What Happened to San Pablo Tempe? The Lost Neighborhood Behind ASU

How a historic Tempe neighborhood near Arizona State University was erased—and why its story still lingers today.

Sometimes when we talk about ghosts, we mean the communities paved over—not the souls that linger. In Tempe, near Arizona State University and the Salt River, there once stood a neighborhood called San Pablo. Today, many people searching for Tempe’s hidden history or what existed before ASU won’t find San Pablo on a map—but its story is still there.

San Pablo was more than a cluster of adobe homes. It was a historic Tempe neighborhood where Mexican-American families, Native residents from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, and migrant workers lived side by side. Neighbors knew one another, shared traditions, worked nearby farms, dug irrigation canals, ran small shops, and helped shape the early fabric of Tempe.

The Beginning of San Pablo: Tempe’s Forgotten Neighborhood

The land that became San Pablo was donated in 1872 by William Kirkland, with one condition: proceeds from its sale would help fund Tempe’s first public building — Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, completed in 1873. Families soon moved in, many working the nearby farms, digging irrigation canals, or running small businesses, including shops and a saloon.

Locals called the area by many names: East Tempe, Chihuahua, and Sonora Town. But to the people who lived there, it was simply home.

How San Pablo Was Erased by ASU Expansion and Development

And then, piece by piece, San Pablo disappeared. As Arizona State University expanded and Tempe redevelopment moved in, homes and streets were replaced with dormitories, athletic facilities, parking lots, and new development.

Many displaced families relocated to Victory Acres, a working-class neighborhood southeast of Tempe. But while it offered new housing, it could never fully replace the closeness and shared history of San Pablo.

Today, most people walking through the area would never know a community once thrived there. But San Pablo’s ghost remains — in family stories, old photos, and the few surviving buildings that escaped the wrecking ball.

Why San Pablo Still Matters in Tempe History

San Pablo’s story is more than a footnote in Tempe history. It is a reminder that communities can vanish from the map and still live on in memory. By telling its story, we honor the people who built it, the traditions they carried, and the lives shaped in its dusty streets.

History like this doesn’t haunt because of ghosts. It haunts because it was taken. And every time we speak its name, we bring San Pablo back — if only for a moment.

Want to Explore More Haunted Tempe History?

Want to experience Tempe’s hidden history in person? Join us on The Millz Have Eyez, a haunted walking tour through downtown Tempe where we uncover forgotten history, true crime, and lingering legends — from the shadow of Tempe Butte to the ghosts that still whisper in the night.