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The beautiful city of Palo Alto is home to one of the world’s great educational institutions- Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to simply as Stanford. Additionally, it’s home to one of the premier healthcare institutions- Stanford University Hospital.
Palo Alto is also world renowned for being the home base of the high-tech industry, which has earned it the nickname “Silicon Valley.”
However, many years before Palo Alto became prominent, the local area was known to everyone as Mayfield. Let’s examine what preceded Palo Alto and why Mayfield is no longer there.
The story began in 1853 when Elisha Oscar Crosby purchased 250 acres of land, which was part of the Rancho de Rincon San Francisquito, for $2,000 ($74,000 in today’s dollars). The name Mayfield Farms was given to it.
The actual town of Mayfield was established about 1 mile north of Mayfield Farms that same year.
The fledgling town became a stagecoach stop. A saloon named Uncle Jim’s Cabin was established near the intersection of today’s El Camino Real and California Ave. The saloon became a mail stop.
Soon, a general store opened, along with a blacksmith’s shop, a cobbler’s shop, a butcher’s shop, and a school. Mayfield was on its way to becoming a viable, productive city.
However, changes were in the wind….
To be continued…..
Everything else is just history
