Know your SLO County history? Probably not enough to ace this insanely hard quiz
On July 4, the United States celebrates 250 years since the Declaration of Independence was signed.
But don’t ask me how to pronounce semiquincentennial.
In 1972, the city of San Luis Obispo celebrated the bicentennial of the Mission San Luis Obispo de Tolosa’s founding.
On Fridays in April and May, the Telegram-Tribune published six weekly mystery history quizzes on local topics.
Today people can use their phones to research questions, but given that much of this history predates the internet, it might take extra searching in libraries and other archives like Newspapers.com to find the correct answers.
Here is Quiz II in the series. We will publish the answers next week.
Back in 1972, the Telegram-Tribune had enough interest in the quiz that they had to give local quiz takers an extra two days to mail in their answers.
The city Bicentennial Committee offered prizes for highest scores.
Today we only offer the serene satisfaction of knowing your local history.
Oh, and if you are tempted to dig through your back issues of the Telegram-Tribune in your garage, one of the quiz answers was completely wrong. Others needed clarification.
Editor’s note: The original quiz was so hard, current Tribune editor Joe Tarica could only (somewhat) answer four of the questions correctly. For the slightly more modern online version, we’ve added multiple choice options — but if you really want to play on max difficulty, see the full original version below.
Originally published April 14, 1972:
Mystery History Quiz II
1. The name of the first railroad to serve San Luis Obispo was?
2. What happened to the rails of that railroad?
3. What year were both electricity and telephones installed in San Luis Obispo?
4. Approximately when was the lighting of our city streets changed from gas to electricity?
5. The first Protestant Church built in San Luis Obispo was of what denomination?
6. What common fate did the Andrews and Ramona Hotels share?
7. When did the Southern Pacific Railroad reach San Luis Obispo from the north?
8. Before that time, how did people go from San Luis Obispo to the Southern Pacific Railroad station in Santa Margarita?
9. What year could you first go by train from San Francisco to Los Angeles [on the Coast Line.]
10. What was the year of the Lark’s last run?
11. How many gas lights are still hanging in Sinsheimer’s Store?
12. In the early 1920s what sport brought popular contestants to the professional track on South Street?
13. What calamity of 1926 left a lasting impression on city residents?
14. What 1905 public building was actually built for less than the amount given for its construction by an Eastern benefactor?
15. The ________________ family started the Cigar Factory where the __________ brand of Cigars was made.
16. Where did the bricks used in building the Ah Louis Store come from?
17. What nickname was given at one period in our history to the area on Buchon Street between Morro and Broad streets?
18. The old stone building on Pismo Street between Walker and Archer was used for what utility?
19. The year of greatest amount of rainfall in the history of San Luis Obispo was_____?
20. Name the last three mayors of San Luis Obispo?
Answer key
1. The Pacific Coast Railway was a narrow gauge line that went from Port San Luis, San Luis Obispo and Los Olivos. 2. The PCR went bankrupt and the rails were sold for scrap during World War II. 3. The published answer, 1885, was incorrect. The key to knowing it is wrong was knowing that the electric, gas and telephone utilities were all locally founded in different years before they were rolled up into the big utilities that we know today. Also the original question asked about telephone and electric, but the answer corresponded more to electricity and gas. The gas company franchise formed in the 1875. A franchise for pipes in the streets was granted May 15, 1875, and 20 lamps were in service by September. The San Luis Obispo Thomson-Houston Electric Light Company (forerunner of the San Luis Gas and Electric Company) was incorporated July 29, 1889, and the circuit was opened in October the same year. The Sunset Telephone-Telegraph Company established an office in San Luis Obispo in 1885. Prior to that there were a handful of private telephones in service. 4. The last San Luis Obispo streetlights using gas were replaced with electric in 1941. 5. Methodist Episcopal was the first Protestant church built in 1869 in San Luis Obispo. 6. The Andrews and Ramona hotels were destroyed by separate fires. 7. The Southern Pacific reached San Luis Obispo in 1894. 8. Before the Cuesta Grade was pierced by the railroad, travelers reached railroad stations via stage coach. 9. The Coast Line of the Southern Pacific was completed in 1901. The first train between cities was 26 years earlier via the Tehachapi Loop and Central Valley on Sept. 5, 1876. 10. The Lark was an overnight train between Los Angeles and San Francisco that carried passengers and mail. It ended in 1968. 11. Eight gas lights were still hanging in the Sinsheimer store in 1972. 12. Auto racing took place from 1920-23 at Exposition Park next to South Street. World speed records were broken there, and it attracted Indianapolis 500 racers to compete. 13. In 1926, the Union Oil tank farm exploded in flames when a lightning strike ignited it. Two people were killed. 14. The Carnegie Library was built in 1905, and building construction came in under budget. 15. The Kluver family started the Cigar Factory where the Pioneer brand of cigars were made. 16. Ah Louis store is made from bricks made in his brickyard. 17. Nob Hill was the nickname to the Buchon Street area in town between Morro and Broad streets. 18. The old building at Pismo and Archer was the gas works. 19. Then as now, 1969 was the record year for rain. 20. In 1972 the last three mayors were Kenneth Schwartz, Clell Welchel and Clay Davidson. If you chose to answer with today’s mayors, they would be currently Erica A. Stewart, Heidi Harmon, Jan Marx.
This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 5:00 AM.
CORRECTION: Further research reveals that the Sunset Telephone-Telegraph Company founded a branch in San Luis Obispo in 1885, prior to that there were a handful of private telephone lines in the county.
