1853 is the year the County Of San Bernardino was founded.
Historicaly and as depicted on the tax map by a dashed line with words "CL (center line) COUNTY ROAD", Bowen Ranch Road came up to and passed just 25 feet to the north the Bowen Ranch Buildings. Bowen Ranch Road actually went between the ranch house and barn then continued west (the single dotted line on the topo map) to connect with Juniper Flats Road west of the ranch. To create his tollroad Mike Castro (Gary Krower and John Wear before him) blocked the county road, forced everyone to turn left in front of the ranch building and pay a toll (or else...).
Under California law, even Mike Castro cannot legally block a county road and turn it into a tollroad.
The current Bowen Ranch parking lot is actually on Rancho Los Flores property (formerly the Bowen Ranch lands). The parking lot is located around the old water tank site that is still shown on the topo map. The Bowen family developed the spring down in the wash west of the parking lot, pumped the water up to a 30,000 gallon wooden tank, then pumped the water to a smaller tank on hill south of ranch house (two metal water tanks there now).
The Moon is Waxing Gibbous (58% of Full)
Re: Bowen Tollgate on County Road
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