The Templeton Historical Society celebrated Founders Day Saturday afternoon at their Templeton museum and blacksmith shop.
Several hundred people turned out to visit the museum and blacksmith shop, and admire a collection of old cars parked along Main street.
Southern Pacific’s first passenger train reached Templeton on November 20, 1886. Back then, it was the end of the line. When the southbound amtrack train rolled through Templeton around 3:00, the engineer sounded the whistle several times in honor of Templeton Founders Day.
The blacksmith shop includes a model of the Templeton stockyards as they existed for many years at the north end of town. There is also a blacksmith shop as it operated from 1919 to the 1950’s. The large metal building also houses the Templeton fire truck, which is still functional. The fire truck left the north county for Carpenteria, where it protected the palms and other landmarks for many years. It turned up in Arroyo Grande, and was purchased by Templeton residents and returned to its rightful place in the museum.
