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Following the trail of the
discoverers came the Franciscan fathers, building their missions in
an unbroken chain, six hundred miles long, from San Diego to San
Francisco-and passing through San Mateo County.
Gradually the region which later became this county,
ceased to be an unknown land because of the proselytizing work of
the priests among the Indian tribes, and it began to attract
settlers. For many years the advent of the newcomers was
imperceptible; but as time passed their numbers increased, while the
population of the native tribes correspondingly decreased, and
little settlements began to form throughout the country.
Among the earliest pioneers, attracted by the lumber
industry, were those who established themselves in the Redwood City
region. These first comers formed a loosely knit community
consisting of a few settlers grouped around the end of Redwood Creek
and a number of sturdy lumber jacks who built their cabins upon the
foothills and eastern slopes of the San Morenas.
The first English speaking settlers in this locality
were William Smith and James Peace. At a very early (late, Smith,
who was known as "Bill the Sawyer," had some sort of a primitive
sawmill in the vicinity of what is now known as Woodside. He was the
pioneer of the lumbermen who cut away all the magnificent redwood
forest which covered this part of the valley.
Smith found a good market for his produce at the
missions and the Spanish Presidio at Yerba Buena, later known as San
Francisco. Oxen hauled the lumber in the heavy old caretas to the
"Embarcadero" or Redwood Creek, as it was called later; and from
here it was loaded on boats and then taken to the "Cove" at Yerba
Buena.
Two mills were soon built in the county, one at San
Francisquito Creek by Denis Martin and another on the Old Mountain
Home Ranch by Charles Brown.
Other mills were erected in rapid succession, until, as. the eastern
slopes of the San Morenas were gradually denuded of their timber,
the mills were moved, one by one, toward the summit of the range,
and then clown upon the western slopes.
In 1850 Dr. Tripp sent the first big shipment of lumber
from these woods to San Francisco upon a raft constructed for this
purpose. In 1853 there were fifteen mills in operation within five
miles of Woodside. So great was the lumber industry at this period
that one of the chroniclers of that day made special mention of it.
"Mills have been established along the canons, and the
ocean and the bay are dotted with fleets bearing their manufactured
products to market."
The main cause of this great activity in the lumber business was the
discovery of gold in California by Marshall at Sutter Creek in 1848.
The astonishing activity that followed almost immediately in the
mining regions, and the rapid growth of San Francisco, so stimulated
the development of this region, that eight years later it became a
county.
As San Mateo was a producing county with industries
unallied to mining, it found a ready and lucrative market for its
output right in San Francisco. Everything produced, commanded
extraordinary prices. The lumbermen and millmen grew rich, as this
industry, above all others immediately assumed colossal proportions.
Mills by the hundreds were erected in the redwood forests in the
neighborhood of Redwood City and on both the bay and coast sides of
the San Morena Mountains. The milled product was sent directly by
water from the nucleus of what later became Redwood City, to the
waterfront of San Francisco. In fact the early city of San Francisco
was built almost entirely from San Mateo County's redwood timber.
So satisfying had been the growth of the county that in
the spring of 1856 the Hon. Horace Hawes introduced in the State
Senate a bill entitled: "An act to repeal the several charters of
the City and County of San Francisco, and to consolidate the
government thereof." This became a law and received the governor's
approval on April 19, of the same year.
The boundaries of the new county were identical with those of the
southern_ portion of the County of San Francisco, up to the present
northerly line where the two counties were cut apart.
A year later, because of disturbing irregularities
found in the consolidating act, Senator T. G. Phelps, a resident of
San Mateo County, introduced- a bill to effect the proper
organization of the county. It passed April 18, 1857, which date
properly marks the legal organization of the county.
This act defined the southern boundary of the county,
as running from a point in the middle of San Francisco Bay opposite
the mouth of San Francisquito Creek; thence to and up the middle of
said creek, following the middle of the south branch thereof to its
source in the Santa Cruz Mountains; thence due west to the Pacific
Ocean and three miles therein.
Another section of this Act provided that Redwood City
should be and remain the county seat until otherwise provided by
law.
Eleven years later this southern boundary was expanded
southward and made to include ninety thousand acres or 140 square
miles of additional territory. This was acquired from Santa Cruz
County in March, 1868, by "An Act to fix and define the boundary
line between the Counties of San Mateo and Santa Cruz." This new
territory included Pescadero and Pigeon Point.
During the early years following the consolidation of
county government, the choice of the county seat wavered between
three places, Belmont, Redwood City and San Mateo. By subdivision 3,
section 9, of the Consolidation Act it was provided that "the seat
of justice shall be at such place as may be determined by the
qualified electors of the county."
At the county's first election held in -May, 1856 at
which unblushing frauds were perpetrated on an unorganized and
wholly unprotected community by thugs and ballot stuffers from San
Francisco; Belmont was declared the county seat, and the government
of the county was set up at that place. Almost immediately, the
county court held at Belmont with judge Fox presiding, declared the
May election illegal, and the archives of the government were
removed from that place to Redwood City, where Diller's store
building became the temporary Court House.
On February 27, 1858, the county through the board of
commissioners accepted the offer of Mr. S. M. Mezes, acting as agent
for the Arguellos, owners of the Pulgas Grant, donating a block of
land in Redwood City for the site of the court house and jail.
During this time the county seat advocates for other
locations had not slumbered, and the question was brought to an
issue in an election called for May 1861, which resulted in favor of
Redwood City by a vote of six hundred and fifty-six against three
hundred and sixty-four for San Mateo and one for Belmont.
Twelve years later another election was held, December 9, 1873, on
this same subject, when money was spent freely and strenuous efforts
made by the respective partisans of the rival towns. The election
returns stood-seven hundred and three votes for Redwood City, and
six hundred and ninety-three for San Mateo, thus leaving a majority
still in favor of Redwood City.
Instead of being discouraged by defeat, San Mateo was
stimulated to further efforts by this excellent showing and in five
months succeeded in calling another election at which their city was
returned the victor with an overwhelming majority of two hundred and
sixty votes.
Because of the alleged irregularities connected with this election.
its legality was contested in the Supreme Court. On February 24,
1875 this court decided in favor of Redwood City, which thenceforth
has remained the county seat.
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