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Memorial Dedicated

(Updated: Thursday, October 29, 2009, 2:20 PM)

Members of Grub Gulch Chapter 41-49 of E Clampus Vitus, recently dedicated a memorial to the old Ahwahnee Tavern at the Ahwahnee Hills Regional Park.

The Ahwahnee Hill’s Regional Park is home to the landmark of the historic way station, The Ahwahnee Tavern. The Ahwahnee Tavern was built by William Sell in the 1880s on Old Stage Road that ran from Raymond to Wawona. The Ahwahnee Tavern was known for serving fabulous lunches. It took all day to get from Raymond to Wawona because the stage road was so rough that they had to stop at most of the eight way stations along the route to change teams of horses.

Completion in 1907 of the railroad from Merced to El Portal ultimately eliminated the stage route from Raymond to Wawona and the need for the Ahwahnee Tavern.

The plaque states: Historic way-station on the Old Stage Road, Raymond to Wawona. The tavern was built by William Sell in the late 1880s. Lunch was served to many notable people such as President Theodore Roosevelt, Susan B. Anthony, Andrew Carnegie, John D. Rockefeller and the Crown Prince of Belgium.