This is a stand alone cache, placed at one of the locations in The CA Highway 1 Adventure: Las Cruces - Refugio in the Adventure Lab App.
The Spanish name Las Cruces comes from crosses that once marked the graves of around 100 Chumash Native Americans that are buried at this location. The crosses were removed when the area was developed in the mid 1800's.
In 1864 a plan to take the stagecoach route through Gaviota Pass created great interest in Las Cruces. It would be a place to rest and water the horses before the long trek up the mountains. Fierce competition ensued for the contract for the stage stop. When it was determined the route would cross land occupied by Wilson Corliss, he built a house to serve as the stage stop and inn. Shortly afterward, he and his wife were beaten to death and their house set on fire with their bodies inside. The suspects were three brothers who lived close to the Corliss' house in an adobe house built by the original Cordero family. There was not enough evidence to hang them, but two of the brothers were later murdered, apparently for an unrelated reason.
Over the decades, the fortunes of Las Cruces ebbed and flowed. With the construction of the Gaviota wharf in 1875, Las Cruces became a popular stopping point for farmers bringing their crops over from the Santa Ynez Valley for shipment. The adobe continued to function as a stage stop until the completion of the Southern Pacific coastal railroad in 1901, and then it became a café and bar. Other businesses in the immediate area over the years included a gas station, store, and an inn. Legends also say that there was a brothel and gambling emporium. The town had a population of 64 in 1941.
Highway changes bypassed Las Cruces The state bought the adobe in 1967, and today it is part of Gaviota State Park. Surrounded by a fence, protected by a metal roof, the decrepit adobe stands as a reminder of one of our county’s lost communities.
**It is never my intention to place a cache in poison oak. If at any time the plant encroaches on this cache, please let me know so I can disable it.