The City of Needles is named after "The Needles" the sharp peaks in the Mohave Mountains east of town near Topock, Arizona...
Needles was the first city in California to welcome J. C. Penny's in 1914. The museum and thrift store occupy the 1948 store that Penney's built and sits on the U. S. Route 66 alignment that that was prior to 1930...
In 1883, Needles came into existence due to the efforts of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, the Southern Pacific Railroad and the Santa Fe Railroad creating the 35th Parallel transcontinental railroad line.