This whole project began more than a year ago as Mesa Marin raceway was getting closer and closer to shutting down. We were having a discussion in the newsroom about Bakersfield losing such a landmark and what it meant.

Mesa Marin was one of those things that made Bakersfield unique. That made it stand out from all the other cities that have the same chain restaurants and big box stores.

And then we wondered: What Lost Treasures are so long gone that we don't even know about them? And the hunt was on.

Now, it seems fitting to ask the inverse of that question: What current landmarks should we protect to keep them from becoming lost?

We've had a few people suggest we should have included this sign in our Lost Treasures package. I definitely am fascinated by this behemoth. Maybe we'll add it to our long list of potential treasures to track down.

Anyone know anything about this sign? Anyone have pictures of it? (This was the best I could find.)

And most importantly, anyone know where it is now? How cool would it be to have this thing in your backyard.

We're launching our Lost Treasures project this weekend, starting Sunday for print readers. We'll dole out several at a time for the next week.

But for online readers, you get it all right now.

Reporter Jeff Nachtigal has designed a cool Flash presentation that includes all the stories, images and audio slideshows. Check it out here.

If you have technical problems you can check out an all text list of the stories here. It doesn't have all the pictures and audio slideshows, however.

Did we miss an important Lost Treasure?

You can leave your own favorite Lost Treasures on this blog. Or you can e-mail them to losttreasures@bakersfield.com or even phone them in to 661-395-7201.

We're hoping to run even more of these in the future.

This is a photo we stumbled upon while working on the Lost Treasures. It isn't one of the items we featured. We just don't know enough and since it was knocked down to make way for the Bakersfield Inn, there might not be many folks who still remember it.

Any old timers out there that know more about this place? Here is all we have from the cutline on the photo.

"Located at Calif. Ave. & Union Ave. on old Hwy. 99. Later torn down to make way for construction of Bakersfield Inn."

Starting very soon, The Californian is going to be running a series of articles on local 'Lost Treasures.'

These are old businesses and landmarks that have disappeared over the years, but still remain strong in the memories of locals. Here's a list of some of the things we'll be profiling.

Stan’s Drive-in
Michener’s Drive In
The Blackboard
Al  Bussell's Ranch
Sun, Fun, Stay, Play Signs
Brock’s Department Store
Union Avenue Plunge
Rollo-Dome
El Tejon Hotel
Crystal Baths
Freddie’s at the Skyway House
California Theater
Maison Jaussaud
Drive in theatres: Ninety Nine (99), Crest, Terrace, South Chester

What 'Lost Treasures' do you folks miss?