Quick Facts :
Harmony is a small group of buildings just a few miles south of the intersection of Hwy 46 and Hwy 1 near Cambria. Most of the official 18 residents come from surrounding farms and ranches.
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History: The Town of Harmony grew up around a dairy, founding in 1869.
Until 1907 the creamery changed hands several times. In these early days rivalries and feuding among dairy farmers caused chaos in the valley. After one shooting death, a truce was called. All agreed to live henceforth in harmony, and from this the name of the towne was derived.
In 1901 M. H. Salmina established the Harmony Valley Co-operative Dairy. The town of Harmony prospered with this business. In its heyday, the village boasted a large residence for management, bunkhouses for employees, a general store, a livery and stable, blacksmith, feed store, post office and a school house.
The Harmony Dairy produced besides milk and cream some of the finest butter and cheese in the state. In those days, Highway 1 ran right through the town and motorists were treated to ladles of buttermilk from the dairy.
William Randolf Hearst was a familiar face as he stopped off for fresh dairy products on his way to his ranch. Rudolf Valentino and Pola Negra stopped in Harmony on their way to visit Hearst.
Eventually, the dairy business shifted to San Luis Obispo, and in the late 1950s Harmony Dairy was closed. For many years the town was abandoned with the exception of the post office which remained open.
Restoration began in 1972, with loving care, to bring back the beauty and vitality of the Harmony of years ago.
Activities:
The choices in Harmony are pretty much viewing art, drinking wine, and shopping.
At the winery you'll find a tasting room with wonderful samples, and a full collection of gifts to take with you. You won't see much of the owners, in fact I think Kim is a determined workaholic, but the Mulligans have big hearts and are very active in the local communities. And you'll find that same care and charm at the winery. They also seem to find the best employees to work there, so don't be afraid to ask them for suggestions on what to see in the area.
What you won't find in Harmony are many locals. For some odd reason people from the local communities don't stop in here. But you'll find plenty of people from the Central Valley, Southern California and Europe.
Some people never know what they have in their own back yard.
Shopping: What you will find in Harmony are now two wonderful shops which include a glass blowing facility and and pottery shop. And don't forget the winery on the hill.
The new owners have let the town of Harmony run down, which is disappointing for a town with the history and charm that this town has.
Still, it's worth stopping by to watch Carl blow glass or to get a glass of wine and look out over the valley.
Wandering around the town you'll see all kinds of examples of art and whimsy.
I see Backroads Gallery is getting their presence up on the Internet. Kat Brunson, the owner, has a great eye for gifts and has created a large following over the years her shop was located in Harmony. I'm sure there are many past customers that will be happy to see the new items that she's found to display. Stop by her web site to see more.
Directions: Take Hwy 46 west
out of Templeton. At the end on Hwy 1, take a left. Drive approximately 3 miles and you'll see a line of building on your left. Turn in to the driveway.
