In 1868 this tavern was known as Cold Springs Relay Station, the halfway stop between Mattei's Tavern to the north and Patrick Kinevan's Summit House to the south. In those days sturdy stagecoaches known as mudwagons traveled the rugged San Marcos Pass, and here horses were changed while passengers rested and enjoyed the noonday meal. In 1900 the Doulton family bought the old tavern with its adjoining 40 acres. In 1941 they sold it to the Ovington family, whose daughter Audrey Ovington owns it to this day.