Rancho Cordova’s historical Mills Station was the site Sunday afternoon of “The Great American Road Trip,” a celebration marking the unveiling of the city’s first historical monument commemorating the area’s vital role as a stop along the nation’s Lincoln Highway.

The festive atmosphere was attended by scores of Rancho Cordovan’s, live music, history buffs, historical groups, Boy Scout Troop 363, Folsom, El Dorado & Sacramento Historical Railroad Association, local government officials and dozens of vintage automobiles, vendors and exhibits.

Beginning in Roseville, a caravan of approximately 60 cars, trucks and vintage emergency vehicles proceeded along a predetermined route culminating at Mills Station. The building has been a vital part of the Rancho Cordova community for a century, serving at various times as a train station, general store, soda fountain, dance hall and all-round center for civic functions.

Rancho Cordova Mayor David Sanders set the tone in his remarks to the assembled crowds by taking attendees on a “time traveling” adventure. It was Sanders’ initial research that revealed Rancho’s Folsom Boulevard was initially known as part of the Lincoln Highway, so named in tribute to Abraham Lincoln. The original planners envisioned the Lincoln Highway as a network that would united the country from coast to coast just as President Lincoln had united the country in the sad wake of the Civil War.

Officially designated now as Rancho Cordova’s “Heritage Corridor,” the weekend celebration marked the unveiling of a new 4-sided monument memorializing the spot’s significance as a railway, Pony Express stop, community center and historic building. Kudos were given to current City Council member Linda Budge as having been instrumental in saving the building from certain devastation in recent decades. Thanks to Budge’s crusade, initial renovations stabilized the structure, which now, thanks to new funding obtained in large part by Supervisor Don Nottoli, will soon undergo further renovations to ready the venerable for building for new life for future generations.

Situated along Folsom Boulevard and Mather Field Road, Mills Station is one of very few historical buildings left in Rancho Cordova. Others include the Sheepherder Inn, the American River Grange, one farm house and the Pfingst Station along the railroad on Folsom Boulevard.

The opening of Highway 50 markedly improved travel time for drivers traveling east-west through the Sacramento area, but it also initiated a death knell for many businesses that depended upon vehicle traffic for their livelihood. Coupled with the closure of Mather Air Force Base, the fortunes of businesses, citizens and the community in general became victims of the downturn that continued for decades.

Thanks to champions such as Budge and Nottoli, the incorporation of Rancho Cordova as a city and the vastly unsung efforts of local citizens, businesses, community organizations and gritty determination, Rancho Cordova is at last beginning to emerge with a new identity that incorporates the heritage of the area, making Rancho Cordova a place that knows what it is today and what it can be tomorrow.

Recent improvements implemented by the city to beautify Folsom Boulevard in Rancho Cordova, along with ongoing shopping, new housing and shopping development have improved the corridor in recent years. The designation and celebration of the road as Rancho’s very own “Heritage Corridor,” championed by the City Council, Cordova Community Council, Rancho Cordova Historical Society and other groups continues to bolster the city’s image as a place to live, play, visit and do business in a vibrant city with small town appeal.