Location #12

The intersection of Tefft St. and Thompson Rd. was clearly the center of town and activity in the late 1800's and early 1900's in Nipomo. The original Jocko's restaurant, the old T.E. Smith service station, and the still standing Calvary Chapel were all near or at this location. Thompson Rd. was the main highway through town, and when the railroad appeared in 1882 many new businesses opened in this area. The original Jocko's restaurant was located nearer to the southeast corner, and later moved to the northwest corner where is is today. The T.E. Smith service station was right on the southeast corner and was the only gas/service station in the area from before 1920 until the late 1940's. In the now famous 1936 photo by Dorothea Lange, the mother with her two children was captured in Nipomo after their car broke down. It may have been worked on at the T.E. Smith station.

	The Calvary Chapel on the northeast corner.
	View looking north on Thompson Rd. just south of the intersection with Tefft.
	This is how the intersection looked in 1890. You can see the Chapel, and the barber shop and general store on the left. Photo courtesty of Leonard Dana.
	I'm still researching this building which is located across from the old General Store. The original Jocko's was in this area.
	Same spot as the above photo. View facing north.
	This ramp is very old, and it doesn't seem to fit with the current structure.
	The current Jocko's on the northwest corner of Tefft and Thompson Rd.
	The southeast corner is a vacant lot now, but this is where the old T.E. Smith station was.
	The famous photo by Dorothea Lange taken in 1936 when their car broke down on the old 101 near Nipomo.
	View looking north on Thompson Rd. from the south end of town.
	Same location as the above photo looking south as the old route heads towards Santa Maria.

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