CHOWCHILLA - At Wednesday’s Chowchilla City Council Meeting, Council voted 4-1 in favor of awarding a bid to the San Joaquin Valley Paleontology Foundation for the remnant of the historic highway landmark known as Mammoth Orange. The San Joaquin Valley Paleontology organization is the foundation for the Fossil Discovery Center of Madera County.

The SJV Paleontology Foundation is making plans to remove the old Mammoth Orange shell from the City yard and move it to its new location at the Fossil Discovery Center located at 19450 Avenue 21 ½ in Chowchilla. Their intent is to restore the Mammoth Orange to be utilized as an on-site concession stand. They plan on operating it as a full hamburger stand as it once was in its glory days while located along Highway 99.

A foundation representative also stated “We feel our acquisition of the Mammoth Orange would place it in a public place for all to see while keeping it in the Fairmead area. It fits well with the Fossil Discovery Center’s goals to honor the historical value of the region and it would enhance our center as well.”