The corner where the Santa Ynez Feed & Milling Company, Sage of Santa Ynez, Tumbleweeds Clothing Store and Dos Carlitos Restaurant & Tequila Bar now sit, was the original location of the historic College Hotel. This lavish hotel was built in 1888 and was a regular stop for the stagecoach line. The stagecoach stopped running in 1901, and as the hotel declined, was run as a boarding house. The once elaborate social stop sadly burned in 1935.
Al and Jean Spaulding bought the Santa Ynez Feed and Milling Company in 1963. It was a busy operation that ground and mixed various grains to produce feed for the many dairy farms and poultry ranches. In the 70's, horse ranches replaced dairy and poultry. Al gradually went into retail and sold all of the feed stores' original equipment. In the mid-eighties Al and Jean's son Quinn came on board as manager. Quinn diversified their retail business to include pet food and supplies as well as Western and English tack and a riding attire area named Tumbleweeds.
College Hotel c. 1900
