Redwood City California
is located in the Bay Area 25 miles south of San Francisco and
home to approximately 80,000 people. It is the oldest bayside
city in San Mateo County, incorporated in 1867, and has been the
County Seat since 1856. Redwood City combines residential, industrial,
and commercial elements in an extremely attractive urban environment.
Its waterfront provides a yacht harbor and the only deep-water
port in the South Bay. A wide variety of housing types and Redwood
City hotels are available. Notable Redwood City corporate headquarters
include Ampex (audio and video tape), Oracle (computer software)
and Oral-B (oral health/hygiene).
Early History of Redwood City: The first occupants of Redwood
City were Native Americans from tribe called the Ohlone. The main
staple of the Ohlone diet was shellfish gathered from the bay.
Gradually, the discarded shells from the shellfish raised into
enormous mounds. A section of Main Street between Maple Street
and Woodside Road was originally called "Mound Street" because
of the large shell mound located near that area.
In 1776, Spanish Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza and his men became
the first Europeans to pass through Redwood City on their way
up the peninsula to what is now San Francisco. Land was granted
by the Spanish government to high-ranking officers in return for
their service in the military. One of these officers, Don Jose
Darío Argüello, was granted 69,000 acres between San Mateo Creek
to the north and San Francisquito Creek to the south. Don Argüello
named his home Rancho de las Pulgas and it included what is today
Belmont, San Carlos, Redwood City, Menlo Park, and Woodside. As
a result of the Mexican-American War (1846 - 1848) Spanish-Mexican
property owners were subsequently forced to defend the titles
to their land before a U.S. Land Commission. The Argüellos hired
an attorney, Simon M. Mezes, who succeeded in establishing clear
title for their land in 1853. In fact, Mezes eventually became
the owner of the land that now includes most of downtown Redwood
City. By this time, so many Americans had settled on the property
that Mezes decided to create an official town and sell lots instead
of trying to force the squatters to leave. Mezes named his town
"Mezesville", but the residents insisted on the name "Redwood
City". |
