1915 Map of San Mateo

About this map

The San Francisco Peninsula at the opening of the twentieth century was a landscape of rapid suburbanization and industrial utility. Daly City and South San Francisco appear as emerging hubs alongside established stops like Baden Sta and Millbrae. This survey captures the critical water infrastructure serving the growing metropolis, highlighting the San Andreas Lake and Crystal Springs Lake reservoirs secured by the Crystal Springs Dam. Along the Pacific coast, the Ocean Shore route traces the shoreline past the hazardous Devils Slide, while the bay side is dominated by the Southern Pacific rail lines. Social history is etched into the northern district through the Industrial School, the Alms House near Mt Davidson, and the Chinese Cem in Colma. The map also details the early agricultural and coastal settlements of Montara, Moss Beach, and Princeton before modern highway development reshaped the coast.