Atascadero

Atascadero, California—located nearly halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco on US Highway 101—is the brainchild of E.G. Lewis. Thought by some to have been a visionary, Lewis was considered a con artist by others. In spite of his reputation, he founded Atascadero and left in his wake a collection of unique architecture and the first planned community in the state of California. He established roads, water mains, power grids, agricultural cooperatives, and a 17-mile road to the Pacif...