El Camino Real
Next to the old stone wall below the
cemetery, the location of a short section of
El Camino Real, The King's Highway, can
still be seen where it leaves the broad,
flat plain and climbs diagonally up the hill
to enter San Juan's central plaza. This is
the highway that connected all of the
California missions, and later served as one
of California's major stage and wagon roads.
Even today our modern highway system follows
portions of the original route.
Plaza Stable
Built about 1861, to handle the extensive
stage and wagon traffic that was a central
factor in San Juan's busiest years, the
Plaza Stable was operated by a succession of
men including John Comfort, a partner of
Zanetta's who also operated the Plaza Hotel
bar. At one time there were seven stage
lines operating through San Juan and up to
eleven coaches arriving and departing daily.
The bulk of the traffic was between San
Francisco and Los Angeles, but San Juan was
also on the main route between the San
Benito Mountain quicksilver mines,
Hollister, Watsonville, Monterey, and Santa
Cruz, and was the primary staging, trade,
and supply center for a wide area of cattle
and sheep ranches.
In 1876, the railroad bypassed San Juan
Bautista and the little town's boom years
were over. The stable has been restored to
its appearance of the 1870's when it was
handling the well-groomed, well-matched
teams of the Coast Line Stage Company;
inside, an assortment of carriages and
wagons is on display along with harness and
other items. Behind the stable is a
blacksmith's shop with many of the tools
used in the wagonwright trade.
Plaza Hall
In 1868 Zanetta acquired another piece of
property facing the plaza. The old adobe
building on the property may have housed
cavalrymen, and even earlier served as a
monjerio or dormitory for unmarried mission
Indian women. Zanetta used the adobe bricks
to form the ground floor of a two-story
building that he hoped would become the
county courthouse of newly established San
Benito County.
After Hollister was chosen as the county
seat, the first floor of Plaza Hall was
modified to serve as the residence of the
Zanetta family, while the second floor was
used for public meetings and celebrations.
Laid over 30-foot-long redwood beams, the
floor of the upstairs hall had good "spring"
and therefore became famous as a dance
floor. Many a grand ball was held there as
were political rallies, temperance meetings,
traveling shows, and gatherings of local
groups such as the volunteer firemen. |
