Temescal, California, San Bernardino County was once a thriving settlement with a fascinating history that beckons those intrigued by the remnants of the past. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: San Bernardino
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: Approximately 34.0333° N, 117.1831° W
Elevation: Approximately 1,250 feet (381 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: Mid-19th century
Disestablished: Early 20th century
Comments: Temescal, California, was originally established as a mining town during the California Gold Rush era. It served as a stop along the Butterfield Overland Mail route. Due to its mining activities and strategic location, the town experienced a period of prosperity.
However, as mining operations dwindled and transportation routes shifted, the town’s population gradually decreased, leading to its status as a ghost town. Temescal is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Oakland, California Ghost Townlifornia, located in North Oakland, and centered on Telegraph Avenue.
The neighborhood derives its name from Temescal Creek, a significant watercourse in the city.
Remains: Very few structures remain of the original Temescal. The area is now largely rural, with some historical markers and remnants of old mining equipment visible. The landscape has mostly returned to its natural state, with only subtle hints of its bustling past.
Temescal was originally a separate village built around the estate of Vicente Peralta, which was located near the modern intersections of Telegraph Avenue and Claremont Boulevard. (Vicente’s estate was part of the larger Peralta Grant that spanned 44,800 acres of land in the East Bay.)
In 1897, the residents of Temescal voted to join the City of Oakland to gain access to higher-quality public schools and police services. At the time that the City of Oakland annexed Temescal, Temescal was considered to consist of all land north of 36th Street (the northern bound of the City of Oakland at the time) between the Emeryville city limit to the west and Broadway to the east.
Current Status: Temescal is considered a ghost town, with no active community. The surrounding region is used for agriculture and residential purposes, but the town remains uninhabited.
Temescal is home to one of the few tool-lending libraries in the Bay Area in the U.S. (The Berkeley Public Library also has a tool-lending library at their nearby South Branch.) The Temescal branch of the Oakland Public Library operates this facility, which lends tools to library patrons for repairs and home-improvement projects.
The Tool Lending Library also has instructional materials (books, videos, etc.) and gives “how-to” workshops.
Remarks: Temescal’s story is a common narrative among many towns that sprang forth during the gold rush, only faded away as resources were exhausted and economic activities shifted.
Its history confirms the transient nature of boomtowns and the enduring allure they hold for those interested in exploring the echoes of the past. The word temescal derives from the word temescalli, which means “sweat house” in the Nahuatl language of the Mexica (“Aztec”) people of Mexico.
It is surmised that the Peraltas or perhaps one of their ranch hands (vaqueros) had seen local indigenous (Ohlone) structures along the creek similar to those in other parts of New Spain called temescalli.
