Los Coches Adobe

The Los Coches Adobe sits along the side of Highway 101 in a mostly rural part of Soledad, California. Soledad was originally settled by small tribes of Native Americans. When the European explorers came, they built a mission, the Mission Nuestra Señora de la Soledad, and lives were changed dramatically.

Although built at the site of an Indian village, the mission prospered, performing more than 2,000 baptisms and 700 marriages. Crops were bountiful and the plains boasted large herds of horses, cattle, and sheep. Friars from the mission even managed to plant and cultivate the first crops of wine grapes the Salinas Valley has ever seen.

Originally built as a Rancho in 1843, the Los Coches Adobe’s largest contribution to the area was as a Wells Fargo Station Agent office, post office, stage coach stop, and inn. From 1854 to 1868, the Adobe became a popular stop for passengers of the Bixby Overland Stage, which ran between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Eugene Sherwood, a local cattle rancher, offered the Southern Pacific Railroad free acreage for right of way and a depot. He wanted to open the area up to faster trade, and on December 20, 1872 the railroad reached Soledad, connecting the area to San Francisco. Soledad was the terminus for the railroad and even had a turntable located at one end of town.

Travelers began to visit Soledad, arriving late in the afternoon at the end of the train line, and they would stay at the Adobe until they could continue their journey by stagecoach.

There are tales, that during this time, some miners got trapped in a mine. The mineshaft opens to a well near the Adobe. Unable to escape, they all died. Visitors today can still hear their screams for help.

Unsure of her origin, there is also talk of a woman in black who can be seen wandering the grounds near the Adobe. Some say she is a witch, and can mostly be seen around nightfall. Those who have seen her report that she has a face of pure evil.

It is believed that she is guarding the miners, and even looking for help to free their souls.