Hometown America - Santa Margarita, California Framed Print

A row of storefronts that make up most of downtown Santa Margarita, California.

Santa Margarita is located in north San Luis Obispo County on Highway 58, just north of Cuesta Grade. It was founded in 1889 when the Southern Pacific Railroad reached there from Templeton. An auction was held to sell lots for the new town along El Camino Real (now also known as Highway 58.) Santa Margarita was the terminus of the Southern Pacific while the line was being built over Cuesta Grade. Freight trains were unloaded for transfer to stagecoaches on the way to San Luis Obispo, which created a boom in the community that lasted until the railroad completed the line to San Luis Obispo in 1894t. It saw a second boom during the 1920s as automobile traffic increased on El Camino Real until Highway 101 bypassed Santa Margarita in 1956. It is currently a small community of 1,300 people.

I have been photographing the things I see for over thirty years. A resident of San Luis Obispo County, I'm lucky to have many excellent photo destinations within a few minutes' or hours' drive. Beyond the local area, I have traveled throughout California and the western United States, visited far away American destinations such as Chicago, New York, Florida, and Alaska, and international destinations in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. My photography varies from Architecture to Industrial Art to Nature to Wildlife and I'm sure you'll find something suitable for your home or office. Visit my blog