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Touching the western edge of Redwood City is Crystal Springs Reservoir. Believe it or not, there is more to the reservoir's history than water or the dam.
It happens to be the graveyard of a small town. Indeed, during the mid-nineteenth century, a resort village existed there known as "Crystal Springs."
Well-to-do San Franciscans would often take time away from hectic big city life and point their horse and buggies down the peninsula to the refined village of Crystal Springs, where several hotels competed for their patronage.
One of the early proprietors was Adam Mall, who built a roadhouse in the early 1860s situated in a lush eucalyptus grove. It was later remodeled and became a luxurious resort known as the Crystal Springs Hotel. The village included a dairy and farms. For roughly fifteen years, this oasis offered a lovely respite for the wealthy.
However, Crystal Springs was on leased land. As is often the case, the owner, Spring Valley Water Company had other plans. They wanted to develop the area. Said plans included providing a freshwater reservoir for thirsty San Franciscans. In 1875, the hotel was demolished, and an earthen dam was constructed, which later was paved and became part of Highway 92. It also divides the upper and lower Crystal Springs Reservoir.
By the late 1870s, the village of Crystal Springs was a ghost town, which succumbed to a watery grave in 1887 once the Crystal Springs dam was built and opened in 1888.
Everything else is just history…
Some of the photos used in this blog are courtesy of the Local History Room, Redwood City's best-kept secret. The Local History Collection covers all aspects of Redwood City's development, from the 1850s to the present day, with particular emphasis on businesses, public schools, civic organizations, city agencies, and early family histories. The Local History Room is not affiliated with the Redwood City Public Library, but it is inside it.
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