PALO ALTO, CALIFORNIA - HISTORY AND GENEALOGY RESEARCH

The Valley of Heart's Delight
santaclararesearch.net

Palo Alto History and Genealogy

The "Herring Box" School- Built 1855 in Mayfield

SEEKING STUDENTS OF VERNA JEAN SCHOOL
TO SHARE MEMORIES AND PHOTOS

Excellent Map of Palo Alto and Mayfield, possibly mid 20's

GOODBYE MAYFIELD?
Oakland Tribune, July 13, 1941
Memories mourn when old names depart from common usage. A town or city grows, absorbs a district when was once a village on its own, and all that is left for reminder may be the name of a street or the references of oldtimers.........The spread of Palo Alto, right now, is responsible for a move to erase from map and speech the name "Mayfield" which may become "South Palo Alto" or simply an unnamed district in the city. If so, there will be many to express at least a temporary regret for Mayfield has its traditions. The Times of Palo Alto, noting a businessman's plan to shelve the old designation, recently reminisced and dug into records. The community for which the name Mayfield stands, it said, is one of the oldest on the peninsula dating back nearly a century to James Otterson's inn on El Camino Real (1853) and the post office established there soon afterward (1855). This almost forgotten past is linked to the present by Page Mill Road, for Lumber man William Page married the first postmistress, Sarah Ann Smith, stepdaughter of "Uncle Jim" Otterson. It was to Mayfield that the first Stanford faculty members and students looked for housing and supplies. It was George LaPeire, a pioneer Mayfield grocer, who grubstaked so many families while the Stanford funds were tied up by a lawsuit. It lives in Stanford song and story for many reasons- not all of them causes for civic pride, perhaps, but most of them joyous and full of young vigor. Built into the foundations of Palo Alto are many old Mayfield family names. (see biographies of Mayfield Pioneers below)

Read More: South Palo Alto was once the original village of Mayfield

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DIRECTORIES FOR PALO ALTO, MAYFIELD, RUNNYMEDE, STANFORD

Palo Alto City Directory 1895-1896 (off site)

Palo Alto, Stanford Directory 1897-1898 (off site)

Mayfield 1904 Directory (off site)

Palo Alto, Runnymeade, Mayfield and Stanford Directory 1923 (off site)

Palo Alto Directory, 1926 (off site)

Palo Alto Telephone Directory 1951 (off site)

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Mayfield was part of the original
FREMONT TOWNSHIP

READ ONLINE:

PALO ALTO STANFORD HERITAGE-
Supporting the preservation of the historic architecture, neighborhoods,
and character of the greater Palo Alto-Stanford area

PUBLIC SCHOOLS - CLASS PHOTOS
(scan your class picture and I can put it on line)