HomeMy WebLinkAboutApril15SLOWhat_History of San Luis Obispo By: Joseph A. Carotenuti
City Historian/Archivist, Volunteer
Any community - as in any life - there are special moments and events that remember both the life and its
progress. The birth of a child, marriage, winning the lottery, saying a final farewell to a loved one remain ingrained
as long as memory and celebration allow for recollection.
For the emerging municipality along the central coast, having passed through its infancy from settlement to
county seat to town and city hood, with its expanding responsibilities to its nation, state and residents, for San
Luis Obispo, the coming of the railroad was a palpable signal the community was better connected (but not
completely) to the rest of the world.
The sound of the lonely whistle in the distance, the night call of progress,
the bell of arrival at the station carried an enormous message of hope
and refreshment to those who waited – patiently – at the altar of progress
for the mighty steam driven bride to make her way into the heart of the
community. If the cost of waiting had been high, the challenges of arrival
would be even more demanding. Thanks to the tireless efforts of so many,
especially Robert E. Jack and Chauncey Hatch Phillips, the future arrived
on May 5, 1894. It was as if the gods of progress had finally decided to
award the efforts of the community to establish itself as a reputable, law-
biding place with proper laws and services welcoming a new avenue of
growth and expansion. Finally, the future had arrived in the city.
The wait was mostly economic as the railroad czars, Huntington, Crocker,
Hopkins, and Stanford were in the business of making money. Possibly
a bit crass to today’s sensitivities, the economic well-being of individuals
was of paramount importance coupled with the realities of the majority
of citizens struggled to make ends meet. Nonetheless, as the railroad
spread its iron web across the State, the central coast was not forgotten
as much as ignored as the cost to bring a locomotive to town was enormous. An essential question was not if
the investment was to prove profitable…but how long before there would be a profit?
Thus, from the north and south the railroad inched its way toward the center. At Santa Barbara and Salinas,
luring the rails toward the central coast was an epic adventure almost ending in 1894, but needed another seven
years to truly finish the slow-moving race.
A little background will help (hopefully) to understand the dynamics that would eventually lead to capturing the
prize. For us locally, the formation of the West Coast Land Company (WCLC) was based on the premise that
first you promised prosperity and then they (the railroad) would come.
What better way to proclaim prosperity than to build a town with a church, school, stores and saloons. Once built,
let’s be sure to have farms nearby needing trains to transport products and people – lots of both. Those who did
not farm would want to own smaller parcels, even lots to build homes and barns and raise families. All would
need goods and services and the convenience of travel by rail. Why not honor one of the railroad emperors and
name the new settlement Crocker! It almost worked.
To be continued… Contact: jacarotenuti@gmail.com