2010 Riverside Ave.
Paso Robles, CA
93446
Open Thurs. - Sun.
1:00 - 4:00 p.m.
805 239-4556
A walk on the grounds of the Pioneer Museum takes one back in time. An El Camino Real bell marks a walkway past a jail and farm equipment to a one-room schoolhouse.
This El Camino Real bell was one of many bells placed along Highway 101.
Highway 101 went through Paso Robles on the main street (Spring Street) until the late 1950s, when a freeway was built, skirting the town. Paso Robles is half way between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
When an original door to Paso Robles’ first jail was re-discovered at the Museum, it was decided to build a replica of the original two-cell jail to properly display the door! Funds were raised and volunteers performed most of the work. The original 10-by-13-foot jail was used from mid-1889 until 1914.
The door that started the jail project.
In 2004, the family of Linden Chandler donated this schoolhouse to be enjoyed by both children and adults. Many one-room schoolhouses dotted the countryside prior to and after the turn of the last century. The schoolhouse shows a typical classroom where children learned “readin’, ’ritin’ and ’rithmetic all to the tune of a hickory stick.”
Geneseo School, originally located 11 miles east of Paso Robles, was used until 1962, when its doors closed and the children were bused to Paso Robles.
On the afternoon of Pioneer Day, retired Paso Robles schoolteacher Harold Franklin (center) sat and chatted with visitors about the Geneseo School and other former one-room schools.
Visitors checked out school memorabilia from Geneseo School and other Paso Robles area one-room schools.
A windmill on the grounds is a reminder of its importance to local farmers and ranchers for pumping water—water for cattle and water for domestic use.
West of Paso Robles in the Adelaida area, these carts from Klau Mine carried cinnabar, the ore from which mercury (quicksilver) was extracted. The mine processed the ore from 1868 to 1970.
Under the museum’s covered porch, a horse-pulled broadcaster sports new wheels. The broadcaster was used to spread out grain seeds up to a distance of 30+ feet. Because the seeds landed on top of the ground, the farmer followed up with a harrow to work them into the soil.
One man stood on the platform, pouring the seeds into the hopper while another man drove a team of horses to pull the broadcaster.
The nameplate indicates that the brand of the broadcaster is Pacific.
A walk through the door of the Pioneer Museum
is a walk into the by-gone days of the Paso Robles
area. Some of the many displays are
showcased here.
The area's Western
heritage is evident in the cowboy
display where a cowboy appears
ready to mount his horse and
round up some cattle.
A special handcrafted saddle by Edward Bohlin is on loan from the Dick Woodland family.
The chuck wagon provided food for cowboys at round-up time. This display, celebrating the history of cattle ranching, was provided by the San Luis Obispo County CattleWomen.
Famous pianist Ignacy Jan Paderewski used the healing powers of the mineral and mud baths of Paso Robles when his rheumatism became debilitating during the early 1900s. His bed and other memorabilia are on display.
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