1915 Map of San Mateo

About this map

The Southern Pacific RR and the United Pacific Interurban define the transit corridor of the early 20th-century San Francisco Peninsula, connecting the burgeoning city to the growing suburban and industrial hubs of the south. This 1915 revision, based on earlier surveys, captures a landscape in transition from the hills of San Francisco through the cemeteries of Colma to the established neighborhoods of San Mateo and Belmont. The map highlights a distinct social geography, from the Alms House and Industrial School in the north to the Chinese Cem near Buri Buri Ridge. Water management is central to the area's development, evidenced by the infrastructure of Crystal Springs Dam and the Stone Dam regulating the reservoirs tucked behind Sawyer Ridge. Along the Pacific coast, small settlements like Salada and Moss Beach sit perched near notable hazards like Devils Slide.