Redwood City
Redwood City History
As the oldest city on the San Francisco Peninsula, Redwood City has a long and varied history. Originally it was part of Rancho de las Pulgas, a Spanish ranching settlement. In 1854, Simon Mezes, the family lawyer, was able to buy part of the estate and named the settlement "Mezesville". Originally a port town during the Gold Rush, Redwood City became the County Seat of the newly formed San Mateo County in 1856. Downtown grew into a vital center for commerce, government, and manufacturing in the early 20th Century. During the late 1900s and early 2000s Downtown Redwood City began a revitalization that continues today.
Logging
Redwood City’s lumber industry began long before the city came into existence. In early 1776, the Spanish needed lumber to build the San Francisco Presidio and Mission Dolores. The closest place to find lumber was Woodside and Portola Valley. Laborers cut wood and hauled it up to San Francisco by horse.
In 1850, Charles Brown and Dennis Martin each built a saw mill on Alambique Creek. Martin constructed roads to Redwood City in order to get lumber to the waterfront for transportation. R.O. Tripp was the first to bring logging through Redwood Creek in 1850. Trees were cut and hauled down Woodside Road to the port, which was today’s current downtown, where they were sent to San Francisco by raft on the water.
Transporting wood from the Woodside and Portola Valley area was not done in one day, which meant Redwood City needed to build hotels, stables, diners, entertainment — such as saloons — and more. The lumber industry’ drove economic growth in Redwood City and gave life to the community.
Tanning
From 1864–1959 Redwood City was home to numerous industries vital to the local and national economy, including tanning, the process of making leather. One of the largest tanneries in the world was the renowned S.H. Frank Tannery, which operated on Redwood Creek from 1874–1959. At its peak the tannery produced nearly 13 tons of leather each week. Tannin from red oak trees in the area enabled Frank’s tannery to produce “the strongest leather in the world.” By 1897, Frank’s Tannery became a large -scale industry with business contacts all over the world.
World War I took a toll on the tanning industry as mechanization took over. Frank’s was able to continue its success by developing a new product called “Logger’s Oak” that was used as a sturdy sole leather for boots. It had the ability to hold the seams of boots even when wet. The tanning industry began to see a decline after World War II as metal began to replace leather, and Frank’s closed in 1959.
Flowers
Japanese-Americans have had a large impact on Redwood City by bringing us the flower industry. After the 1906 earthquake, Japanese immigrants began settling in San Mateo County. Growers were attracted specifically to Redwood City because the land was divided into five-acre parcels, which were an ideal size for nurseries and greenhouses. The world-acclaimed climate also provided growers with a necessary asset for their work.
In 1907, Japanese immigrant brothers Eikichi and Sadakusi Enomoto began growing chrysanthemums in Redwood City and shipping them nationwide. They also helped other immigrant families begin their own flower growing businesses. By 1926 Redwood City was being proclaimed the “Chrysanthemum Center of the World” with a local income exceeding $7 million. The flower industry began to expand to other nearby cities and in 1931 the California Chrysanthemum Growers Association was founded for growers located in the Bay Area.
Five years later, five Japanese families bought land in Redwood City for nurseries and greenhouses. These businesses lasted for nearly 50 years before the land was sold for development needs.
Railroad
In 1861, voters in San Mateo County approved a bond issue 417 to 235. Voters in San Francisco and Santa Clara Counties also gave their approval. In October 1863, “the western portion of the great trans-continental railway was formally opened”. Caltrain, the Peninsula commuter service, is the oldest continuously operating passenger service in the West. The line has 32 stations with seven on the National Register of Historic Places: Millbrae, Burlingame, San Carlos, Menlo Park, Palo Alto, Santa Clara and San Jose Diridon.
Courthouse
In 1865, a bill was passed by the State Legislature to consolidate the boundaries of the City and County of San Francisco. Called The Consolidation Act, the legislation set apart all of the rural areas of San Francisco County into a new unit to be known as "San Mateo County".
One of the terms of the act called for San Mateo County residents to hold an election of officers and to select a county seat. The first election was declared invalid after it was proved that a group of organized crime leaders tried to get themselves elected using fraudulent votes. Under the guidance of Benjamin Fox, who had won the position of county judge, a second election was held in April 1857. This time Redwood City was declared the legal seat of government. Fox held his position as a judge for four years and was a powerful voice for law and order in the new county.
Simon Mezes, the man who had founded Redwood City, donated an entire city block of land for the construction of a courthouse. The property (between what is now Broadway, Hamilton, Marshall, and Middlefield) was located midway between the embarcadero and the County Road (now El Camino Real). Four different buildings have since occupied the block: Courthouse No. 1 was finished in 1858, Courthouse No. 2 in 1882, Courthouse No. 3 in 1905, and Courthouse No. 4 in 1910. Today, the renovated space holds the San Mateo County History Museum and features a beautiful stained glass dome and mosaic tile floor.
Historic Cemetery
As Redwood City began to grow into a community it was evident that a cemetery was a necessity. In 1859, before the Civil War, a “Union Cemetery Association,” the first of its kind in California, was formed and a six-acre plot of land on Woodside Road was purchased. By May 1859, the cemetery was established with 194 family lots and public ground sufficient for over 400 graves for lumbermen, shipbuilders, judges, lawyers, tradesmen, county officials, tannery workers, hotel keepers, and many women and children.
Union Cemetery serves as a permanent archive of San Mateo County’s history. Recorded on stone are the rich and colorful lives of many pioneer families — including more than 40 Civil War veterans who are buried in the old soldiers’ plot established by the Grand Army of the Republic. Some of the early pioneers buried in Union Cemetery include Judge Benjamin Fox, Lester P. Cooley and Andrew Teague.
The Union Cemetery Association became inactive in 1918, and years of neglect set in. Community volunteers now devote time and effort into preserving this interesting historic property which is now overseen by the Historic Union Cemetery Association.
Union Cemetery’s history was so vivid it earned the California State Landmark #816 designation in 1967 and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
Port of Redwood City
In 1882, the Port of Redwood City became a federally approved shipping channel for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a critical step in securing future funds to keep our waters navigable and commerce moving. The importance of the Port’s role in regional construction strengthened in 1906 when an earthquake devastated San Francisco. The Port of Redwood City served in rebuilding San Francisco.
During World War I, a cement-hulled steamship, the first of its kind, was built here. The war ended before its life in combat. However, after its commissioning in 1917 it delivered a cargo load of salt and copper ore on its maiden voyage, deepening the Port’s role in manufacturing and development. Today the Port still maintains a strategic role in emergency response and rebuilding, as designated by FEMA as a federal staging area for natural disasters and other major incidents.
In 1937, the City of Redwood City incorporated the Port, which further evolved during WWII when it was commandeered by the U.S. Government for two years to support US Navy freight needs. During the 1950s, the Port transported a historic 27 million tons of cargo, partially enabled by long-awaited support of federal dredging funds. By the end of the decade, the Port welcomed the addition of a recreational marina to the waterfront in 1959. The Port has continued to record breaking years of cargo tonnage movement, and revenue.
Climate Best by Government Test
In the 1920's, the population was doubling and attracting businesses became a major goal of the city's leaders. Contest were held to find a slogan to represent and publicize the city's finest qualities. In 1925, Wilbur H. Doxsee’s entry "By Government Test, Our Climate is Best" - later shortened to read "Climate Best by Government Test" – was placed with pride on city signs. So, who exactly performed this government test? Before World War I, the United States and German governments began conducting climate surveys and gathering meteorological data. Their findings revealed Redwood City to be at the center of one of the world's three best climates. (The other two were The Canary Islands and the Mediterranean Coast of North Africa). These findings were printed by local newspapers and read by a happy public delighted to discover their climate to be the best by government test.
Marine World
In 1993, the Port underwent a major renovation of that marina to the waterfront, expanding the commercial recreation business taking shape throughout the 1980s. For 17 years Redwood City was home to whales, porpoises, seals, water-ski extravaganzas, jungle playgrounds and excursion canals to exotic lands. It was a place where a lucky few could pet a cheetah or be kissed by a dolphin. Marine World filled the land now occupied by Oracle’s shiny campus.
Opening on July 18, 1968 to 25,000 spectators, the spectacular ski and boat shows included high-flying skiers and six-person pyramids. Visionary, businessman, and first general manager Bradford S. Baruh, hoped it would “…be everything to marine life that Disneyland is to the world of fantasy.”
Marine World’s first animals were purchased from a closing animal park in St. Petersburg, Florida. The head animal trainer used the natural behaviors of each species and trained the animals to perform in response to commands given by whistle, hand gesture, splash, or music. Judy, a 600-pound baby Asiatic elephant was taught (and loved) to water ski and became the star of the show.
In 1972, Marine World was sold to Resorts International, which already owned Africa USA, a southern California animal training facility that provided “talent” to the entertainment industry. A merger of the two brought tigers, lions, zebras and gazelles to Redwood City. Marine World/Africa USA added lion and tiger shows, and wild animals walking the park on leash to the entertainment mix. An Ecology Theater was both educational and brought the audience close to wild birds, mammals and reptiles. Kids could take a ride on an elephant or camel.
“Tiger Mountain Rapids” was added with 50-foot-tall water slides. The ski show added a ski-kite stunt that required FAA approval. And Lancelot, a “unicorn” with a 10-inch horn in the middle of his forehead, became a new attraction. (Actually, Lancelot was an Angora goat with fused horns.)
Closing day in Redwood City was September 29, 1985. Over 350 exotic mammals and innumerable fish and birds were moved across the San Francisco Bay to their new home in Vallejo. On June 16, 1986, two elephants held a grapevine aloft in Vallejo for the official vine-cutting ceremony. And the story of Marine World continued.
Text courtesy of:
https://www.redwoodcity.org/about-the-city/history
https://www.rwc-localhistory.com/history-of-redwood-city
https://medium.com/redwood-city-voice/historical-blog-series-union-cemetery-fbf08c31097a
https://medium.com/redwood-city-voice/marine-world-a-splashy-part-of-redwood-citys-past-1e947d0bec10
https://medium.com/redwood-city-voice/historical-blog-series-industries-7d370790d4bc
https://medium.com/redwood-city-voice/caltrain-a-ride-to-the-past-94176aa89455
https://www.rwc-localhistory.com/history-of-redwood-city
https://www.redwoodcityport.com/history