximately 3000 BC, the inhabitants of Southern California were exploiting a diverse array of food resources, including seedsand edible plants, shellfish, fish, and mammals. Along the coast, a greater reliance was placedon marine food resourcesasevidencedby the recovery of near-shore and pelagic (deep-water) fish remains from archaeological sites. In the interior regions such asthe Mojave Desert, thereturn of cooler, moister conditions led to increasedpopulations along streamsand lakes.

Hunting appearsto have been the primary food- gathering activity in these interior areas; the best- known sites in this region are located at Pinto Basin in northeasternRiverside County (Moratto 1984:153; Wallace 1978:30–31).

Intermediate Period sites are characterizedby the appearanceof the mortar and pestle (although the mano and metatecontinued in use). In inland and desert sites, the projectile points are generally still large (dart point sized), but small RoseSpring projectile points appearlate in this period. The useof the mortar and pestle may indicate an increasedreliance on acornsasa food source, while the small projectile points suggestthat the bow and arrow was in limited use (Elsasser1978:55; Wallace 1978:30–31). Intermediate Period burials were generally by interment in a flexed position, face down, although a site at Big Tujunga Wash in the San Fernando Valley contained both reburials under stone cairns and cremations (Elsasser1978:55; Wallace 1955:193–195).

The Late Period ( AD 500 to 1769)
The Late Period, which beganin approximately AD 500, witnesseda number of important cultural developmentsin SouthernCalifornia, including the concentration of larger populations in settlements and communities, greaterutilization of the available food resources, and the development of regional subcultures. Cremation was the preferred method of burial during the Late Period, and elaborate mortuary customswith abundantgrave goods were common. Other cultural traits diagnostic of the LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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Late Period include increaseduseof the bow and arrow, steatitecontainers, circular shell fishhooks, asphaltum (as an adhesive), bonetools and personal ornaments of bone, shell, and stone (Bean and Smith 1978; Elsasser1978:56; Moratto 1984:159; Wallace 1955:195). Becausemany of these artifacts are also recoveredfrom earlier periods, other indicators must sometimesbe usedto distinguish Late Period sites. Among the most useful of these indicators are lithic artifacts manufactured from obsidian. Obsidian from Obsidian Buttes near the Salton Seawas used sporadically in the manufacture of lithic artifacts until sometime after AD 1000, when its usein the Los Angeles Basin becamemuch more common (Hall 1988).

A number of the cultural elementsfound in SouthernCalifornia during the Late Period have been linked to the migration of Uto-Aztecan speaking peoplesfrom the Great Basin; thesetraits include the manufacture of ceramics, the use of small triangular arrow points, and interment by cremation. The dateof the Uto-Aztecan migration ( which probably occurred in severalsuccessivewaves over an extendedperiod of time) remains uncertain; it hasbeendatedasearly as2000 BC and aslate asAD 700. Linguistic evidence suggestsa date of AD 1 to 500 (Kroeber 1976:574–580; Moratto 1984:161).

The latter part of the Late Period (AD 1200–1769) is often given its own period, the Protohistoric Period (Moratto 1984).

Ethnographic Setting
The Gabrielino Indians were the first inhabitants to the areaknown today asthe Los Angeles Basin.

The name Gabrielino refers to the Uto-Aztecan (Takic) speaking Native Americans who lived throughout the presentLos Angeles and Orange County areasand who were historically affiliated with Mission SanGabriel Archangel. Today, someof the Gabrielino prefer to call themselvesby their traditional name, Tongva (McCawley 1996). Gabrielino territory included the watershedsof the Los Angeles, SanGabriel, and SantaAna Rivers; severalsmaller intermittent streamsin the SantaMonica and Santa Ana Mountains; all of the Los Angeles Basin; the coast from Aliso Creek north to a point between Topangaand Malibu Creeks; and the islandsof SanClemente, SanNicolas, and Santa Catalina (Kroeber 1976:620-621; Bean and Smith 1978:538; McCawley 1996:3).

The Gabrielino Indians practiced a hunter-gathererlifestyle and lived in permanentcommunities near the convergenceof two or more environmental zonesor habitats (Bean and Smith 1978). Commonly chosensites included areasnear rivers, streams, and inland watercourses; sheltered coastalbays and estuaries; andthe transition zone delineating prairies and foothills. Important considerations influencing the location of habitation sites included the presenceof a stable food supply and some measureof protection from flooding. Community populations generally rangedfrom 50–100 inhabitants, although larger settlements may have existed. Gabrielino communities located in the interior regions maintained permanentgeographical territories or useareasthat may have averaged30 squaremiles. However, it is unclear whether this pattern wassimilar for coastal settlements, where food resourcesmay have been more plentiful. In addition to permanent settlements, the Gabrielino occupied temporary campsitesusedseasonallyfor hunting, fishing, and gathering plant foods and shellfish (McCawley 1996:25). Hunting was primarily for rabbit and deer, while collecting included plant foods such asacorns, buckwheat, chía, berries, and fruits. They also establishedseasonalcamps along the coast and near bays and estuariesto gather shellfish and hunt waterfowl ( Hudson 1971).

Gabrielino culture was characterizedby an active and elaborate systemof rituals and ceremonies.

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widespreadChinigchinich cult. The cult of the culture hero Chinigchinich was observedand recorded by Franciscan Friar Gerónimo Boscana during his residencesat missions San JuanCapistrano and San Luis Rey (Boscana1933).

HISTORY
In 1837, the subject property becamepart of the approximately 20,000-acre Mexican land grant Rancho SanJose (Brackett 1920; City of Pomona2010). The Rancho was granted to Ygnacio Palomares andRicardo Vejar with the main purpose being graze land for sheepand cattle. In 1841, additional acreage, referencedon USGS mapsasthe Rancho SanJoseAddition, was grantedto Luis Arenas, Palomares’ brother-in-law (Brackett 1920). This additional acreage, which was later sold to the English Captain Henry Dalton, is where the project areais located (USGS 1966, PR1981).

Despite the changesthat occurred in the mid- to late 1840s and the cessionof California by Mexico to the United States, ranch life did not changemuch (Brackett 1920). In the early 1860s, the Vejar family lost its approximately 10,000-acre portion of Rancho San Joseto Los Angeles merchants Tischler and Schlesinger (ibid.). Schlesinger apparently died in 1863 and, in the mid-1860s, deededto Louis Phillips “all the Vejar interest in the SanJoserancho and the cattle that Tischler had owned…” Brackett 1920:78). The cattle and sheepindustries remained strong until the mid- 1860s when the PomonaValley experienceda severedrought. With the Valley economy in near ruin, the livestock and grain industries beganbeing replacedby grapecrops and later olive groves (Brackett 1920).

In 1875, shortly after railroad tracks were laid through the region and the Southern Pacific rail station was openedat First and Main Streets, the original town site of Pomonawas createdby the Los Angeles Immigration and Land Co-operative (PomonaHeritage 2007; City of Pomona2010). The town was named “ Pomona” after the Roman Goddessof fruit and fruit trees. The town founders purchasedwater rights and sunk several artesianwells throughout the region.

In the 1880s, Southern California, including Pomona, experienceda land boom that was largely the result of the introduction of the railroad to the area. The land boom usheredin a new era in California and endedthe region’s geographic isolation asrail lines expanded and connectedto nearby cities. By 1880, there were enough residentsin the areato warrant a commercial center, and Pomona’s was located on West Second Streetwest of Garey Avenue, approximately one-and-a-half miles southeast of the subject property (PomonaHeritage 2007). Throughout the 1880s, the City experienceda massive residential and economic boom, and in 1888, Pomonaincorporated and Pacific Electric cars began service through the new city, providing further impetus to establish businessenterprises along the main thoroughfare with outlying residential areas.

Since its early beginning, Pomona establisheditself asa productive agricultural community. During the 1880s, the grape and wine industries flourished throughout the Valley. However, in the early 1890s, asEuropeanwine production begancompeting with local production, olive groves began replacing vineyards. By the beginning of the 20thcentury, Pomona wasproducing a variety of deciduous fruits, including oranges, peaches, prunes, apples, and pears (Lothrop 1976:74). In addition, the PomonaValley became animportant center of dairy production with severallarge ranchesin Pomona.

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Agricultural development and the relentlessquestfor reliable sourcesof irrigation water plagued the Pomona Valley well into the 20thcentury. In 1913, the Los Angeles Aqueduct was completed from the Owens Valley in the EasternSierra to the Los Angeles Basin, providing further impetus for the development of the rich agricultural lands in the PomonaValley. Between 1900 and 1920, Pomona’s population more than doubled, largely due to Pomona’s increasing importance as an agricultural producer (United StatesCensusBureau n.d.).

As early as1854, the Stateofficially recognized the importance of agriculture to its economy and began actively promoting it with the adoption of the California State Agricultural Society Act of 1854 Haymond et al. 1892). That sameyear, the StateAgricultural Society sponsoreda StateFair that was held in SanFrancisco (Anonymous 2011; Anonymous n.d.). The fair included an exhibition of horses, cattle, mules, and other stock, and agricultural, mechanical, and domestic manufacture and productions [and] promoted the new state’s growing agricultural industry” (Anonymous n.d.). By the 1880s, a number of county fairs had beenorganized and were taking place on an annual basis.

However, as late as the 1920s, Los Angeles County still did not have a fair of its own.

In 1921, a merchants’ exposition was held along the SouthernPacific Railway in downtown Pomona Fairplex 2010). The exposition was presentedby Harry La Breque, a promoter of community celebrations for Foley & Burke Shows, a railroad carnival, and Clinton B. “Jack” Afflerbaugh, a Pomonadruggist and city councilman (ibid.). The exposition, which consistedof exhibits in a tent and a carnival, set the stagefor what would becomethe Los Angeles County Fair asits success inspired Afflerbaugh and others to consider having a fair ( ibid.). L.E. Sheets, a local music store owner who had experiencewith fairs in Iowa, was askedto presentplans for a fair to the Pomona Chamber of Commerce and thento the City Council (ibid.).

In 1922, a fair board was formed with SheetsasPresident, Afflerbaugh asVice President, and Charles P. Curran assecondVice President. The City of Pomonaagreedto purchasea 43-acrebeet and barley field from the Ricardo Vejar estatefor useasthe fairgrounds (Fairplex 2010). Afflerbaugh contacted Sacramento and obtained permission to use the name “L.A. County Fair,” and the fair was incorporated asthe Los Angeles County Fair with Sheetsasits first president (ibid.). It was organized primarily for the promotion of the agricultural, horticultural, and animal husbandry interestsof the great Southwest” (ibid.: 74). Financing came from a combination of private loans, the sale of stock, and the County Board of Supervisors (ibid.).

In August 1922, the Los Angeles Timesreported that the City of Pomonahad purchaseda 40-acre tract of land adjacent to GaneshaPark for a fair that promised to be the “greatest exposition of the country’s resourcesever presented” (Los Angeles Times1922a). The fair was to be held October 17– 21 and it was reported that eight buildings were being constructed along with a 400-foot long horse barn, a half- mile racetrack, and a 68,900-squarefoot tent for the industrial exposition ( ibid.). A horse show with $ 7,000 in prize money, aswell ashorse racing and livestock competitions were promoted ashighlights of the upcoming fair ( Los Angeles Times 1922a). The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce reportedly was very interested in the successof the fair because “development of the agricultural and citrus growing districts is essentialto the continued development of Los Angeles City” (ibid.).

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administration building ( Fairplex 2010; Figure 3). A wooden fence surrounded thegrounds (ibid.).

The fair opened to great enthusiasm and successwith 10,000 people reported the first day (Los Angeles Times1922b). There were more varieties of livestock than anticipated and the racetrack, which was createdin lessthan three months, held its own with the more establishedtracks in the region (ibid.). By all accounts, the first Los Angeles County Fair was a great successwith wildly varying estimatesof total attendanceranging from 49,461 (Fairplex 2010) to 100,000 (Los Angeles Times 1922c). Highlights included harnessracing, chariot racing, and an airplane wing- walker Fairplex 2010).

Figure 3: Pomona Fairgrounds 1922 (Source: Pomona Fairplex Archives).

In 1923, a $75,000 bond issuewas approved that facilitated the purchaseof an additional 62 acresand the construction of permanentbuildings (Fairplex 2010). The following year, Afflerbaugh becamethe Fair’s first paid manager, a post he held until 1960 (ibid.). That sameyear (1924), a building for the home arts (no longer extant) was constructed, and attendancegrew to 93,163 (ibid.). In 1925, attendance exceeded100,000, and the fair was held in September (ibid.). A Los Angeles Timesarticle from October 1926 proclaimed “The Fair hasArrived” and included a picture of the new Administration building ( extant, but enlarged; Los Angeles Times 1926; Figure 4). This Spanish LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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Eclectic style building, which featured a large archedopening that functioned asthe entranceto the Fair, was reportedly designed by Pomona resident Peter Ficker (Fairplex 2010). Ficker was born in Magyosz, Hungary in 1885 and immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 via New York and the ship Wilhelm II ( Ancestry.com). He became anaturalized citizen in 1913 in Los Angeles, where he resided and worked for the Harbor Engineers Office ( ibid.; Lassell 1999). While there, he designedseveral buildings including Los Angeles Municipal WarehouseNo. 1, which had lions-headgargoyle down- spoutsthat were cast from an original sculpture produced by Ficker (Lassell 1999:4). For several decades, the building was the largest structure at the Port of Los Angeles and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places (National Register) in 2000 (ibid.; National Park Service 2009).

Ficker apparently relocated to Pomonasometime after 1920 and is credited with designing severalof the major exhibit buildings and/or renovations to them (Ancestry.com; Lassell 1999; Richards 2011).

Figure 4: Fair Photographs1926 (Source: Los AngelesTimes 1926).

By the 1930s, California had become one of the nation’s foremost agricultural producers, growing some of the leading varieties of citrus, nuts, avocados, andbeans. BecauseCalifornia’s agricultural production played a major role in the development of the State, the fairs that exhibited theseproducts became very important ( Tibbet and Carmack 2006). The 1934 local City Directory promoted Pomona by noting that it was home to three transcontinental railroads, an electric inter-urban railroad linking it to Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County fairgrounds, two hospitals, one newspaper, sevenparks, four service clubs, several lodgesand fraternal orders, and approximately 21,000 people (Los Angeles Directory Company 1934). In addition, the City’s primary agricultural products were listed as citrus, walnuts, deciduous fruits, poultry, rabbits, and dairy, while its main manufacturing products were pumps, tile, paper, andknitwear (ibid.).

Despite the effects of the Depression, in 1930, the 108,000-squarefoot Exhibits Building (“ the largest exhibit building in the world”) was constructedat the fairgrounds at a cost of $250,000 (Fairplex 2010:75; Figure 5). In 1931, the Fair was presentedin combination with the Southern California Fair formerly held in Riverside), and Millard Sheets, renowned artist and Pomonanative, was namedto the Fair’s tenth annual art exhibition jury and apparently actedasthe superintendentof the art exhibit Los Angeles Times1931 and 1932). However, attendancedropped that year by nearly 32,000 from LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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the previous year (ibid.). In 1932, Sheetsonce again actedasthe superintendentof the art exhibit, a post he held until 1957 (Los Angeles Times 1932; Fairplex 2010). In 1994, the Fine Arts Building was dedicatedasthe Millard SheetsGallery (Fairplex 2010:78). From 1932 through 1937, the Orange County Fair was addedmaking it a tri- county harvest festival (ibid.). In 1933, the Statelegalized pari- mutuel wagering and the Fair “becamethe first in Southern California to allow fans to bet on horse racing” (Fairplex 2010:75). In 1935, the Fair’s Garden Railroad, which beganin 1924 and originally had all handmaderolling stock that “ran on one-half inch scalestandardgaugecustom laid steel track,” was moved to an outdoor location (Schreyer 1999). With over 4,500 feet of track, in 1999 it was reportedly the largest operating garden railroad in the United States (ibid.).

Throughout the 1930s, severalnew buildings were constructed on the fairgrounds. Theseincluded new horse and cattle barns (1932); a concrete and steel grandstand (1932; Figure 5); a lagoon (1935); three new horse barns (1935); dressing rooms in the grandstand (1935); a stagein the grandstand 1935); a sunken bandstandin the grandstand (1935); a new arts andcrafts building ( now Administration 2 building; 1936); two buildings for rabbits, poultry, and youth exhibits ( 1938); Anthony’s (now Avalon; late 1930s); and a childcare center (1939; Fairplex 2010). In addition, from 1937 through 1939, a number of buildings were constructed asWPA projects. Theseinclude the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard SheetsBuilding; 1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 5 and 6 (1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 7 and 8 (1938); the Home Arts Building ( now NHRA Motorsports Museum; 1939), and possibly the cafeteria (now Avalon; 1937 or 1939).

Figure 5: Exhibits Building 1932, with grandstandon the left side of the photograph (Source: PomonaFairplex Archives).

Three regiments occupied the grounds and the Army established its headquartersin the Home Arts Building ( now the NHRA Motorsports Museum; ibid.). On March 25, 1942, newspapersreported that the 1942 fair had beenofficially canceled (Los Angeles Times 1942a). The sameday, Fair Manager Afflerbaugh announcedthat a 29-foot by 26-foot addition to the Administration building would be LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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completed within the next six weeks (Los AngelesTimes 1942b). Afflerbaugh also noted that the addition would be of similar architecture and would include an 11-foot by 12-foot vault ( ibid.). Fair personnelwere allowed to retain useof the Administration building during the war.

In March 1942, a complex was constructed in the west parking area that consisted of 420 prefabricated buildings including houses, latrines, showers, laundry facilities, messhalls, warehouses, a hospital, a post office, a library, administration buildings, a recreation hall, and a visitors’ area Progress-Bulletin 1942b; Figure 6). The complex, which functioned asan Assembly Center for Japanese-Americans held a total of 5,514 personsand was surrounded by a high fence and guard towers (Blackstock 2009; The California StateMilitary Museum n.d.; refer to Appendix A for news articles, photographs, and maps). On May 7, 1942, the first “evacuees” arrived (JapaneseAmerican National Museum 2011). In August 1942, the vast majority of the detaineesat the fairgrounds were relocated to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming and by August 27, 1942, the assembly centerhad beencompletely vacated (Progress-Bulletin 1942d).

Early in September1942, the “center wasturned over to the Army’s OrdnanceMotor Transport Agency and becameknown asthe PomonaOrdnanceDepot” (The California StateMilitary Museum n.d.). In 1943, the Army usedthe facility asa deserttraining center, and in 1944, the Ordnance Command shop was established on the grounds (Fairplex 2010). In September 1945, Japansigned an unconditional surrenderofficially ending World War II ( WWII). The fairgrounds, which remained under the control of the Army, were then usedasan Italian and Germanprisoner of war (POW) camp until March 1946 (Fairplex 2010). The POWs were reportedly used to work the nearby groves and fields and were regardedasa reliable and affordable labor force (Los Angeles Times1945). Although many of the local growers lobbied to keep the POWs, Afflerbaugh insisted that the fair was even more important to the local economy and eventually succeededin securing the removal of Assembly Center buildings and closure of the POW camp. Finally, in March 1946, the POW camp was closed Fairplex 2010).

In 1947, 35 acreswere annexed to the fairgrounds for the establishment of a trailer park and the County Board of Supervisors earmarked $733,364 for repairs to the Exhibits Building that had been burned in 1941 (Fairplex 2010; Los AngelesTimes 1947). In 1948, the Fair reopenedwith a new official mascot, Thummer the Pig (Fairplex 2010). The Exhibits Building ( renamed the Agricultural Pavilion) was designedby PeterFicker and was reconstructedat a cost of $750,000 (Fairplex 2010:76). At nearly 120,000 squarefeet, it was reportedly the largeststructure of its kind west of the Mississippi ( ibid.). “Other new construction projects included a horseracing tote board, a tunnel under the track to the infield and new cattle and swine barns. Attendance topped the one million mark for the first time … making the event the secondlargest fair in the country, surpassedonly by the Texas StateFair” (ibid.). In 1949, the six-lane roadthat is now known asFairplex Drive was constructed providing better accessto the fairgrounds ( Fairplex 2010). In addition, 62 acreswere addedfor parking, and the Administration Building was expandedwith the addition of more than 8,200 squarefeet including a board of director’s room with an outdoor balcony (Fairplex 2010).

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Figure 6: PomonaFairgrounds1949; arrow points to buildings that were part of the Assembly Center (Source:

GeoSearchfrom the Fairchild Collection).

In the immediate post-WWII era, many of Pomona’s agricultural groves were replaced with new roads and housing tracts to support the post-war population boom, which erupted throughout the United Statesduring this period. From about 1950 through the mid-1970s, theaverageincome of the American worker rose by 50 percent and the middle classgrew and prospered (Randl 2004:32). With LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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more disposableincome and more leisure time (thanks in part to the nearly universal 40-hour work week), the demand for recreational activities grew. A new leisure industry consisting of magazine editors, builders, realtors, and sporting goods and vehicle manufacturersemerged (Randl 2004).

Between 1940 and 1970, the number of paid holidays and vacation days had more than doubled for most workers and Saturdays were no longer part of the work week. Recreation was America’s new hobby and the carculture led the way.

The post-war period saw resurgencein the popularity of hot rodding and drag racing. “By 1950, hot rodders who had been racing in dry lake beds were taking to the streets” sometimes injuring or killing themselvesor others (Allen 2008). In thosedays, if you were a hot rodder, it was the sameasbeing in a gang today (ibid.). Pomonahad its shareof illegal street racers, but it also had a “car-loving” police chief ( Ralph Parker) and a young motorcycle sergeantnamed Bud Coons who was a car enthusiast ibid.). Parker and Coons werealso interestedin safety and, with this in mind, Coons began organizing rally runs and shows and barbequesfor racers (ibid.). In 1951, Chief Parker, Coons, and the Lions Club approached the Fairplex with the idea of setting aside an areafor drag racing (ibid.).

Soon street racershad a legal straightaway and complaints about speeding, aswell asdeathsfrom speeding, dropped dramatically ( ibid.). This successprompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI) to senda bulletin to other jurisdictions regarding the Pomona approach (ibid.). The sameyear 1951), Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association ( NHRA) with the goal of promoting safety (Parks 2008). In 1937, Parkswas a founding member of the 1937 Southern California Timing Association (SCTA), which was focused on conducting land speedevents. Parksalso was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presentedby SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speedtrials in 1949, and was editorial director for all of Bob Petersen’s magazines (Hot Rod Magazine 2009). As early as 1972, Parks beganreceiving awardsfor his participation in automotive sports including Man of the Decade (1962–1972 by Popular Hot Rodding magazine) and Man of the Year (1973 by Specialty Equipment Marketing Association [SEMA]) ( ibid.). Among his myriad awards, in 1992, he was “drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame” in Talladega, Alabama, and in 1993 he was “inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Michigan” ( ibid.: 2).

On April 11–12, 1953, the NHRA held its first sanctionedevent, the Southern California Championship Drag Races, at Pomona Raceway, located at a far corner of the grounds. Over the weekend, 375 carsran 850 timed races” (Fairplex 2010:77). With a first- classdrag racing facility and supervisedraces, drag racing becamea true sport (Parks2008). In 1961, the “NHRA held its inaugural Winternationals at PomonaRaceway in February before the largestsingle-day audiencein the brief history of drag racing” (Fairplex 2010:77). In 1984, Pomona hosted the NHRA Winston Select Finals for the first time (Fairplex 2010:78). In 1993, the NHRA completed extensive improvements to the drag strip and, in 1998, the NHRA Motorsports Museum openedin what was formerly the Home Arts Building ( Fairplex 2010).

In addition to the drag strip, many other improvements were made to the fairgrounds during the 1950s. These include installation of the world’s largest man-made ski jump ( 1951, no longer extant); construction of the flower and gardenbuilding ( 1952); the clock tower (1952; removed in 2001); the Mexican Village ( 1952, now the Plaza de las Americas); the fire station and first aid building ( 1954); a barrel-roofed building ( 8A, no longer extant); a tunnel under White Avenue (1959); completion of the “ranchero” carving by John Svenson (1954); and, in 1957, participation by the Ringling Bros., LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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Barnum and Bailey Circus for the first time at any fair ( Fairplex 2010). In addition, at the 1955 Fair, Fred Morrison sold flying disks that were later marketed as the Frisbee (ibid.).

In 1960, “Phillip D. Shepherdtook over asgeneral manager, following the death of Afflerbaugh” Fairplex 2010: 77). In 1962, a monorail ( removed in 1996) and Storybook Farm (now California’ s Heritage Square) were added, followed by a clubhouseconnectedto the racetrackgrandstandin 1964, and the Golden Empire Mine in 1965 (closed in 1997; Fairplex 2010).

As might be expected, the fair has continued to grow and changethroughout the intervening decades.

Buildings have beenrelocated, remodeled, replaced, or removed. Exhibits have come and gone and new land hasbeenadded. In 1985, the racetrackwas enlarged from a half-mile to five- eighths mile and the next year the grandstand and clubhouse were renovated (Fairplex 2010). Some of the WPA buildings ( 5, 6, 7, and 8) were remodeledand nine new horse stables (Barrett’s Equine Complex, in the proposedproject site) were addedin 1989 (ibid.). In 1992, the Sheraton SuitesFairplex hotel opened and in 1996 the Mexican Village was renovated (ibid.). In 2003, one of the barrel-roofed buildings ( 8A) was demolished to make room for the trade andconvention center now under construction (ibid.). Many other changeshave occurred in the modern period (1961–present), but the Fair remains a successfulenterprisethat is a key component of the local economy.

Today, the Los Angeles County Fair is the largest county fair in North America and in 2009, had an attendance of 1,372,383 people, which was the fourth largest of all fairs and exhibitions in North America that year (Fairplex 2010:35). Except in 1963, attendancehas topped one million at each fair since 1948 and nearly 83 million people have visited the fair since its inception in 1922 (ibid.).

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METHODS

RECORDS SEARCH
On January13, 2011, a records searchwas conducted at theSouth Central Coastal Information Center SCCIC) by Rachel (Ryo) Braco. The records searchincluded a review of all recorded historic and prehistoric archaeological resourceswithin a one-quarter mile radius of the project areaaswell asa review of known cultural resourcesurvey and excavation reports. To supplementthis information, a review was conducted of the National Register Index, Office of Historic Preservation Directory of Properties, and historic USGS topographic maps. In addition, LSA examined the California State Historic Property Data File (HPD), which includes the National Register, California Historical Landmarks (CHL), and California Points of Historical Interest (CPHI); and various local historic registers.

ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
LSA completed archival researchduring the months of January, February, and March 2011, in order to develop the general history of the Fairplex and ascertainthe original construction datesof the extant buildings and featureswithin the project area. Researchmethodology focused on the review of a variety of primary and secondary source materials relating to the history and development of the Fairplex. Sourcesincluded, but were not limited to online sources, published literature in local and regional history, news articles, historic photographs, historic aerial photographs, and historic maps.

Considerable information, including photographs, news articles, maps, and lists of buildings and their datesof construction/renovation, was provided from the Fairplex archives by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations. In addition, Kathleen Jones, Presidentof PomonaHeritage, was contactedvia email on January7, 2011. Ms. Jonesrespondedvia email on January11, 2011, with the suggestion that researchbe conducted online and at the Pomona Library Special Collections. On March 2, 2011, a visit was made to the PomonaLibrary Special Collections. A complete listing of all referencesis provided at the endof this report.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SURVEY
On January21, 2011, LSA Archaeologist Sandy Duarte completed a pedestriansurvey of the approximately 23-acre proposed project location, as well as an adjacent area that is developed with stables, the racing office, and other buildings. The majority of the areasurveyed consistsof built environment including paved areas, stables, and barnssurroundedby dirt and onesmall lawn area.

There is no native vegetation within the area surveyed, which is highly disturbed from having been previously gradedand developed. Ground visibility in the dirt portions of the surveyed areawas excellent.

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ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
On January21, 2011, LSA Architectural Historian CaseyTibbet conducted theintensive survey of the majority of buildings, structures, and other built environment featureswithin the project area. Ms.

Tibbet conducted a follow- up survey of the Facilities Yard and KOA campground on the northeast side of White Avenue on March 2, 2011. During the surveys, buildings and featureswere photographed and, in some cases, notations were made regarding their architectural style and characteristics, aswell astheir current conditions. Where there were numerousbuildings or features of similar size, style, and type, such asthe stables, representativephotographswere taken. Some of the smaller buildings and features, such as ticket booths, trains, landscape features, and mobile food buildings, were not intensively surveyed or photographed.

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RESULTS

RECORDS SEARCH
Results of the records searchindicate that 11 studies have beencompleted within a 0.25-mile radius of the project area. One of those studies, a survey, included a very small portion of the project area.

Site 19-186564, commonly known asthe Temporary Detention Campsfor Japanese-Americans, is recorded within the project area boundaries. It is listed in the California Register as a State Historical Landmark (RegisteredLandmark Number 934). PomonaFairgrounds was one of the 12 temporary detention campsin California with 5,514 total detaineesthat were detainedthere betweenMay 7 and August 24, 1942.

Several other resourcesare recorded outside the project areabut within the 0.25-mile records search radius. They will not be affected by the project. Theseresourcesinclude one prehistoric site, an apparent cemetery (P-19-000208); a former ranch (19-187320); and a former fruit exchange building 19-187730). Since the project doesnot have the potential to affect any of theseresources, no further consideration was given to them aspart of this study.

A review of the State’s Historic ResourcesInventory ( HRI) indicates that the JapaneseDetention Center at the PomonaFairplex is listed asineligible for listing in the National Register by consensus through the Section 106 process, but hasnot beenevaluatedfor listing in the California Register or local register. However, according to the California Office of Historic Preservation (OHP), California Historical Landmarks 770 and above are automatically listed in the California Register, making this a historical resourceasdefined by CEQA.

ARCHIVAL RESEARCH
As discussedearlier in this report, the history of the Los Angeles County Fair in many ways mirrors the history of California and the nation. In the 1920s, when it first began, the fair focused mostly on agriculture, livestock, farm equipment, and horseracing. In the 1930s, coinciding with the end of Prohibition, pari- mutuel wagering was legalized in California and the fair was the first place in Southern California to allow bets on horse racing. That same decade, many new buildings were constructedin the fairgrounds aspart of WPA projects. For much of the 1940s, the grounds wereused by the United StatesArmy, first to houseJapanese-Americans before they were sentto internment camps, then asthe PomonaOrdnanceDepot, and later asa prisoner of war (POW) camp. In the 1950s, the middle class grew and prospered. With more disposable income and more leisure time, the demandfor recreational activities grew. This was the decadethat introduced the Hula Hoop, Barbie, Play-doh, Matchbox cars, and the Frisbee, which was reportedly exhibited asa flying disk at the 1955 fair and was later marketed as the Frisbee by the Wham-O company. This decadealso saw resurgence in the popularity of hot rodding and drag racing. The NHRA’s first sanctionedrace took place at the Fairplex in 1953 and drag racing continues to be a popular event there, with the inaugural Winternationals taking place in 1961.

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The following discussessome of the major historical themesassociatedwith the project area in more detail. These include agriculture and development of fairs, the WPA, and military involvement in the fairgrounds during WWII.

Fairs and Agriculture
Beginning in the early 1800s, the first agricultural fairs gave rural families an opportunity to seefirst hand thelatest agricultural techniques, equipment, crops, and livestock. Over the courseof the nineteenth century, fairs also incorporated a wide rangeof educational, recreational, competitive, and social activities into their programs. Within a few short generations, county and state fairs became a quintessential American tradition” (Barker-Devine n.d.). However, before there were stateand county fairs, most fairs were privately sponsored (ibid.). One of the first agricultural fairs to be held occurred in 1807 in Massachusetts andfocused on sheepand sheepshearing (ibid.). By 1811, this privately sponsoredfair was a major event with thousandsof animals, a band, and severaldisplays (ibid.). This model was quickly adoptedby agricultural societies, but during the 1820s and 1830s, financial sponsorshipwas often difficult to obtain (ibid.). In the 1840s, recognizing the importance of agriculture in the local and statewide economies, state legislatures acrossthe country began forming agricultural boardsand allocating funds to agricultural societies, which allowed for larger and more consistent exhibitions ( ibid.).

In 1841, the first statefair took place in Syracuse, New York ( Barker-Devine n.d.). In 1854, just four years after California becamea state, the California Legislature approved an Act to incorporate the State Agricultural Society for the purposeof encouraging agriculture and other industries (Haymond, Burch, McKune 1872). Along with this, severalagricultural districts were formed, including the Los Angeles District Agricultural Association (ibid.). The sameyear, an agricultural exposition was held in SanFrancisco (Anonymous 2011). Becausetravel was difficult, for severalyears the annual exposition, which later becamethe California State Fair, moved from city to city in the San Francisco-Sacramentoarea (ibid.). Finally, in 1859, it becamepermanently located in Sacramento.

From that time forward, fairs beganbeing held all over the State with noticeable increasesin county fairs during the 1880s and early 1890s.

It did not take long for fairs to becomehighly anticipated eventsin California and acrossthe country.

Many farm families planned months in advanceso that they could attend the fair for a few days. For many, the fair was the first place they saw electric lights and airplanes (Barker-Devine n.d.). The fairs helped farm families adapt to changing mores and acceptedforms of popular entertainment, such as vaudeville. Delia Marcella Locke, for example, was a California fair- goer in the 1850s and 1860s who saw sewing and washing machines, a printing press, and stereoscopic pictures for the first time at her local county fair” (Barker-Devine n.d.).

Demonstrating the continued importance of the agricultural industry in the State’s economy and the role of fairs in promoting that industry, in 1904, the California statelegislature formally organized District Agricultural Associations (DAAs) asofficial State agenciesfor the purposeof promoting local agricultural production (Tibbet and Carmack 2006). This was followed in 1919, by the Legislature’s creation of the California Department of Food and Agriculture ( CDFA), which is a cabinet-level agencyresponsiblefor protecting and promoting agriculture ( CDFA 2011). The CDFA is divided into sevenadministrative divisions including the Division of Fairs and Expositions, which, LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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among other things, “ providesfiscal and policy oversight of the network of California’s 78 fairs” Anonymous 2010).

In 1922, the Los Angeles County Fair, located in Pomona, wasfirst held. As is common for most fairs, it began with horse races and livestock shows and addedother types of exhibits and entertainment asthe fair gained popularity. The fairgrounds still include many character-defining featuressuch asthe horse racetrack and associatedbarns andstables, livestock pavilions, and exhibit halls. The fair hasoperatedcontinuously since 1922 with the exception of the WWII period from 1942 to 1947.

36.6 billion dollar industry that generatesat least $100 billion in related economic activity” (CDFA 2011). A publication put out by PomonaFairplex statesthat the “L.A. County Fair is one of 81 active fairs in California. There are 54 district fairs, 23 county fairs, two citrus fairs and one state fair.

Festivals are unlimited. Impact spending by all participants at fairtime and interim eventsin 2002 contributed $2.55 billion to the State’s economy” (Fairplex 2010:36). The L.A. County Fair attracts nearly 1.4 million people eachyear and “contributes a major portion of the estimated $10 million in state salestax revenue generatedby Fairplex. The L.A. County Fair is the largest county fair in the nation. It currently ranks fourth in North American fairs and festivals attendance.... The Fair is also the largest marketplace in the westernUnited Stateswith 2,000 commercial food and beverage vendors serving the multitude of attendees.... The total amount of annual spending in California generatedby Fairplex year-round eventsis more than $171 million and more than $226 million for the nation’s economy.... Year round eventscreate1,885 full- time jobs in the region comparedto 1,299 from the Fair” (Fairplex 2010:9 and 10).

The Works Progress Administration in Los Angeles County ( 1935–1943) The WPA was a relief measureestablishedin 1935 by Executive Order 7034. It is often confused with the earlier Public Works Administration ( PWA), which was established in 1933 as a New Deal government agency, pursuant to the National Industrial Recovery Act. While the PWA focused on construction of various public works such aspublic buildings, bridges, dams, and housing developmentsand madeloans to statesand municipalities for similar projects, the WPA encompassed a wider variety of programs, including highways and building construction, slum clearance, reforestation, and rural rehabilitation. However, the primary difference between thetwo agencieswas that the PWA was a grant-making agency, allocating funds to employ local labor forces, while the WPA financed and built projects with its own labor force ( Crouch 2004).

Headedby Harry L. Hopkins and supplied with an initial congressionalappropriation of 4,880,000,000, the WPA offered work to the unemployed on an unprecedented scale. WPA projects primarily employed blue-collar workers in construction acrossthe nation but also employed white- collar workers and artists on smaller-scale projects. The program included the construction of 116,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges, and 651,000 miles of road, and the improvement of over 800 airports. At its peak in 1936, the WPA had approximately 3.5 million personson its payroll. The WPA was redesignedin 1939, when it was transferred to the FederalWorks Agency, and was officially terminated on June30, 1943 (Crouch 2004).

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Three policies affected the property type and architecture commonly built by the WPA: First, the project had to have some practical use for the entire community. Second, projects had to be sponsored by public bodies such asschool districts and city, county, or stategovernments, which would contribute part of the total cost, usually in construction materials. This meant that most WPA property types were structures and buildings intended for public use such as school buildings, libraries, community centers, park structures, or county fair buildings. Third, at least 90 percent of the project workmen had to come from employable personson the relief rolls at that time. Many if not most of theseworkers were unskilled in building professions; therefore, most WPA projects tendedto be simple in overall design and construction regardlessof the intended architectural style (Baird 1984).

In order to save expenses, local sponsorsof WPA projects in rural areasoften selectedbuilding plans from free sources. For example, WPA school buildings in Oklahoma were generally built according to free plans from a catalog provided by the School House Planning Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (Baird 1984). This led to a similarity in overall form and massing despite the variety of building materials. Most of the designs from free sourceswere tried- and-true period revival styles developedearlier in the century. By contrast, project sponsorsin more urban areaswere able to take advantageof the New Deal’s interest in employing local architects, artists, and craftsmen, aswell aslaborers (Brechin 1990).

In 1936, California ranked third in the United Statesfor WPA- funded public building projects, receiving 6.4 percent of the total earmarkedamount. This amountedto 695 projects worth $10.7 million. About half of the total went to matching funds for the construction and repair of California schools, while 16 percent went to civic and community centersand 12 percent went to administrative buildings ( Los AngelesTimes 1936).

The WPA completed severalprojects in Los Angeles County. From the $100 million earmarkedby the federal governmentfor western reclamation projects in 1935, the WPA board allocated nearly $14 million for fourteen flood control projects in Los Angeles County (Los AngelesTimes 1935). In September, a list of public building and street services projects also won funding, which included over $1.4 million for new and rehabilitated schools, libraries, sidewalks, and pedestriantunnels throughout the County. The City of Long Beach received particular attention from the WPA due to extensive damage sustained by buildings there in a 1933 earthquake. Notable projects completed in Los Angeles by the WPA in the late 1930s included the fountain and tearoom at the Hollywood Bowl, the Astronomers Monument at Griffith Park, the science andliberal arts buildings at Hollywood High School, the United StatesNaval and Marine ReserveTraining Center, and the Griffith Park Clubhouse. A 1987 article in the Los Angeles Times claimed that Los Angeles contains the nation’s secondgreatestconcentration of WPA- funded art (Los AngelesTimes 1987).

In addition to the above-listed projects, the fairgrounds also received considerable WPA assistance. A Los Angeles Timesarticle from late December 1937 indicates that a $957,000 WPA building project was approved for the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds (Los AngelesTimes 1937). The project was to cover a period of 24 months and the construction of the following concrete and steel buildings: a 98,800-squarefoot horse show arenawith seatingfor 7,200 people ($250,000); a 35,000-squarefoot industrial building ($ 115,000); and a 35,000-squarefoot Future Farmersand 4H building ($ 115,000; Los Angeles Times1937). In addition, a frame and stuccodairy products building ($ 6,000) and a rock restroom ($6,000) were also proposed (ibid.). The project also provided for “improvements to water, gas, electrical lines, grading of new parking areaand planting of thousandsof shrubs” (ibid.). On LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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October 5, 1938, it was reported that construction had startedon the concrete and steeldomestic arts building ( now the NHRA Motorsports Museum; Los Angeles Times 1938).

From 1937 through 1939 a number of buildings at the fairgrounds were constructed as WPA projects.

These include the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard Sheets building, 1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 5 and 6 ( 1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 7 and 8 ( 1938); and the Home Arts Building now NHRA Motorsports Museum, 1939). All of thesebuildings are extant and retain many of their character-defining features, although the northwest entrancesto Buildings 5–8 were remodeled in the 1980s.

The WPA era lasted lessthan ten years but left an enduring legacy of public art and architecture in Los Angeles County. While many older schools in the region have one or more WPA buildings on campus, extant WPA- built public buildings are relatively uncommon. Intact WPA public and administrative buildings representa significant top-level public investment in their respective communities during a time of unprecedentedeconomic depression, and through the simplicity of their architectural style and ornament, reflect the workmanship of WPA workers.

Military Involvement in the Fairgrounds ( 1942–1947)
On September1, 1939, when Germany attackedPoland, most Americans did not want to get involved in what they essentially saw asa Europeanconflict. Even astensionswith Europe and Japan increased, most Americans remained in favor of an isolationist policy. However, America and other nations eventually did agreeto put trade embargoeson Japanin an attempt to check its expansion.

Toward the endof 1941, Japanhad managedto capture key territories and oil resourcesin parts of Asia. America had refused to lift existing embargoes unlessJapanleft someof theseterritories…” Richard 2010). When America refused to reachan agreementwith Japanregarding the embargoes, Japandevised a plan (Operation Z) to invade territories acrossAsia and the Pacific but was concerned about interference from the American fleet in Pearl Harbor (ibid.). Therefore, on December 7, 1941, in a surprise attack, Japanbombed Pearl Harbor. As a result of the attack, more than 3,500 Americans were killed or wounded, 21 ships were sunk or damaged, and 323 American aircraft were destroyed or damaged (ibid.). Japansuffered comparatively little loss of life and damageto its military craft with 64 deaths, 5 destroyedships, and 103 destroyedor damagedaircraft (ibid.).

This attack had an enormousimpact on the American psyche and went a long way to engendering support for participating in the war. On December 8, 1941, both the United Statesand Britain declared war on Japan. On December 14, just one week after the attack on Pearl Harbor, the United States Army took over the fairgrounds ( Fairplex 2010). The Army established its headquartersin the new Home Arts Building ( now the NHRA Motorsports Museum) and threeregiments occupiedthe grounds (ibid.). “On February 19, 1942, PresidentRoosevelt issuedExecutive Order 9066, which recognized specific military sites on the United StatesWest Coast as off- limits to people of Japanese descent. This order gave membersof the military the authority to remove Japanesepeople from the areaif their presencethere wasdeemedtoo close to the military establishment. On March 25, 1942, newspapersreported that the 1942 fair had beenofficially canceledafter numerous discussionswith military authorities and “at the final request of the real estatedepartment of the Federal authority from San Francisco headquartersof the 4thArmy Command” (Los AngelesTimes 1942a).

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On March 30, 1942, the Progress-Bulletin reported that construction had begun on 400 housing units within the fairgrounds ( Progress-Bulletin 1942a). The wood-frame housesand related facilities were to be used “asa center for reception of 5000 or more enemy aliens who will be kept there until their removal to inland areas” (ibid.). The “reception center” waslocated in the west parking lot and was to be constructed in a matter of weeks by hundreds of men supervised by J & B Construction Company of Los Angeles (ibid.). In April 1942, Exclusion Order 346 was issuedto force the Japanese- American citizens to live in assemblycenters, which were located in various open spacessuch as fairgrounds and tracks” (Anonymous 2009). That samemonth, Japanese-Americans beganbeing evacuated” from their homes and arriving at “relocation centers” or “assembly centers.” On May 7, 1942, the Pomonacenter was openedand the first “evacuees” arrived (JapaneseAmerican National Museum 2011; Appendix A). The facility had 420 prefabricated buildings including 320 housing units, 8 messhalls, 20 warehouses, a60-patient hospital with Japanesestaff, a post office, recreation halls, and administration buildings (Progress-Bulletin 1942b). There were also communal laundries, latrines, and showers, as well as a place for wood shop and a library ( Progress-Bulletin 1942c). The center, which held a total of 5,514 persons, was surroundedby a high fence and guard towers and there wasa special areawhere the Caucasianfriends of detaineescould come to visit Blackstock 2009; The California StateMilitary Museum n.d.). In August 1942, the vastmajority of the detaineesat the fairgrounds were relocated to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming. By August 27, 1942, the assembly centerhad beencompletely vacated (Progress-Bulletin 1942d). By the fall of 1942, the Japanesepeople had beenevacuatedfrom the West Coast andinto inland internment camps built by the United Statesgovernment to hold over 80,000 evacuees Anonymous 2009).

On September4, 1942, the centerwas turned over to the Army’s OrdnanceMotor Transport Agency and becameknown asthe PomonaOrdnanceDepot” ( TheCalifornia StateMilitary Museum n.d.).

That sameyear, 40 acreswere sold to the federal government (Fairplex 2010). In 1943, the Army usedthe facility asa deserttraining center and in 1944 the OrdnanceCommand shop was established on the grounds (ibid.). On September 2, 1945, Japansigned an unconditional surrender aboard the USSMissouri in Tokyo Bay, officially ending WWII. However, the Army retained control of the Fairgrounds, which were usedasa German and Italian POW camp until March 1946 (Fairplex 2010).

In November 1945, the Los Angeles Times reported that German POWs were being used “to work the groves and farms of the SanGabriel Valley” (Los AngelesTimes 1945). Someof the placesthe POWs worked included the lemon groves on the Dana C. King Ranch in La Verne; Guasti, four miles eastof Ontario; the vineyards at the Garrett & Co. properties; and the tomato fields at the Fuller Ranch between Chino and Corona (ibid.). Many of the growers in the area lobbied to keep the POWs in the areaasa reliable and affordable labor force, but the fair was alsoimportant to the local economy and Afflerbaugh insisted that the POWs, along with the buildings erectedfor the Assembly Center, had to be removed.

Finally, in March 1946, the POW camp was closedand the 34 POW barracks, along with 5 utility buildings were releasedto the County Housing Authority ( Fairplex 2010; Los Angeles Times 1946).

The barracks were planned to be remodeled into 108 homes with veteransgetting first preference (Los AngelesTimes 1946). On March 15, 1946, the first of the barracks were relocated to Brooklyn Avenue and Mednick Street in East Los Angeles where they were to be remodeledinto dwellings ibid.). It is unclear where the remainder of the barracks and utility buildings went, but the ten remaining Assembly Center buildings were not removed until sometime between1953 and 1968 LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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Aerial Photographs1953 and 1968). After the addition of 35 acresand repairs to the Exhibits Building that had been burned in 1941, the fair reopened in 1948. None of the buildings associated with the internment camp remain.

ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SURVEY
During the archaeological survey conducted on January21, 2011, no prehistoric or historic archaeological resourceswere identified within the areasurveyed. One isolate horseshoewith a square nail was noted during the survey and photographically documented, but this type of horseshoe and squarenail are still in usetoday and havelittle, if any, diagnostic potential. Therefore, the horseshoewas not formally recorded.

ARCHITECTURAL SURVEY
During the architectural survey, the Fairplex was identified asa potential historic district with numerous modern and historic- period (pre-1962) buildings, structures, and features. Twenty-four historic- period features, buildings or groups of buildings were documented and evaluated. Of these, 13 buildings or groups of buildings and featureswere found to contribute to the significance of the fairgrounds. Theseconsist primarily of the administration buildings, exhibition halls, and buildings and features associatedwith horse racing. The remainder of the historic- period buildings and features that were documentedaspart of this study do not contribute to the historic significance of the fairgrounds. Historic- period contributing and non-contributing buildings and featuresare discussed below and in the attached Department of Parks and Recreation (DPR) 523 forms (Appendix B).

Contributors
Contributors are thosefeatures, buildings, or groups of buildings that are essentialto the significance of the Pomona Fairplex Historic District. Major alterations to or demolition of these elements could result in a substantial adverse changeto the significance of the PomonaFairplex Historic District.

Race Track. The horse race track was built in 1922 and is the oldest extant feature of the fairgrounds.

It was enlargedin 1985 but retains a relatively high level of integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Horse racing is an integral part of the fairground’s history and success, and the race track is representative of this.

Administration Building 1. This two- story Spanish Eclectic style building was constructed in 1926 with additions in 1937 and 1949 (Figures 7–9). It was the first permanentbuilding constructed at the fairgrounds, and portions of it were designedby architect PeterFicker. The multilevel roofs are sheathedwith red tile and are typically low- pitched gables (there are a few hipped roofs) with narrow eavesand exposed rafter tails. The exterior walls are covered with modern, rough-textured stucco.

The south-facing façadeincludes numerousmulti- paned casementwindows, usually in pairs, and featuresa central tower at the main entrance. The north (rear) elevation includes variable roof lines and wall planes, canales, multi- paned casementwindows, double-hung and/or awning windows, and at least onesmall sliding window. There is a covered patio and a balcony on the northeastend of the LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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building. A few of the windows and doors throughout the building have beenaltered, but overall, the building retains a high level of integrity and representsthe early history of the fairgrounds.

Figure 7: Administration Building 1, view to the north (1/21/11).

Figure 8: Administration Building 1, north elevation,
view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Figure 9: Administration Building 1, southeastand
northeastelevations (1/21/11).

Palace of Agriculture. This building was reportedly designedby architect PeterFicker and constructed in 1930 (Figures 5 and 10–14). At the time, it was touted asthe largestexhibit building in the world. In 1941, it was damagedby fire and was reconstructed as a larger building with a gable roof in 1948. The rectangular building hasClassical influences such asthe vertical pilasters at the entranceson eachelevation and the floral motif decorative panelsabove the entrances. The windows and doors are modern tinted glass with aluminum frames, but appear to be within the original openings. Overall, the building retains a high level of integrity and representsthe early history of the fairgrounds.

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Figure 10: Palaceof Agriculture, 1948 (Source: PomonaFairplex Archives).

Figure 11: Palaceof Agriculture, north elevation (1/21/11).

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Figure 12: Palaceof Agriculture, west elevation (1/21/11).

Figure 13: Palaceof Agriculture, south elevation
1/21/11).

Figure 14: Palaceof Agriculture wall detail (1/21/11);
the pattern is on the panelsabove the entrances.

Grandstand. The Art Deco grandstandwas constructed in 1932. Dressing rooms, a stage, and a sunkenbandstandwere addedin 1935 (Fairplex 2010; Figures 15 and 16). The west elevation features an articulated wall plane anchored by large concrete piers with centered, narrow, recessed vertical windows. Between the piers are nine, evenly spacedvertical panelsof recessed, multi- paned windows. The pilasters between thepanelsof windows have vertical scoring. Above eachpanel of windows are groups of three recessedopenings. The primary entrance projects from the building and is highlighted by a flat- roofed triangular canopy supportedby a single metal pole. The entranceis flanked by triangular towers that extend above thecanopy. The grandstandretains a high level of integrity and is associatedwith horse racing, which is an important aspectof the fairground’s history.

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Figure 15: Grandstand, western elevation, view to the
southeast (1/21/11).

Figure 16: Grandstandmain entrance, view to the
southeast (1/21/11).

Administration Building 2. This two- story Spanish Eclectic building was constructed in 1936 as the Arts and Crafts Building ( Figures 17–19). It is roughly V- shapedin plan and hasa moderately pitched cross-gable roof sheathedwith tile. The eavesare narrow and have exposedrafter tails. The southwest-facing façade featuresmulti- paned casementwindows, canales, quoins at the building corners, and an arched entrancecovered by a projecting gable and accessedby concretesteps. The other elevations include severalmulti- panedcasementwindows, canalesbelow the gablepeaks, and quoins at the building corners. The building retains a high level of integrity and is associatedwith the early history of the fairgrounds.

Figure 17: Administration Building 2, southwestelevation (1/21/11).

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Figure 18: Administration Building 2, south and east
elevations (1/21/11).

Figure 19: Administration Building 2, north
elevation (1/21/11).

Millard SheetsBuilding (former Fine Arts Building). This roughly C-shapedbuilding was constructed in 1937 asa WPA project (Figures 20–23). The horizontal characterof the building is emphasized by a plain, narrow band midway up the building wall and a slightly taller decorative band along the top of the building wall. The recessedentrancein the northern elevation consistsof two pairs of aluminum-framed glassdoors below a mosaic tile art piece that includes the words “Fine Arts.” The eastelevation featuresa courtyard areathat appearsto have beenremodeled in the 1950s or early 1960s. The building retains a moderate to high level of integrity and is associatedwith the early history of the fairgrounds, aswell asthe well- known artist and Pomona-native Millard Sheets.

Figure 20: Millard SheetsBuilding, north elevation, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

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Figure 21: Millard SheetsBuilding courtyard, eastside of building, view to the south (1/21/11).

Figure 22: Millard SheetsBuilding wall detail,
eastelevation (1/21/11).

Figure 23: Millard SheetsBuilding detail; decorative pattern along the top of the building wall, eastern elevation near the southern end of the building ( 1/21/11).

WPA Barrel- Roofed Exhibition Halls ( Buildings 5–8). Thesefour buildings were constructedin 1937 and 1938 aspart of a WPA project (Figures 24–26). They are similar in design andhave an Art Deco influence. They have barrel roofs with parapetsand the exterior walls are articulated with recessedand projecting elements. Eachof the northern entranceshasbeenremodeled in a manner similar to the representativephotograph below (Figure 24). Typical northern elevation features include three setsof aluminum- framed windows and doors separatedby wide concrete pilasters.

Decorative metal fixtures have beenaddedover the entrances. Building 8 also includes a triangular metal fixture, reminiscent of Craftsman architecture, acrossthe top of the entrances (Figure 25).

The eastand west elevation entrances arealso similar in design as shown in the representative photograph below (Figure 26). Typical featuresinclude a steppedand articulated parapet andpairs of aluminum-framed windows and doors below a flat canopy flanked by articulated piers with vertical scoring. Despite the alterations, the buildings retain integrity and their simplicity of style and ornamentation representthe workmanship of the WPA workers.

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Figure 24: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall # 7; this is representativeof the remodelednorthern elevations of Buildings 5–7 (1/21/11).

Figure 25: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall # 8, northwest elevation (1/21/11).

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Figure 26: WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Hall # 7, west elevation entrance; this is representativeof the eastand west elevation entranceson Buildings 5–8 (1/21/11).

Avalon. This one-story, Art Deco-influenced building was constructed in the late 1930s and may have beenone of the WPA projects (Fairplex 2010; Figures 27–29). In the 1940s, themilitary reportedly usedit asthe PX (general store). The east-facing façadefeaturesa modern, Art Deco- influenced curved canopy/patio cover and an off- centered entranceflanked by four-over-one windows arranged in groups of three (Figure 27). On either side of the windows, there is a narrow pilaster that extendsabove the parapet. In the middle of the façade, above thecanopy, there is a wider and shorter pilaster accentedby a decorative, curved metal element.

Figure 27: Avalon, eastelevation with modern canopy/patio cover (1/21/11).

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Figure 28: Avalon, south elevation showing pre-1948 addition (1/ 21/11).

Figure 29: Avalon, north and eastelevations (1/21/11).

The north and south elevationsof the original building are nearly identical (Figures 28 and 29). They eachhave a steppedparapet andare divided into four bays separatedby narrow pilasters. Threeof the bays have multi- paned ribbon windows, while the westernmost fourth bay has been filled in with a solid wall. There is a historic- period addition at the southwest sideof the building that includes two setsof ribbon windows, one of which is below a flat canopy. The addition at the northwest side of the building has no openings. The building retains a moderate level of integrity and may be associated with the WPA aswell asthe military occupation of the fairgrounds.

NHRA Motorsports Museum ( former Home Arts building). This Art Deco building was constructed in 1939 asa WPA project (Fairplex 2010; Figures 30–32). The building is divided into five large bays, andentrancesare centeredon eachside of the building. The primary entranceis located on the west side of the building in the middle bay, which is further divided into three smaller bays separatedby wide pilasters that extend abovethe flanking parapets (Figure 30). A single, flat canopy is located immediately above the threepairs of entrancedoors. Above the canopy and between the pilasters, there are large, vertical- rectangular glass block accents. North and south of the LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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main entrancethe wall plane is broken up by what appearto be multi- panedhorizontal windows separatedby vertical pilasters that stop several feet short of the top of the building wall. The east elevation is nearly identical to the west elevation (Figure 31).

The north elevation entrance is accentedby wide articulated pilasters that extend slightly above the top of the building wall ( Figure 32). The recessedentranceis divided into three bays divided by narrow pilasters and accentedby vertical-rectangular panelsof glassblocks. The eastand west bays eachhave a single door and are slightly narrower than the center bay, which hasa pair of doors. The entire entrance is flanked by rounded pilasters with horizontal scoring. The north and south elevations appearto be similar, but the south elevation, which is behind fencing, is raised andaccessedby concrete steps. This building appearsto retain a high level of integrity and is associatedwith the WPA.

Figure 30: NHRA Motorsports Museum, west-facing façade (1/21/11).

Figure 31: NHRA Motorsports Museum, east
elevation entrance (1/21/11).

Figure 32: NHRA Motorsports Museum, north
elevation entrance (1/21/11).

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Longboard Bar. This two-story stonebuilding may have beenconstructedin the late 1930sasone of the WPA projects (Figure 33). According to Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations, the lower level includes public restrooms; a food standkitchen; a public bar; the racing office; jockey kitchen; paymaster’s office; and the female jockey’s quarters (shower, lockers, and beds). The upper level is used as the male jockey’s quarters, which is a large locker- style room for about 50 jockeys.

This building is usedprimarily during the annual fair.

The building hasmoderately-pitched gable roofs, wood-frame double-hung windows, and featuresa raised, full- width open veranda with stone piers. It appearsto have sustained somealterations (e.g., air conditioning units in the windows); however, becauseit is associatedwith horse racing, is the only stone building that was observedin the fairgrounds during the survey, and was likely constructed asa WPA project, it contributes to the historic significance of the fairgrounds.

Figure 33: Longboard Bar, view to the northeast (1/21/11).

Horse Racing Stables 1–12A and 14–28. There are two groups of historic- period horseracing stables (HRS; Figures 34–38). HRS 1–12A, which are within the project location (Figure 2), are on the northeast side of the race track and include HRS 1, which is the oldest stable within the fairgrounds, dating to before 1928 (Aerial Photographs1928; Figure 34). HRS 14–28 are located northwest of the racetrack. All of the HRS appearto date to before 1948, but someof the stableswere likely relocated and/or reconfigured in the 1960s and 1980s (Aerial Photographs 1948, 1953, 1968, 1976, 1982, and 1994). Most of the HRS have sustainedat least minor alterations, but the buildings are of such utilitarian design that it is difficult to ascertainthe extent of modifications or when they might have occurred.

All of the HRS have similar design characteristics, including wood-frame construction, board-and- batten siding, low- pitched gable roofs, wide eaves, and Dutch-style stall doors. Many of the stables have breezeways at either end and/or that bisect the building. Some stableshave restrooms, storage rooms, or small offices at oneor both ends. Although the HRS retain only a moderatelevel of integrity, asa group, they representan early and important aspectof the fair.

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Figure 34: Horse Racing Stable #1, view to the west (1/21/11).

Figure 35: Horse Racing Stable #1, southwest end, view to the north showing later alteration (1/21/2011).

Figure 36: Horse Racing Stablescentral corridor between HRS 1–12A, view to the east (1/21/2011).

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Figure 37: Horse Racing Stable #25, view to the west; note metal canopy between stables (1/21/2011). This building is representativeof HRS 14–28.

Figure 38: Horse Racing Stablesbreezeways (1/21/11).

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Flower Building. This unique building, which was constructed in 1952 and hasa Polynesian influence, features a modified Quonset hut flanked by flat- roofed wings ( Figures 39 and 40). The exterior walls of the wings are sheathedwith bamboo mats andthe east-facing façade of the Quonset hut, which featuresa wall of reflective glass, projects above the main entry, and is supportedby three arches (Figure 40). Doors consist of tinted glass with aluminum- frames. This building appearsto retain a high level of integrity and is a highly recognizable and unique part of the fairgrounds.

Figure 39: Flower Building, view to the southwest (1/21/11).

Figure 40: Flower Building, view to the south (1/21/11).

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Drag Strip. The drag strip is located along the northwestern boundary of the fairgrounds and datesto 1953 (Figure 41). The bleachers andsuites were renovated in 1993 and 2006 and the strip has likely beenresurfacedand improved over the yearsbut remains in its original location. The strip is an integral part of the fairgrounds and is known to motorsports enthusiaststhroughout the nation, if not the world.

Figure 41: Drag Strip, view to the northeast (1/21/11).

Non-Contributors
Historic- period non-contributors are thosefeatures, buildings, or groups of buildings that, although more than 50 years old, are not essential to the significance of the Pomona Fairplex Historic District.

Thesebuildings and featuresmay be altered to the point that they are no longer able to convey their association with the past or they may be relatively utilitarian structuresthat do not convey any particular historic associations. The numerousmodern (post-1961) buildings and features, aswell as the temporary structures within the fairgrounds, are also non-contributors.

Barrel- Roofed Building # 9. This Art Deco-influenced building was constructed in 1941 and remodeled in 1985, 2000, and 2006 (PomonaFairplex Archives; Figures 42 and 43). It is larger than the adjacentWPA barrel-roofed buildings (Buildings 5–8). The north entranceis within a wide projecting bay that has rounded pilasters at either end that are shorter than the rest of the bay. Three pairs of aluminum-framed doors with large windows above are centeredin the bay. A flat metal canopy, situated a little above the doors, extendsacrossthe full width of the projecting bay. There are narrow, vertical- rectangular windows in the bay walls on either side of the doors. Large, multi- paned windows are located in the building wall on either side of the projecting bay and groups of three vertical scoresfurther accentthe northern elevation.

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Figure 42: Barrel-Roofed Building #9, north elevation
1/21/11).

Figure 43: Barrel-Roofed Building # 9, west
elevation (1/21/11).

The west elevation entranceis similar to the northern entrance, but the doors and windows are not recessedand the projecting bay is not flanked by rounded pilasters (Figure 43). Instead, there is a smaller projecting element above the bay that hasrounded corners. This building is not associated with any important eventsin the history of the fairgrounds and retainsonly a moderatelevel of integrity.

Security Office. The one-story, SpanishEclectic style Security Office appearsto have been constructed sometime before 1948 (Aerial Photographs 1928 and 1948; Figures 44 and 45). It has a low- pitched cross-gable roof sheathedwith tile and hasnarrow eavesand stucco walls. The southeast- facing façadeincludes pairs of windows, entry doors, and a partial-width covered porch supportedby wood posts. The door in the projecting gable wing is sheltered by a small gable roof supported by wall brackets. There is a canale-style vent below the gablepeak. A large addition was constructed on the rear of the building probably in the 1980s (Figure 45). This building is not associatedwith any important eventsin the history of the fairgrounds and retains only a moderatelevel of integrity.

Figure 44: Security Office, view to the northwest (1/21/11). Figure 45: Security Office addition, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Livestock Area Structures. The livestock area is located between the race track and White Avenue Figures 46–47). Since at least 1949, there have beenthree structuresthat, basedon aerial photographs, appearto have remained in the samebasic locations and configurations since that time.

However, the current structures are large, temporally ambiguous metal canopies that do not convey any particular senseof history. In addition, the southernmoststructure, the Big Red Barn, datesto 1976 (PomonaFairplex Archives). While livestock is an important component of the fair and its history, that history is not representedby thesestructures.

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Figure 46: Livestock areastructures, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Figure 47: Livestock area, view to the south (1/21/11).

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Fire Station. This two-story vernacular
building is rectangular in plan and has a flat
roof with a wide eaveoverhang on three
sides and a parapeton the southeast
elevation ( Figure 48). The exterior walls
are covered with stucco, and fenestration
consistsof modern (aluminum-framed
sliders) and historic- period (multi- paned)
windows. The northwest elevation includes
four bay doors on the ground floor.

Alterations include modern windows and
doors and installation of wall- mounted air
conditioning units. Although this building
datesto 1954, it is relatively nondescript,
has been altered, is not one of the primary
featuresof the fairgrounds, and doesnot
convey any particular senseof history.

Figure 48: Fire Station, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Facilities Yard Buildings. The facilities yard is located on the eastside of White Avenue and is not accessibleto the public. There are a number of buildings and structuresin the facilities yard and nine of them appear to date to the historic- period. These buildings are used for repair, maintenance, storage, sandblasting, and/or construction of fair- related resources, aswell asvehicle maintenance. A few of the buildings are also usedasoffices and/or break rooms for laborers. All of the buildings are utilitarian in characterand have sustainedalterations (Figures 49–52).

Figure 49: Facilities Yard building, view to the
southeast (3/2/11).

Figure 50: Facilities Yard shipping and receiving
building, view to the south (3/2/11).

Figure 51: Facilities Yard building with board-and-
batten siding, view to the south (3/2/11).

Figure 52: Facilities Yard wood-frame building, view
to the northeast (3/2/11).

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The Facilities Yard buildings are not accessibleto the public and do not convey the history of the fairgrounds. ( For photographs of all the historic- period Facilities Yard buildings, refer to the DPR 523 forms in Appendix B.)
Free-standing Restrooms. There are at least four, historic- period freestanding restroomfacilities within the fairgrounds, all of which appearto dateto before 1949 (Aerial Photographs1928 and 1949; Figures 53 and 54). Three of the facilities are of similar size, style, and characterwith what might be characterized as a modest Ranch-style influence (Figure 53). The other appearsto be slightly older and is basically a stucco box (Figure 54). Although one would anticipate finding restroom facilities at the fairgrounds, theseare utilitarian structuresthat do not convey any particular senseof history or association with important events.

Figure 53: Free-standing restroom. This building, which is located southeastof the security building, is
representativeof the Ranch-influenced restrooms
1/21/2011).

Figure 54: Free-standing restroom in the livestock
area, view to the northeast (1/21/11).

Plaza de las Americas ( formerly Mexican Village and Fiesta Village). This SpanishEclectic-style feature was originally constructed in 1952 (PomonaFairplex 2010; Figures 55–57). It is essentially a large plaza with open air structureson three sides. A large covered patio and stageare located at the north end of the plaza. This feature was renovatedin 1996 and doesnot convey any particular sense of history.

Figure 55: Plaza de las Americas, view to the north (1/21/11).

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Figure 56: Plazade las Americas, view to the north (1/21/11).

Figure 57: Plaza de las Americas, view to the west (1/21/11).

Quonset Hut # 10. This Quonset hut, which is located at the southeastend of the race track, was built in 1957 (Figure 58 and 59). The northwest and southeast endsof the building feature five vertical- rectangular banks of windows that extend more than halfway down the building from the curved roofline to a concrete wall. The banks of windows are separatedby what appearsto be vertically scoredconcrete. The interior is a wide open spaceilluminated by natural light from the windows at either end, aswell asrows of fluorescent lights that extend thelength of the building ( Figure 59).

Although the building datesto the historic period and appearsto retain a high level of integrity, it is not representative of any specific aspectof the fair or its history. Therefore, it is not considered a contributor. However, it may warrant consideration in planning since it is a unique and recognizable building within the fairgrounds.

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Figure 58: Quonset Hut #10, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Figure 59: Quonset Hut #10 interior, view to the southeast (1/21/11).

Race Official’ s Office. The RaceOfficial’ s Office is located north of the race track near HRS 14–28 and was constructed in 1961 (Figure 60). It hasa very low- pitched gable roof and wide eaves. A small portion of the southeastend of the building is taller than the remainder and has a large opening in the eastelevation. The exterior walls are sheathedwith board-and-batten. The eastand west elevations include doors and aluminum-framed sliding windows, a few of which are boardedon the west elevation. There is a breezewaylocated near the north end of the building. Although this LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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building is associatedwith horse racing, which is an important part of the fair’s history, it datesto very late in the historic- period, retains only a moderate level of integrity, and is not accessibleto the fair- going public.

Figure 60: RaceOfficial’s Office, view to the northwest (1/21/11).

Summary
In summary, asa result of the architectural field survey, the fairgrounds were identified asa historic district with the following 13 contributing buildings and features: race track, Administration Building 1, Palaceof Agriculture, grandstand, Administration Building 2, Millard SheetsBuilding, WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls, Avalon, NHRA Motorsports Museum, Longboard Bar, horse racing stables1–12A and 14–28, Flower Building, and the drag strip. The nine non-contributing buildings and structures include barrel-roofed Building # 9, Security Office, livestock area structures, fire station, Facilities Yard buildings, free-standing restrooms, Plaza de las Americas, QuonsetHut #10, and the RaceOfficial’ s Office.

Other featuresthat reportedly date to the historic- period but were not identified during the field surveys and therefore not recordedaspart of this study include the lagoon (1935), the electric light tower near the gardenrailroad (1950), and the Picnic Hill Arbor ( 1960; renovatedin 2010). None of these will be affected by the current project.

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SIGNIFICANCE EVALUATION
Basedon the researchresults discussedabove, the following sectionspresentthe historical significance evaluation of the 543-acre Pomona Fairplex and the conclusion as to whether it qualifies asa “historical resource” asdefined by CEQA.

DEFINITIONS
CEQA ( PRC Chapter 2.6, Section 21083.2 and California Code of Regulations (CCR) Title 145, Chapter 3, Article 5, Section 15064.5) calls for the evaluation and recordation of historical resources.

The criteria for determining the significance of impacts to historical resourcesare basedon Section 15064.5 of the CEQA Guidelines and Guidelines for the Nomination of Propertiesto the California Register. Propertieseligible for listing in the California Register and subject to review under CEQA are thosemeeting the criteria for listing in the California Register, National Register, or designation under a local ordinance.

California Register of Historical Resources
The California Register criteria are basedon National Register criteria. For a property to be eligible for inclusion in the California Register, one or more of the following criteria must be met:

1. It is associatedwith the eventsthat have made a significant contribution to the broadpatternsof local or regional history, or the cultural heritage of California or the United States;

2. It is associatedwith the lives of personsimportant to local, California, or national history;

3. It embodiesthe distinctive characteristicsof a type, period, region, or method of construction, or representsthe work of a master, or possesseshigh artistic values; and/or

4. It hasyielded, or hasthe potential to yield, information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the Nation.

In addition to meeting one or more of the above criteria, the California Register requires that sufficient time haspassedsince a resource’s period of significance to “obtain a scholarly perspective on the eventsor individuals associatedwith the resource.” Fifty years is usedasa general estimateof time neededto develop the perspective to understand the resource’s significance (CCR 4852 [d][ 2]).

The California Register also requires that a resourcepossessintegrity, which is defined as “the authenticity of an historical resource’s physical identity evidencedby the survival of characteristics that existed during the resource’s period of significance” (California OHP 1999:2). To retain integrity, a resourceshould have its original location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Which of thesefactors is most important dependson the particular criterion under which the resource is considered eligible for listing ( California OHP 1999).

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City of Pomona Historic Landmark Designation Criteria
For the purposesof this section, an improvement, natural feature, or site may be designatedan Historic Landmark by the Historic Preservation Commission and City Council and any area within the City of Pomonamay be designatedan Historic District pursuantto SubsectionE (Appeal Procedure) of this Section, if the building or majority of buildings (in a district) are fifty ( 50) or more years old or of exceptional quality if lessthan fifty ( 50) years old, and it meetsone or more of the following criteria:

1. It exemplifies or reflects special elementsof the City of Pomona’s cultural, social, economic, political, aesthetic, engineering, architectural, or natural history;

2. It is identified with personsor eventssignificant in local, state, or national history;

3. It embodiesdistinctive characteristicsof a style, type, period, or method of construction, or is a valuable example of the use of indigenous materials or craftsmanship;

4. It contributes to the significance of a historic area, being a geographically definable area possessinga concentration of historic or scenic properties or thematically related grouping of properties which contribute to eachother and are unified aesthetically by plan or physical development;

5. It is the work of a notable building, designer, landscapedesigner, or architect;

6. It hasa unique location or singular physical characteristicsor is a view or vista representingan establishedand familiar visual feature of a neighborhood, community, or the City of Pomona;

7. It embodieselementsof architectural design, detail, materials, or craftsmanship that representa significant structural or architectural achievementor innovation;

8. It is similar to other distinctive properties, sites, areas, or objects basedon a historic, cultural, or architectural motif;

9. It reflects significant geographical patterns, including those associatedwith different erasof settlement and growth, particular transportation modes, or distinctive examplesof park or community planning; and/or

10. It is one of the few remaining examplesin the City of Pomona, region, state, or nation possessing distinguishing characteristicsof an architectural or historical type or specimen.

EVALUATION
The fairgrounds, which openedin 1922, have anextensive history asdiscussedin the preceding sections of this report. The following is a summary of that 89-year history.

In the 1920s, when it first began, the fair focused mostly on agriculture, livestock, farm equipment, and horse racing. In the 1930s, coinciding with the end of Prohibition, pari-mutuel wagering was legalized in California and the fair was the first place in Southern California to allow bets on horse racing. That samedecade, many new buildings were constructed in the fairgrounds aspart of WPA projects. For much of the 1940s, the groundswere usedby the United StatesArmy, first to house Japanese-Americans before they were sent to internment camps, then as the Pomona Ordnance Depot, and later asa POW camp. In the 1950s, thecountry prosperedand thedemandfor recreational LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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activities grew, bringing about a resurgencein the popularity of hot rodding. The NHRA’s first sanctioned race took place at the Fairplex in 1953. Two years later, the flying disc reportedly debuted at the Fair and was later marketed asthe Frisbeeby Wham-O.

In addition to its association with a variety of historical events, the fairgrounds have played an important role in the region’s economy and have also beenassociatedwith people noteworthy in history, specifically, Wally Parks, founder of the NHRA; and Millard Sheets, the well- known artist and Pomonanative who was the director of the fine arts exhibition for more than 20 years. Several of the permanent buildings at the fairgrounds were designed by Pomona architect Peter Ficker and/or were WPA projects. Many of the buildings, such asthe grandstand, the Fine Arts Building, the NHRA Motorsports Museum, the WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls, and the Administration Building retain a high level of architectural integrity and are good examples of their respective architectural styles.

California Register. Under Criterion 1, the fairgrounds are associatedwith eventsthat are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomonaand the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depressionin the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construction/employment boom between1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA. During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased (1942–1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and usedfirst asa Japanese-American assembly center, then asan ordnancedepot, and finally asa POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increasedprosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demandsfor recreation and spurred the return of the hot rod and dangerous andillegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctionedNHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its associationwith theseimportant eventsin history.

Therefore, the PomonaFairplex appearsto meet this criterion for significance at the regional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period.

Under Criterion 2, the fairgrounds are associatedwith a number of fairly well- known people. Of these, architect Peter Ficker, artist Millard Sheets, and NHRA founder Wally Parks are of particular note. PeterFicker was reportedly the architect of either original designsor remodeling projects for the Administration Building, the Palaceof Agriculture, and most of the fairground exhibition halls. In addition, he designed noteworthy buildings in Los Angeles County, including Los Angeles Municipal WarehouseNo. 1, which is listed in the National Register. While Ficker’s associationwith someof the fairground’s buildings is noteworthy, none of thesebuildings appearsto be the sole remaining building of his design or the best example of his work. In addition, their association with Ficker is not enough to make thefairgrounds or any of the individual buildings or featuressignificant under this criterion.

Award- wining artist and Pomona-native Millard Sheetsis the designer of the Second Street PedestrianMall ( 1962) in downtown Pomona. SheetsservedasDirector of the Fine Arts Exhibit for LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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many years andwas important in the successof this aspectof the fair. Although it hasnot been verified, he may have designed the Fine Arts Building. While his long-time involvement with the fair is notable, by itself, this association is not important enough to make thefairgrounds or the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard SheetsBuilding) significant under this criterion. However, if in the future evidence is found indicating that he did indeed design the Fine Arts Building and that it is a rare, high quality example of a building designedby Sheets, that could result in a different determination under this criterion.

NHRA founder Wally Parks is one of the biggest names in drag racing and motorsports. Born in Oklahoma, but rearedin California, Parkswas a founding member of the 1937 SCTA. The SCTA was focused on conducting land speedevents. Parksalso was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presentedby SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speedtrials in 1949, and won numerousawardsfrom 1972 to 2003 for his participation in automotive sports. Parkswas drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Alabama. Parks’ association with drag racing at the fairgrounds doesnot, by itself, make thefairgrounds significant. However, it doesmake the drag strip, which was the location of the NHRA’s first official race, acontributing element to the fairgrounds historic district.

Under Criterion 3, the fairgrounds embody the distinctive characteristicsof a fairground such asthe horse race track and related barns andstables, the grandstand, and the exhibition halls. In addition, there are a number of buildings that are good examples of various architectural styles as adapted to fairground/ exhibition hall uses. Thesespana period of four decades (1920s–1950s) and include Administration Building 1 (1926), Palaceof Agriculture ( 1930/1941), Grandstand (1932), Administration Building 2 (1936); Millard SheetsBuilding ( 1937; former Fine Arts Building), WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls (1937–1938; Buildings 5–8), Avalon ( 1937–1939), NHRA Motorsports Museum (1939; former Home Arts Building), the Longboard Bar (circa 1939), and Flower Building ( 1952). In addition, some of thesebuildings are associatedwith architect Peter Ficker and/or the WPA. Therefore, the fairgrounds appearto be significant under this criterion as a property type that retains severalmajor buildings dating to its period of significance (1922–1961). In addition, basedon the quality and integrity of their architecture, aswell astheir associationswith important events and people in history, the buildings listed above, along with the horse race track 1922/1985), the horse racing stables (1–12A and 14–28), and thedrag strip (1953/1993), are contributing featuresto the historic district.

Under Criterion 4, which is usually associatedwith archaeological resources, the fairgrounds do not appearto have the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.

For the reasonsdiscussedabove, thePomonaFairplex appearseligible for listing in the California Register asa historic district under Criterion 1 for its associationswith the development of agricultural fairs and the WPA and under Criterion 3 as a property type (county fairgrounds) with several extant contributing buildings and featuresincluding the race track; Administration Building 1; Palaceof Agriculture; Grandstand; Administration Building 2; Millard SheetsBuilding; WPA barrel- roofed Exhibition Halls (Buildings 5–8); Avalon; NHRA Motorsports Museum; the Longboard Bar; horse racing stables 1–12A and 14–28; Flower Building; and the drag strip.

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City of Pomona. Several of the City’s criteria for designation aseither a historic district or landmark are similar to those of the California Register. Therefore, for the reasonsdiscussedabove, the fairgrounds also meet the City’s criteria for designation asa historic district.

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POTENTIAL IMPACTS TO HISTORICAL RESOURCES
CEQA statesthat a substantial adversechangemay include the “destruction, relocation, or alteration of the resource or its immediate surroundings such that the significance of a historical resource would be materially impaired” (Article 5, Section 15064.5(b)(1)). The significance of a historical resourceis materially impaired when a project results in adversechangesto thosephysical characteristicsof the resourcethat convey its historical significance and justify its inclusion in, or eligibility for, the California Register or a local register (Article 5, Section 15064.5(b)).

In compliance with CEQA, the City hasrequestedthat LSA analyze theproject’s potential impacts to any historical resourcesas defined by CEQA. Becausethe Fairplex was designated California Historical Landmark 934 asthe site of a temporary detention camp for Japanese-Americans during WWII, it is automatically listed in the California Register and is a “historical resource” pursuantto CEQA ( 15064.5(a)(1) of the 2011 CEQA Guidelines). In addition, as a result of this study, the PomonaFairplex hasbeendetermined to meet the criteria for listing in the California Register and the local register asa historic district ( PomonaFairplex Historic District). Therefore, the proposedproject must be analyzed to determine whether it will result in any adversechangesto the historical resource Pomona Fairplex Historic District).

Project Description
The proposedproject involves an approximately 23-acre portion of the project areathat is currently developed with 22 horse stables (Figure 2). Nine of the stables (Barrett’s Equine Complex) are proposedto be converted into offices, eleven are proposedto be converted into self-storageunits HRS 1–11), and two are proposedto be demolished (HRS 12 and 12A; Appendix C, Project Plans).

The proposed project also involves installation of paving, parking, landscaping, lighting, fencing, and signageprimarily around theproposedoffices.

The Barrett’s Equine Complex was constructed in 1989, and, as a modern development, is not a contributor to the PomonaFairplex Historic District. Therefore, the proposedconversion of these stablesinto offices will not result in any adversechangesto the historical resource. However, HRS 1– 12A date to the late 1940s or earlier. Thesebuildings, along with HRS 14–28, have beendetermined asa group to contribute to the historical significance of the PomonaFairplex Historic District. All of the HRS (1–28) have sustainedalterations and none is accessibleor particularly visible to the general fair- going public.

The following alterations are proposedfor HRS 1–11:

Replace existing stall doors and sliding doors with painted roll- up doors; Remove exterior windows, which will be framed in to match the existing exterior finish; Reducethe width of the eaves;
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Remove the modern (1968) Classical-style addition at the southwestend of HRS 1; and Install concretefloors.

HRS 12 and 12A are proposedto be demolished to make room for the improvements associatedwith the conversion of the Barrett’s Equine Complex into offices.

Potential Project Impacts Analysis
The proposeddemolition of HRS 12 and 12A will remove two of the 28 historic- period HRS within the fairgrounds. Neither of the stablesproposedto be removed is accessibleor visible to the general fair- going public and 26 very similar HRS will remain. Therefore, the lossof thesetwo HRS will not result in a substantial adverse changeto the historical resource, which is the PomonaFairplex Historic District.

HRS 1–11 are proposedto be adaptively reused. Although the buildings will be preservedin place and will retain their basic forms, fairly extensive alterations are proposed. These include removal and/or replacementof all windows and doors, reduction of the wide eaveoverhangs, and installation of concrete floors. Cumulatively, thesealterations will compromise the integrity of theseHRS and will reducetheir ability to convey their associationwith the horseracing aspectof the fair. However, 14 other very similar HRS will remain; therefore, the alterations to HRS 1–11 will not result in a substantial adverse changeto the significance of the historical resource. Although not mitigation, in order to reducethe project impacts to HRS 1–11, it is recommendedthat the eaveoverhangsnot be reduced; the exterior walls remain sided with board-and-batten; and, wherever possible, the windows and doors not be removed.

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RECOMMENDATIONS
The foregoing report hasprovided background information on the project area, outlined the methods used in the current study, and presentedthe results of the various avenuesof research. As a result of the study, it hasbeendetermined that the PomonaFairplex meetsthe criteria for listing in the California Register asa historic district. It also meetsthe local ordinance criteria for designation asa historic district. Therefore, it is a “historical resource,” asdefined by CEQA. In addition to various other buildings and features, the horse racing stables (HRS) within the proposedapproximately 23- acre project location have, asa group, beenidentified ascontributors to the PomonaFairplex Historic District. However, the proposedalterations to HRS 1–11 and the proposeddemolition of HRS 12 and 12A will not result in a substantial adverse changeto any historical resources (i.e., the Pomona Fairplex Historic District) and no mitigation measuresare recommended. However, if the City would like to preservemore of the historic characterof thesebuildings, LSA suggeststhat the eave overhangs not be reduced; the exterior walls remain sided with board-and-batten; and, wherever possible, the windows and doors not be removed.

In addition, LSA recommendsthat if buried cultural materials are encounteredduring earthmoving operations associatedwith the project, all work in that areashould be halted or diverted until a qualified archaeologist can assessthe natureof the finds and make appropriate mitigation recommendations.

In the eventhuman remains are encountered, StateHealth and Safety Code Section 7050.5statesthat no further disturbance shall occur until the County Coroner hasmadea determination of origin and disposition pursuant to PRC Section 5097.98. The County Coroner must be notified of the find immediately. If the remains are determined to be Native American, the County Coroner will notify the NAHC, which will determine and notify a MLD. With the permission of the landowner or his/her authorized representative, the MLD may inspect the site of the discovery. The MLD shall complete the inspection within 48 hours of notification by the NAHC. The MLD will have the opportunity to offer recommendationsfor the disposition of the remains.

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REFERENCES
Aerial Photographs
1928 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the Fairchild collection. 1948 Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations, from the Fairplex Archives.
1949 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the Fairchild collection. 1953 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the ASCS collection.
1968 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the Teledyne collection. 1976 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the Teledyne collection. 1982 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the AMI collection.
1994 Provided by GeoSearchfrom the USGS collection.

Allen, David
2008 PomonaA to Z: D is for Drags. Accessedonline in January2011 at:
http://blogs.dailybuilletin. com/davidalleln/ 2008/02/d.html.

Ancestry. com
n.d. Accessedin Januaryand February 2011 online at: http://www. ancestry.com/ o_xid=21837&o_lid= 21837
Anonymous
n.d. Noehill in SanFrancisco. California Historical Landmarks in SanFrancisco. Accessed online in January 2011 at: http:// www. noehill. com/sf/landmarks/cal0861.asp 2009 Propagandafor Japanese-American Internment. Accessedonline in January2011 at:
http://en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Propaganda_for_Japanese-American_internment 2010 California Department of Food and Agriculture. Accessedonline in January2011 at:
http:// en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ California_ Department_of_Food_and_Agriculture. 2011 California Exposition. Accessedonline in January2011 at: http://en.wikipedia. org/ wiki/ California_ Exposition_%26_State_Fair
Baird, David
1984 Works Progress Administration Public Buildings, Recreational Facilities, and Cemetery Improvementsin SoutheasternOklahoma, 1935–1943 (Thematic Resources) National Register of Historic Placesnomination form for Multiple Property Listing, 1984.

Barker-Devin, Jenny
n.d. American Agricultural History Primer, Agricultural Fairs During the Nineteenth Century.

Accessedthrough the Iowa State University, Center for Agricultural History and Rural Studies, in February and March 2011 online at: http://www. history.iastate.edu/ agprimer/ Page18.html.

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Bean, Lowell John, and Charles R. Smith
1978 Gabrielino. In California, edited by R.F. Heizer, pp. 538–549. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8, William C. Sturtevant, general editor, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Blackstock, Joe
2009 At Home Behind the Barbed Wire. Accessedonline in January2011 at:
http://www. dailybulletin. com/ci_13387661?IADID= Search-www. dailybulletin. com- www. dailybulletin. com.

Boscana, F.G.
1933 Chinigchinich: A Revised and Annotated Version of Alfred Robinson’s Translation of Father Geronimo Boscana’s Historical Account of the Belief, Usage, Customs, and Extravagancies.

Brackett, Frank Parkhurst
1920 History of PomonaValley with Biographical Sketches. Historic RecordsCompany, Los Angeles.

Brechin, Gray
1990 Built by FDR: How the WPA Changedthe Lay of the Land. In SF, January1990.

California Department of Food and Agriculture
2011 California Department of Food and Agriculture ~ 92 Years Protecting and Promoting Agriculture in the Golden State. Accessedonline in March 2011 at:
http://www. cdfa.ca.gov/CDFA- History. html.

California StateMilitary Museum
n.d. Historic California Posts: Pomona Ordnance Depot. Accessed online on January 28, 2011 at: http://www. military museum.org/PomonaOrdDepot.html City of Pomona
2010 History. Accessedonline in January andFebruary 2011 at: http://www. ci.pomona.ca.us/ about_pomona/AboutPomona.php
Crouch, Jim
2004 “ The Works ProgressAdministration” Eh.Net Encyclopedia (2004) Accessed10/13/2008.

Elsasser, Albert B.
1978 Development of Regional Prehistoric Cultures, in California, R.F. Heizer, ed., Handbook of North American Indians, vol. 8, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Erlandson, J., M. Tveskov, D. Kennett, and L. Ingram
1996 Further Evidence for a Terminal PleistoceneOccupation of Daisy Cave, SanMiguel Island, California. Current Researchin the Pleistocene 13.

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Fairplex 2010
2010 Fairplex Media Guide 2010-2011. Provided by Dwight Richards, Pomona Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.

Hall, Matt C.
1988 For the Record: Notes and Comments on “Obsidian Exchangein Prehistoric Orange County.” Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 24(4):34–48.

Haymond, Creed, John C. Burch, and John H. McKune
1892 The Political Code of the Stateof California, Volume 1. Published by Haymond, Burch, and McKune, Commissioners to Revise the Law. Printed by T.A. Springer, StatePrinter, Sacramento.

Hot Rod Magazine
2009 NHRA Founder Wally Parks Passes. From the February 2009 issue of Hot Rod Magazine.

Accessedonline in January2011 at: http://www. hotrod.com/whereitbegan/ hrdp_0709s_wally_ parks_death/index.html.

Hudson, D. Travis
1971 Proto-Gabrielino Patternsof Territorial Organization in Southern Coastal California.

Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 7(2):449–476.

JapaneseAmerican National Museum
2011 JapaneseAmerican Incarceration Facts. Accessedonline on January3, 2011 at:
http://www. jamn.org/nrc/resources/internfs/.

Koerper, Henry C.
1981 Prehistoric Subsistenceand Settlementin the Newport Bay Area and Environs, Orange County, California. Ph.D. dissertation, University of California, Riverside.

Koerper, H.C., and C.E. Drover
1983 Chronology Building for Coastal Orange County: The Casefrom CA- ORA- 119-A. Pacific Coast Archaeological Society Quarterly 19(2):1–34.

Kroeber, Alfred L.
1976 Handbook of the Indians of California. Reprinted. Dover Publications, New York.

Originally published 1925, Bulletin No. 78, Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

Lassell, Susan
1999 National Register of Historic PlacesRegistration Form. Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1. Prepared by Jones & Stokes, Sacramento, California.

Lebow, Clayton G., RebeccaL. McKim, Douglas R. Harro, Ann M. Munns, and Carole Denardo 2007 Littoral Adaptations throughout the Holocene: Archaeological Investigations at the Honda Beach Site (CA- SBA- 530), Vandenberg Air Force Base, SantaBarbara County, California.

Preparedby Applied Earthworks, Inc., Lompoc, California. Submitted to 30thCivil LSA ASSOCIATES, INC. CULTURAL RESOURCES ASSESSMENT
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Engineer Squadron, Environmental Flight, Cultural ResourcesSection, Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. On file at Applied Earthworks Inc., Lompoc, California.

Los Angeles Times
1922a Gigantic Fair Stirs Pomona. August 13, page II7.
1922b PomonaFair Opens. October 18, pageII1.
1922c Fair Crowned with Success. October 22, pageII4.
1926 Los Angeles County Fair Has Arrived. October 10, page J3. 1931 County Fair Juries Named. August 16, page B18.
1932 County Fair Offers Art PurchasePrizes. August 14, B18. 1935 Flood Curb Fund Listed. July 9.
1936 State Third in WPA Aid. July 11.
1937 Fair Gets Huge Fund. December 26, page8.
1938 Fair Work Started. October 6, page11.
1942a Los Angeles County Fair Canceled for War Duration. March 25. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.
1942b Addition to Fair Building to Be Finished Soon. March 25. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.
1945 Fate of 1946 Fair Uncertain with Germans Billeted on Grounds. November 11, page 2. 1946 Housing Aid Project Begun. March 15, pageA1.
1947 Los Angeles Briefs. Fair Fund Allotted. October 8, A11 1987 L. A. Believed to Have the Nation' s Second GreatestConcentration of Creations by WPA Artists. October 15.

Los Angeles Directory Company
1934 PomonaCity Directory. On file at the PomonaPublic Library.

Lothrop, Gloria
1976 Pomona a Centennial History. Windsor Publishing. Pomona, California.

McCawley, W.
1996 The First Angelinos: The Gabrielino Indians of Los Angeles. Malki Museum Press, Banning, California, and Ballena Press, Novato, California.

Moratto, Michael J.
1984 California Archaeology. San Diego: Academic Press.

National Park Service
2009 Weekly List of Actions Taken On Properties: 4/17/00 through 4/21/00. Accessed online on February 2, 2011 at: http://www. nps.gov/history/ nr/listings/20000428.htm.

Office of Historic Preservation
1999 Instructions for Recording Historical Resources.

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Parks, Richard
2008 Wally Parks Inducted into the Los Angeles County Fair Association’s Hall of Fame.

Accessedonline in January2011 at: http://www. hotrodhotline.com/feature/ guestcolumnists/richardscorner/08parksinhalloffame/
PomonaFairplex Archives
n.d. Various historic materials obtained from Dwight Richards, PomonaFairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.

PomonaHeritage
2007 Responseto Negative Declaration for the ProposedDemolition of Property at 154 South Main Street and 227–235, 269, 275–277–279, 409, 417–421, 429, 435, 439–449–455 West SecondStreet. March 26, 2007.

Progress-Bulletin
1936 Construction Program under Way at Fairground, Three Concreteand SteelBuildings Top List of Projects. January20.
1942a Construction Begun on 400 Housing Units. Huge West Parking Lot to Be Temporary Residence of Evacuees, Report. March 30. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.
1942b Assembly Center Here. Evacueesfrom Two Areas Move to Fairground Beginning Friday; Buildings to House 5000 Ready. May 5. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.
1942c Big Caravansof JapaneseEvacuating Two Los Angeles Areas to Begin Arriving at Fairground Assembly Center Tomorrow. May 8. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice Presidentof Operations.
1942d Last of JapsLeave Fair Grounds for New Home Near Cody, Wyoming. August 27.

Randl, Chad
2004 A-frame. Princeton Architectural Press, New York.

Richard, J.
2010 Pearl Harbor Day: Key FactsAbout the Attack on December 7, 1941. Accessedonline in March 2011 at: http://www. aolnews.com/2010/12/07/pearl-harbor-day-key-facts-about- the-attack-on-december-7-1941/.

Richards, Dwight
2011 Various verbal and electronic communications regarding the history of the fairgrounds.

Rick, T.C., J.M. Erlandson, and R.L. Vellanoweth
2001 PaleocoastalMarine Fishing on the Pacific Coast of the Americas: Perspectivesfrom Daisy Cave, California. American Antiquity 66:595–614.

Rockwell, T.K., and T.W. Stafford, Jr.
2003 The Geologic Context of the Arlington Springs Site, SantaRosaIsland, Southern California. Paper presentedat the 37thAnnual Meeting of the Society for California Archaeology, Sacramento.

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Schreyer, George
1999 Fairplex Garden Railroad History. Accessedonline in January2011 at:
http://www. trainweb.org/girr/girr. html.

Tibbet, Casey, and ShannonCarmack
2006 Historic Resources Assessmentfor the Del Mar Fairgrounds Master Plan Project, Located in the Cities of Del Mar and SanDiego, SanDiego County, California. On file at the South Coastal Information Center, San Diego State University.

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n.d. Historical censusdata for Pomona, 1900 and 1920. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
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Wallace, W.J.
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1978 Post-PleistoceneArchaeology, 9000 to 2000 B.C. In California, edited by R.F. Heizer, pp. 25–36. Handbook of North American Indians, Vol. 8, W.C. Sturtevant, general editor.

Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C.

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APPENDIX A

JAPANESE-AMERICAN ASSEMBLY CENTER

Source: Progress-Bulletin May 9, 1942. On file in the Pomona Fairplex Archives
Source: Progress-Bulletin May 7, 1942. On file in the Pomona Fairplex Archives.

Source: Progress-Bulletin May 11, 1942. On file in the Pomona Fairplex Archives.

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APPENDIX B
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION ( DPR) 523 FORMS

DPR 523D (1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
DISTRICT RECORD Trinomial

Page 1 of 57 ends

Resource Name or # ( Assigned by recorder): Pomona Fairplex Historic District D1. Historic Name: Los Angeles County Fairgrounds D2. Common Name: Pomona Fairplex D3. Detailed Description: ( Discuss overall coherence of the district, its setting, visual characteristics, and minor features. List all elements of district.): The 543-acre fairgrounds are located in the City of Pomona and adjacent to the City of La Verne. They are bordered by residential neighborhoods (southwest, southeast, and east), Ganesha Park (south), a golf course (west), and commercial properties ( northwest, north, and northeast). The fairgrounds include a number of large exhibition halls, a horse race track and grandstand, stables, show rings/ arenas, a drag strip, a livestock area, a garden railroad, the National Hot Rod Association NHRA) Museum, a hotel, administrative offices, a childcare facility, restaurants, a facilities yard, a KOA campground, and large parking lots. In addition, there are several mobile and/ or temporary structures, restrooms, a fire station, a security office, and storage buildings. The Pomona Fairgrounds were designated California Historical Landmark 934 as the site of a temporary detention camp for Japanese-Americans during World War II.

D4. Boundary Description ( Describe limits of district and attach map showing boundary and district elements): The district boundary is generally McKinley Avenue on the southwest, Fairplex Drive on the northwest, White Avenue on the northeast, La Verne Avenue on the northeast, and White Avenue on southeast ( refer to Location Map and Sketch Map).

D5. Boundary Justification: The boundary is defined by the Assessor’s parcels (8378-020- 901, 8378-020- 905, 8378-019-001, 8378-019-900, 8378-016-901, and 8378-016-020) that make up the Fairplex.

D6. Significance: Theme: Agricultural Fairs and the WPA Area: City of Pomona and surrounding region Period of Significance: 1922– 1961 Applicable Criteria: A and C (Discuss district' s importance in terms of its historical context as defined by theme, period of significance, and geographic scope. Also address the integrity of the district as a whole.) Historical Background. In 1921, a merchants’ exposition was held along the Southern Pacific Railway in downtown Pomona Fairplex 2010). The exposition was presented by Harry La Breque, a promoter of community celebrations for Foley & Burke Shows, a railroad carnival, and Clinton B. “Jack” Afflerbaugh, a Pomona druggist and city councilman ( ibid.). The exposition, which consisted of exhibits in a tent and a carnival, set the stage for what would become the Los Angeles County Fair as its success inspired Afflerbaugh and others to consider having a fair ( ibid.). L.E. Sheets, a local music store owner who had experience with fairs in Iowa, was asked to present plans for a fair to the Pomona Chamber of Commerce and then to the City Council (ibid.).

In 1922, a fair board was formed with Sheets as President, Afflerbaugh as Vice President, and Charles P. Curran as second Vice President. The City of Pomona agreed to purchase a 43-acre beet and barley field from the Ricardo Vejar estate for use as the fairgrounds (Fairplex 2010). Afflerbaugh contacted Sacramento and got permission to use the name “ L.A. County Fair” and the fair was incorporated as the Los Angeles County Fair with Sheets as its first president ( ibid.). It was organized “primarily for the promotion of the agricultural, horticultural, and animal husbandry interests of the great Southwest” ( ibid.: 74). Financing came from a combination of private loans, the sale of stock, and the County Board of Supervisors ( ibid.).

In August 1922, the Los Angeles Times reported that the City of Pomona had purchased a 40-acre tract of land adjacent to Ganesha Park for a fair that promised to be the “greatest exposition of the country’s resources ever presented” (Los Angeles Times 1922a). The fair was to be held October 17– 21 and it was reported that eight buildings were being constructed along with a 400- foot long horse barn, a half-mile racetrack, and a 68,900-square foot tent for the industrial exposition ( ibid.). A horse show with 7,000 in prize money, as well as horse racing and livestock competitions were promoted as highlights of the upcoming fair ( Los Angeles Times 1922a). The Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce reportedly was very interested in the success of the fair because development of the agricultural and citrus growing districts is essential to the continued development of Los Angeles City” (ibid.).

Ground was broken and access roads were built along with the promised half- mile racetrack, a grandstand seating 4,000, two cattle barns, two livestock buildings, a livestock barn, and an administration building ( Fairplex 2010). A wooden fence surrounded the grounds ( ibid.). The fair opened to great enthusiasm and success with 10,000 people reported the first day (Los Angeles Times 1922b). There were more varieties of livestock than anticipated and the racetrack, which was created in less than three months, held its own with the more established tracks in the region ( ibid.). By all accounts, the first Los Angeles County Fair was a great success with wildly varying estimates of total attendance ranging from 49,461 ( Fairplex 2010) to 100,000 ( Los Angeles Times 1922c). Highlights included harness racing, chariot racing, and an airplane wing- walker ( Fairplex 2010).

In 1923, a $75,000 bond issue was approved that facilitated the purchase of an additional 62 acres and the construction of permanent buildings ( Fairplex 2010). The following year, Afflerbaugh became the Fair’s first paid manager, a post he held until 1960 ( ibid.). That same year ( 1924), a building for the home arts ( no longer extant) was constructed and attendance grew to 93,163 ( ibid.). In 1925, attendance exceeded 100,000 and the fair was held in September (ibid.). A Los Angeles Times article from October 1926 proclaimed “The Fair has Arrived” and included a picture of the new Administration building (extant, but enlarged; Los Angeles Times 1926).
see Continuation Sheets pages 2–7)
D7. References ( Give full citations including the names and addresses of any informants, where possible.):
see Continuation Sheet pages 7–9)
D8. Evaluator: Casey Tibbet, M.A. Date: January 21, 2011 Affiliation and Address: LSA Associates, Inc., 1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200, Riverside, CA 92507 DPR 523L ( 1/95) * Required Information
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This Spanish Eclectic style building, which featured a large arched opening that functioned as the entrance to the Fair, was reportedly designed by Pomona resident Peter Ficker (Fairplex 2010). Ficker was born in Magyosz, Hungary in 1885 and immigrated to St. Louis, Missouri in 1904 via New York and the ship Wilhelm II (Ancestry.com). He became a naturalized citizen in 1913 in Los Angeles, where he resided and worked for the Harbor Engineers Office (ibid.; Lassell 1999). While there, he designed several buildings including Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1, which had lions-head gargoyle down-spouts that were cast from an original sculpture produced by Ficker (Lassell 1999: 4). For several decades, the building was the largest structure at the Port of Los Angeles and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2000 ( ibid.; National Park Service 2009). Ficker apparently relocated to Pomona sometime after 1920 and is credited with designing several of the major exhibit buildings and/ or renovations to them ( Ancestry. com; Lassell 1999; Richards 2011).

By the 1930s, California had become one of the nation’s foremost agricultural producers, growing some of the leading varieties of citrus, nuts, avocados, and beans. Because California’s agricultural production played a major role in the development of the State, the fairs that exhibited these products became very important (Tibbet and Carmack 2006). The 1934 local City Directory promoted Pomona by noting that it was home to three transcontinental railroads, an electric inter-urban railroad linking it to Los Angeles, the Los Angeles County fairgrounds, two hospitals, one newspaper, seven parks, four service clubs, several lodges and fraternal orders, and approximately 21,000 people ( Los Angeles Directory Company 1934). In addition, the City’s primary agricultural products were listed as citrus, walnuts, deciduous fruits, poultry, rabbits, and dairy, while its main manufacturing products were pumps, tile, paper, and knitwear (ibid.).

However, attendance dropped that year by nearly 32,000 from the previous year ( ibid.). In 1932, Sheets once again acted as the superintendent of the art exhibit, a post he held until 1957 (Los Angeles Times 1932; Fairplex 2010). In 1994, the Fine Arts Building was dedicated as the Millard Sheets Gallery ( Fairplex 2010: 78). From 1932 through 1937, the Orange County Fair was added making it a tri- county harvest festival (ibid.). In 1933, the State legalized pari- mutuel wagering and the Fair “became the first in Southern California to allow fans to bet on horse racing” (Fairplex 2010: 75). In 1935, the Fair’s Garden Railroad, which began in 1924 and originally had all handmade rolling stock that “ran on one- half inch scale standard gauge custom laid steel track,” was moved to an outdoor location Schreyer 1999). With over 4,500 feet of track, in 1999 it was reportedly the largest operating garden railroad in the United States ( ibid.).

Throughout the 1930s, several new buildings were constructed on the fairgrounds. These included new horse and cattle barns 1932); a concrete and steel grandstand (1932); a lagoon (1935); three new horse barns ( 1935); dressing rooms in the grandstand 1935); a stage in the grandstand (1935); a sunken bandstand in the grandstand (1935); a new arts and crafts building ( now Administration 2 building; 1936); two buildings for rabbits, poultry, and youth exhibits ( 1938); Anthony’s (now Avalon; late 1930s); and a childcare center (1939; Fairplex 2010). In addition, from 1937 through 1939, a number of buildings were constructed as Works Progress Administration ( WPA) projects. These include the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard Sheets Building; 1937); barrel- roofed Exhibition Halls 5 and 6 (1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 7 and 8 (1938); the Home Arts Building ( now NHRA Motorsports Museum; 1939), and possibly the cafeteria ( now Avalon; 1937 or 1939).

Although the agricultural industry began to decline through the late 1930s and into the 1940s, any economic lull attributed to the agricultural industry was soon replaced by the war economy. In October 1941, three days after the Fair closed, the huge Exhibits Building was severely damaged by fire ( Fairplex 2010). On December 14, just one week after the attack on Pearl Harbor and before the fire damaged building could be repaired, the United States Army took over the fairgrounds ( ibid.). Three regiments occupied the grounds and the Army established its headquarters in the Home Arts Building ( now the NHRA Motorsports Museum; ibid.). On March 25, 1942, newspapers reported that the 1942 fair had been officially canceled ( Los Angeles Times 1942a). The same day, Fair Manager Afflerbaugh announced that a 29-foot by 26- foot addition to the Administration building would be completed within the next six weeks Los Angeles Times 1942b). Afflerbaugh also noted that the addition would be of similar architecture and would include an 11-foot by 12-foot vault (ibid.). Fair personnel were allowed to retain use of the Administration building during the war.

In March 1942, a complex was constructed in the west parking area that consisted of 420 prefabricated buildings including houses, latrines, showers, laundry facilities, mess halls, warehouses, a hospital, a post office, a library, administration buildings, a recreation hall, and a visitors’ area (Progress-Bulletin 1942b). The complex, which functioned as an Assembly Center for Japanese-Americans held a total of 5,514 persons and was surrounded by a high fence and guard towers ( Blackstock 2009; The California State Military Museum n.d.). On May 7, 1942, the first “evacuees” arrived (Japanese American National Museum 2011). In August 1942, the vast majority of the detainees at the fairgrounds were relocated to the Heart Mountain concentration camp in Wyoming and by August 27, 1942, the assembly center had been completely vacated (Progress-Bulletin 1942d). ( See Continuation Sheet) DPR 523L ( 1/95) * Required Information
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Early in September 1942, the “center was turned over to the Army’s Ordnance Motor Transport Agency and became known as the Pomona Ordnance Depot” (The California State Military Museum n.d.). In 1943, the Army used the facility as a desert training center, and in 1944, the Ordnance Command shop was established on the grounds (Fairplex 2010). In September 1945, Japan signed an unconditional surrender officially ending World War II. The fairgrounds, which remained under the control of the Army, were then used as an Italian and German prisoner of war ( POW) camp until March 1946 ( Fairplex 2010). The POWs were reportedly used to work the nearby groves and fields and were regarded as a reliable and affordable labor force ( Los Angeles Times 1945). Although many of the local growers lobbied to keep the POWs, Afflerbaugh insisted that the fair was even more important to the local economy and eventually succeeded in securing the removal of Assembly Center buildings and closure of the POW camp. Finally, in March 1946, the POW camp was closed (Fairplex 2010). Since no buildings from the Assembly Center or other war- time activities remain, no additional information regarding this context is provided in this District Record. Refer to the related report for more detailed war-time context.

In 1947, 35 acres were annexed to the fairgrounds for the establishment of a trailer park and the County Board of Supervisors earmarked $733, 364 for repairs to the Exhibits Building that had been burned in 1941 (Fairplex 2010; Los Angeles Times 1947). In 1948, the Fair reopened with a new official mascot, Thummer the Pig ( Fairplex 2010). The Exhibits Building (renamed the Agricultural Pavilion) was designed by Peter Ficker and was reconstructed at a cost of $750,000 ( Fairplex 2010: 76). At nearly 120,000 square feet, it was reportedly the largest structure of its kind west of the Mississippi ( ibid.). “Other new construction projects included a horse racing tote board, a tunnel under the track to the infield and new cattle and swine barns. Attendance topped the one million mark for the first time … making the event the second largest fair in the country, surpassed only by the Texas State Fair” (ibid.). In 1949, the six-lane road that is now known as Fairplex Drive was constructed providing better access to the fairgrounds (Fairplex 2010). In addition, 62 acres were added for parking, and the Administration Building was expanded with the addition of more than 8,200 square feet including a board of director’s room with an outdoor balcony (Fairplex 2010).

In the immediate post- WWII era, many of Pomona’s agricultural groves were replaced with new roads and housing tracts to support the post-war population boom, which erupted throughout the United States during this period. From about 1950 through the mid- 1970s, the average income of the American worker rose by 50 percent and the middle class grew and prospered ( Randl 2004:32). With more disposable income and more leisure time (thanks in part to the nearly universal 40-hour work week), the demand for recreational activities grew. A new leisure industry consisting of magazine editors, builders, realtors, and sporting goods and vehicle manufacturers emerged Randl 2004). Between 1940 and 1970, the number of paid holidays and vacation days had more than doubled for most workers and Saturdays were no longer part of the work week. Recreation was America’s new hobby and the car culture led the way.

The post- war period saw resurgence in the popularity of hot rodding and drag racing. “ By 1950, hot rodders who had been racing in dry lake beds were taking to the streets” sometimes injuring or killing themselves or others (Allen 2008). In those days, if you were a hot rodder, it was the same as being in a gang today ( ibid.). Pomona had its share of illegal street racers, but it also had a “car-loving” police chief (Ralph Parker) and a young motorcycle sergeant named Bud Coons who was a car enthusiast ( ibid.). Parker and Coons were also interested in safety, and with this in mind, Coons began organizing rally runs and shows and barbeques for racers ( ibid.). In 1951, Chief Parker, Coons, and the Lions Club approached the Fairplex with the idea of setting aside an area for drag racing (ibid.).

Soon street racers had a legal straightaway and complaints about speeding, as well as deaths from speeding, dropped dramatically ibid.). This success prompted the Federal Bureau of Investigation ( FBI) to send a bulletin to other jurisdictions regarding the Pomona approach ( ibid.). The same year (1951), Wally Parks founded the National Hot Rod Association ( NHRA) with the goal of promoting safety ( Parks 2008). In 1937, Parks was a founding member of the 1937 Southern California Timing Association ( SCTA), which was focused on conducting land speed events. Parks also was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presented by SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speed trials in 1949, and was editorial director for all of Bob Petersen’s magazines ( Hot Rod Magazine 2009). As early as 1972, Parks began receiving awards for his participation in automotive sports including Man of the Decade (1962–1972 by Popular Hot Rodding magazine) and Man of the Year 1973 by Specialty Equipment Marketing Association [SEMA]) ( ibid.). Among his myriad awards, in 1992, he was “drag racing’s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame” in Talladega, Alabama, and in 1993 he was “inducted into the Motorsports Hall of Fame in Novi, Michigan” (ibid.: 2).

On April 11– 12, 1953, the NHRA held its first sanctioned event, the Southern California Championship Drag Races, at Pomona Raceway, located at a far corner of the grounds. Over the weekend, 375 cars ran 850 timed races” (Fairplex 2010: 77). With a first- class drag racing facility and supervised races, drag racing became a true sport (Parks 2008). In 1961, the “NHRA held its inaugural Winternationals at Pomona Raceway in February before the largest single-day audience in the brief history of drag racing” ( Fairplex 2010: 77). In 1984, Pomona hosted the NHRA Winston Select Finals for the first time (Fairplex 2010: 78). In 1993, the NHRA completed extensive improvements to the drag strip and, in 1998, the NHRA Motorsports Museum opened in what was formerly the Home Arts Building (Fairplex 2010).

See Continuation Sheet)
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In addition to the drag strip, many other improvements were made to the fairgrounds during the 1950s. These include installation of the world’s largest man-made ski jump ( 1951, no longer extant); construction of the flower and garden building (1952); the clock tower 1952; removed in 2001); the Mexican Village ( 1952, now the Plaza de las Americas); the fire station and first aid building ( 1954); a barrel-roofed building ( 8A, no longer extant); a tunnel under White Avenue ( 1959); completion of the “ranchero” carving by John Svenson (1954); and, in 1957, participation by the Ringling Bros., Barnum and Bailey Circus for the first time at any fair ( Fairplex 2010).

In addition, at the 1955 Fair, Fred Morrison sold flying disks that were later marketed as the Frisbee ( ibid.).

In 1960, “Phillip D. Shepherd took over as general manager, following the death of Afflerbaugh” (Fairplex 2010: 77). In 1962, a monorail (removed in 1996) and Storybook Farm (now California’ s Heritage Square) were added, followed by a clubhouse connected to the racetrack grandstand in 1964, and the Golden Empire Mine in 1965 ( closed in 1997; Fairplex 2010).

As might be expected, the fair has continued to grow and change throughout the intervening decades. Buildings have been relocated, remodeled, replaced, or removed. Exhibits have come and gone and new land has been added. In 1985, the racetrack was enlarged from a half- mile to five-eighths mile and the next year the grandstand and clubhouse were renovated (Fairplex 2010). Some of the WPA buildings ( 5, 6, 7, and 8) were remodeled and nine new horse stables (Barrett’ s Equine Complex, in the proposed project site) were added in 1989 ( ibid.). In 1992, the Sheraton Suites Fairplex hotel opened and in 1996 the Mexican Village was renovated ( ibid.). In 2003, one of the barrel- roofed buildings ( 8A) was demolished to make room for the trade and convention center now under construction ibid.). Many other changes have occurred in the modern period ( 1961–present), but the Fair remains a successful enterprise that is a key component of the local economy.

The following discusses some of the major historical themes associated with the project area in more detail. These include agriculture and development of fairs, the WPA, and military involvement in the fairgrounds during World War II.

Fairs and Agriculture. “ Beginning in the early 1800s, the first agricultural fairs gave rural families an opportunity to see first hand the latest agricultural techniques, equipment, crops, and livestock. Over the course of the 19thcentury, fairs also incorporated a wide range of educational, recreational, competitive, and social activities into their programs. Within a few short generations, county and state fairs became a quintessential American tradition” ( Barker- Devine n.d.). However, before there were state and county fairs, most fairs were privately sponsored ( ibid.). One of the first agricultural fairs to be held occurred in 1807 in Massachusetts and focused on sheep and sheep shearing ( ibid.). By 1811, this privately sponsored fair was a major event with thousands of animals, a band, and several displays ibid.). This model was quickly adopted by agricultural societies, but during the 1820s and 1830s, financial sponsorship was often difficult to obtain (ibid.). In the 1840s, recognizing the importance of agriculture in the local and statewide economies, state legislatures across the country began forming agricultural boards and allocating funds to agricultural societies, which allowed for larger and more consistent exhibitions ( ibid.).

In 1841, the first state fair took place in Syracuse, New York ( Barker- Devine n.d.). In 1854, just four years after California became a state, the California Legislature approved an Act to incorporate the State Agricultural Society for the purpose of encouraging agriculture and other industries (Haymond et al. 1872). Along with this, several agricultural districts were formed, including the Los Angeles District Agricultural Association ( ibid.). The same year, an agricultural exposition was held in San Francisco (Anonymous 2011). Because travel was difficult, for several years the annual exposition, which later became the California State Fair, moved from city to city in the San Francisco-Sacramento area (ibid.). Finally, in 1859, it became permanently located in Sacramento. From that time forward, fairs began being held all over the State with noticeable increases in county fairs during the 1880s and early 1890s.

It did not take long for fairs to become highly anticipated events in California and across the country. Many farm families planned months in advance so that they could attend the fair for a few days. For many, the fair was the first place they saw electric lights and airplanes (Barker-Devine n.d.). The fairs “helped farm families adapt to changing mores and accepted forms of popular entertainment, such as vaudeville. Delia Marcella Locke, for example, was a California fair-goer in the 1850s and 1860s who saw sewing and washing machines, a printing press, and stereoscopic pictures for the first time at her local county fair” (Barker- Devine n.d.).

Demonstrating the continued importance of the agricultural industry in the State’s economy and the role of fairs in promoting that industry, in 1904, the California state legislature formally organized District Agricultural Associations ( DAAs) as official State agencies for the purpose of promoting local agricultural production ( Tibbet and Carmack 2006). This was followed in 1919, by the Legislature’s creation of the California Department of Food and Agriculture ( CDFA), which is a cabinet-level agency responsible for protecting and promoting agriculture ( CDFA 2011). The CDFA is divided into seven administrative divisions including the Division of Fairs and Expositions, which, among other things, “provides fiscal and policy oversight of the network of California’s 78 fairs” (Anonymous 2010).

See Continuation Sheet)
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In 1922, the Los Angeles County Fair, located in Pomona, was first held. As is common for most fairs, it began with horse races and livestock shows and added other types of exhibits and entertainment as the fair gained popularity. The fairgrounds still include many character-defining features such as the horse race track and associated barns and stables, livestock pavilions, and exhibit halls.

The fair has operated continuously since 1922 with the exception of the WWII period from 1942 to 1947.

Today, the California Department of Food and Agriculture website indicates that “[ A]griculture is a major industry for the Golden State. With 88,000 farms and ranches, California agriculture is nearly a $36. 6 billion dollar industry that generates at least $ 100 billion in related economic activity” ( CDFA 2011). A publication put out by Pomona Fairplex states that the “L.A. County Fair is one of 81 active fairs in California. There are 54 district fairs, 23 county fairs, two citrus fairs and one state fair. Festivals are unlimited. Impact spending by all participants at fairtime and interim events in 2002 contributed $ 2.55 billion to the State’s economy” (Fairplex 2010:36). The L.A.

County Fair attracts nearly 1.4 million people each year and “contributes a major portion of the estimated $ 10 million in state sales tax revenue generated by Fairplex. The L.A. County Fair is the largest county fair in the nation. It currently ranks fourth in North American fairs and festivals attendance.... The Fair is also the largest marketplace in the western United States with 2,000 commercial food and beverage vendors serving the multitude of attendees.... The total amount of annual spending in California generated by Fairplex year- round events is more than $ 171 million and more than $ 226 million for the nation’s economy.... Year round events create 1,885 full-time jobs in the region compared to 1,299 from the Fair” (Fairplex 2010: 9 and 10).

The Works Progress Administration in Los Angeles County ( 1935–1943). The WPA was a relief measure established in 1935 by Executive Order 7034. It is often confused with the earlier Public Works Administration ( PWA), which was established in 1933 as a New Deal government agency, pursuant to the National Industrial Recovery Act. While the PWA focused on construction of various public works such as public buildings, bridges, dams, and housing developments and made loans to states and municipalities for similar projects, the WPA encompassed a wider variety of programs, including highways and building construction, slum clearance, reforestation, and rural rehabilitation. However, the primary difference between the two agencies was that the PWA was a grant-making agency, allocating funds to employ local labor forces, while the WPA financed and built projects with its own labor force ( Crouch 2004).

Headed by Harry L. Hopkins and supplied with an initial congressional appropriation of $ 4,880, 000,000, the WPA offered work to the unemployed on an unprecedented scale. WPA projects primarily employed blue-collar workers in construction across the nation but also employed white- collar workers and artists on smaller- scale projects. The program included the construction of 116,000 buildings, 78,000 bridges, and 651, 000 miles of road, and the improvement of over 800 airports. At its peak in 1936, the WPA had approximately

3.5 million persons on its payroll. The WPA was redesigned in 1939, when it was transferred to the Federal Works Agency, and was officially terminated on June 30, 1943 (Crouch 2004).

Three policies affected the property type and architecture commonly built by the WPA: First, the project had to have some practical use for the entire community. Second, projects had to be sponsored by public bodies such as school districts and city, county, or state governments, which would contribute part of the total cost, usually in construction materials. This meant that most WPA property types were structures and buildings intended for public use such as school buildings, libraries, community centers, park structures, or county fair buildings. Third, at least 90 percent of the project workmen had to come from employable persons on the relief rolls at that time.

Many if not most of these workers were unskilled in building professions; therefore, most WPA projects tended to be simple in overall design and construction regardless of the intended architectural style ( Baird 1984).

In order to save expenses, local sponsors of WPA projects in rural areas often selected building plans from free sources. For example, WPA school buildings in Oklahoma were generally built according to free plans from a catalog provided by the School House Planning Division of the Oklahoma State Department of Education (Baird 1984). This led to a similarity in overall form and massing despite the variety of building materials. Most of the designs from free sources were tried- and- true period revival styles developed earlier in the century. By contrast, project sponsors in more urban areas were able to take advantage of the New Deal’s interest in employing local architects, artists, and craftsmen, as well as laborers ( Brechin 1990).

In 1936, California ranked third in the United States for WPA-funded public building projects, receiving 6.4 percent of the total earmarked amount. This amounted to 695 projects worth $ 10.7 million. About half of the total went to matching funds for the construction and repair of California schools, while 16 percent went to civic and community centers and 12 percent went to administrative buildings ( Los Angeles Times 1936).

The WPA completed several projects in Los Angeles County. From the $ 100 million earmarked by the federal government for western reclamation projects in 1935, the WPA board allocated nearly $ 14 million for fourteen flood control projects in Los Angeles County ( Los Angeles Times 1935). In September, a list of public building and street services projects also won funding, which included over $1.4 million for new and rehabilitated schools, libraries, sidewalks, and pedestrian tunnels throughout the County. The City of Long Beach received particular attention from the WPA due to extensive damage sustained by buildings there in a 1933 earthquake. ( See Continuation Sheet)
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Notable projects completed in Los Angeles by the WPA in the late 1930s included the fountain and tea room at the Hollywood Bowl, the Astronomers Monument at Griffith Park, the science and liberal arts buildings at Hollywood High School, the United States Naval and Marine Reserve Training Center, and the Griffith Park Clubhouse. A 1987 article in the Los Angeles Times claimed that Los Angeles contains the nation’s second greatest concentration of WPA- funded art (Los Angeles Times 1987).

In addition to the above- listed projects, the fairgrounds also received considerable WPA assistance. A Los Angeles Times article from late December 1937 indicates that a $957, 000 WPA building project was approved for the Los Angeles County Fairgrounds ( Los Angeles Times 1937). The project was to cover a period of 24 months and the construction of the following concrete and steel buildings:
a 98,800-square foot horse show arena with seating for 7,200 people ($250,000); a 35,000- square foot industrial building ($ 115,000); and a 35,000- square foot Future Farmers and 4H building ($ 115, 000; Los Angeles Times 1937). In addition, a frame and stucco dairy products building ($ 6,000) and a rock restroom ($ 6,000) were also proposed (ibid.). The project also provided for “improvements to water, gas, electrical lines, grading of new parking area and planting of thousands of shrubs” (ibid.). On October 5, 1938, it was reported that construction had started on the concrete and steel domestic arts building ( now the NHRA Motorsports Museum; Los Angeles Times 1938).

From 1937 through 1939, a number of buildings at the fairgrounds were constructed as WPA projects. These include the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard Sheets building, 1937); barrel- roofed Exhibition Halls 5 and 6 (1937); barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls 7 and 8 (1938); and the Home Arts Building ( now NHRA Motorsports Museum, 1939). All of these buildings are extant and retain many of their character- defining features, although the northwest entrances to Buildings 5–8 were remodeled in the 1980s.

The WPA era lasted less than ten years but left an enduring legacy of public art and architecture in Los Angeles County. While many older schools in the region have one or more WPA buildings on campus, extant WPA-built public buildings are relatively uncommon. Intact WPA public and administrative buildings represent a significant top-level public investment in their respective communities during a time of unprecedented economic depression, and through the simplicity of their architectural style and ornament, reflect the workmanship of WPA workers.

Significance Evaluation.

California Register. Under Criterion 1, the fairgrounds are associated with events that are significant in local, state, and national history. As the site of the Los Angeles County Fair since 1922, the fairgrounds played a significant role in the agricultural and recreational history of Pomona and the surrounding region. The fair has also contributed greatly to the local economy and is the largest county fair in the nation. Despite the economic depression in the 1930s, the fair continued and even enjoyed a small construction/ employment boom between 1937 and 1939 thanks to the WPA. During the war years of the 1940s, the fair temporarily ceased ( 1942– 1947) as the grounds were taken over by the U.S. Army and used first as a Japanese-American assembly center, then as an ordnance depot, and finally as a POW camp that provided inexpensive and reliable labor to nearby farms. In the 1950s, the growth of the middle class, coupled with increased prosperity and leisure time, resulted in new demands for recreation and spurred the return of the hot rod and dangerous and illegal drag racing on local streets. Working with the local police and Wally Parks, the fairgrounds provided a drag strip where the first legally sanctioned NHRA race took place in 1953. Many of the buildings and features related to these historic events remain in place and retain at least a moderate level of integrity, which allows the Fairplex to convey its association with these important events in history. Therefore, the Pomona Fairplex appears to meet this criterion for significance at the regional level as a historic district with a period of significance from 1922, when the fair first opened, to 1961, which is currently the end of the historic period.

Under Criterion 2, the fairgrounds are associated with a number of fairly well- known people. Of these, architect Peter Ficker, artist Millard Sheets, and NHRA founder Wally Parks are of particular note. Peter Ficker was reportedly the architect of either original designs or remodeling projects for the Administration Building, the Palace of Agriculture, and most of the fairground exhibition halls. In addition, he designed noteworthy buildings in Los Angeles County, including Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1, which is listed in the National Register. While Ficker’ s association with some of the fairground’s buildings is noteworthy, none of these buildings appears to be the sole remaining building of his design or the best example of his work. In addition, their association with Ficker is not enough to make the fairgrounds or any of the individual buildings or features significant under this criterion.

Although it has not been verified, he may have designed the Fine Arts Building. While his long-time involvement with the fair is notable, by itself, this association is not important enough to make the fairgrounds or the Fine Arts Building ( now Millard Sheets Building) significant under this criterion. However, if in the future evidence is found indicating that he did indeed design the Fine Arts Building and that it is a rare, high quality example of a building designed by Sheets, that could result in a different determination under this criterion.

See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L ( 1/95) * Required Information
3/21/2011(R:\POM1002\Cultural\ DPR forms - Appendix B\07 Continuation Form.doc) Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 7 of 57 ends

Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update D6. Significance: ( Continued from page 6)
NHRA founder Wally Parks is one of the biggest names in drag racing and motorsports. Born in Oklahoma, but reared in California, Parks was a founding member of the 1937 SCTA. The SCTA was focused on conducting land speed events. Parks also was involved in the first Hot Rod Show in America presented by SCTA in 1948, the introduction of Hot Rod Magazine in 1948, the opening of Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah for hot rod speed trials in 1949, and won numerous awards from 1972 to 2003 for his participation in automotive sports. Parks was drag racing’ s first inductee into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in 1992 in Talladega, Alabama. Parks’ association with drag racing at the fairgrounds does not, by itself, make the fairgrounds significant. However, it does make the drag strip, which was the location of the NHRA’s first official race, a contributing element to the fairgrounds historic district.

Under Criterion 3, the fairgrounds embody the distinctive characteristics of a fairground such as the horse race track and related barns and stables, the grandstand, and the exhibition halls. In addition, there are a number of buildings that are good examples of various architectural styles as adapted to fairground/exhibition hall uses. These span a period of four decades (1920s–1950s) and include Administration Building 1 (1926), Palace of Agriculture ( 1930/ 1941), Grandstand (1932), Administration Building 2 (1936); Millard Sheets Building (1937; former Fine Arts Building), WPA barrel- roofed Exhibition Halls ( 1937–1938; Buildings 5–8), Avalon 1937–1939), NHRA Motorsports Museum (1939; former Home Arts Building), the Longboard Bar (circa 1939), and Flower Building 1952). In addition, some of these buildings are associated with architect Peter Ficker and/ or the WPA. Therefore, the fairgrounds appear to be significant under this criterion as a property type that retains several major buildings dating to its period of significance 1922–1961). In addition, based on the quality and integrity of their architecture, as well as their associations with important events and people in history, the buildings listed above, along with the horse race track (1922/1985), the horse racing stables ( 1–12A and 14–28), and the drag strip ( 1953/1993), are contributing features to the historic district.

Under Criterion 4, which is usually associated with archaeological resources, the fairgrounds do not appear to have the potential to yield information important to the prehistory or history of the local area, California, or the nation.

For the reasons discussed above, the Pomona Fairplex appears eligible for listing in the California Register as a historic district under Criterion 1 for its associations with the development of agricultural fairs and the WPA and under Criterion 3 as a property type county fairgrounds) with several extant contributing buildings and features including the race track; Administration Building 1; Palace of Agriculture; Grandstand; Administration Building 2; Millard Sheets Building; WPA barrel-roofed Exhibition Halls ( Buildings 5–8); Avalon; NHRA Motorsports Museum; the Longboard Bar; horse racing stables 1–12A and 14– 28; Flower Building; and the drag strip.

D7. References (Continued from page 1)
Aerial Photographs
1928 Provided by GeoSearch from the Fairchild collection. 1948 Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations, from the Fairplex Archives. 1949 Provided by GeoSearch from the Fairchild collection. 1953 Provided by GeoSearch from the ASCS collection.
1968 Provided by GeoSearch from the Teledyne collection. 1976 Provided by GeoSearch from the Teledyne collection. 1982 Provided by GeoSearch from the AMI collection.
1994 Provided by GeoSearch from the USGS collection.

Allen, David
2008 Pomona A to Z: D is for Drags. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// blogs.dailybuilletin.com/davidalleln/ 2008/ 02/d.html.

Ancestry. com
n.d. Accessed in January and February 2011 online at: http:// www.ancestry.com/?o_ xid=21837& o_lid=21837 Anonymous
n.d. Noehill in San Francisco. California Historical Landmarks in San Francisco. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// www. noehill. com/ sf/landmarks/cal0861. asp
2009 Propaganda for Japanese-American Internment. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// en.wikipedia. org/wiki/ Propaganda_for_Japanese-American_internment 2010 California Department of Food and Agriculture. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// en. wikipedia. org/wiki/ California_Department_ of_ Food_ and_ Agriculture. 2011 California Exposition. Accessed online in January 2011 at: http:// en.wikipedia. org/ wiki/California_Exposition_% 26_State_Fair
Auto Club
1995–2011 Historic Auto Club Raceway at Pomona. Accessed online in March 2011 at:
http:// pomonaraceway. com/ trackinfo/index. html ( See Continuation Sheet) DPR 523L ( 1/95) * Required Information
3/21/2011(R:\POM1002\Cultural\ DPR forms - Appendix B\08 Continuation Form.doc) Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 8 of 57 ends

Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update D7. References (Continued from page 7)
Baird, David
1984 Works Progress Administration Public Buildings, Recreational Facilities, and Cemetery Improvements in Southeastern Oklahoma, 1935–1943 (Thematic Resources) National Register of Historic Places nomination form for Multiple Property Listing, 1984.

Barker- Devin, Jenny
n.d. American Agricultural History Primer, Agricultural Fairs During the Nineteenth Century. Accessed through the Iowa State University, Center for Agricultural History and Rural Studies, in February and March 2011 online at:
http:// www.history. iastate.edu/agprimer/Page18. html.

Blackstock, Joe
2009 At Home Behind the Barbed Wire. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// www.dailybulletin. com/ ci_13387661? IADID= Search- www.dailybulletin. com- www.dailybulletin. com.

Brechin, Gray
1990 Built by FDR: How the WPA Changed the Lay of the Land. In SF, January 1990.

California Department of Food and Agriculture
2011 California Department of Food and Agriculture ~ 92 Years Protecting and Promoting Agriculture in the Golden State.

Accessed online in March 2011 at: http:// www.cdfa. ca.gov/ CDFA- History. html.

Fairplex 2010
2010 Fairplex Media Guide 2010-2011. Provided by Dwight Richards, Pomona Fairplex Vice President of Operations.

Haymond, Creed, John C. Burch, and John H. McKune
1892 The Political Code of the State of California, Volume 1. Published by Haymond, Burch, and McKune, Commissioners to Revise the Law. Printed by T.A. Springer, State Printer, Sacramento.

Hot Rod Magazine
2009 NHRA Founder Wally Parks Passes. From the February 2009 issue of Hot Rod Magazine. Accessed online in January 2011 at: http:// www.hotrod. com/ whereitbegan/ hrdp_ 0709s_ wally_parks_ death/ index.html.

Japanese American National Museum
2011 Japanese American Incarceration Facts. Accessed online on January 3, 2011 at:
http:// www.jamn. org/nrc/resources/internfs/.

Lassell, Susan
1999 National Register of Historic Places Registration Form. Los Angeles Municipal Warehouse No. 1. Prepared by Jones & Stokes, Sacramento, California.

Los Angeles Times
1922a Gigantic Fair Stirs Pomona. August 13, page II7.
1922b Pomona Fair Opens. October 18, page II1.
1922c Fair Crowned with Success. October 22, page II4.
1926 Los Angeles County Fair Has Arrived. October 10, page J3. 1931 County Fair Juries Named. August 16, page B18.
1932 County Fair Offers Art Purchase Prizes. August 14, B18. 1935 Flood Curb Fund Listed. July 9.
1936 State Third in WPA Aid. July 11.
1937 Fair Gets Huge Fund. December 26, page 8.
1938 Fair Work Started. October 6, page 11.
1942a Los Angeles County Fair Canceled for War Duration. March 25. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations.
1942b Addition to Fair Building to Be Finished Soon. March 25. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations.
1945 Fate of 1946 Fair Uncertain with Germans Billeted on Grounds. November 11, page 2. 1946 Housing Aid Project Begun. March 15, page A1.

See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L ( 1/95) * Required Information
3/21/2011(R:\POM1002\Cultural\ DPR forms - Appendix B\09 Continuation Form.doc) Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 9 of 57 ends

Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update D7. References (Continued from page 8)
Los Angeles Times
1947 Los Angeles Briefs. Fair Fund Allotted. October 8, A11 1987 L.A. Believed to Have the Nation' s Second Greatest Concentration of Creations by WPA Artists. October 15.

Los Angeles Directory Company
1934 Pomona City Directory. On file at the Pomona Public Library.

Parks, Richard
2008 Wally Parks Inducted into the Los Angeles County Fair Association’ s Hall of Fame. Accessed online in January 2011 at:
http:// www.hotrodhotline.com/feature/guestcolumnists/richardscorner/ 08parksinhalloffame/ Progress-Bulletin
1942a Construction Begun on 400 Housing Units. Huge West Parking Lot to Be Temporary Residence of Evacuees, Report. March

30. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations. 1942b Assembly Center Here. Evacuees from Two Areas Move to Fairground Beginning Friday; Buildings to House 5000 Ready.

May 5. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations. 1942c Big Caravans of Japanese Evacuating Two Los Angeles Areas to Begin Arriving at Fairground Assembly Center Tomorrow.

May 8. Provided by Dwight Richards, Fairplex Vice President of Operations. 1942d Last of Japs Leave Fair Grounds for New Home Near Cody, Wyoming. August 27.

Randl, Chad
2004 A-frame. Princeton Architectural Press, New York.

Richard, J.
2010 Pearl Harbor Day: Key Facts About the Attack on December 7, 1941. Accessed online in March 2011 at:
http:// www.aolnews. com/2010/ 12/07/ pearl-harbor- day-key- facts-about-the-attack- on-december- 7-1941/.

Richards, Dwight
2011 Various verbal and electronic communications regarding the history of the fairgrounds.

Schreyer, George
1999 Fairplex Garden Railroad History. Accessed online in January 2011 at: http:// www.trainweb. org/girr/girr.html.

Tibbet, Casey, and Shannon Carmack
2006 Historic Resources Assessment for the Del Mar Fairgrounds Master Plan Project, Located in the Cities of Del Mar and San Diego, San Diego County, California. On file at the South Coastal Information Center, San Diego State University.

DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 3CD/ 5D3
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

Page 10 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier:

P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) The horse race track was built in 1922 and is the oldest extant feature of the fairgrounds. It was enlarged in 1985, but retains a relatively high level of integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling, and association. Horse racing is an integral part of the fairground’s history and success and the race track is representative of this.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP39 (fairgrounds horse race track) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) View to the
northwest ( 1/21/11)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1922 ( Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

January 21, 2011
P10. Survey Type: ( Describe)
Intensive- level CEQA compliance
P11. Report Citation: ( Cite survey report and other sources, or enter " none.") Cultural Resources Assessment for the Pomona Fairplex, City of Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. Prepared by LSA Associates, Inc., March 2011.

Attachments: NONE Location Map Sketch Map Continuation Sheet Building, Structure, and Object Record Archaeological Record District Record Linear Feature Record Milling Station Record Rock Art Record Artifact Record Photograph Record Other ( List):

P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Photo required for buildings, structures, and objects.) See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
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Page 11 of 57 ends

Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 10)
View to the west ( 1/21/11).

Aerial photograph of race track in 1928 ( source: GeoSearch from the Fairchild collection)
Aerial Photograph of the race track in 2005 (source:

GeoSearch from the USGS collection)
DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 3CD/ 5D3
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

Page 12 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier:

P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T 1S ; R 9W; unsectioned land S.B.B. M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): This building is located near the southwestern Fairplex boundary and is accessed by Gate 1 from McKinley Avenue P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) This two- story Spanish Eclectic style building was constructed in 1926 with additions in 1937 and 1949. It was the first permanent building constructed at the fairgrounds and portions of it were designed by architect Peter Ficker. The multi-level roofs are sheathed with red tile and are typically low-pitched gables (there are a few hipped roofs) with narrow eaves and exposed rafter tails. The exterior walls are covered with modern, rough- textured stucco. The south-facing façade includes numerous multi-paned casement windows, usually in pairs, and features a central tower at the main entrance. The north ( rear) elevation includes variable roof lines and wall planes, canales, multi- paned casement windows, double- hung and/or awning windows, and at least one small sliding window. There is a covered patio and a balcony on the northeast end of the building. A few of the windows and doors throughout the building have been altered, but overall the building retains a high level of integrity and represents the early history of the fairgrounds.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP6 ( 1-3 story office building) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) Façade, view to
the north ( 1/21/11)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1926 ( Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 13 of 57 ends

Building 1
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 12)
North elevation, view to the southeast ( 1/21/11)
DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 3CD/ 5D3
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

Page 14 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier: Exhibit building, Agricultural Pavilion, Building 4 P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T1S; R9W; unsectioned land S.B.B.M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): This building is located in the southwestern part of the fairgrounds
P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) This building was reportedly designed by architect Peter Ficker and constructed in 1930. At the time, it was touted as the largest exhibit building in the world. In 1941, it was damaged by fire and was reconstructed as a larger building with a gable roof in 1948.

The rectangular building has Classical influences such as the vertical pilasters at the entrances on each elevation and the floral motif decorative panels above the entrances. The windows and doors are modern tinted glass with aluminum frames, but appear to be within the original openings. Overall, the building retains a high level of integrity and represents the early history of the fairgrounds.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP39 (fairgrounds exhibition hall) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) View to the south
1/21/11)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1930 ( Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 15 of 57 ends

Agriculture
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 14)
West elevation ( 1/21/11)
South elevation ( 1/21/11)
Detail of north elevation of the Palace of Agriculture
1/21/11). Pattern is on panels above entrances on west
elevation also.

Page 16 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier:

P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) The Art Deco grandstand was constructed in 1932 and in 1935 dressing rooms, a stage, and a sunken bandstand were added Fairplex 2010; Figures 15 and 16). The west elevation features an articulated wall plane anchored by large concrete piers with centered, narrow, recessed vertical windows. Between the piers are nine, evenly spaced vertical panels of recessed, multi- paned windows. The pilasters between the panels of windows have vertical scoring. Above each panel of windows are groups of three recessed openings. The primary entrance projects from the building and is highlighted by a flat-roofed triangular canopy supported by a single metal pole. The entrance is flanked by triangular towers that extend above the canopy. The grandstand retains a high level of integrity and is associated with horse racing, which is an important aspect of the fairground’s history.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP39 ( horse race track grandstand) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) View to the east
1/21/ 2011)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1932, remodeled in 1996
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Photo required for buildings, structures, and objects.) See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523L (1/95) * Required Information
3/21/2011(R:\POM1002\Cultural\DPR forms - Appendix B\13 Grandstand. doc) Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 17 of 57 ends

Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/2011 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 16)
Grandstand main entrance, view to the southeast ( 1/21/2011) Trackside view of grandstand, view to the west ( 1/21/2011) DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 3CD/ 5D3
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

Page 18 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier: Arts and Crafts Building
P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T 1S; R 9W; unsectioned land S.B.B. M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): This building is located just northwest of Administration Building # 1
P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) This two-story Spanish Eclectic building was constructed in 1936 as the arts and crafts building. It is roughly V-shaped in plan and has a moderately pitched cross-gable roof sheathed with tile. The eaves are narrow and have exposed rafter tails. The southwest- facing façade features multi- paned casement windows, canales, quoins at the building corners, and an arched entrance covered by a projecting gable and accessed by concrete steps. The other elevations include several multi- paned casement windows, canales below the gable peaks, and quoins at the building corners. The building retains a high level of integrity and is associated with the early history of the fairgrounds.

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

January 21, 2011
P10. Survey Type: ( Describe)
Intensive- level CEQA compliance
P11. Report Citation: ( Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none.") Cultural Resources Assessment for the Pomona Fairplex, City of Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. Prepared by LSA Associates, Inc., March 2011.

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 19 of 57 ends

Building 2
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 18)
South and east elevations ( 1/21/11)
Part of the north elevation ( 1/21/11). Part of the Fire Station building is in the foreground (left side of the photograph).

Page 20 of 57 ends

P1. Other Identifier: Fine Arts Building
P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T 1S; R 9W; unsectioned land S.B.B. M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): This building is located in the southern part of the fairgrounds, east of the Palace of Agriculture P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) This roughly C-shaped building was constructed in 1937 as a WPA project. The horizontal character of the building is emphasized by a plain, narrow band midway up the building wall and a slightly taller decorative band along the top of the building wall. The recessed entrance in the northern elevation consists of two pairs of aluminum-framed glass doors below a mosaic tile art piece that includes the words “Fine Arts.” The east elevation features a courtyard area that appears to have been remodeled in the 1950s or early 1960s. The building retains a moderate to high level of integrity and is associated with the early history of the fairgrounds, as well as the well-known artist and Pomona- native Millard Sheets.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP35 (WPA fairgrounds exhibition hall) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) North elevation
1/21/11)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
1937 ( Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 21 of 57 ends

Building
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 20)
Courtyard area on east side of building, view to the south 1/21/11)
Wall detail on east elevation ( 1/21/11)
Detail of decorative pattern along the top of the building wall. This picture is of the eastern elevation near the southern end of the building ( 1/21/11).

See Continuation Sheet)
DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
Primary #
HRI #
State of California - The Resources Agency

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
Trinomial

Page 22 of 57 ends

Building
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 21)
Millard Sheets Building in 1947. View to the northwest. (Source: Pomona Fairplex Archives) Millard Sheets Building 1960s. View to the west. ( Source: Pomona Fairplex Archives) DPR 523A ( 1/95) * Required information
State of California The Resources Agency Primary #
DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION HRI #
PRIMARY RECORD Trinomial
NRHP Status Code 3CD/ 5D3
Other Listings
Review Code Reviewer Date

Page 23 of 57 ends

Exhibition Halls
P1. Other Identifier: Buildings 5-8
P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1988 T1S; R 9W; unsectioned land S.B.B. M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): These buildings are located in the southern part of the fairgrounds east of the Millard Sheets building.

P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) These four buildings were constructed in 1937 and 1938 as part of a WPA project. They are similar in design and have an Art Deco influence. They have barrel roofs with parapets and the exterior walls are articulated with recessed and projecting elements.

Each of the northern entrances has been remodeled in a manner similar to the representative photograph below. Typical northern elevation features include three sets of aluminum-framed windows and doors separated by wide concrete pilasters. Decorative metal fixtures have been added over the entrances. Building 8 also includes a triangular metal fixture, reminiscent of Craftsman architecture, across the top of the entrances.

The east and west elevation entrances are also similar in design as shown in the representative photograph below. Typical features include a stepped and articulated parapet and pairs of aluminum- framed windows and doors below a flat canopy flanked by articulated piers with vertical scoring. Despite the alterations, the buildings retain integrity and their simplicity of style and ornamentation represent the workmanship of the WPA workers.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP35 (WPA fairgrounds exhibition halls) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) Northwest
elevation of Building 7, which is
representative of the northwest
elevations of Buildings 5, 6, and 7
1/21/11)
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
Building 5 – 1937 (Fairplex)
Building 6 – 1937 (Fairplex)
Building 7 – 1938 (Fairplex)
Building 8 – 1938 (Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

January 21, 2011
P10. Survey Type: ( Describe)
Intensive- level CEQA compliance
P11. Report Citation: ( Cite survey report and other sources, or enter "none.") Cultural Resources Assessment for the Pomona Fairplex, City of Pomona, Los Angeles County, California. Prepared by LSA Associates, Inc., March 2011.

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
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Roofed Exhibition Halls
Recorded by LSA Associates, Inc. * Date: 1/21/11 X Continuation Update P5a. Photo or Drawing ( Continued from page 23)
Northwest elevation of Building 8, which is slightly different from northwest elevations of Buildings 5–7 (1/ 21/11).

West elevation entrance of Building 7. This is representative of most of the east and west elevation entrances on Buildings 5–8 1/21/11).

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P1. Other Identifier: Anthony’s; PX during military occupation P2. Location: Not for Publication Unrestricted * a. County: Los Angeles and ( P2b and P2c or P2d. Attach a Location Map as necessary.)
b. USGS 7.5' Quad: San Dimas, CA Date: 1966 PR 1981 T 1S; R 9W; unsectioned land S.B.B. M. c. Address: 1101 West McKinley Avenue City: Pomona Zip: 91768 d. UTM: Zone: 11; mE/ mN ( G.P.S.)
e. Other Locational Data: ( e.g., parcel #, directions to resource, elevation, etc., as appropriate): This building is located southwest of the grandstand.

P3a. Description: ( Describe resource and its major elements. Include design, materials, condition, alterations, size, setting, and boundaries) This one- story, Art Deco- influenced building was constructed in the late 1930s and may have been one of the WPA projects. In the 1940s, the military reportedly used it as the PX ( general store). The east- facing façade features a modern, Art Deco-influenced curved canopy/patio cover and an off-centered entrance flanked by four- over- one windows arranged in groups of three. On either side of the windows there is a narrow pilaster that extends above the parapet. In the middle of the façade, above the canopy, there is a wider and shorter pilaster accented by a decorative, curved metal element.

The north and south elevations of the original building are nearly identical. They each have a stepped parapet and are divided into four bays separated by narrow pilasters. Three of the bays have multi-paned ribbon windows, while the westernmost fourth bay has been filled in with a solid wall. There is a historic-period addition at the southwest side the building that includes two sets of ribbon windows, one of which is below a flat canopy. The addition at the northwest side of the building has no openings. The building retains a moderate level of integrity and may be associated with the WPA as well as the military occupation of the fairgrounds.

P3b. Resource Attributes: ( List attributes and codes) HP39 (fairgrounds building, maybe WPA) P4. Resources Present: Building Structure Object Site District Element of District Other ( Isolates, etc.) P5b. Description of Photo: ( View,
date, accession #) View to the south
on 1/21/11
P6. Date Constructed/ Age and
Sources: Historic
Prehistoric Both
Late 1930s ( Fairplex)
P7. Owner and Address:

Pomona Fairplex
1101 West McKinley Avenue
Pomona, CA 92768
P8. Recorded by: ( Name,
affiliation, and address)
Casey Tibbet, M.A.

LSA Associates, Inc.
1500 Iowa Avenue, Suite 200
Riverside, CA 92507
P9. Date Recorded:

DEPARTMENT OF PARKS AND RECREATION

CONTINUATION SHEET
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City Council / Housing AuthorityAugust 3, 2026

City Council / Housing Authority
August 3, 2026