LOCAL HISTORY PROJECT

This picture is the Yancey shake mill looking east toward Tollhouse. The mill sat slightly south of where today's post office sits. Max Yancey started this mill to mill shakes and then expanded it to a full size mill by the 1940's. The mill was forced to move to Madera County in the 1960's because of environmental concerns.

circa: 1940

Tollhouse from the new grade. The mill burner is smoking in the middle of the picture. The mill is a full service lumber mill at this point. Sierra Elementary School is visible in the center of the picture behind the smoke.

circa: 1950

Tollhouse Peak. Originally the peak was named after the first white man to settle in what would be Tollhouse, Elijah Sauvers. Sauvers' name was misspelled and the peak became Sarvers' Peak on the map of Fresno County.

circa: 1994

Group of early mountain pioneers in Tollhouse. The man seated with the white beard left is John Humphreys. The man standing second from the right is Joseph Bretz. The building is the side of the livery barn in Tollhouse. The other men are unidentified.

circa: 1875

Shoeing an ox in Tollhouse. Oxen were shod because they had to have their hooves protected when hauling in the woods. The man seated in the front with the dog is a man named Blade. His daughter is on the left of the picture. An ox was a bull calf allowed to grow to full maturity and size and then neutered. This allowed for maximum size and power but no problems wanting to stop and see the cows in the fields. The other men are unidentified.

circa: 1898

Closeup of John Humphreys at Tollhouse. Humphreys was one of the first loggers in the Tollhouse area. He, along with the Woods brothers, built the original Tollhouse Grade in 1867. Humphreys' Station was owned and built by his brother. The Humphreys Ranch today is the Walt Weldon Ranch. The other men are unidentified.

circa: 1875

Working on the new Tollhouse Grade in the 1930's.

circa: 1932

Early Tollhouse. The earliest known picture of Tollhouse, probably about 1870. The corrals and bar are on the right and the blacksmith shop on the left. Tollhouse or Sarvers' Peak is in the center.

circa: 1870

This picture is of the Tollhouse Hill Climb race taken in Tollhouse. Looking west through Tollhouse, the garage/blacksmith shop is on the right and the old store is on the left.

circa: 1912