San Mateo History

  • San Mateo is Settled

    San Mateo is Settled
    Fourteen Spanish explores led by Jose Joaquin Moraga settle the land that we know call San Mateo, taking lots of Ohlone land.
  • Period: to

    Early San Mateo

  • Period: to

    First settled to Modern Day

  • Missionary Outpost

    Missionary Outpost
    In 1793, the mission fathers in San Francisco created an outpost of the mission on the Peninsula. The outpost was at San Mateo Creek.
  • Rancho San Mateo

    Rancho San Mateo
    Rancho San Mateo, formerly known as Rancho de las Pulags, which is the combination of what is today south Burlingame, all of Hillsborough, and north San Mateo. The ranchos of early California were the primary form of land. They were mainly Spanish until the Americans colonized California.
  • San Mateo Land

    San Mateo Land
    Mexico sells off 15,000 acres of land to a Spanish soldier with his followers for Spanish currency. The Spanish officially own all of San Mateo.
  • San Mateo County

    San Mateo County
    San Mateo becomes a county and adopts neighboring cities into their county.
  • Period: to

    Middle San Mateo

  • San Mateo Railroad

    San Mateo Railroad
    In 1861, under the direction of Charles B. Polhemus, the construction of a railroad from San Francisco to San Jose begins and runs right through San Mateo.
  • Mayor Salary

    Mayor Salary
    San Mateo elects its first ever mayor. His salary is one dollar, twenty five cents a week.
  • W.P. Fuller & Co.

    W.P. Fuller & Co.
    W.P. Fuller & Co., established in 1899, continues to grow. The plant's average export was 200 tons of paint daily. Products are taken to San Francisco by barge and train. By the 1950s the buisness is booming, 40 acre plant, the virtual size of a city, with 156 stores throughout the west.
  • Period: to

    Modern San Mateo

  • City council

    City council
    The City Council system is adopted, but the current system isn't used until 1954.
  • Succesful Year

    Succesful Year
    Throughout 1962 the Central Bay Area is very succesful economicly and in construction. The Oyster Point Marina opens and is a beautiful sight and with space for 286 boats. Another strong event, W.P. Fuller merges with Hunt Foods. Also in 1967 W.P. Fuller merges with O'Brien to form Fuller O'Brien Paints.
  • Genentech

    Genentech
    Starting in a semi-vacant warehouse Genentech is started by Bob Swanson and Herbert Boyer. The Bay Area comes closer to modern technology, moving forward from stockyards, steel mills, and slaughter houses.
  • Fuller O'Brien Paints

    Fuller O'Brien Paints
    Unexpectedly and unexplicably, Fuller O'Brien, one of the Bay Area's biggest companies, closes, leaving many baffled. A sad day for product trade throughout the Bay Area.