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Miners and freighters were key to the creation of Southern California’s earliest roads

April 13, 2026

Southern California’s quiet, agricultural economy made a significant shift in the mid-1800s when gold was discovered in the region, and transportation in an out of the area quickly became a critical issue.

Surrounded by steep, rugged mountains and the Pacific Ocean, Southern California was isolated. It was then the region’s mining companies and enterprising freighters began the task of building roads into the area.

Most overland passages into the Los Angeles basin and the adjoining valleys are funneled through a few major passes or corridors.

From north to south, the major passes are Tehachapi, Tejon, Newhall, Cajon, and San Gorgonio. For centuries, these passes had served as footpath trading routes for Native Americans. They were later followed by European explorers and traders using horses and mules.

The Newhall Pass, also known as the San Fernando Pass and Fremont Pass, has a relatively low elevation at about 1,700 feet, but the steep terrain was a major challenge for anything with wheels. This pass between the Santa Susana and San Gabriel Mountains is the primary corridor connecting the greater Los Angeles area with the Santa Clarita Valley, the Mojave Desert, and California’s Central Valley.

John Brown's original toll house in the upper Cajon Pass in 1863. Brown operated the toll road from 1861 to 1878, when he sold the rights to Charles Lawrence and Jesse Tay. The road became a public road in 1882, and much of the original route was used by Route 66, beginning in 1926. (Courtesy the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society) — John Brown’s original toll house in the upper Cajon Pass in 1863. Brown operated the toll road from 1861 to 1878, when he sold the rights to Charles Lawrence and Jesse Tay. The road became a public road in 1882, and much of the original route was used by Route 66, beginning in 1926. (Courtesy the San Bernardino Historical and Pioneer Society)

Fueled by gold rush traffic, the Newhall Pass became a well-traveled road in the 1850s.

Around 1854, a freighter and entrepreneur named Phineas Banning directed construction of a narrow, 30-foot cut through the summit of the pass to improve the road’s grade.

Banning was an incredibly industrious businessman and politician responsible for improving freight and passenger routes, building railroads, and starting the Los Angeles harbor.

Banning’s freight and stagecoach operations carried supplies, gold and silver ore, and passengers through Southern California’s passes to the Port at Los Angeles.

In 1863, federal surveyor Edward Beale took over operation of the cut and the road through the Newhall Pass, which he operated as a toll road for 20 years. The cut was deepened to 90 feet, and it became known as “Beales Cut.”

In the late 1860s, the Cerro Gordo Mining District located high in the Inyo Mountains of eastern California began churning out huge quantities of silver ore, and famed freighter Remi Nadeau developed a road from the Inyo mines to Los Angeles that became known as the “Bullion Trail.”

The Bullion Trail entered Los Angeles via Beale’s Cut, and in the 1870s, the mining commerce became a major economic driver for L.A., accounting for roughly 25% of the city’s exports.

The toll road through the Newhall Pass served as the major connection northward until the Newhall Tunnel was built in 1910.

In 1876, the Southern Pacific Railway completed a 6,940-foot tunnel through the Newhall Pass, and Southern California and the coastal basin were finally connected to the rest of the state and the nation by rail.

Newhall Pass is now known for the 5 Freeway and the Highway 14 interchange at the opening, linking millions of Southern Californians to points north.

The Tejon Pass today is on the 5 near Gorman at an elevation of 4,144 feet, but the actual pass has changed locations over the years. The old Tejon Pass Road from Newhall Pass to the Tejon Pass summit began as a rugged wagon and stagecoach road that wound through steep, narrow canyons.

The old Tejon Pass was located several miles east of today’s.

In 1915, the old Tejon Pass Road was replaced by Ridge Route, a winding two-lane highway considered a construction marvel when opened.

Travel demands grew, and in 1933, the Ridge Route was bypassed by the wider and straighter Ridge Route Alternate, or U.S. Highway 99. The modern 5 Freeway was completed over the Tejon Pass in 1970, largely following the U.S. 99 alignment and modernizing the gateway between Southern California and the Central Valley.

The Tehachapi Pass in Kern County divides the southern tip of the Sierra Nevada from the Tehachapi Mountains. Rising to an elevation of about 4,000 feet.

The Tehachapi and Cajon passes were used by early explorers including Padre Francisco Garcés (1776), Jedediah Smith (1827), and John C. Frémont (1844-1845).

In 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad built a railroad line through the Tehachapi Pass that was considered an engineering triumph. After crossing the Tehachapi Pass, the line went south through the Newhall Pass and connected Southern California to the northern part of the state.

To overcome the steepness, the railroad had to cross over itself, and the cross-over feature became known as the Tehachapi Loop. California Highway 58 traverses the pass today and the railroad still uses the Tehachapi Loop.

The Cajon Pass north of San Bernardino is formed by a jagged rift between the San Bernardino and San Gabriel mountain ranges. Like other passes, the summit location has changed over the years, with elevations ranging from about 4,200 to 4,600 feet.

In 1850, groups of Mormon settlers began entering the San Bernardino Valley through the Cajon Pass over routes that were little more than pack trails.

In 1850, prominent freighter William T.B. Sanford, built what is considered the earliest “passable” wagon road through the Cajon Pass over a ridge in the West Cajon Valley.

Gold was discovered in the San Bernardino Mountains in 1860, and in 1861, San Bernardino entrepreneur John Brown Sr. built a toll road through the Cajon Pass. The rugged road was built to carry freight and people over the pass.

In 1885, the California Southern Railroad built a railroad through the Cajon Pass, and after more than a century of dramatic improvements, the line today carries a major portion of the cargo from the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach out of Southern California.

From 1926 until 1970, the iconic Route 66 navigated the Cajon Pass before being replaced by the 15 Freeway. Today, the 15 serves as a major artery, carrying millions each year through this historic corridor.

San Gorgonio Pass, also known as Banning Pass, named after Phineas Banning, is a broad, flat corridor between the San Bernardino and the San Jacinto mountains, with a summit of about 2,600 feet at Beaumont. Since the mid-1800s, the pass has served as a major freight and immigrant route, and it is now home to railroads and the 10 Freeway.

Today, the major passes into Southern California are occupied by freeways and modern railroads, and each year, millions of travelers — almost effortlessly — make their way through the once treacherous corridors.

Mark Landis is a freelance writer. He can be reached at Historyinca@yahoo.com.

Miners and freighters were key to the creation of Southern California’s earliest roads Orange County Register

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Miners and freighters were key to the creation of Southern California’s earliest roads

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