Cholame, California: James Dean Memorial
The actor met his untimely end by auto accident near here. The memorial, erected in 1977, plaque added in 1983, was paid for by Japanese businessman Seita Ohnishi, a big fan of Dean.
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There's a monument on the side of the road and a restaurant adjacent to it, a memorial to James Dean. Apparently this is located in the spot where he was killed in a car accident...the monument (for whatever reason) was given by the Japanese Government. Basically the only building in this tiny town (Cholame) is the monument/restaurant/gift shop
[John English, 08/29/2001]Where the mortal James Dean became immortal. The memorial includes a large, shiny piece of aluminum wrapped around a tree. It is in the parking lot of the Jack Ranch Cafe, which is apparently the sum total of Cholame. Inside, the cafe has memorabilia and souvenirs.
[Ralph Ankuda, 11/13/2000][Previous 5 items] Page of 3
James Dean Memorial
- Address:
- 19215 CA-46, Cholame, CA
- Directions:
- Between Fresno and Paso Robles, east of Shandon, on the west side of CA-46, just north of the Jack Ranch Cafe. The memorial encircles a tree in the parking lot.
- RA Rates:
- Worth a Detour
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The site of the actual crash is supposedly about a mile away from the location of the monument. On Sept. 30, 1955, Dean died of broken neck when his Porsche Spyder rammed into the side of Donald Turnupseed's 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe Coupe, which had pulled out onto Hwy 466. In 1987, a small metal marker was erected on the site by Japanese businessman and fan Seita Onishi. He later replaced the marker with a big shiny "infinity sign" -- a 30-square foot reflecting sculpture under an oleander tree. The post office had some Dean memorabilia in scrapbooks, and the local diner's Dean exhibit includes the speeding ticket he received a few hours before the fatal crash.