2018 September COLONY Magazine

ROUND TOWN
Santa Margarita SMALL TOWN, BIG HEART
Photos by Luke Phillips
Welcome to Santa Margarita! As a
business owner celebrating 25 years
in and a resident for 30, I’ve come
to know and love our tiny town and I’d like
to take a moment to welcome you and explain
what makes this small town a very special place.
Every area is unique in its own way. Geographical
location, natural environment, history
and community all come into play to shape and
mold each into what it currently is and what it
will be in the future.
NOT to be confused with the very young
planned city of Rancho Santa Margarita (pop.
47,853) incorporated in Orange County in
2000, you can find the town of Santa Margarita
(pop. 1,259) located within the County of
San Luis Obispo, at the southern end of “the
North County” and a mere 10-minute hop away
over the Cuesta Grade from the city of San
Luis Obispo just off Highway 101. The current
“downtown” is centered on a portion of road
which has multiple names, mainly three (but
if you ask certain locals there are a few more).
When traveling to Santa Margarita, the main
street happens to be a portion of the historic El
Camino Real (The King’s Highway) running
north/south; the western end of State Route 58,
which stretches east to Barstow; in addition to
being named “G” street (as established by the
original town map of 1889).
Having one stretch of road with three names
is always fun trying to explain to visitors and
there are many stories of confusion with Rancho
Santa Margarita (a roughly 5-hour, 279-
mile drive away) including “that time when a
bus full of a high school football players arrived
looking for the football field to play the local
team” or “that time when a semi-truckload of
new cars was looking for the dealership”… oops!
The original inhabitants were likely drawn
to the idyllic Santa Margarita Valley by the
bounty provided through its year-round running
streams, abundant wildlife and acorn-producing
oaks and was used by the northern
Chumash and southern Salinans as a gathering
place. Years later, in 1769, the area saw the
arrival of the Spanish exploratory expedition
of Gaspar de Portola accompanied by Father
Junipero Serra who established nine of the
eventual 21 Spanish missions, including Mis-
By Simone Smith
sion San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, founded in
1772 and soon after it’s associated asistencia
(assistance or sub-mission rancho). It is believed
that this mission rancho was named in honor
of Father Serra’s mother Margaret and favorite
patron saint Margarita de Cortona of his
birthplace in Spain.
Due to its geographical location and hospitable
environment, Santa Margarita has long
been and continues to be a special place that
welcomes and brings people together, from early
Native Americans to the missionaries and
beyond to present day gatherings.
ShapeBe on the lookout! Next month, I plan
on filling the historical gap between the Mission
days and present day Santa Margarita.
Upcoming gatherings in Santa Margarita
for September
Sept. 3 - Final Summertime Margarita Monday
Community Potluck in the Park - 6-9 p.m.
Sept. 14 - An Evening in Santa Margarita
– 5-9 p.m. - Enjoy music, food, drinks and
crafts while strolling through town. Hosted
at local business locations, this event benefits
and supports the Friends of the Santa
Margarita Library.
For more information about the history of
Santa Margarita, visit santamargaritahistorical
society.org.
You can also follow Santa Margarita on Facebook
by searching for @SantaMargaritaCA.
10 | colonymagazine.com COLONY Magazine, September 2018