Although Amboy was first settled in 1858 by salt miners, the town was not established until 1883. Lewis Kingman, a locating engineer for the Atlantic and Pacific Railroad, created the town as the first of a series of alphabetical railroad stations that were to be constructed across the Mojave Desert. In 1926, Amboy became a boomtown after the opening of U.S. Route 66. In 1938, Roy’s Motel and Café opened, which prospered due to its isolated location on the route. By 1940, Amboy’s population had increased to 65. Its growth was tied not only to tourists, but also to the Santa Fe Railroad over which high-speed freight trains still run today. During the Great Depression and World War II, tourism declined nationally. But the remaining travelers need for lodging, meals, and gasoline kept the town busy. The town remained this way until the opening of Interstate 40 in 1973, which bypassed Amboy.

Amboy was originally owned by Buster Burris who sold the town in 1995 to investors who mainly used it for photo and film shoots. After the investors lost it in foreclosure, it was repossessed by Bessie Burris, Buster’s widow. Bessie sold the property in 2005 to Albert Okura, owner of the Juan Pollo restaurant chain for $425,000 in cash and $100,000 so far on restoration. Albert has faced challenges in getting basics such as electricity and water services restored and operative. His restoration hurdles predominantly involved Amboy’s infrastructure, most of it had been laid by Buster Burris himself (not to current building codes). Okura has experience with preservationist efforts and stewardship, being the owner of the Original McDonald’s in San Bernardino, California, which he operates as a museum. Unlike the investors, who wanted to maintain Roy’s and Amboy in a “weathered” condition for use as in film shoots, Okura plans to fully restore Roy’s to its former glory as a “nostalgia tourists” destination, and Route 66 rest stop for travelers en route to and from the Colorado River scenic and recreation areas.