Lone Willow Station

Lone Willow Station. . , Initially a Landmark , On this site there was a single willow tree on the banks of a slough. The willow could be seen for miles around and the vaqueros named the landmark “Palo Solo”, renamed by the immigrant pioneers as Lone Willow., Stage Station , On September 15th 1858 the Butterfield Stage Company established a stage-line that carried mail and passengers between St. Louis and San Francisco. A stage station was established at this site and was named the Lone Willow Stage Station. The Lone Willow Stage Station continued to be used for various stage companies until the railroad came through in 1889., Roots of the Town of Los Banos , Pioneers began to immigrate into the west side of the San Joaquin Valley in the early 1860’s. In 1865 Gustave and Julia Kreyenhagen opened the first commercial store here at the the Lone Willow Station. They ultimately moved twelve miles west in 1870. The Kreyenhagen Store became the first post office on the west side in 1873. The post office was named after the nearby “Arroyo de Los Banos del Padre Arroyo” known by the immigrants as Los Banos Crick, and the town was subsequently named Los Banos. Los Banos was moved to its present location in 1889 with the coming of the railroad.