Est 1879

Switching from the iron horse to the horse drawn stage after a night at Madera's Yosemite Hotel, which still stands across the street from this monument, at 6 A. M. the tourists would load up in open stages to enable them a good view. Stagecoaches, by their enclosed design were unpopular. Each trip to Yosemite Valley took 2 or 3 days, depending on the road, road conditions or other delays such as the many stage holdups. One woman from whom 20 dollars was taken said "I wouldn't have missed it for 100."

It took approximately 72 horses for each trip to Yosemite Valley. Each stage line owned about 600 horses and had to provide a stage stop to change horses every 7 or 8 miles. In it's heyday there were many stages lined up in front of the hotel every morning.

In 1886 with the completion of the railroad to Wildcat Station (Raymond) in the foothills and out of the infamous valley mud, the routes busiest days were gone. In 1941 the W.P.A. and the California Public Works completed a then modern highway to Friant. Madera again had a major stage (motorized) line to Yosemite.

Madera - Gateway to Yosemite

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Show me all markers in:  Madera, CA  |  Madera County  |  93638  |  California  |  United States of America

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