LOCAL HISTORY PROJECT

The end of the Tollhouse Grade looking north. Just past this point the grade turned right and angled southeast up the mountain. The cut brush along the side of the road was cut by teamsters to drag behind their wagons to act as a break. When they reached the bottom they cut the brush loose and left it.

circa: 1890

The bottom of the Tollhouse Grade looking southwest toward the town. The stage barn is on the left of the picture. Note the brush left behind by teamsters who used it for a brake.

circa: 1900

The Tollhouse Stage parked at the stage barn. The grade ran behind the stage barn and turned right up the mountain. The stage is the standard western coach instead of the wagon with seats mounted on it. Passengers who were capable had to walk most of the way to the top of the grade because the horses couldn't pull a lot of weight up the mountain.

circa: 1885

Tollhouse Road below Tollhouse. The season must be spring because the road doesn't have the thick dust of summer. This type of roadbed was what the early roads were all like.

circa: 1905

View of Tollhouse looking south from across Dry Creek. The bar is in the left middle and the Hotel is on the right middle. Stacked by the bar and in the middle of the picture are stacks of Sugar Pine shakes milled in Tollhouse. Shakes are very thick shingles. Sugar Pine was preferred because it had few knots and split cleanly.

circa: 1902

View of Tollhouse looking west from about a third of the way up the grade. Black Mountain is in the center of the picture behind Tollhouse. A Achilles Mudge picture.

circa: 1920

Looking west at Tollhouse from the grade. The stage barn is the big building at the bottom of the picture.

circa: 1922

Looking Northeast at Tollhouse. In the center of the picture is the bar. Part of the other buildings are a part of the shake mill. Straight behind Tollhouse is the falls of Big Dry Creek.

circa: 1915

A close up picture of Tollhouse with the bar in the center. Looking northeast.

circa: 1915

This is a picture of an oversize log(length) cut by Max Yancey in Tollhouse. The log was a special order Sugar Pine to be used as a flagpole.. Two days were needed to get the log down Tollhouse Grade because the log couldn't clear the corners.

circa: 1935