South County Historical Society

 

This site tells about the other historical buildings and tours available in South San Luis Obispo County and upcoming activities of the society.

 

  Dana photos from 1936 (enter search word Nipomo) 

 

The Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) and the Historic American Engineering Record (HAER) are among the largest and most heavily used collections in the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress. The collections document achievements in architecture, engineering, and design in the United States and its territories through a comprehensive range of building types and engineering technologies including examples as diverse as windmills, one-room schoolhouses, the Golden Gate Bridge, and buildings designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. These are their photos of the Dana adobe taken in 1936. The pictures of the pea pickers at the Dana Adobe taken by Dorothea Lange are also on this website.

 

The Mission Tour stops in Nipomo - By Tom Simondi

 

The Adobe is under restoration but some areas are available to see. It's actually fascinating to come during the restoration as you see some of the restoration techniques in action. The pictures I took show that you enter the Adobe via the back door. The panorama above was taken from the front porch on the other side of the building. As you enter you first see a stairway that leads up to the attic where a dormitory was located. This area is not generally available for tours but I was given permission to photograph it.

 

The San Luis Obispo County Land Conservancy

 

The Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos are working closely with the Land Conservancy to preserve the section of Nipomo Creek that runs through the surrounding land. The Land Conservancy is also helping the adobe with grant research and funding.

 

The Nipomo Railroad - By Loren Nicholson 

 

The Pacific Coast Railroad brought Iron Horses and new track into San Luis Obispo around 1876. In 1881 Charles Goodall ordered construction of track south to Santa Maria. The farmers in the area of Nipomo felt they needed this new railroad line to supplement a planned wharf at Pismo Beach.

 

The Genealogy of William G Dana - By Judith Walker and John Bowen

 

William G Dana established the 38,000 acre Nipomo Ranchero. This is a list of some of his descendants.

 

Restoring a By-Gone Era - April 23, 1999 - Michael Yparrea - Adobe Press 

 

The Dana Adobe's 160 year history has left it standing like a faded ghost amid the eucalyptus and sycamore trees. Now, renewed interest in restoring the historic building is beginning to breath new life. Many hope to someday see the adobe returned back in time to its heyday.

 

Judge Henry Tefft - By Thomas Tefft 

 

At age 25 Henry Tefft arrived in San Luis Obispo County in 1849. He died in the surf off San Luis Harbor four years later. He had become a Judge, a representative to the state constitutional convention, a wealthy landowner and the son-in-law of William Dana, the owner of the 38,000 acre Nipomo Rancho.

 

A Cry for Succor by the Dana Historical Adobe - by Alonzo Dana

 

Alonzo Patrick Dana was born in the Dana adobe in Nipomo, California March 12, 1893. He was the grandson of Captain William G. Dana who received the great Nipomo land grant from the Mexican government in 1835. Alonzo Dana wrote this poem in 1961. He died on August 25, 1980.

 

San Luis Obispo County Historical Society

 

Owner of the historic Dana Adobe beginning in 1954, the SLOCHS preserved the building until 1999 when a group of local residents formed the Dana Adobe Nipomo Amigos and began restoration in earnest.

 

1850 Census Records

 

A digital copy of the 1850 census records for Nipomo

 

 

Santa Barbara Historic Trust   

 

One hour south of the Dana Adobe is the El Presidio of Santa Barbara and the Rochin Adobe. The restoration of these historic sites and their protection is under the care of a group founded in 1963 by Dr. Pearl Chase and other concerned community leaders, the Trust works to protect, preserve, restore, reconstruct, and interpret historic sites within Santa Barbara County. The Trust is the primary force in the reconstruction and preservation of El Presidio de Santa Barbara State Historic Park and the restoration of La Casa de la Guerra. The Trust more recently acquired for restoration the Rochin Adobe in downtown Santa Barbara and the Mission Santa Ines mills complex in Solvang.

 

The Beginnings of Nipomo - By Alonzo Dana

 

The original author is the grandson of William Goodwin Dana, original owner of Nipomo Rancho, a Mexican land grant. This is the story of early homes built on the rancho, some still occupied today about over 100 years. The editor and photographer is John H Bowen, a genealogist, writer, and computer consultant who retired to Nipomo in 1996.

Official Project

Save America's Treasures