In just a few months the town ". . . contained one extensive and two smaller (but quite respectable) hotels, three general merchandise stores, a well-stocked drug store, a well-supplied meat market, a shoe shop, two blacksmith shops, five saloons, a billiard saloon, a large lumber yard, a sash and blind shop, several building and painting establishments, two barber shops, a public hall, a post office with daily mail service and 25 to 30 dwelling houses."

The first home in Templeton, built by Chauncey Hatch Phillips of the West Coast Land Company, was located at the north end of Main Street. Today that house is the Country House Inn, a beautiful bed and breakfast.

Albert Crum built the first store building at the corner of Sixth and Main streets. The original building had two stories. The upper story was used for a hall until 1888 when it was converted to living quarters for Mr. Crum and his wife. When Mrs. Crum complained that the structure was too drafty and cold, Mr. Crum took the upper story and moved it to a lot near the corner of Sixth and Crocker streets, where it still stands. After the business was sold, the lower half of the building was moved one block north and is now Mc-Phee's Grill. Thus, the first building in Templeton still exists although in two different locations.

By the 1890s, Templeton also had a bank, which was established by Adolph Horstman. Other members of the banking firm were Hartwig Wessell, who became president, and Andrew Seeman. Most of the stock was locally owned. The bank, housed in a brick building with a 100-foot frontage, was located on the east side of Main Street between Fifth and Sixth streets.

The railroad buildings consisted of a handsome depot and freight warehouse, a turntable and roundhouse and other appointments of a first-class station that provided telegraphic and express facilities.

The West Coast Land Company built an office building, which still stands today. It is located between the museum and the Templeton Building, and it houses a beauty salon. In 1898 a fire started in a saloon, spread to the Hans Petersen store (now Hewitt Hardware) and north to the very end of the block, destroying a large section of the downtown. The pioneer spirit prevailed and soon new buildings were erected, brick buildings replacing the original wooden buildings.

The continued southward construction of the railroad, along with the interest in Paso Robles' mineral springs and mud baths, caused the early growth of Templeton to wane. However, for many years it was the natural outlet from both east and west for grain, wood, charcoal, grapes, apples, prunes and other fruit. Crews were sent here every summer to make boxes at the railroad yards for use in packing fruit from nearby ranches. Because shipping by train was the only way of transporting cattle to market in early days, Templeton's corrals were crowded during the shipping season. Herds were driven in from as far away as the coast and the Kern County line.

During Templeton's boom days, the West Coast Land Company owned and controlled a newspaper called the Templeton Times. Later there were two papers: the Templeton Advance and the Times.

As the population of the little settlement increased, a school was needed to educate the children. In 1887, the Templeton school district was created out of territory that had been part of the Paso Robles school district. A three-room, three-teacher schoolhouse, built on a block of land donated by the West Coast Land Company, was used until 1923 when another structure, still in use, was completed.