The redwood trees in Big Sur are the remnant of much larger groves . Many old-growth trees were cut by the Ventana Power Company which operated a sawmill near present-day Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park from the late 1800s through 1906 , when its operations were bankrupted by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . When John and Florence Pfeiffer opened Pffeifer 's Ranch Resort in 1910 , they built guest cabins from lumber cut using the mill . The mill was resurrected when Highway 1 was constructed during the 1920s . It supplied lumber for housing built for workers
1906 San Francisco earthquake
1906 San Francisco earthquake
Big Sur