1899 Map of San Mateo

About this map

The Southern Pacific R. R. serves as the industrial spine of the Peninsula on this late nineteenth-century survey, linking emerging settlements like Colma, Baden Sta., and San Mateo to the city of San Francisco. The landscape is defined by its water infrastructure and social institutions, from the massive Crystal Springs Dam and Stone Dam regulating the reservoirs of Sawyer Ridge to the complex of Cemeteries south of the city line. In the north, the transition from the Pueblo Lands of San Francisco to the varied rancho tracts like Rincon De Las Salinas Y Potrero Viejo reveals a territory still largely defined by historic land grants. Cultural landmarks including the San Mateo Co. Alms House and several country schools like Reid School provide specific points of interest for genealogists tracing early Peninsula residents.