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'Olema' is an unincorporated community located in western Marin County, California, along California State Route 1 and on the eastern edge of the Point Reyes Peninsula. Olema is Miwok for coyote.
Olema was once thought to be the epicenter of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake due to the huge fault rifts still visible via a nearby hiking path. There are historical references to this in and around the town, including at shops and restaurants. However, more recent evidence suggests that a location near Daly City, CA, is more likely the epicenter.^[1]

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History

External Links

References

History

Olema was a small town of saloons and cardhouses in the late 1800s. Logging was the prime industry in the area. In 1874, the North Pacific Coast Railroad laid tracks that effectively bypassed the town en route to the Point Reyes Station, thus eliminating growth or expansion potential. ^[2]
These days Olema has a few shops, two restaurants, a lodge, several bed and breakfasts. At the intersection of Sir Francis Drake Blvd and Highway 1 sits the Olema Inn (once called Nelson's Hotel), which once served as the local bank and stage stop^[3], dating back to the area's original Spanish land grantee, Rafael Garcia, who opened the business on July 4, 1876.
Nearby is a large campground and also a large retreat for the Vedanta Society (a precursor to Hinduism). Also, the Bear Valley Visitor Center, a quarter-mile from town on Bear Valley Road, provides a standard starting point for a visit to the federal park. Inside the center are exhibits and books for sale. Outside are picnic tables, a Morgan horse ranch, and Kule Loklo, a reconstructed Miwok village. ^[4]

External Links

References

1. 1906 San Francisco earthquake
2. History of Olema, CA
3. Bear Valley Inn, History in the Point Reyes area
4. History of Olema