WRITTEN BY TIM MILHORN
bars, churches, and modern changes Most of us know the city of Orland, California as the small town you breeze through on your way to Interstate 5 to head north or south to more populous regions. You pass by the Sav-Mor on Walker Street, Andy’s Butcher Block, Napa Auto Parts, the Honeybee Discovery Center, and head out toward the freeway. Along the last stretch are a CVS, Walgreens, and the ubiquitous Dutch Bros. It’s mundane America at its best with a few local exceptions.
Like all the “Westside” towns along Interstate 5 and Old Highway 99W, Orland has undergone many changes since the freeway was completed in 1965. Traffic that used to go through the western edge of town now bypassed Orland altogether. Long gone is the Arch Motel, Gardner’s Frosty, and Prince’s Trading Post. While nearby towns such as Corning and Willows eventually utilized the I-5 traffic by building gas stations, fast food businesses, and a huge truck 45
