The History of the Sugarloaf Cafe

"Arthur Nightingale was also successful in constructing what was probably the first service station along the new highway. This facility, alternately called Nightingale’s or Nightingale’s Store, was at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, not too far west of the present-day Cahuilla Tewanet overlook. Nightingale’s store was in business for many years and went through several iterations. By 1969, it had taken on the name it is known by today – the Sugarloaf Café. "

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In the early 1930s, as the Pines-to-Palms Highway was nearing completion between the mountains and the desert, Arthur Nightingale began buying property in the Pinyon Flats area. A mechanic and automobile industry consultant by trade, Nightingale fell in love with the area at the base of Santa Rosa Mountain and decided to invest in the region.

One of the many reasons for the Pines-to-Palms Highway was as an easy access route to the cooler mountains for year-round desert residents. Seeing this, Nightingale purchased property in the higher elevations of Pinyon Flats, and in 1931, subdivided approximately 40 acres into small cabin sites. Calling his subdivision Pinyon Pines, Nightingale sought to sell the small parcels to desert residents who could construct a small cabin as a getaway location from the summer heat.

According to long-time Pinyon Pines resident Harry Quinn, Nightingale installed the water system for Pinyon Pines himself, using his own small bulldozer and a horse-drawn plow. Water was taken from Omstott Spring and piped to the small subdivision.

Nightingale’s influence did not stop there. During construction of the highway, Riverside County was in negotiations with the National Forest Service to have the federal government construct about 10 miles of the highway. The point at which the federal government’s contractors would take over would be somewhere just east of Pinyon Flats.

Therefore, Nightingale began what would become known as Nightingale’s Camp, where he and his staff fed and housed workers on the highway. It must be mentioned here that in these early years of highway construction, crews did not commute daily to their job. They were often housed in camps of various construction, often for the duration of their work. Nightingale started this camp, probably in conjunction with the federal contractor.

Although mainly interested in the Pinyon area, Nightingale did have a cabin near the peak of Santa Rosa Mountain. He also ran a waystation along the precursor road to today’s 10 Freeway, about 12 miles east of Indio. Called Cactus City, this small “town” consisted of a service station and a small café south of the road. This facility was razed with the construction of the 10 through the area, but the name of Cactus City still remains as the name of the rest stop that borders the interstate highway in that area.

Art Nightingale died in 1968, leaving a legacy of development in the Pinyon Flats area. His wife Mae, who primarily stayed in the greater Los Angeles area during the time her husband was in Pinyon, retired to Pinyon Flats and remained there for the rest of her life.

If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column about a local historic person, place or event, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype@gmail.com.