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| Big pics below. |
Lakewood was just named one of ten All-America Cities -- a designation well worth celebrating. However, the community's Facebook page could do a better job of horn-tooting. In fact, its profile photos don't even feature the city, and other shots are pretty hit and miss. Luckily, the Lakewood Historical Society picks up the slack. See a combined gallery below.
One photo on the Lakewood Facebook page features a justly famous landmark in the community -- Casa Bonita:
And there's a lovely shot of a double rainbow over town...
But while Bel Mar is nice...
... and features a spiffy Target...
... there are plenty of other things that make Lakewood unique. Here are some samples from the Lakewood Historical Society website, complete with its descriptions. First up: our personal favorite:
DAVIES' CHUCK WAGON DINER, 9495 W. Colfax Ave.
Davies Chuck Wagon Diner was established in 1957 by the Lyman Davies family. The architecture is considered to be that of late 19th and early 20th Century American movement.
The diner is made of pre-fabricated stainless steel. It was shipped from the manufacturer by railroad. The most distinctive feature of the diner is the 240 square foot sign sporting a 17-foot cowboy. A fiberglass horse was placed on top of the building in the early 1960s. The restaurant was run by the Davies family and was open 24 hours, 7 days a week for a period of 14 years. Originally, truckers driving along Colfax, the only east-west highway through town, were the biggest customers.
Jim and Dwayne Clark, who currently own the diner, desire to preserve as much of the original ambiance as possible. It has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places as a representation of post WWII Americana.
Page down to see more highlights: