Curt Cragg

Buellton (Images of America: California) Curt Cragg

The town of Buellton was established in 1920 to provide services for early automobiles traveling up and down the California coast. But before the town was established, a ranch operated by Rufus Thompson Buell was carved out of the vast Rancho de Jonata land grant in the late 1800s. This fascinating collection of images tells the story of the Buell ranch and how a bridge built over the Santa Ynez River in 1917 completed the connection of the coast highway. The book also chronicles the establishment and expansion of Highway 101; the addition of service stations, motor courts, and diners to accommodate the onslaught of post-World War II travelers; and how a small diner, opened in 1924, expanded into a pea soup empire that ultimately outlasted the relocation of a major highway.