Timeline of Menlo Park

Note 1: References in brackets refer to References page.

Note 2: For schools timeline, see Schools page.

BCE

3000  or earlier - Peninsula occupied by Ohlone Indians. Before Europeans arrived, the area around the San Francisquito Creek was occupied by a sub-set of the Ohlone called Puichon; their village was on the south (Palo Alto) side of the San Francisquito Creek. More details in the Statement of Historical Significance: Ohlone/Portola Heritage Trail Committee (2018).

CE

1769    Gaspar de Portola with his expedition of 63 men and 200 horses and mules camped, November 6-10, near the north bank of the San Francisquito Creek after having discovered the San Francisco Bay, before "returning south." California Historic Landmark No. 2. On November 11, Portola convened an officers' council, which agreed unanimously that 1) they must have passed Monterey, 2) it was time to turn around and retrace their steps back to San Diego, and 3) no one would be left behind hoping for a supply ship to arrive. The entire party headed back south. [Wikipedia] The party retraced their steps by going north through the ridge above Crystal Springs, the way they had come earlier. [See the diary of Miguel Costanso, who was on the expedition]

1774    (Nov 28th) Don Fernando de Rivera y Moncada, traveling with a party of 19, erected a wooden cross on Nov 28th near the north bank of the San Francisquito Creek to mark the spot for consideration for a future mission. [Hoover] It was later realized that the lack of a year-round source of water precluded establishing a mission at this spot.

1776    Juan Bautista de Anza on his way from Monterey to the Port of San Francisco with a party of 13 with the goal of choosing a site for a presidio and a mission, crossed the San Francisquito Creek in the vicinity of the "Palo Alto" tree on March 26th.  [Hoover, p. 310]

1835    Title to Rancho de las Pulgas documented in writing by the Mexican Governor of Alta California. [This is spelled out in the syllabus for the U.S. Supreme Court case Arguello v. United States, 1855: "On the 26th of November, 1835, the Governor of California gave an order that the petitioner should have a tract of land without specifying the boundaries, which was done by an order, having the formalities of a definitive title on the 27th. This latter document must govern the case. Arguello v. United States 59 U.S. 18 How. 539 539 (1855)]

1846    U.S. claimed California as a possession.

1848   U.S. acquired California and other disputed lands including Texas according to the treaty ending the Mexican-American War.

Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo [Wikipedia]. With the defeat of its army and the fall of its capital, Mexico entered into negotiations to end the war. The treaty called for the U.S. to pay $15 million to Mexico and to pay off the claims of American citizens against Mexico up to $3.25 million. It gave the United States the Rio Grande as a boundary for Texas, and gave the U.S. ownership of California and a large area comprising roughly half of New Mexico, most of Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and parts of Wyoming and Colorado. Mexicans in those annexed areas had the choice of relocating to within Mexico's new boundaries or receiving American citizenship with full civil rights. Over 90% chose to become U.S. citizens.

1850    Statehood for California.

1851    Dennis J. Oliver and Daniel C. McGlynn purchase 659 acres [note: 640 acres per square mile] of the Rancho de las Pulgas on north side of San Francisquito Creek for a ranch they named "Menlo Park" after the village of Menlo in Ireland (now within Galway City) that Oliver enjoyed visiting when he was growing up in Galway. Of this acreage, 500 acres was an assumed mortgage held by a Johnson [probably George C. Johnson, a one-time sea captain from Bergen, Norway, who became a local real estate speculator and owner of an important steel importing business.]

1854    Oliver and McGlynn erect a large wooden gate along County Road (now El Camino Real) as the formal entrance to their farm. The topmost center arch was inscribed with the words "Menlo Park." The gate stood until 1922.

1855    Financial crisis.

1856    San Mateo County created from the southern portion of San Francisco County.

1857    After many years of litigagion, a patent was issued to the widow Arguello for Rancho de las Pulgas (35,240 acres as determined by survey, stretching from San Mateo Creek

[roughly where 3rd Ave is in City of San Mateo] in the north to San Francisquito Creek in the south, and from the Bay west to a line of creeks just west of Whiskey Hill and Canada Roads.

Greer et al took the case to the U.S. Supreme Court (see below). A copy of the 1856 Survey (map below) shows the western line.

The survey is conclusive evidence as to the precise location of the western line of Pulgas, as between these parties in this suit. … But in this action of ejectment, the defendants cannot call upon a jury at their discretion to alter a boundary line which has been legally established by the public officer specially entrusted with this duty. Greer v. Mezes, 65 U.S. 24 How. 268 268 (1860)

1863    The San Francisco and San Jose RR completed as far south as the San Francisquito Creek, where they decided to build a station, naming it "Menlo Park." Investors, including Oliver and McGlynn, were already actively advertising lots for homes in "Menlo Park Villa."

1867   Current Menlo Park RR station building completed.

1872   (about) Latham-Hopkins Gatehouse built.

1874    First incorporation of City of Menlo Park: the incorporated area was between the County Road (now El Camino Real) and the San Francisco Bay,  from San Francisquito Creek to about the north side of today's Atherton. Lester Cooley (for whom Cooley Landing is named) was elected mayor, a post he held until the City was unincorporated [see Cooley Landing (Links page), p. 31] about 2  years later [Kreuz].

1884    Population is "250 townspeople" [Pearce, p. 4]

1890    Population estimated at 400 [Kreuz]

1902   Formation of the Menlo Park Sanitary District

1905    Electrical lighting comes to Menlo Park [San Mateo Gazette]

1916   Formation of Menlo Park Fire Protection District

1916  Branch of San Mateo County Library opened in new Central School

1917-1918 Camp Fremont active

1920    Population approaching 2,000 [Kreuz]

1926  Library moves to Menlo Park (Kuck) Hotel

1927 1st Dumbarton Bridge opens on January 17th

1927    Nov. 23, second (current) incorporation of City of Menlo Park. Area of the incorporated City was about 1 square mile. Boundaries were Middlefield Road to Olive Street, San Francisquito Creek to Felton Gables, several large estates (over 25 acres) excluded at owner's request [Kreuz]. City Council first met in Masonic Hall above Duff and Doyle store.

1928  Citiy Council begins meeting at 1090 El Camino Real while it was still occupied by American Trust Co.

1930   Population 2,254 [U.S. Census]

1935-1939 City Council, Staff, Police, Library occupy 1036 Doyle St. (now parking lot for Bank of America)

1938  Fremont Memorial Park dedicated--see

1939 City leases bank building (1090 ECR, now known as BBC building) for 5 years to use as City Hall. Library locates to mezzanine floor.

1940    Population 3,258 [U.S. Census]; area 1.2 sq mi. ["This is Menlo Park," Chamber of Commerce (about 1948)]. City Government moves its functions to 1090 El Camino Real.

1942   Duff & Doyle building demolished as part of widening of El Camino Real through Menlo Park

1946    Population 7,180 ["This is Menlo Park," Chamber of Commerce (about 1948)]

1947    Begin council-manager system of city government [Kreuz]

1948  City Council, Staff and Police move to temporary buildings on newly purchased land that had been Dibble Hospital. Library moved to its own building (rented) at 631 Menlo Ave.

1948    Area 2.1 sq mi. ["This is Menlo Park," Chamber of Commerce (about 1948)]  

1949  Belle Haven and Suburban Park annexed increasing City's area to 3.1 sq mi.

1950 Population 13,587.

1957 New library building (5,500 sq ft) at Civic Center opened.

1959 Southern Pacific closes the Menlo Park RR Depot.

1960 Population 26,957 [U.S. Census]; area 17.4 sq mi: land 9.8 sq mi, water 7.6 sq mi [Wikipedia].

1965 Menlo Park Chamber of Commerce leases the RR Depot.

1967 Major expansion of library building triples its size (to 18,000 sq ft).

1970  Population 26,734

1971 Menlo Park Historical Association (MPHA) organized

1980  Population 26,369

1982  2nd Dumbarton Bridge opens in October

1990  Population 28,001

1992 Third expansion of library, this time to 34,000 sq ft

1999 Belle Haven branch library (3,800 sq ft) opened

2000  Population 30,785

2010  Population 32,026

2012  Facebook moves to Menlo Park

2013  Beginning of Friendship Agreement between the City of Menlo Park and Galway City (which incorporates the village of Menlo or Menlough) in Ireland

2016  Signing of Sister City Agreement between the City of Menlo Park and Galway City, Ireland

2019 On St. Patrick's Day (March 17th), a replica of the original Menlo Park Gates was dedicated. These Gates had been constructed under the sponsorship of the Menlo Park Historical Association and funded by a combination of private donations and by the City of Menlo Park. The new Gates are located at the corner of Ravenswood and Alma Streets, near the City's main library.

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