Menlo Park California is located just
south of San Francisco between San Mateo and Palo Alto near the
San Francisco Bay and the Pacific Ocean. This
upscale family community was originally the home of the Ohlone Indians,
called by the Spaniards "Coastanoans", or Coast-dwellers. Evidences
of their civilization are still being unearthed on the Filoli estate
in Woodside and along San Francisquito Creek.
It was in 1854 that Menlo Park received its name when two Irishmen,
Dennis J. Oliver and D. C. McGlynn, purchased 1,700 acres and built
two houses. Across the drive they erected a huge wooden gate with
tall arches on which the name of their estate was printed in foot-high
letters MENLO PARK with the date August 1854 underneath. When the
railroad came through in 1863 the local station had no name and
needed a designation. A railroad official looked over at the gates
and decided that Menlo Park would be appropriate. This historical
landmark is now California State Landmark No. 955 (pictured upper
left), the oldest California railroad station in continuous operation.
The present day population of Menlo Park is approximately 35,000.
|
