In 1959 Ellen Hansen Moldt wrote a letter to Bodee Cominoli who was then the owner of the Pioneer Hotel in Woodside, California informing her that her father Capt. Peter Hansen built the Hotel. Ms. Cominoli published the letter in the San Mateo Times on October 02, 1959. Ellen Hansen was raised at the hotel and wrote about her experiences.
The area where the hotel was located was then known as Whiskey Hill, often spelled Whisky or even Wisky. It was the first place that the loggers could get whiskey on their way down from the hills. The saloon came first, then the hotel, grocery store, blacksmith and eventually a butcher shop. The buildings weren't attached as they are in the current version if the hotel. An old photo shows the hotel standing alone with a building called P.Hansen's Exchange standing a few feet away.
It was also a post office and stage stop. The 11 a.m. stage brought the mail daily on it's way to La Honda and Pescadero. I'm guessing that the 3 p.m. stage picked up the outgoing mail to Redwood City. There is no mention of a livery so it's not clear if there was a horse change there. Stages going over the mountains had to change from four horses to six horses somewhere.
Knight's stage line was owned and operated by Samuel L. Knight(1827-1896)
The stage to Half Moon Bay stopped at the Woodside Store operated by Dr. Robert O. Tripp (1816-1909)
Ellen's mother did all of the baking and cooking and Ellen waited tables. Their liquor arrived on a Brewery Wagon, possibly from the Redwood City Brewery though Ellen wasn't specific. They brought their water in in barrels so they must not have had a well. They raised pigs and made their own sausage. They also sold men's work clothing. Ellen made a point of saying that her father painted the hotel sign.
In the days before refrigeration stage stops and country hotels had to be self sufficient so all they needed to become a small town was a church and a school. Everything else was already there. There were always chickens everywhere so chicken dinners were always on the menu and the chickens were always fresh. There were fresh eggs for breakfast as well.
According to Ellen the other stores at the time were a barber shop, grocery store and a paint shop. The Hansen family closed the hotel and associated shops in 1917. The Pioneer Hotel has had different owners, and a couple of remodels since.
The area where the hotel was located was then known as Whiskey Hill, often spelled Whisky or even Wisky. It was the first place that the loggers could get whiskey on their way down from the hills. The saloon came first, then the hotel, grocery store, blacksmith and eventually a butcher shop. The buildings weren't attached as they are in the current version if the hotel. An old photo shows the hotel standing alone with a building called P.Hansen's Exchange standing a few feet away.
It was also a post office and stage stop. The 11 a.m. stage brought the mail daily on it's way to La Honda and Pescadero. I'm guessing that the 3 p.m. stage picked up the outgoing mail to Redwood City. There is no mention of a livery so it's not clear if there was a horse change there. Stages going over the mountains had to change from four horses to six horses somewhere.
Knight's stage line was owned and operated by Samuel L. Knight(1827-1896)
The stage to Half Moon Bay stopped at the Woodside Store operated by Dr. Robert O. Tripp (1816-1909)
Ellen's mother did all of the baking and cooking and Ellen waited tables. Their liquor arrived on a Brewery Wagon, possibly from the Redwood City Brewery though Ellen wasn't specific. They brought their water in in barrels so they must not have had a well. They raised pigs and made their own sausage. They also sold men's work clothing. Ellen made a point of saying that her father painted the hotel sign.
In the days before refrigeration stage stops and country hotels had to be self sufficient so all they needed to become a small town was a church and a school. Everything else was already there. There were always chickens everywhere so chicken dinners were always on the menu and the chickens were always fresh. There were fresh eggs for breakfast as well.
According to Ellen the other stores at the time were a barber shop, grocery store and a paint shop. The Hansen family closed the hotel and associated shops in 1917. The Pioneer Hotel has had different owners, and a couple of remodels since.
In 1959 Ellen Hansen Moldt wrote a letter to Bodee Cominoli who was then the owner of the Pioneer Hotel in Woodside, California informing her that her father Capt. Peter Hansen built the Hotel. Ms. Cominoli published the letter in the San Mateo Times on October 02, 1959. Ellen Hansen was raised at the hotel and wrote about her experiences.
The area where the hotel was located was then known as Whiskey Hill, often spelled Whisky or even Wisky. It was the first place that the loggers could get whiskey on their way down from the hills. The saloon came first, then the hotel, grocery store, blacksmith and eventually a butcher shop. The buildings weren't attached as they are in the current version if the hotel. An old photo shows the hotel standing alone with a building called P.Hansen's Exchange standing a few feet away.
It was also a post office and stage stop. The 11 a.m. stage brought the mail daily on it's way to La Honda and Pescadero. I'm guessing that the 3 p.m. stage picked up the outgoing mail to Redwood City. There is no mention of a livery so it's not clear if there was a horse change there. Stages going over the mountains had to change from four horses to six horses somewhere.
Knight's stage line was owned and operated by Samuel L. Knight(1827-1896)
The stage to Half Moon Bay stopped at the Woodside Store operated by Dr. Robert O. Tripp (1816-1909)
Ellen's mother did all of the baking and cooking and Ellen waited tables. Their liquor arrived on a Brewery Wagon, possibly from the Redwood City Brewery though Ellen wasn't specific. They brought their water in in barrels so they must not have had a well. They raised pigs and made their own sausage. They also sold men's work clothing. Ellen made a point of saying that her father painted the hotel sign.
In the days before refrigeration stage stops and country hotels had to be self sufficient so all they needed to become a small town was a church and a school. Everything else was already there. There were always chickens everywhere so chicken dinners were always on the menu and the chickens were always fresh. There were fresh eggs for breakfast as well.
According to Ellen the other stores at the time were a barber shop, grocery store and a paint shop. The Hansen family closed the hotel and associated shops in 1917. The Pioneer Hotel has had different owners, and a couple of remodels since.
The area where the hotel was located was then known as Whiskey Hill, often spelled Whisky or even Wisky. It was the first place that the loggers could get whiskey on their way down from the hills. The saloon came first, then the hotel, grocery store, blacksmith and eventually a butcher shop. The buildings weren't attached as they are in the current version if the hotel. An old photo shows the hotel standing alone with a building called P.Hansen's Exchange standing a few feet away.
It was also a post office and stage stop. The 11 a.m. stage brought the mail daily on it's way to La Honda and Pescadero. I'm guessing that the 3 p.m. stage picked up the outgoing mail to Redwood City. There is no mention of a livery so it's not clear if there was a horse change there. Stages going over the mountains had to change from four horses to six horses somewhere.
Knight's stage line was owned and operated by Samuel L. Knight(1827-1896)
The stage to Half Moon Bay stopped at the Woodside Store operated by Dr. Robert O. Tripp (1816-1909)
Ellen's mother did all of the baking and cooking and Ellen waited tables. Their liquor arrived on a Brewery Wagon, possibly from the Redwood City Brewery though Ellen wasn't specific. They brought their water in in barrels so they must not have had a well. They raised pigs and made their own sausage. They also sold men's work clothing. Ellen made a point of saying that her father painted the hotel sign.
In the days before refrigeration stage stops and country hotels had to be self sufficient so all they needed to become a small town was a church and a school. Everything else was already there. There were always chickens everywhere so chicken dinners were always on the menu and the chickens were always fresh. There were fresh eggs for breakfast as well.
According to Ellen the other stores at the time were a barber shop, grocery store and a paint shop. The Hansen family closed the hotel and associated shops in 1917. The Pioneer Hotel has had different owners, and a couple of remodels since.
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