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The earliest history of East Palo Alto dates back to 1853, when a long, narrow strip of pavement stretching from Redwood City through Atherton and Menlo Park to the waters of the bay east of Palo Alto came to the old port of Ravenswood.
The town boasted a wooden pier that jutted 1500 feet from land into deep water. Wharf St. was the main thoroughfare and was crossed by Woods St., Haskell St., and Charles St., all named for men interested in the town’s potential.
Lots were laid out adjoining these streets and the buildings which occupied many were built of lumber from the mills near Woodside and Searsville, A lone steamer, the Jenny Lind, according to records was the only vessel operating between San Francisco and Ravenswood, It was a sturdy side wheeler of some 60 tons and on one of its regular trips down the bay in 1853 it met with disaster.
When the laden with cargo and passengers reached a point opposite San Mateo, her boilers exploded, killing 31 passengers and completely destroying the boat. In 1864, when the railroad was completed to San Jose, it ended much of the bay shipping. Redwood City, which was closer to the lumber mills, was now the chief lumber port and great things anticipated for Ravenswood failed to materialize.
End of Part 1. More next week
EVERYTHING ELSE IS JUST HISTORY.…
