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During the late 1800s, the Peninsula was at the beginning of a growth spurt that continued for decades.
The most affluent residential location was Hillsborough.
Others attempted to develop similar communities of affluence. One of those attempts was made by Captain N. T. Smith, who was the Treasurer of the Southern Pacific Railroad and a longtime friend of Leland Stanford.
In 1888, he formed the San Carlos Land Company to develop a city with the land he purchased from then-Senator Phelps, the primary landowner.
Streets became graded, and sewers were installed, which was a good beginning. Sadly, the effort fell short for at least two reasons, 1) Stiff competition from another developer and 2) the beginning of World War I in 1914.
After the 1906 earthquake, the San Carlos Park Syndicate was formed with land purchased from Phelps.
William Woosley was the Secretary of the organization. He wanted to call the development Oak Park. To eliminate potential competition, he purchased all the remaining land from the San Carlos Land Company.
He improved the overall look of San Carlos Avenue (then known as Cypress Avenue). He laid sidewalks and installed beautiful concrete urns filled with flowers.
Alas, Woosley's elaborate plans and vision also came to a halt for the very same reason the first attempt failed- World War I.
Existing mortgages were acquired by Mercantile Trust, which later became American Trust.
While these two early efforts to develop an upscale residential city did not succeed, the vision ultimately succeeded, as evidenced by today's San Carlos, known as "City of Good Living."
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.
