Los Coches Adobe

Rancho Los Coches was a 8,794 acre Mexican land grant given to Maria Josefa Soberanes by Governor Juan B. Alvarado in 1841. Soberanes was the daughter of a well-known family from Monterey. Due to her being married to William Brunner Richardson, a tailor from Baltimore, the Rancho was also known as the Richardson Rancho. Richardson completed a new adobe home in 1843, and enlarged it in 1848.

By 1854, Los Coches Adobe had become a popular inn and stagecoach stop for passengers traveling between Los Angeles, San Francisco, and smaller communities in between. In 1872, the Southern Pacific Railroad reached nearby Soledad which became its terminus. For those continuing the journey south from Soledad, the Adobe continued to be a stopping point and even served as the base for the Coast Line Stage Company. In 1886 the railroad was completed to the south, making stagecoach travel obsolete and the Adobe diminished in importance.

The Adobe was a residence for the Jacks family (David Jacks purchased the property in 1865 at a sheriff's sale) until the mid-20th century, when Margaret Jacks donated it to the State of California. It became a rest stop along Highway 101 until the 1980's, when it was transferred to the City of Soledad. There are currently plans underway for its restoration, pending funding. The Adobe also has a reputation for being haunted, and was featured on an episode of "Ghost Adventures" in 2015.

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