California Genealogy

Taking into consideration the accessibility of home properties, in the various parts of San Mateo County, to San Francisco, their beautiful and inspiring surroundings, balmy climate, modern type of improvements and the representative class of neighbors-the cost of property in this community is surprisingly low. Property values vary of course in each section, according to the nearness to railroad or trolley station, the class of improvements and the natural surroundings. The average suburban home can be reached as quickly and easily as the residential sections across the bay or in the outlying districts of San Francisco; while the price paid … Read more

In the life of Harriman, the master mind of the world of transportation, there was evolved a plan to make San Francisco the western terminal of all rail lines, and out of this plan came the great Dumbarton bridge, built across the lower arm of San Francisco Bay at a point two miles east of Redwood City. This bridge, a mammoth steel affair, is the link, from the rail road standpoint, needed to connect San Francisco with the mainland. It is open to all lines. Consummation of the Harriman plan means that Redwood City will become the southern portal of … Read more

San Mateo County extends from the south line of the City and County of San Francisco to the San Francisquito Creek and a line extending westerly from the source of this creek over the San Morena Range to the Pacific Ocean and out to a distance of 3 miles. Its eastern boundary is the bay of San Francisco; and its western boundary is the Pacific Ocean. Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties are adjacent to the southern boundary line. The area of the county is 447 square miles out of the peninsula’s total area of 550 square miles. The extreme … Read more

These grants of land in San Mateo County, together with similar grants throughout Mexico and California, were made in the early Spanish colonial days by the governor of California, and ratified by his assembly or junta, although such ratification was not absolutely necessary. It was the aim of the Mexican government to make these grants as a reward for military service, but this was not a set rule and many civilians received such grants. Often they were given verbally and not confirmed until months and sometimes years afterwards, yet the grantees were considered to have valid title to their land. … Read more

Following the period when the county was divided up into districts determined by the old Mexican Land Grants, comes that of a further division of this territory into the large estates of the wealthy. San Mateo is still a county of large estates; and presents the appearance of a typical old English shire, as it preserves the memories of the original landholders and early settlers in the names of its cities, towns, roads and land marks. Many of these early arrivals came seeking a home in the county, even before the discovery of gold in California in 1848. There are … Read more

San Mateo in its soft, musical pronunciation, still voices memories of the past, when the Franciscan fathers were winding their chain of missions through the Californias. San Mateo the name itself is of Spanish origin and emblematic of the nation which laid the foundation of this state. Translated, it means, “St. Matthew,” which shall serve to remind us of the faith of the Franciscans which carried them across the seas to distant Spanish America, there to serve their God and King. The history of California began with the first white man who set foot upon the soil, and has been … Read more

Because of the configuration of the bay coast of San Mateo County, this area offers exceptional opportunities and advantages for the establishment of manufacturing enterprises. Deep water is available at several points along this stretch of bay shore particularly at South San Francisco and Redwood City. Many factories are established at these locations some of them the largest of their kind upon the Pacific Coast. The following industrial sketches describe some of the most important of these manufacturing enterprises. Although San Mateo County is primarily a residential county, with the various home sections clustering, for the most part, upon the … Read more

This site is a county site for California AHGP, a state organization of the American History and Genealogy Project (AHGP). AHGP is a group of volunteers working together to provide free genealogy websites for genealogical research in every county and every state of the United States. You have apparently stumbled upon my contribution to this effort. Our name are Judy White and Dennis Partridge, and we are the joint CAAHGP county coordinators (cc) for San Mateo County, California. If you would like to contribute data to this website please contact us, using the comment form! San Mateo County Biographies Biographies … Read more

In Portola’s narrative of the first expedition in search of Monterey Bay he makes several allusions to the Indians through whose country they were passing; sometimes referring to them as very friendly and sometimes as hostile. The Indians of the county were an inferior race, and not to be compared to the fierce warriors of the plains west of the Rockies. They were not red or copper colored, but almost as dark as Negroes. In stature they were rather short but their well knit frames possessed great strength and endurance. Father Engelhardt, in his “History of the California Missions,” thus … Read more

Hillsborough Hillsborough, known as the “municipality of millionaires,” and richer per capita than any other city in the world, is an attractive and altogether unique suburban community extending along part of two sides of the town of San Mateo and the westerly boundary of Burlingame. It covers six and a quarter square miles, and although much of the land is occupied, it has only a little over one hundred residences. Here on rolling foothills at the base of Black Mountain, nestling among the luxuriant shrubbery and lofty trees, are the estates of many of California’s oldest and wealthiest families. With … Read more