Smuggler's Road

Smuggler's Road

Tim Hauf, timhaufphotography.com

Construction on the road between Scorpion Valley and Smugglers Cove began in 1892. This was not the original road, however. An older road had been built farther up Scorpion Canyon, but was determined to be unsatisfactory due to washouts from the rains. Parts of this road are still visible today. 

According to Gherini, “In early June 1892, laborers began work on the new Scorpion road located on the side of the Scorpion Valley hill near the beach. The hill had large outcroppings of volcanic rock. The foreman described the work as ‘lavora alla pietra’ (work at the rock). This work continued until the end of November 1892 and involved as many as thirteen workers a day.  Usually the daily work crew consisted of nine to ten workers….map 92, dated 1892, indicated for the first time that there was a road at this location leading out of the Scorpion Valley to Smugglers. The rock walls built to support the road were the largest  rock walls built on the island. When Margaret Eaton first observed the road-work in 1909 she quipped, ‘… Some stonemason who knew his business built that road.’”