Open house held at Atascadero Historical Society
Historical Society prepares to welcome visitors.
Event featured historic photographs, local artifacts, and museum tours
– The Atascadero Historical Society held an Open House on Saturday at their museum near the Rotunda. The museum stands at 6600 Lewis Avenue next to the creek.
At Saturday’s open house, the board members gave visitors posters of Caldero Dehydrated Pumpkin Ground, which was produced in Atascadero. Those who joined the Historical Society also received a free local history book.
Tom Lewis points out his father in the photo.
Atascadero’s history is quite unique. California’s early model community was developed by Edward Gardner Lewis. He founded Atascadero in 1913. Home construction began two years later. Lewis wanted to create a self-sustaining community that grew its own food. The colony home, which now houses the museum, was built in 1919. The Atascadero Historical Society also maintains the Hattie Prather Rose Garden.
Lewis published a popular national women’s magazine and campaigned for women’s suffrage- the right to vote. The Atascadero Historical Museum has many pictures of the early days of the “colony.” Because EG Lewis was heavily invested in the print media, he took a lot of photos of the town’s development.
Board members gave visitors posters of Caldero Dehydrated Pumpkin Ground.
The museum has beautiful old pictures of the Lewis family, and Tent City, where prospective property buyers stayed while looking over the available lots. Many historic photos are also on display on the walls of the Rotunda, which Lewis also built in the early 1900’s.
Several board members attended the Open House, including Thomas Lewis, who is a grand nephew of EG Lewis. Board member JoAnn Conner was also on hand to greet visitors and tell them about the museum.
The Historical Society says it will conduct more Open House events at the museum, but people are always welcome to stop by when it’s open to admire their exhibits.
You can learn more about the Atascadero Historical Society and their museum at their website, www.atascaderohistoricalsociety.org.
-Story and photos by Richard Mason.
