Traveling out west during the 19th century, prior to the arrival of the railroads was dusty, bumpy, and downright slow. Not only was the average speed of a wagon rambling along a “good” road no more than 3 or 4 mph, but the exhausted animals doing all of the work needed to rest every few hours. Combine that rate of speed with the fact that everyone — man and beast — could go only so long without fueling up with grub. That is what made the few scattered ranches along the travel route, known as “way stations,” a welcome site.
As the primary corridor bridging the Mojave Desert and the San Bernardino Valley, the Cajon Pass hosted several of these stops along John Brown’s toll road, which parallels old Route 66. The spots greeted weary travelers between 1861 and the early 1880s — local newspapers of the day raved about them.
Starting at the mouth of the Cajon Pass, east of what is now Glen Helen Park in Devore, was Martin’s Station. George and Sarah Martin established their ranch during the late 1850s and over the next two decades military reports, diary entries and newspapers indicated that just about everyone heading toward the desert from either Los Angeles or San Bernardino stopped there.
William H. Jackson noted in his diary of 1867: “At Martin’s, a comfortable looking little place, found good water and wood. Baked up bread and had a good hot supper.”
The San Bernardino Daily Times of May 18, 1880, made Martin’s Station — by then no longer owned by the family but still retaining the name — out to be somewhat of a swank pioneer nightclub.
“There will be a party given at Martin’s Station in the Cajon Pass on Friday evening next, which promises to be one of these regular jolly times which seem to belong to country parties,” the article reads. “All the young ladies for miles around will be there, and besides, many young folks from town have expressed their intention of going.”
Jeremiah Vincent started another station a couple miles up the canyon when he filed on 160 acres in 1874. While traveling on foot from Ohio to California in 1884 and passing through the Cajon Pass, Charles F. Lummis described in his journal published in 1892, “A Tramp Across the Continent,” the Vincent Place as a “hospitable little farmhouse with fragrant blooms of peach and apricot orchards.” During this time Mrs. Vincent was well known for her kindness and presenting a “good spread of food.”
Evidence of the hospitality and popularity of the Applewhite Place owned by James and Ellen Applewhite, who lived another mile or so up the canyon from 1873 to 1883, was reported in the San Bernardino Daily Times on April 10, 1879.
The article states “Applewhite, the popular landlord of Cajon Pass, was in town today buying more seed ‘taters.’ He claims that his ranch is the pleasantest summer resort of San Bernardino. For certain, the 160-acre ranch was a welcome rest stop for weary travelers along the road connecting the San Bernardino Valley with the Mojave Desert.”
Over in the Blue Cut area from the mid 1860s until the late 1870s, was John Brown’s Lower Toll House. Brown’s daughter, Louisa, recalled in later years that her father scooped out a swimming hole near the creek, which became not only a popular summer treat for the family, but for “ladies from San Bernardino — even those who were fairly high in local society — used to delight in going up there to take a dip.”
A short distance away from Brown’s Toll House was the Mathis Place.
“Blinkey Bob,” as friends and family members called him, settled in the mid 1870s and developed a big hog ranch. He also owned the land surrounding what is now known as Lost Lake, a secluded fishing and swimming retreat popular even today.
Jesse Tay and Charles Lawrence took over the Cajon Pass toll road franchise from John Brown in 1878. Their Cozy Dell Ranch, as the site eventually became known, became a real hit after they built a new and improved station house in 1881.
Finally, at the upper end of the pass was the home of James and Naomi Fears, who were well thought of by travelers.
The San Bernardino Guardian of Feb. 13, 1869, had this tribute to Fears’ station:
“Persons who have occasion to travel over the Mojave Road will find at the residence of Mr. J.M. Fears, twenty-four miles from San Bernardino, the very place to stop. He has an abundance of feed for man or beast, so he says, and we know Mr. F to be a clever, honest man, one who makes no promises he is not able to fill.”
The San Bernardino Guardian published an account given by an anonymous author on Aug. 30, 1871, who, along with his companion, was treated well during an overnight stay.
Immediately upon their arrival, “Uncle Jim” fed and watered their animals and that evening Mrs. Fears set the dinner table with food and venison steaks “cooked to a nicety as only Mrs. F knows how.” At five o’clock the next morning the two men were awakened by Uncle Jim’s call for all hands to come to breakfast, and as soon as they finished eating, they hitched up the mules and resumed their journey.
Ah, those were the days. For the thousands of motorists heading through the Cajon Pass today, our way stations are now called Arco, McDonald’s, and Del Taco.
You can contact Nick Cataldo at Yankeenut15@gmail.com and read more of his local history articles at Facebook.com/BackRoadsPress.
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These stops along the Cajon Pass helped weary travelers of the 1800s - San Bernardino County Sun
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