Old Toll Road in Mariposa County is an approximately seven-mile segment of the former Zinkland Toll Road. The current corridor of Old Toll Road begins at Hornitos Road and extends east to California State Route 49 in Mount Bullion. The wider Burckhalter Toll Road was constructed at the behest of Jeremy Burckhalter during the early 1850s between Hornitos and Mariposa via Bear Valley. In 1856 a David Cunningham would complete another toll road which branched west from the Burckhalter Road at Cow & Calf Creek more directly towards Hornitos. The Cunningham toll corridor would come under the ownership of Andrew Zinkland and would later become a public highway in 1899. The Old Toll Road corridor would remain the primary highway into Mariposa until early Legislative Route Number 18 was completed during May 1918.
The Zinkland Toll Road can be seen connecting Hornitos and Mariposa on the 1873 Bancroft's map of California.
Part 1; the history of Old Toll Road
Mariposa County was incorporated on February 18, 1850, as one of the original counties following California becoming an American state. Mariposa County initially was by far the largest county by area in California which was centered around mining claims in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The original county seat was the now ghost town of Aqua Fria.
During the early days of Mariposa County two major highways were established between San Joaquin Valley and the major mining communities to the east in the Sierra Nevada foothills. The northern route connected was constructed by Jeremy Burckhalter as a toll road from Hornitos to Mariposa via Bear Valley and Quartzburg. Burckalter would settle in Mariposa County in 1855 and would later become a local judge. The southernly route followed the Mariposa River (now Mariposa Creek) from the town of Bridgeport via the community of White Rock. This southern route is what is now known in modern times as White Rock Road."
Both the Burckhalter Toll Road and White Rock Road originated at the Stockton-Los Angeles Road (alternatively Stockton-Millerton Road). The Stockton-Los Angeles Road came into use after the 1853 Kern River Gold Rush began. The then new highway was a replacement of the earlier El Camino Viejo. Unlike El Camino Viejo the Stockton-Los Angeles Road avoided the dense Tule Marches in San Joaquin Valley. The routing would connect it directly with the major highways reaching to Mariposa.
Hornitos was founded in 1852 by Mexican miners relocating from nearby Quartzburg. Hornitos received Post Office Service during 1856 and would incorporate as a city on April 8, 1861. In 1852 the Princeton Mine would be discovered between Mount Ophir and Mariposa. The community which serviced the mine was initially known as Princeton but would assume the name Mount Bullion upon receiving Post Office service in 1862.
In 1856 David Cunningham would construct a second toll road from Hornitos towards the Burckhalter Toll Road. The Cunningham toll corridor included an easier to traverse grade which was approximately one mile shorter than the Burckhalter toll corridor. The Cunningham corridor cutoff Quartzburg and Bear Valley to the south and met the Burckhalter Toll Road at Cow & Calf Creek. David Cunningham would later sell his interests to Andrew Zinkman who continued to operate a toll road franchise.
The Burckhalter Toll Road and Zinkman Toll Road can be seen meeting near Princeton (Mount Bullion) on the 1868 Whitney map of the Sierra Nevada range adjacent to Yosemite Valley. The Burckhalter Road can be seen following Cow & Calf Creek northwest towards Bear Valley and westward towards Hornitos. The Zinkman Road can be seen following the general course of Bear Creek more directly towards Hornitos.
The Zinkland Toll Road can be seen on the 1873 Bancroft's map of California.
The Zinkland Toll Road would become a public highway in 1899 and be rebranded as "Old Toll Road." Old Toll Road would remain the primary highway into Mariposa until Legislative Route Number 18 was constructed. Said legislative corridor between Merced and Mariposa was first defined by way of the 1909 First State Highway Bond Act.
Legislative Route Number 18 was surveyed between Merced and Mariposa by 1913. The survey included locating a routing for an all-year highway east of Mariposa to Yosemite Valley which was added to the legislative definition by 1916. Construction of Legislative Route Number 18 would begin at the Merced/Mariposa County line by late 1915 and the state highway to Mariposa would open to traffic by May 1918 (along what is now signed as Old Highway).
From the outset Legislative Route Number 18 bypassed Hornitos in favor of Catheys Valley. The state highway was furthered improved upon in the early 1930s and would become California State Route 140 during August 1934.
The Zinkland Toll Road would become what is now known as Hornitos Road and Old Toll Road. The corridor can be seen as a major local highway (broken red line) north of California State Route 140 from Hornitos to California State Route 49 in Mount Bullion on the 1935 Division of Highways map of Mariposa County.
In 2023 a historic plaque regarding the history of the Zinkland Toll Road was placed where Old Toll Road meets California State Route 49 (photo courtesy the Mariposa Pictures & History Facebook page).
The plaque reads:
"The Burckhalter Road was the main route between Stockton and Mariposa. Jeremy Burckhalter, a former Physician, County Judge and District Attorney, was the original builder. He sold the operation to Thomas Slattery in 1883. In 1856 David Cunningham built a toll road which intersected the Burckhalter's road at Cow & Calf Creek. The new portion cut a mile or more off the main route and was easier to traverse. The Cunningham Toll Road came into the hands of Andrew Zinkland who ran it for many years until it became a public highway in 1899. The road is still in existence today and known as the "Old Toll Road." It runs between Mount Bullion and Hornitos.
Part 2; a drive on Old Toll Road
Pictured is a former portion of the Zinkland Toll Road along what is now Hornitos Road (east of Indian Gulch Road). The Hornitos Road designation now extends eastward to California State Route 140 in Catheys Valley.
Eastbound Old Toll Road begins as Hornitos Road crosses Corbet Creek. Mount Bullion is signed as being 7 miles away.
Old Toll Road begins with a ragged asphalt segment which is two-lane width but lacks a center stripe. The corridor obtains a center stripe approximately one mile from Hornitos Road.
Old Toll Road crosses over an unnamed ridge which crests at an elevation of 1,829 feet above sea level.
Old Toll Road narrows to decayed asphalt surface and descends to a one-lane bridge which crosses Bear Creek.
Old Toll Road continues east through Green Gulch and terminates at California State Route 49 in Mount Bullion.
Since 2023 a plaque regarding the history of Old Toll Road has been present a short distance from the eastern terminus near California State Route 49.
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