San Mateo County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter VIII Suburban Homes-Possibilities 1893
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher cagwarchives@gmail.com January 12, 2007, 3:22 am

Book Title: Memorial And Biographical History Of The Coast Counties Of Central California.

CHAPTER VIII.
SUBURBAN HOMES-POSSIBILITIES.

THE almond, apricot and other early varieties of fruit bloom in the last days of
February. The conditions of the climate were appreciated very early by wealthy
residents of the metropolis, many of whom have made their summer homes in San
Mateo county. It was rather unfortunate for the county, perhaps, that land was
so low in price at the time those purchases were made, for many of the holdings
are in large tracts, which is detrimental to the settlement and progress of this
section.

  Many of these homes are improved to a high degree. The grounds combine the
beauties of the native growth, with all the semi-tropic plants which flourish on
the coast, and are dreams of beauty, as examples of landscape gardening. They
show at least what can be done on small lots and acre tracts, by the application
of water during the summer months and an intelligent hand to direct the
improvements. There are in this area, extending from the town of San Mateo to
the Stanford University, over 100,000 acres of land susceptible of as high a
state of culture as Palo Alto, the Flood grounds, or any other of the best
improved places at San Mateo, or Menlo Park, at a distance of only from twelve
to thirty miles from the city of San Francisco. It is an anomalous fact that
land in this choice region can still be bought in acre tracts or lots, for from
one-fifth to one-tenth the sum asked on the Oakland side of the bay. Between
Oakland and Berkeley, land is held at from $2,500 to $4,000 per acre. Good land,
relatively as well located on the west side of the bay, can be bought for $250
to $400 per acre. One of the principal causes for this remarkable difference in
values, in the opinion of many citizens, is to be found in the cost of
transportation. Single fares from Redwood City to San Francisco cost 80 cents,
and from San Mateo 60 cents, and monthly commutation tickets from $5 to $8; as
against 15 cents single fares, and $3 commutation between Oakland and Berkeley.
Population, business improvement, and rapid progress followed the lines of low
fare and freight rates.

  That San Mateo county, under the influence of high fares, has been forced to
the rear in the procession of progress, by which it is on all sides surrounded,
cannot be controverted. With the coming of the electric road, now a certainty,
for which a franchise was wisely granted by the Board of Supervisors, all this
will be changed. The franchise calls for 20 cents fare from Redwood City to San
Francisco, being just one-fourth the price now asked by the only means of
transportation at the command of the people. This road has already crossed over
the border and is pushing. its way to the interior of the county, and unlocks
the gate which has heretofore barred the progress of the county, and gives it an
even chance with its neighbors over the bay who have long had rapid and cheap
communication with the metropolis.

LAND AND LIVE-STOCK.

  As a matter of curiosity, we transcribe for comparison some typical values of
land and live-stock as fixed by M. A. Parkhurst, deputy assessor, in the year
1853, when this county was a municipal district of San Francisco.

  The San Miguel rancho, containing 4,800 acres, was assessed to Jose Jesus de
Noe at $10 per acre; total $48,000. Fifty vara lots on the same tract near the
mission were assessed at $125 each. This grant was near the mission and the
owner once wrote a description of the animals he met in traveling from Yerba
Buena to his ranch.

  The Sunny Side tract, containing 160 acres, recently sold by Senator Stanford
for $300,000, and the Crocker tract of 166 acres, that sold for a like amount,
was a part of the Noe ranch. At the rate fixed for these two parcels, viz.,
$1,885 per acre, the whole tract would bring $10,000,000. That portion nearer
the mission is, of course, worth much more. Twenty millions of dollars would be
short of the actual value of what Parkhurst valued, in 1853, for $48,000. Don
Jose Jesus de Noe would have made $1,000,000 a year had he held his vast estate
until to-day.

  The rancho Lagnna de Merced, 2,170 acres, was assessed lo the heirs of
Francisco de Haro for $6 per acre-$13,020.

  The Portrero rancho, south of San Francisco, was assessed at $10 per acre.

  The Red House, old Pavilion House, was assessed to D. C. Broderick for $3,000.

  The pioneer race-course and improvements was assessed at $7,000.

  Donna Carmen, widow of C. Bernal, was assessed for 4,800 acres of land at $10
per acre-$48,000.

  The Pulgas rancho was assessed-up land $25 per acre, hill land $6, and swamp
land at the rate of five cents per acre. From this it will be seen that farming
land in this neighborhood was valued twice as high as land near the city, which
is now worth nearly one hundred times more.

  The Sachez rancho, now Millbrae, was assessed at $4 per acre.

  D. W. M. Howard, of Santa Mateo, was assessed for eighty acres of up land at
$20 per acre and 3,720 acres of hill land at $4 per acre; house and
improvements, at $5,000.

  Mr. Macondray, adjoining Howard, was assessed for 100 acres of up land at $25
per acre, and 160 acres of hill land at $4 per acre; house and fixtures, $7,500.

  T. G. Phelps, 150 acres up land at $20 per per acre; fifty acres of hill land
at $4 per acre.

  John Greer, 4,840 acres El Corte de Madera rancho, $6 per acre-$29,040.

  Captain Harrington, 2,000 acres Canada de Kaymundo rancho, at $2 per acre-$4,000.

  Colonel Jack Hays, Mountain Home ranch, 2,000 acres at $5 per acre-$10,000.

  The Angelo house-real estate, 100 acres, at $25 per acre; 100 acres at $4 per
acre; house and improvements, $5,300; two yoke of cattle, $300; fifty hogs,
$1,750; 100 pigs, $600, and poultry $100. This was the site of the present town
of Belmont. It was afterward selected as the county-seat by a ring of roughs who
tried to run county affairs. An investigation by the courts upset their
calculations.

  Dennis Martin, 2,400 acres of land near Searsville, at $5 per acre, $12,000;
eight yoke of oxen, at $150 per yoke; four cows, $40 each; 150 head of cattle,
$25 apiece; twelve saddle-horses, $70 each; 130 sheep at $4 per head; six hogs,
$10 each; one wagon $150; one sawmill, $10,000. Total $33,720.

  George Thatcher, store and stock in Redwood City, $2,000.

  Captain Voiget, real estate (the present Polhemus place, near Menlo Park) 820
acres, at $20 per acre-$6,400.

  Haskell & Woods, 2,068 acres of land, now Menlo park, at $25 per acre.

  The Purisima rancho, on the coast, was assessed at $2 per acre.

  The Miramontez ranch was valued at $3 per acre.

  Tiburcio Vasquez was assessed for 4,800 acres on the coast, at $3 per acre.

  The San Gregorio rancho of four leagues was assessed to Francisco Casanuevo
for the lump sum of $4,000-$1,000 a league.

  Tripp & Parkhurst were assessed for $2,500 for personal property-the stock and
fixtures of their store.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Memorial and Biographical History of the Coast Counties of Central California.

Illustrated.

Containing a History of this Important Section of the Pacific Coast from the
Earliest Period of its Discovery to the Present Time, together with Glimpses of
its Auspicious Future; Illustrations and Full-Page Portraits of some of its
Eminent Men, and Biographical Mention of many of its Pioneers, and Prominent
Citizens of To-day.



HENRY D. BARROWS,
Editor of the Historical Department.

LUTHER A. INGERSOLL,
Editor of the Biographical Department.

"A people that take no pride in the noble achievements of remote ancestors will
never achieve anything worthy to be remembered with pride by remote
descendants."-Macaulay.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/sanmateo/history/1893/memorial/chapterv210gms.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/cafiles/

File size: 8.4 Kb