1899 Map of San Mateo

About this map

The Southern Pacific R. R. serves as the primary artery for the San Francisco Peninsula in the 1890s, connecting a series of growing communities along the western shore of San Francisco Bay. In the north, the Pueblo Lands of San Francisco meet the extensive cluster of Cemeteries at Colma, while the interior landscape is defined by the high ridges of Sweeny Ridge and Buri Buri Ridge. This era shows a Peninsula transitioning into a vital residential and industrial corridor, evidenced by the infrastructure of Crystal Springs Lake and the Crystal Springs Dam. Local social history is grounded in the presence of the San Mateo Co. Alms House and several early educational institutions including Hoyt School and Reid School. From the coastal wetlands of Laguna de la Merced to the developing town sites of San Carlos and Millbrae, the survey provides a detailed look at the peninsula's geography before the suburban expansion of the mid-20th century.