Paicines is an unincorporated community in San Benito County, California. The community is at the intersection of Panoche Road and SR 25. Bolado County Park is just over three miles (5 km) north of the community and the site of the San Benito County Fair.
The settlement at the modern location of Paicines was originally called Tres Pinos, after a prominent grouping of three pine trees located on a nearby hill. By 1873 the Southern Pacific Railroad had been constructed to a point 5 miles (8.0 km) north of the town to a point they called Tres Pinos station, causing much confusion. In 1874 the name of the town was changed to Grogan for three months before settling on Paicines.[2]
Geography
Hydrologic features in the area include Tres Pinos Creek, the San Benito River, and the Paicines Reservoir. The area is in the San Andreas Rift Zone area in proximity to the San Andreas Fault. Areas to the south and east are mountainous. The county line runs along the Gabilan Range.
The community is a gateway to Pinnacles National Park, a National Park straddling the mountains along the Monterey-San Benito County line.
Paicines Reservoir
The ZIP Code is 95043. The community is inside area code 831. The local prefix is 389. Local telephone service is provided by Pinnacles Telephone Co., an independent telephone company.[3]
Charlie Root, the famous Chicago Cubs pitcher and coach, retired there to a ranch. Actress Judy Garland (born Frances Ethel Gumm; 10 June 1922 – 22 June 1969) married her third husband, Sid Luft, at what was then known as The Law Ranch, now called The Paicines Ranch. Tiburcio Vásquez, a bandido, was active in the area.
