San Miguel History Project

We are sharing some background on the Friends of the Adobes in celebration of the fact that  October 2018 marked their 50th Anniversary as a non-profit organization in San Miguel.

Spending time with Barbara Robinson (Art's wife) and daughter Susan Hall regarding Caledonia Adobe history.  Art Robinson   was the  Park Ranger who lived at and maintained the Caledonia site during time of its restoration-- about 1968- 1978.  He got very interested in local history and collected  many interesting documents. What follows is just a small section of one such document.

Shared some interesting notes from Anna Nygren.  Anna was born in the Caledonia (the last child born there) in 1907.  She liked to write and a few of her childhood memories are in files of the Wally Ohles Research Library at the Caledonia.  I'm trying to get some of them typed up as most are written in pencil but with beautiful penmanship...something that was treasured in those days. This piece was written probably around 1917 when she would have been about 10.  It gives you a idea of life back then and the beauty they found in their lives.  Enjoy!

This month is a focus again on earlier times in San Miguel.  Thought you might be interested in some of early development and struggles that have had their impact.

This month we share another writing by Ella Adams that we believe she wrote in  1980's.  She shares some of her knowledge of the local Indians.  I do want you to be aware that the word "Squaw" is no longer politically correct.  The meaning meant someone who had no worth...something that was dispensable, had no value. The photo at the end is from Steve Kalar, Ella's nephew.  It is a picture of a mortar bowl found by his father while farming on the ranch.

This month is  about the original El Camino Real, establishment of the characteristic Bell markers, and changes to the roadway locally from 1913 to 1931

This month is about Doc Murphy who was one of 5 doctors in San Miguel in the late 1880's into early 1900.  He played a very active part in development of the community. 

This month we share  an article taken from the  June 1886 Inland Messenger, which was the first San Miguel Newspaper .   In the article, the editor is responding to a piece written by the editor of the Paso Robles newspaper, the Paso Leader,   allocating the importance of San Miguel to the mission.  The beginning of the San Miguel article is the piece from the Paso Leader followed by an elaboration on the many facets of the importance of San Miguel besides the mission, as he sees it in 1886.   Wonder what our list might look like today? (FYI:  the Lerdo branch was in reference to the original plan that had been for the railroad to turn east toward Bakersfield  just north of the Estrella River  at about where the Mission is located.  Paso Robles wealthy leaders pushed through a change shortly before the rail got to San Miguel; and thus the present path of the railroad.)

This month we share some information taken from writings  by Louisiana Dart about Salinan Indians, the early inhabitants of this area. According to several  articles in the  SLO Tribune, Louisiana Clayton Dart was an energetic booster of what was then called the San Luis Obispo Historical Society.  She was a popular storyteller and  wrote a number of books about area  history.  She  became curator for the SLO Historical Society and was at the helm for 24 years.  She died in 1995 at the age of 93.. Read more here:   http://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/local/news-columns-blogs/photos-from-the-vault/article57375908.html#storylink=cpy Mrs. Dart was the writer of “Vignettes of History In San Luis Obispo  County”, which has some interesting information about the county, including the  Missions and the Indians. (cited in this document) The inside cover of the book lists a copyright by Louisiana Clayton Dart, 1978, San Luis Obispo.  (published about the time the Friends of Adobes in