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39-688: The proximity of the Rio Hondo Bike Path to the central regional transit hub at the El Monte Station , including the MetroLink J Line , makes it one of the most accessible routes to access a variety of bike paths and local parks. The northern start of the Rio Hondo Bike Path is at the Peck Road Water Conservation Park in the southern Monrovia area. From there, the southbound path follows along

78-513: A 3,500-seat multi-purpose indoor venue in El Monte, California . It had originally been a combined auditorium and gymnasium located on the campus of El Monte Union High School. From the beginning, the venue served the school as well as the public in El Monte. Concerns about its soundness after the 1933 Long Beach earthquake nearly resulted in its closure, but tests that determined the building

117-400: A 62-unit townhouse complex built on the property that was formerly the location of Legion Stadium, opened to the public. Its grand opening ceremony was hosted by Laboe, who was commemorated in an entrance fountain designed by Rebecca Niederlander. She recorded Laboe's reminiscences of Legion Stadium, which are displayed on a nearby plaque: There was a lot of duplication of friendships and just

156-417: A common sight at Legion Stadium by the end of the 1950s: When I went to El Monte [Legion Stadium], I felt I could date anybody I wanted to; I could dance with anybody I wanted to. Altogether, by the time Laboe hosted his last "Oldies, but Goodies" show in 1962, he had produced over 300 of them, mostly at Legion Stadium. Changing trends in popular music, its attendant industry, and society in general during

195-466: A connection to the Rio Hondo bicycle trail, which is north of the station. Previously the station had a connection through the parking lot, but that was fenced off when construction of the new terminal began. The Division 9 bus yard is located next to the bus station, and buses coming into, or going out of service, enter and leave from that yard. With 22,000 passengers and 1,200 bus departures daily

234-776: A lease agreement with a private developer. The process was stalled by the reorganization of the Post Office into the USPS , but was finalized in January 1973 after Legion Stadium was sold to the United States Army Corps of Engineers for $ 369,800 ( c.  $ 2,600,000 in 2023). The last event hosted there took place in September 1973. Legion Stadium was demolished on August 9, 1974. Experiences at Legion Stadium led Frank Zappa and Ray Collins to write

273-475: A lot of fun on Saturday night, as we all danced and sang and had a great time. Times we will never forget, lives in the hearts and minds of the thousands that attended the El Monte Legion Stadium through the years. This is Art Laboe and I sure hope that you all have as good a time as we had back in the day at El Monte Legion Stadium! See you there, Saturday night! His words were converted into

312-447: A new place. We took a look at the stadium and moved the show. My wife, Dorothy, and I had about $ 1,400 [ c.  $ 18,000 in 2023] saved. We took that and went to KLAC, Channel 13, and bought two half-hour shows. We were risking our life savings. The broadcast was an immediate success and gained Westinghouse Broadcasting as a sponsor; Stone soon became considered the " Ed Sullivan " of country music. At its peak, Hometown Jamboree

351-469: A place to have their parties and their meetings and to have a good time. Another Legionnaire, Marshall Walker, said that the building was also intended to be a "living memorial to the war dead". It was initially renamed El Monte Athletic Club, but was later called El Monte Legion Stadium. The American Legion leased the building to Claude Bridge, a local boxing promoter and former journalist. Boxing and wrestling matches were hosted by Legion Stadium twice

390-965: A rural stream bed through the Whittier Narrows Recreation Area . One can connect to the San Gabriel River bicycle path via the Legg Lake bicycle path here. The Rio Hondo bike path continues south and joins Los Angeles River bicycle path at the confluence of the Rio Hondo and Los Angeles River in South Gate . The L.A. River bike path continues to downtown Long Beach , ending by the Pacific Ocean. 34°01′30″N 118°05′01″W  /  34.02503°N 118.08350°W  / 34.02503; -118.08350 El Monte Station El Monte Station

429-521: A week and were very profitable in the immediate postwar years, but interest in them quickly dwindled. Among the boxers who fought at the venue was Kris Kristofferson in 1958, then a Rhodes Scholar at Pomona College . According to the Pasadena Independent Star-News , Legion Stadium reached its "heyday of popularity" when it became the home of Cliffie Stone 's Hometown Jamboree , a country music television program that

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468-587: Is a large regional bus station in the city of El Monte , California, United States, adjacent to Interstate 10 , serving the Metro J Line , Foothill Transit , Greyhound Lines , and El Monte Transit . It is the Metro J Line's eastern terminus. The El Monte Busway was conceived in 1969 as a way to allow travelers to avoid traffic on Interstate 10 (San Bernardino Freeway), promising an 18-minute trip between El Monte and Downtown Los Angeles, compared to 35–45 minutes in

507-558: The El Monte Union High School District board had a personal grudge against him that led him to vigorously campaign for demolition. Tests demonstrated that the building was capable of withstanding significantly more stress than had previously been believed. The building was preserved after establishing that the cost of demolition would be in excess of what was spent on its construction. The remaining school buildings continued to be used until April 1937, when

546-708: The Everly Brothers . According to Laboe, Legion Stadium would be filled to capacity, with a line of people hoping to get in coiling around the building twice over. "We used to have to shut the door because they were like sardines [inside of Legion Stadium]", he said. Retrospectively, Laboe's shows at Legion Stadium are also remembered as a landmark in multiculturalism in Los Angeles. In 1995, Laboe recalled that "White kids from Beverly Hills, Black kids from Compton, and local Chicano kids" all went to his shows. According to one patron, interracial dating had become

585-483: The 1960s led to a drop in musical bookings for Legion Stadium. A former patron recalled: The shows inside the place reflected the changes going on outside. Stabbings, beatings, and riots were commonplace. Rival gangs fought each other as the music provided them with a soundtrack. Although Legion Stadium continued to be used for sporting events and live music, including hosting a show for Johnny Winter in 1971, rising taxes and operating costs made it more difficult for

624-424: The 1962 song " Memories of El Monte ", which was named after an eponymous LP compilation produced by Laboe. Zappa had presented the song to Laboe, who agreed to produce it as a single for his label Original Sound Recordings. Laboe prevailed upon Cleve Duncan from The Penguins to sing the lead, with members of The Viceroys, a local band, singing backing vocals; he also asked Zappa to amend the lyrics so as to mention

663-602: The American Legion to earn a profit. In May 1969, the United States Post Office announced that they were considering acquiring the 2.49 acre property and had appraised it for $ 285,000 ( c.  $ 2,400,000 in 2023). On November 29, the Post Office said that it would acquire Legion Stadium and an adjoining building for a total of $ 510,000 ( c.  $ 4,000,000 in 2023); a new branch office serving El Monte would be built in its place under

702-741: The City Council of legislating against interracial relationships; he led a campaign with the ACLU , NAACP , and AFM , Local 47, that resulted in the reversal of the City Council's decision. Laboe's shows at Legion Stadium began in 1957 and were produced on alternating weekends. They consisted of live performances and dances to prerecorded music, prioritized "fun, fun, fun", and dispensed with dress codes. Guest performers included The Penguins , Don and Dewey , Jackie Wilson , Sam Cooke , Ritchie Valens , Chuck Berry , Little Richard , Jerry Lee Lewis , Chubby Checker , Tommy Sands , The Coasters , and

741-420: The El Monte station was serving 12,000 passengers per day. For commuters, they could park their cars in one of the parking lots, then hop on a bus for the traffic-free ride to downtown Los Angeles. The parking lots had to be expanded several times in order to meet demand. For those not in cars, the station was an important transit transfer point, in express services to downtown, local and express buses fanned out to

780-620: The Metro J Line between El Monte Station and Downtown Los Angeles. Staffed counters are available for Foothill Transit, Metro ExpressLanes , and Greyhound. Due to demand, the Metro J Line runs a 24-hour night time service between El Monte Station and Harbor Gateway Transit Center, as of June 25, 2017. As of June 23, 2024 , the following services are available: El Monte Legion Stadium The El Monte Legion Stadium —also known as Legion Stadium , El Monte Union High School Auditorium , El Monte Auditorium , El Monte Gymnasium , Old El Monte Gym , and The Pink Elephant —was

819-611: The age of 18, which required permission from the board of the LAUSD . Instead, he chose El Monte, where local laws were more lenient. Nevertheless, Laboe, his business partner Hal Zeiger, and Johnny Otis , who also organized shows at Legion Stadium, ran into opposition from the El Monte City Council; their dance permits for Legion Stadium were revoked on the grounds that the rock and roll music performed at their shows created an "unwholesome, unhealthy situation". Otis accused

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858-556: The aging stations along both corridors. One of the first locations to be improved was the El Monte Station. In 2010, the old station was demolished and replaced a two-level terminal nearly twice the size. The new $ 60 million station would feature more bus bays, a large public plaza, a bicycle parking station , and customer service offices. The new station opened to the public on Sunday, October 14, 2012. An art installation, titled "El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne," debuted at

897-473: The city's early years. During World War II , the auditorium was converted into a factory that produced airplane parts. On January 16, 1945, the American Legion , Post 261, purchased the building from El Monte Union High School District for $ 26,650. A former Legionnaire, John W. Goodenow, explained the rationale for their purchase: [W]e knew the boys were coming home from World War II and needed

936-480: The cost was revised to $ 70,000, with an additional $ 10,000 needed for equipment. According to contractors Thurman & Thurman, it was "the best value of any building erected in Southern California" in the 1920s. Its seating capacity was announced to be 3,500. By the end of the 1920s, El Monte Union High Auditorium was used by the public for entertainment and sporting events. In 1931, it was one of

975-400: The general-purpose lanes. At the El Monte end of the line, a $ 945,000 terminal would be built, then described as the world’s first bus rapid transit station. The station was described as having a "Space Age" design , stemming from its unique circular shape billed as providing easy access for buses from both directions. The station opened on July 14, 1973. The service was popular and by 1975,

1014-600: The groups included on the Memories of El Monte LP. The song's second verse mentions these groups and quotes from their songs, while Duncan performs vocal impersonations of them. The song concludes with an evocation of El Monte and Legion Stadium. In 2014, Vincent Ramos erected his "El Monte Legion Stadium Nocturne" at El Monte Station . The work commemorates performers associated with Stone, Laboe, and Otis, as well as athletes who played at Legion Stadium. Their likenesses are displayed atop images of 45s . In 2018, Union Walk,

1053-582: The host of a rock and roll radio show in Los Angeles. His "Oldies, but Goodies" programs had become so popular that the crowds who converged onto the Scrivner's Drive-In location on the corner of Sunset Blvd. and Cahuenga Ave. in Hollywood , where the show was broadcast live, caused traffic jams in the area. At first, Laboe sought a new show venue within the city of Los Angeles, but was dissuaded by its laws that placed restrictions on gatherings of people under

1092-485: The host venue for Cliffie Stone 's Hometown Jamboree and Art Laboe 's "Oldies, but Goodies" concerts. These became an important part of the history of the country music and nascent rock and roll subcultures in the Greater Los Angeles area. The latter led to Frank Zappa and Ray Collins writing the song " Memories of El Monte ". Rising costs and changes in society led to Legion Stadium's decline. It

1131-511: The north, east and south of the station. Ridership would continue to grow over the next few decades, and the station would continue to age. By 2006, the El Monte Busway was being used by 40,000 passengers on 1,100 bus trips per day, and the El Monte Station had become the busiest bus station west of Chicago and was operating well beyond its originally intended capacity. In an effort to relieve overcrowding, Metro opened six new bus bays in

1170-644: The parking lot just west of the main station in 2006. On December 13, 2009, Metro launched its second Metro Busway bus rapid transit service, the Silver Line (now J Line ) utilizing both the El Monte Busway and the Harbor Transitway. The new higher frequency service would be funded by converting both corridors into high occupancy toll (HOT) lanes, to be branded as the Metro ExpressLanes . The tolls would be used to fund improvements to

1209-408: The station in 2014. The work, by Vincent Ramos, commemorates local music and sports figures associated with Legion Stadium , an indoor arena that was demolished in 1974. The entrance to the station is located at the corner of Santa Anita Ave and Ramona Boulevard. The new layout of El Monte Station features 17 new bus berths on the lower level and 12 additional berths on the upper level. The design of

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1248-560: The station is such that there are no at grade crossings of passengers and buses. Although the upper level is at existing grade, passengers are required to descend into the lower level and return to the ground level. Just west of this station the transitway moves off the separate right of way and moves into the middle of Interstate 10. The station has a 1,760 space park and ride lot . There are additional spaces in Downtown El Monte which can be used by commuters. The station also has

1287-573: The station was doubled in size in a renovation which was completed in October 2012. Of all the 9 Metro J Line stations, the El Monte Station is the busiest and most served. With the "Silver 2 Silver" program, Cal State LA students who have Metro passes can use the Foothill Transit's Silver Streak bus between Downtown Los Angeles and El Monte Station at no additional charge. Similarly, Foothill Transit Silver Streak riders may use their passes on

1326-718: The threat of a student strike successfully persuaded the El Monte Union High School District board to move classes to safer facilities. Construction of the new El Monte Union High School began in December. Throughout this period, the El Monte Union High Auditorium continued to be used. In 1935, during the inaugural El Monte Pioneer Days, it was the venue for The End of the Santa Fe Trail , a play that celebrated

1365-479: The venues that hosted the Junior Olympic Games . It also hosted celebratory exhibitions that preceded the 1932 Summer Olympics . Damage incurred in the 1933 Long Beach earthquake left the adjoining buildings unsafe. In 1934, the school's administration building was abandoned and the future of the auditorium was debated. James Thurman, whose company had built it, said that one of the trustees of

1404-443: Was initially broadcast locally on KLAC , then moved to KTLA . Originally, Hometown Jamboree had been a radio program that was broadcast live on Saturday nights from Placentia . Stone recalled that Tennessee Ernie Ford , one of the performers on Hometown Jamboree , had been the catalyst for the change of venue and broadcasting medium: He'd heard about El Monte Legion Stadium. The crowds had gotten too big for Placentia. We needed

1443-401: Was purchased by the USPS in 1973 and demolished in 1974. El Monte Legion Stadium, originally a combined auditorium and gymnasium, was the final component added to a complex of school buildings housing El Monte Union High School. The contract for $ 62,991 for the construction of the facility was publicly announced on September 30, 1927. By April 1, 1928, when construction was nearly complete,

1482-438: Was stronger than previously believed, as well as the prohibitive costs of erecting a new auditorium, led to its preservation. El Monte Union High School, however, moved to a new campus. In 1945, the American Legion , Post 261 bought the venue, renaming it El Monte Legion Stadium. In addition to using it for their meetings, they also leased it out for sporting events and concerts. Between 1949 and 1962, Legion Stadium overlapped as

1521-415: Was the highest-rated television program in Los Angeles and drew upwards of 4,000 people to Legion Stadium per show. Among the performers who appeared on the program at Legion Stadium were Molly Bee , Billy Strange , Joan O'Brien , Tex Ritter , Lefty Frizzell , Tex Williams , and Johnny Cash . Hometown Jamboree was cancelled in 1959. In 1955, Legion Stadium attracted the attention of Art Laboe ,

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