After coming down out of the hills on today's Westhaven Drive, the original alignment of the Redwood Highway turned west and entered Trinidad, becoming Main Street. At Trinity Street, one could either turn left and enter the town proper, or turn right and continue traveling north on today's Stagecoach Road.
Starting around 1920, however, a new section of the Redwood Highway was constructed that followed the coastline: today's Scenic Drive and Patrick's Point Drive.
(Photo courtesy Trinidad Museum Society.)
Although a great improvement for motorists, the coastal route bypassed most of the town, so another commercial center quickly grew up around the new crossroads.
Here, circa 1923, we're entering Trinidad from the south, with the intersection with Main Street just ahead. At left is the "Big 4": Trinidad's first contemporary-style restaurant and bar. (Photo courtesy Humboldt State University Library-Boyle Collection.)
Across from the Big 4 was the Rhoades Grocery and gas station at the southeast corner of Main Street and the new highway.
(Photo courtesy Humboldt State University Library-Boyle Collection.)
Looking south from the north end of Trinidad, 1928. At left, the new Saunders Market is currently under construction following the destruction of the old Saunders store downtown earlier in the year.
At right, the Big 4 can be seen through the archway of the Modern Garage.
(Photo courtesy Humboldt State University Library-Boyle Collection.)
In the 1930s, the Modern Garage became a Chevron-branded gas station.
Twenty years later, in the Fifties...
(Both photos above courtesy Trinidad Museum Society.)
The same scene, twenty years later still. U.S. 101 is now the freeway at left. This Standard station was replaced by the present Chevron station in 1989. (Photo courtesy Humboldt State University Library-Boyle Collection.)
Now, let's go back in time about 5 years, turn around, and see what's going on just north of this spot.
It's 1969, and the old Redwood Highway is in the process of being bypassed.
(Photo courtesy Humboldt State University Library-Boyle Collection.)
As long as we're here in the Sixties, why don't we take a little walk down to the pier and see what the town was like back then?
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