The Changing Faces of Felton’s Toll House Resort
By Ronnie Trubek
An 1867 toll house and general store for the Santa Cruz/Boulder Creek stagecoach line on Highway 9 in Felton has gone through many changes. One of the few buildings remaining from the early mining and lumbering days, this iconic property is considered a gateway to the San Lorenzo Valley and claims to be the last known standing toll house in the country. In the late 1800s the railroad ran below the property and visitors could disembark and use the Big Trees Road to walk into Welch Grove. By the turn of the century the toll house had become a saloon and was reputed to be an infamous red light establishment.
Italian dinners at the Toll House Cafe in the 1920s
Toll House Resort in the 1930s
Mobilegas and the entrance to Big Trees 1943
A succession of owners refurbished the property and catered mainly to the Big Trees tourists. Re-envisioned as a vacation destination when automobile traffic to the park increased, the Toll House was rebranded over the years into a resort motel that variously included modern cabins, a lunchroom, an Italian restaurant, Mobilgas station, and was touted as a relaxing home base for seasonal trout fishing.
Big Trees Toll House 1963
This 1993 California State Historic Landmark property has changed hands, names, and purpose many times over its long life. The 1980s saw its final use as Toll House Furniture and Antiques when the 1989 earthquake permanently ended all commercial operations. Now a private residence, the current owners have aspirations to restore it to its old glory; the Toll House may yet wear a new hat!
Passionate about the history of Santa Cruz County, in her spare time you’ll find Ronnie Trubek participating in history classes, lectures, and walks around the county or at shows collecting maps, postcards, photos and other ephemera relating to our rich and diverse community.
Photos from the Ronnie Trubek Collection
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