Steve Zegar was a San Luis Obispo businessperson who operated a taxi cab company and later a furniture store. He worked closely with William Randolph Hearst and Julia Morgan in transporting people to Hearst's property in San Simeon, now known as Hearst Castle.

Zegar was born Nov. 15, 1896 in Yugoslavia. He came to San Luis Obispo in 1915 at the age of 19 to work for the Commercial Hotel. In 1919 he opened his own tax company in the old Mission Garage building at the corner of Monterey and Chorro Streets. One of his earliest passengers was William Randolph Hearst, who he continued working with for several decades in relation to Hearst Castle.

In the early 1920s, Zegar moved his taxi office to the Anderson Hotel, and he kept his fleet of taxis in a garage on Monterey Street across from the Commercial Hotel.

In 1946, Zegar and his family set up a furniture business at the corner of Monterey and Chorro Street, where it stayed for 11 years before moving to 971 Higuera Street. Zegar retired in 1969 and sold his business to Wilson-McMahan.

Zegar passed away at age 81 in November 1977. He was married to Estella and they had two daughters, June and Esther. 

The Zegars had a residence on Palm Street that was built by E. D. Bray in c. 1928. A home in the Monterey Heights tract was designed by K. J. Hanak and constructed by James Jepson in 1930.

See also:

• Hearst Castle "Unsung Heroes - Steve Zegar," San Luis Obispo Coast District, California State Parks.

• "A cabbie in a golden era: Featuring cabbie's original log of guests transported to Hearst Castle," Jane Sarber, book.

• Oral History with Steve Zegar, May 14, 1975, History Center of San Luis Obispo.

Citations

Ready, Kay, "Steve Zegar dead at 81" San Luis Obispo Telegram-Tribune, November 25, 1977, pg. 2.