Editing San Mateo, California (section)

==History==
[[File:Mission San Mateo Old Granary.jpg|thumb|left|The San Mateo hospice was founded by the Spanish in 1793 as an outpost of [[Mission San Francisco de Asís]] in [[Yerba Buena, California|Yerba Buena]].]]

The earliest known settlers of the Bay Area were the [[Ramaytush]] people, since at least 10000 BC.<ref name="milliken">{{Cite report |date=June 2009 |title=Ohlone/Costanoan Indians of the San Francisco Peninsula and their Neighbors, Yesterday and Today |first1=Randall |last1=Milliken |first2=Laurence H. |last2=Shoup |first3=Beverly R. |last3=Ortiz |url=https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/hornbeck_ind_1/6 |publisher=National Park Service; Golden Gate National Recreation Area |location=San Francisco, California|pages=71;185;194}}</ref>

===Spanish era===
In 1789, the Spanish missionaries had named a [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] village along Laurel Creek as ''Los Laureles'' or the Laurels ([[Mission San Mateo|Mission Dolores]], 1789). At the time of [[Mexican War of Independence|Mexican Independence]], 30 native Californians were at San Mateo, most likely from the Salson tribelet.<ref name="SMCH">{{cite book|last1=Postel|first1=Mitchell P.|title=San Mateo: A Centennial History|date=1994|publisher=Scottwall Associates, Publishers|isbn=978-0-942087-08-6|edition=1st|location=San Francisco, Calif.|page=13}}</ref>

=== Mexican era ===
[[File:Diseño_of_Rancho_San_Mateo.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Much of the area was granted to [[Californio]] ranchero Cayetano Arenas in 1846 as [[Rancho San Mateo]].]]

Captain [[Frederick William Beechey]] in 1827 traveling with the hills on their right, known in that part as the Sierra del Sur, began to approach the road, which passing over a small eminence, opened out upon "a wide country of meadow land, with clusters of fine oak free from underwood... It strongly resembled a nobleman's park: herds of cattle and horses were grazing upon the rich pasture, and numerous fallow‑deer, startled at the approach of strangers, bounded off to seek protection among the hills... This spot is named San Matheo, and belongs to the mission of San Francisco."<ref name="SMCH" />

The city of San Mateo was documented by Spanish colonists as part of the [[Rancho de las Pulgas]] and the [[Rancho San Mateo]]; the earliest history is held in the archives of [[Mission Dolores]]. Rancho San Mateo was granted in May 1846 from [[Pío Pico]] to his secretary, Cayetano Arenas; this tract included approximately half of present-day San Mateo, all of Burlingame and Hillsborough, and the Spring Valley lakes (now [[Crystal Springs Reservoir]] and [[San Andreas Lake]]).<ref name=Alexander-16/>{{rp|32}} [[William Davis Merry Howard]] purchased Rancho San Mateo from Arenas<ref name=Stanger-63>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/southfromsanfran00stan_0/ |title=South from San Francisco: San Mateo County, California, its history and heritage |chapter=VI. Many Mansions: the men who built them |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/southfromsanfran00stan_0/page/90/mode/2up/ |pages=90–123 |first=Frank Merriman |last=Stanger |date=1963 |publisher=San Mateo County Historical Association |location=San Mateo, California |lccn=63-21262}}</ref>{{rp|93}} in 1846 for {{USD|25000|1846|round=-3}} and spent an equal sum erecting a fence around the property.<ref name=Alexander-16/>{{rp|44}}

=== Post-Conquest era ===
In the 1850s, following the American [[Conquest of California]], many San Franciscans began building summer homes in the mid-Peninsula, because of the milder climate.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gullard|first1=Pamela|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=QbE6AQAAIAAJ&q=San+Franciscans+began+building+summer+homes+in+the+Peninsula.|title=Under the Oaks: Two Hundred Years in Atherton|last2=Lund|first2=Nancy|date=2009|publisher=Scottwall Associates, Publishers|isbn=978-0-942087-20-8|page=9|language=en}}</ref> The area that is now the city of San Mateo was owned by a few large landowners, including Howard, whose Rancho San Mateo occupied {{cvt|6438|acre}} in 1853<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|93}}<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/historyofsanmate00sanf/page/212/mode/2up |title=History of San Mateo County, California |publisher=B. F. Alley |date=1883 |location=San Francisco |access-date=3 June 2024 |page=213}}</ref> north of [[San Mateo Creek (San Francisco Bay Area)|San Mateo Creek]],<ref name=Hynding-82>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/fromfrontiertosu0000unse/page/92/mode/2up |title=From frontier to suburb: the story of the San Mateo Peninsula |first=Alan |last=Hynding |url-access=registration |date=1982 |publisher=Star Publishing Company |location=Belmont, California}}</ref>{{rp|92}} pushing most of this early settlement into adjacent [[Hillsborough, California|Hillsborough]], [[Burlingame, California|Burlingame]], and [[Belmont, California|Belmont]]; other significant landowners in the area included John Parrott, who purchased {{cvt|500|acre}} in 1860<ref name=Alexander-16/>{{rp|51}} south of the creek and southwest of [[California State Route 82|El Camino Real]] and Alvinza Hayward, who owned the land south of the creek and east of El Camino.<ref name=Hynding-82/>{{rp|92–93}} Much of the remaining land south of these areas was used for agriculture until the early 1900s; the owners included John Whipple, who had a large horse farm south of Parrott's land, Lemuel Murray, J.S. Colegrove, and David McClellan.<ref name=Hynding-82/>{{rp|93–94}}

In 1858, Sun Water Station, a stage station of the [[Butterfield Overland Mail]] route, was established in San Mateo. It was {{convert|9|mi|km}} from both Clarks Station (to the north) in what is now [[San Bruno]] and the next station south at [[Redwood City]].<ref>{{cite book |url=https://archive.org/details/butterfieldoverl00wate |url-access=registration |first1=Waterman L. |last1=Ormsby |first2=Lyle H. |last2=Wright |first3=Josephine M. |last3=Bynum |title=The Butterfield Overland Mail: Only Through Passenger on the First Westbound Stage |publisher=Henry E. Huntington Library and Art Gallery |date=1942 |location=San Marino, California |pages=92–93}}</ref>

Several historically important mansions and buildings were constructed in San Mateo around this time.<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|95;100}} [[Amadeo Giannini|A.P. Giannini]], founder of the [[Bank of Italy (USA)|Bank of Italy]] (which later became the [[Bank of America]]), lived here most of his life. His mansion, Seven Oaks, is listed in the [[National Register of Historic Places]] (No. 99001181).<ref>{{cite web|title=National Register #99001181: Seven Oaks in San Mateo, California|url=https://noehill.com/sanmateo/nat1999001181.asp|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=noehill.com}}</ref> Located at 20 El Cerrito Avenue, it has been deteriorating as it has not been preserved or occupied for years.<ref>{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Paul D.|date=July 13, 2017|title=Future of historical Giannini home is uncertain|url=https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/future-of-historical-giannini-home-is-uncertain/article_862bc13e-6b2e-5e8e-bee3-c989d88e343c.html|access-date=December 28, 2020|website=San Mateo Daily Journal|language=en|publication-date=September 25, 2000}}</ref>

[[File:St. Matthew’s Military School, located in what is today Hillsborough, was at the end of Barroilhet Avenue, on approximately 80 acres..jpg|thumb|left|[[Saint Matthew's Episcopal Day School]], founded in 1865]]

The Howard Estate was built in 1859 on the hill accessed by Crystal Springs Road; the building, named ''El Cerrito'', eventually was moved to Hillsborough and served as its Town Hall starting from in 1910, but it has since been demolished.<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|93}}<ref name=Alexander-16/>{{rp|44}} The Parrott Estate was erected in 1860 in the same area,<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|106}} giving rise to two conflicting names for the hill, Howard Hill and Parrot Hill. After use of the automobile changed traffic patterns, neither historic name was commonly applied to that hill. Once San Mateo was incorporated on September 4, 1894,<ref name=Alexander-16>{{cite book |url=https://catalog.hathitrust.org/Record/011725171 |title=History of San Mateo County from the earliest times |first1=Philip W. |last1=Alexander |first2=Charles P. |last2=Hamm |date=1916 |publisher=Burlingame Publishing Co. |location=Burlingame, California |access-date=3 June 2024}}</ref>{{rp|28}} its first mayor was Captain A.H. Payson, a son-in-law of Parrott.<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|106}}

When the [[San Francisco and San Jose Railroad]] was under construction during the 1860s, one of its corporate directors, Charles Polhemus, purchased the land south of the creek, now the site of downtown San Mateo, and began laying out the town;<ref name=Hynding-82/>{{rp|92}} the first town plat was laid out in 1862.<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|100}} Polhemus settled on the land which is now [[Central Park (San Mateo)|Central Park]] and one of the succeeding owners, [[William Kohl]], built the iron and stone fence which still encloses the park.<ref name=Stanger-63/>{{rp|106}}

The Borel Estate was developed near Borel Creek in 1874 by [[Antoine Borel]]. It has been redeveloped since the late 20th century for use as modern offices and shops.<ref name=BorelPlace>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/redwood-city-tribune/128854163/ |title=Borel Estate Office Project Begins |date=September 7, 1962 |newspaper=Redwood City Tribune |access-date=15 May 2024}}</ref> The property is managed and owned by Borel Place Associates and the Borel Estate Company.{{Citation needed|date=September 2014}}

[[File:USA-San Mateo-First Church of Christ, Scientist-1.jpg|thumb|left|First Church of Christ, Scientist, established in 1897]]

Hayward Park, the 1880 [[Queen Anne Style architecture (United States)|American Queen Anne-style]] residence of [[Alvinza Hayward]] (often said to be "California's first millionaire" from his silver and banking fortunes), was built on an {{convert|800|acre|km2|adj=on}} estate in San Mateo which included a deer park and racetrack, roughly bounded by present-day El Camino Real (on the west), 9th Avenue (on the north), B Street (on the east) and 16th Avenue (on the south).<ref>{{cite report |url=http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/View/39689 |title=Historical Resource Evaluation Report: 25 – 31 9th Street, San Mateo, CA |author=architecture + history llc |date=October 5, 2012 |publisher=City of San Mateo Community Development Department |access-date=March 23, 2015 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402155129/http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/DocumentCenter/View/39689 |url-status=dead }}</ref> A smaller portion of the property and the mansion, was converted into The Peninsula Hotel in 1908, following Hayward's death in 1904. The hotel burned down in a spectacular fire on June 25, 1920.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=87861 |title=San Mateo's Peninsula Hotel |author=Fredricks, Darold |date=February 25, 2008 |newspaper=San Mateo Daily Journal |access-date=March 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402091628/http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=87861 |archive-date=April 2, 2015  }}</ref>

William H. Howard, eldest son of W.D.M. Howard, is credited with the first subdivisions in the region, resulting in what is now the Western Addition of San Mateo in 1888; he followed up by creating the first subdivision of Burlingame and Highland Park in San Mateo.<ref name=Alexander-16/>{{rp|53}}

=== 20th century ===
[[File:08181-San Mateo-1906-St. Matthews Church-Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|San Mateo Church, {{circa|1906}}]]

In 1893, Pedro Evencio had been called the last of the [[Ramaytush]] Native American of San Mateo.{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Although Joseph (José) Evencio (the younger) was reported to be his descendant living at Coyote Point until [[World War II]], "Indian Joe", (Joe Mestes) was the American Indian who was actually hired by the Howard family to oversee their land holding at Coyote Point. He is reported to have had a tribal affiliation in Montana. His final whereabouts were reported to be a care facility in Oakland after he had been removed from Coyote Point when a Merchant Marine Academy was established there.<ref>Oral history of "Indian Joe" provided by Jim Durant (recording), San Mateo County Historical Association, 1968 (October 2021)</ref><ref>Brown, Alan K. ''Indians of San Mateo County'',  ''La Peninsula:Journal of the San Mateo County Historical Association'', Vol. XVII No. 4, Winter 1973–1974.4</ref>

[[File:USA-San Mateo-Eugene J. Sabla, Jr.-Teahouse and Tea Garden-2.jpg|thumb|left|[[Eugene J. de Sabla, Jr., Teahouse and Tea Garden]]]]
In the early 20th century, Japanese immigrants came to San Mateo to work in the salt ponds and flower industry. Although Japanese-Americans only account for 2.2% of the population today, they continue to be a major cultural influence and a draw for the rest of the region.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/01/27/new-tech-in-old-buildings-san-mateo-rides-boom-but-keeps-small-town-feel/ |title=San Mateo Rides Tech Boom But Keeps Small-Town Feel |author=Myrow, Rachel |date=January 27, 2015 |newspaper=KQED News |access-date=August 4, 2015}}</ref> The [[Eugene J. de Sabla, Jr., Teahouse and Tea Garden|Eugene J. De Sabla Japanese Teahouse and Garden]] was established in 1894 at 70 De Sabla Road, designed by Makoto Hagiwara, designer of the Japanese garden in [[Golden Gate Park]] in San Francisco. He arranged for Japanese artisans to be brought to the United States primarily for its teahouse construction.

The parcel was purchased in 1988 by San Francisco businessman Achille Paladini and wife Joan, who have restored it. The garden features hundreds of varieties of plants and several rare trees. A large [[koi]] pond surrounds an island. The property was placed on the [[National Register of Historic Places]] in 1992.<ref>{{cite web |url={{NRHP url|id=92000965}} |title=National Register of Historic Places — Registration Form: de Sabla, Eugene J., Jr., Teahouse and Tea Garden |author=Widell, Cherilyn |date=July 30, 1992 |website=United States Department of the Interior, National Park Service |access-date=March 22, 2015 }}</ref>

[[File:PostcardSanMateoBStreetCirca1909.jpg|thumb|right|Interurban Railroad Car riding in downtown San Mateo, {{circa|1909}}]]
In December 1967, Sgt. Joe Artavia, then serving in Vietnam with Alpha Company, 1st Battalion, [[327th Infantry Regiment (United States)|327th Infantry Regiment]] of the [[101st Airborne Division]] wrote to his sister, Linda Giese, who was a resident of San Carlos working in San Mateo,<ref name=SMDJ-20061113>{{cite news |url=http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=66859 |title=Only San Mateo honored these veterans |author=Levy, Joan |date=November 13, 2006 |newspaper=San Mateo Daily Journal |access-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104235313/http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=66859 |archive-date=January 4, 2017  }}</ref> asking if San Mateo or San Francisco could adopt the company, saying that it would bring "the morale of the guys up as high as the clouds".<ref name=SMDJ-20120526>{{cite news |url=http://www.smdailyjournal.com/articles/lnews/2012-05-26/a-letter-home/235101.html |title=A letter home |author=Silverfarb, Bill |date=May 26, 2012 |newspaper=San Mateo Daily Journal |access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref> San Mateo passed a resolution on March 4, 1968, officially adopting Alpha Company and letters and gifts began arriving from the citizens of San Mateo.<ref name=SMDJ-20061113 /><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cityofsanmateo.org/index.aspx?NID=3203 |title=The History of Our Adoption of the Screaming Eagles |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=2017 |publisher=City of San Mateo |access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref> Joe would be killed in action on March 24, 1968, less than three weeks after the resolution.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.virtualwall.org/da/ArtaviaJG01a.htm |title=Joseph Gregory Artavia |date=September 12, 2015 |publisher=The Virtual Wall |access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-san-francisco-examiner-joe-artavia-4/139609478/ |title=San Mateo Adopts A Hero's Buddies |first=Will |last=Stevens |date=May 28, 1968 |newspaper=San Francisco Examiner |access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref> Linda would travel to Vietnam to meet with the men of Alpha Company for Christmas in 1968 and deliver personalized medallions from the City of San Mateo.<ref name=SMDJ-20061113 /><ref name=SMDJ-20120515>{{cite news |url=http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=234339 |title=Operation Eagle Visit |author=Silverfarb, Bill |date=May 15, 2012 |newspaper=San Mateo Daily Journal |access-date=January 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170104234429/http://archives.smdailyjournal.com/article_preview.php?id=234339 |archive-date=January 4, 2017  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1987-12-24-vw-30878-story.html |title=A Christmas Story : On a Holiday of Peace, Pair Recall Another One--When War Hung Heavy Over Their Lives |first=Paul |last=Dean |date=December 24, 1987 |newspaper=Los Angeles Times |access-date=24 January 2025}}</ref> In 1972, San Mateo requested and received permission to have Alpha Company visit the city when they left Vietnam, later holding a parade in January 1972, believed to be the only parade honoring the military during the Vietnam War.<ref name=SMDJ-20061113 /> In 1988, Joseph Brazan wrote a screenplay entitled ''A Dove Among Eagles'' chronicling the adoption of Alpha Company by San Mateo and the real-life romance between Linda and Artavia's commander, Lt. Stephen Patterson.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1988/06/29/us/san-mateo-journal-suburb-is-reliving-two-60-s-love-stories.html |title=San Mateo Journal; Suburb Is Reliving Two 60's Love Stories |author=Gross, Jane |date=June 29, 1988 |newspaper=The New York Times |access-date=January 4, 2017}}</ref> The city expanded its support to the entire 1st Battalion in 1991, when they were deployed to Kuwait under [[Operation Desert Storm]].<ref name=SMDJ-20061113 />

[[File:USA-San Mateo-Masonic Lodge-1.jpg|thumb|left|San Mateo [[masonic lodge|Masonic Lodge]], completed in 1910]]

=== 21st century ===

[[Bay Meadows|Bay Meadows horse-racing track]] was torn down in 2008.

In the November 2022 election, Councilmember [[Diane Papan]] was elected to the [[California State Assembly]], creating a vacancy on the five-person city council. At the December 5, 2022, council reorganization meeting, two of the remaining four councilmembers chose not to follow the standard precedent of selecting a new mayor, which normally rotates to the councilmember who has been in office the longest. With the vote split at 2–2, the city went a week without a mayor. After a second meeting that also ended without a decision, Amourence Lee was selected as the mayor at the third meeting on December 12.<ref>{{cite web
 | url = https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/san-mateo-without-mayor/article_e025d460-75f1-11ed-9042-f78367b1a006.html
 | title = San Mateo without mayor
 | publisher = San Mateo, CA
 | access-date = December 8, 2020}}</ref>
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