Santa Clarita Valley History In Pictures
> SAUGUS
Tolfree's Dining Room Inside Saugus Depot
Saugus, California

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Dining Room

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Letterhead

One way to say it is that this is the Saugus Café when it was inside the Saugus Train Station in the 1890s. More correctly, it was the dining room of J.H. Tolfree's Depot Hotel (aka Eating House) when it was inside the 1888-vintage depot (SE corner of San Fernando/Bouquet and Drayton Street). It was renamed "Saugus Café" when it changed hands in 1899 and moved across the road in 1916.

The letterhead indicates that Tolfree was running a hotel inside the depot in the 1890s. It's beleived he let the rooms upstairs; don't know exactly where the stationmaster lived at the time. Later stationmasters lived inside the depot. (It is possible the earliest stationmaster[s] didn't, as the Newhall stationmaster, John Gifford, lived in a freestanding home that faced the Newhall depot.) Also note, as indicated on the letterhead, that this section of Saugus was known as Surrey from 1906-1915. The name "Surrey" appearing in conjunction with a date of "189_" is a mystery.

Read: Tales of the Saugus Cafe.


BT1890b: 9600 dpi jpeg from 1200 dpi bmp.
SAUGUS CAFE

Tales of the Saugus Cafe (Reynolds)


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Envelope 1890

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Dining Room & Letterhead 1890s

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Harrison Passes By 1891

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J. Herbert Tolfree

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Charles Edward Tolfree

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In Saugus Depot 1890s

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Pottery Sherd 1891/1905

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Replacement China

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Advertisement 1895

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J.H. Tolfree Death
1-16-1897

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1914

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Matchbook Cover 1938

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Sandwich Shop Destruction 1941

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Both Buildings 1955

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Both Bldgs ~1957 x3

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