Strawberry on the Lincoln Highway's southern route, part 6.

These wonderful photos show Strawberry’s two locations. The location of the Strawberry House has been a source of confusion for me. The secret is realizing there were a total of four Strawberry Houses over the years. Irad Barry built the first roadhouse in 1858 along what is now Highway 50. There is a state rock monument describing the first location just west of the gas station. It was here that a second larger lodge was built and stood until a fire destroyed it in 1867. The photo above shows the huge structure.

Strawberry cabins in 1920. We are facing east. Click photo for closer look. “McCarthy Album 04, Photograph 068,” California State Archives Exhibits,

After the disastrous fire of 1867, the new owner, Charlie Watson, re-built the station, but a bit up the road, just before the bridge crossing the American River. The photo above shows this new location. It was this location that would see the rise in automobile traffic after the turn of the century. This spot would be owned by the Watson and Martin Families from 1867 to 1938. While autos did pass down the old Swan-Henry Road, the Lincoln Highway in 1913 breathed new life into the old rest stop. For the next 16 years, the place was a beehive of activity as American's took to the road in their new Model T's.

Strawberry Resort on the Lincoln Highway, The photo above is courtesy of Laura Bantz

In 1929 the Great Depression was upon us, and the acquisition of automobiles and traveling slowed down as well. Who had the money to do it? The second reason business slowed was the highway's re-routing in 1931 from the old Swan-Henry Toll Road/Lincoln Highway to today's route. This bypassed the old resort and, combined with the Depression, helped in its eventual demise in 1939, just before World War II.

In 1939 Fred Baumhoff built the structure we know today as Strawberry Lodge along the new Highway 50. This would make the third location of the famous Strawberry House/Lodge/Resort. Fred’s Resort didn’t have much time to become a success as World War II roared into the 1940s, and men and equipment were in short supply. In 1943 Fred sold the business, and it had some success in the 1950s and 1960s, but people and their driving habits changed, and no one wanted to stop and take in the fresh air and views anymore.

Today the resort sits somewhat forlorn, waiting for its next big break or its next big disaster. Until people slow down and stop to smell the flowers once again, it will likely be a place that most just speed by on their way to somewhere else.

Our next stop along the southern route of the Lincoln Highway will be the Georgetown Junction, a wide spot along the road today, but back in the 1800s a major crossroads.

Map showing the sites of the three Strawberry buildings. Click map for a larger view.

Slippery Ford on the Lincoln Highways southern route, Part 4

When it comes to California history, Slippery Ford is a name and place that conjures up a terrifying chapter in transportation history. The name suggests that this river “ford” or crossing was dangerous. Indeed, until a bridge was built nearby, travelers would have to cross this portion of the American River by wading through, depending on the season, a shear film or torrent of cascading water. One slip and you and your wagon would slide down the river to a doubtful, likely painful outcome.

A wagon team and riders make their way down the grade from Sayle’s Flat towards Slippery Ford, 1866. Photo from the Library of Congress.

Before the Lincoln Highway passed this way, John Calhoun Johnson built what was known as Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail in 1852, which brought emigrants over the Sierra Crest. This route soon replaced the earlier Carson River emigrant route up and over Carson Pass to the south, a more difficult climb and a higher elevation. Johnson’s Cut -Off Trail soon became the road to use.

Another 1866 photo showing the wagon train headed up the grade. The photo was taken at the horseshoe bend as located on the map at the end of the post. Photo: Library of Congress.

Something to keep in mind when exploring Slippery Ford, is there are two Slippery Fords just a few hundred yards from each other. The original crossing was the Johnson Cut-Off Trail which crosses Pyramid Creek, not the American River as the later Slippery Ford does. I will admit, that until I learned this it was a bit confusing reading the records of this area. One crossed Pyramid Creek, the other the American River.

Perhaps a Swan-Henry toll road bridge crossing the river near Slippery Ford. Photo:Library of Congress.

As traffic increased tolls were collected to help find a new trail with the Slippery Ford Grade down to Strawberry being rebuilt by George W. Swan. It’s Swan’s brand new 1866 grade we are seeing in the above photos. The bridge at Snow Slide Mountain could be the first bridge built here in 1858. Both Slippery Fords are shown on the map at the end of the post.

One of the twin bridges that once crossed the American River at Slippery Ford.. Photo from: Lincoln Highway Association collection.

As we have learned, the original 1913 alignment of the Lincoln Highway followed old wagon roads, and this was the case here. The Lincoln Highway followed the Swan-Henry toll road, with the addition of two bridges, or “twin bridges” that crossed the American River. The bridges were not side by side, but rather one went to a island while the other bridge exited the island. In the photo above we see an early auto on one of those bridges.

The following two video show us the first Slippery Ford of Johnson’s Pass over Pyramid Creek. This was the original emigrant trail that was later bypassed by the Swan-Henry Toll Road.

The following video gives you a good view of the area around Slippery Ford. One correction to the video. I mention we are on the ”Scenic Route” of the Lincoln Highway, but this is actually known as the “Pioneer” or southern route of the Lincoln. The Slippery Ford in this video is the later one used after Johnson’s Cut-Off Trail ford.

Once travelers crossed the American River, the road continues down the grade past Register Rocks, Lovers Leap, and into Strawberry. We’ll cover that part of the adventure in our next post of the El Dorado County section of the Lincoln Highway, Part 4.

Map of location and features discussed, Click map for larger view.

The Third Strawberry House

There have been several old buildings called Strawberry House since the construction of the first one in 1859. That was the original building that the Pony Express stopped at, as well as Hank Monk and his stage. That original building burned down in 1867 and was rebuilt, a bit smaller, at the location seen in the photo.

Finding photos of this third Strawberry House is not an easy task. The picture above is courtesy of Laura Bantz and shows the third Strawberry building and some cabins on the right. Today, no sign or monument shows the location of this third building.

This photo helped me to locate the site of this old station on Strawberry Lane, off Highway 50. I believe the small houses that are on that lane today are part of the old resort. You can hike the old Lincoln Highway, Pony Express Route, and Swan-Henry Toll Road from Strawberry at the Lover Leap Campground to the Twin Bridges area and the Slippery Ford Trailhead.

Slippery Ford was a dangerous crossing of the American River over slippery rocks. The trail is the actual road, and it's a fantastic hike if you have never taken it. How automobiles made it is worth ruminating as it's a very steep and rocky path. This path is how you crossed the Sierra and descended to Strawberry before the 1930s and the new expressway.

Strawberry House, there were two locations.

Driving up to Lake Tahoe on Highway 50, the Strawberry Lodge has been greeting visitors since Fred Baumhoff built it in 1939. What about the Strawberry House that greeted earlier travelers along the Swan-Henry Toll Road? Where Mr. Berry built the first Strawberry House has been a mystery to me. Perhaps someone in this group has the answer?

The third Strawberry House built in 1939 next to the present day Highway 50. UC Davis photo, Eastman collection:

The present Highway 50 was built in the mid-1930s, bypassing the old Swan-Henry toll road, which also saw service as the first state highway, The Placerville-Lake Tahoe Wagon Road, then as the Lincoln Highway from 1914 to 1928, and finally an early version of Highway 50. It was along the old road that Irad Berry built the first two incarnations of the Strawberry House, the second after the first burned down. It was along this route that travelers would have to cross the fabled "Slippery-Ford" across the American River at TwinBridges. Once you forded the river, the next stop was the "Slippery Ford House," past Hank Monk Rock, and finally Strawberry House.

The Strawberry Valley House along the Swan-Henry Toll Road.

Where was the first Strawberry House located? Looking at a couple of older pictures, we see the sight appears much closer to "Lovers Leap" than it sits today, which makes sense since the old road passed directly under the famous cliff.

Here is a map showing the new and old roads up to Twin Bridges. The new Highway 50 of the mid-1930s is the blue line, which is the same route we follow today. The red line is the old road, which followed a course next to Lovers Leap.

The following map is a close up in satellite view. As you can see, the old road, red line, emerged onto the area that is present-day Highway 50. The question I have is, did the old way follow the green path down Strawberry Lane, crossing the river further downstream, or did it follow the pink line, crossing the river before the Strawberry House?

Close up of the different roads.

The photograph below shows a series of small cabins that were part of the Strawberry Resort during the Lincoln Highway era. Where were these cabins located along the road?

1920 Mc Carthy Photograph showing the cabins at Strawberry. Photo from: Calif. State Archives.

The photograph below is from 1903, showing a stagecoach leaving Strawberry. Notice how close Lovers Leap is in the background. Where was this located along the old road? Where was the original Strawberry House? The only clues I have are the new 1939 building was built closer to the new highway, at least a few hundred yards west of the original.

1903 photograph shows an open stagecoach with "Lake Tahoe Placerville" printed on the side, men and boy standing in front, barn or stable in background. Photo from: California State Archives