While most of this early settlement occurred in adjacent Hillsborough and Burlingame, a number of historically important mansions and buildings were constructed in San Mateo. Starting in 1856, the city of San Mateo was documented by Spanish colonists as part of the Rancho de las Pulgas (literally "Ranch of the Fleas") and the Rancho San Mateo, the earliest history is held in the archives of Mission Dolores.Īround the 1850s, some San Franciscans began building summer homes in the mid-Peninsula, because of the milder climate.
Naming of the city Ĭaptain Frederick William Beechey in 1827 traveling with the hills on their right, known in that part as the Sierra del Sur, began to approach the road, which passing over a small eminence, opened out upon "a wide country of meadow land, with clusters of fine oak free from underwood… It strongly resembled a nobleman's park: herds of cattle and horses were grazing upon the rich pasture, and numerous fallow‑deer, startled at the approach of strangers, bounded off to seek protection among the hills… This spot is named San Matheo, and belongs to the mission of San Francisco." At the time of Mexican Independence, 30 native Californians were at San Mateo, most likely from the Salson tribelet. In 1789, the Spanish missionaries had named a Native American village along Laurel Creek as Los Laureles or the Laurels (Mission Dolores, 1789). The Ramaytush people lived in the land, prior to it becoming the city of San Mateo. JSTOR ( May 2020) ( Learn how and when to remove this template message).Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.įind sources: "San Mateo, California" – news Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. This article needs additional citations for verification.