History of Templeton

History of Templeton

Phillips home, circa 1890
The town of Templeton began its existence around 1886 and was originally known as Crocker. The townsite of Crocker was land owned by the West Coast Land Company, a company formed by Charles Crocker and Chauncey H. Phillips in March 1884. Crocker was involved in the operation of the Southern Pacific Railroad and Phillips had been a businessman in the area for many years. Phillips started the Bank of San Luis Obispo in 1871, which was the only bank to survive the economic crash of 1875.

With the southern advance of the railroad to the town of Crocker, the West Coast Land Company offered parcels of land for sale. The land was slow to sell and it was believed that the reason for this was because Crocker was not known for being a fair businessman. There was local distrust of Crocker and of the Southern Pacific Railroad. The original path of the railroad was to turn west from Crocker and continue to Morro Bay over the route that is currently used by State Highway 41. This path would have bypassed San Luis Obispo.

The decision was made to change the name of the town to Templeton. The name was probably after Charles Crocker's son, Templeton Crocker. Phillips tried to use education in his advertisements as a reason for moving to Templeton. The Templeton Institute was a private school for students from primary grades through college. Tuition ranged from $12.50 to $25 per term. However, land sales did not increase. Phillips decided to move with his wife from San Luis Obispo to Templeton. His house, pictured above, still stands today and is a bed & breakfast located at 91 Main Street.

Main Street - 1915

Many of the place names in Templeton have their origins dating back to the town's historic beginning. Bethel Lutheran Church, located at 3rd St. and Crocker St., was founded in 1887 by Swedish immigrants. Present-day Bethel Road is located on the west side of town. The Salinas River, which is on the east side of town, was named for the salt marshes, or salinas, found near the river's mouth.

Main Street - 1974

The town has grown for over a century. Main Street remains and has slowly changed over the years. Today, Templeton has a population of about 3,000 and it retains its small-town charm. You will find people gathered at the downtown park for farmer's market on Saturdays or evening concerts in the summer. Templeton continues to offer some of the best primary and secondary education in the county.

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