HomeMy WebLinkAboutJune 2015 SLOWhat
HISTORY of SAN LUIS OBISPO
By: Joseph A. Carotenuti
City Historian/Archivist
jacarotenuti@gmail.com
With some influential allies as directors, the
West Coast Land Company (WCLC) wasted
no time in welcoming the rails to the new
community of Templeton. Indeed, there was
a station ready for passengers and freight and
land sales were booming.
Nonetheless, railroads brought the good, the bad and the ugly. Strangers started to arrive and there was a newness, a
raw feeling, to the new town. Phillips, ever aware of economic potential, decided to establish himself – and his family
– in the middle of the community with a grand home. Still a community gem, today a bed and breakfast, the expanded
home was (and still is) a formidable reminder that Templeton was not going to be a forgotten stop along the railway
once the Southern Pacific continued to move south.
There was progress. Indeed, within a few years the rails stretched south a few miles to Santa Margarita. On April 20,
1889, a Grand Auction Sale of land sent the rails and population closer to SLO. Go to
www.santamargaritahistoricalsociety.org for an interesting article on the coming of the rails to just north of the Cuesta
Pass. You could almost hear the iron horse chugging into the station and the early morning whistle.
As if wooing a potential bride, the efforts to bring the bride to San Luis Obispo continued for five more years with
success as the first train arrived in 1894 in the community celebrating a true milestone in its quest of “progress.” The
saga of convincing the railroad moguls to expend the time, energy, and, especially, the expense of bringing the trains
just a few miles south took years and years of conversations, meetings, arm-twisting and economic savvy. Two locals
– Phillips and Robert Jack led the effort with a tenacity and dedication worthy of remembrance. Today, Templeton
declares Phillips its founder and Jack is remembered by a stunning Victorian home on Marsh Street.
For those who are enchanted by trains and the saga of travel by the iron horse, plans need to be made to attend this
community’s celebration during the Central Coast Railroad Festival (October 1-4) at the remarkable Railroad Museum
and various sites throughout the County. This writer will be presenting more details about the enterprising Phillips and
Jack with local author Marilyn Darnell. For program details, go to www.slorrm.com and plan to enjoy yourself at the
many activities.
Until May 5, 1894, the community intensity of interest simply consumed most of the local talk or civic planning. The
rails MUST make their way south. Some of the multiple plans, hopes, dreams and disappointments will be considered
later but the train - if for no other reason - would relieve the arduous trek for anyone or anything needing to travel.
Rather than braving the terrain of the Cuesta Pass, a passenger could board locally and – an incredible luxury –
disembark in San Francisco.
To ease travel south, to have a direct connection along the coast required another seven years…and an early passenger
just happened to be the President of the United States.