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Around 1850, Charles Brown, a whaler from San Francisco, purchased a portion of Rancho Cañada de Raymundo and settled with his wife. Within a year, he was joined by John Smith, followed by August Eikerenkotter, who built a store and hotel.
John Sears
In 1854, John Sears arrived and obtained a postal contract. Henceforth, the settlement reflected his name- Searsville.
The settlement became a hub for lumberjacks. In addition to the store, hotel and post office, the town featured a blacksmith shop, a school, and of course saloons. The largest store was the Searsville Exchange. The tiny community became home to 100 – 200 people.
Toward the end of the nineteenth century, the logging industry had slowed down considerably. This forced the local sawmills to close. As a result, the once thriving hamlet of Searsville grew quiet and sparsely populated.
Watery Grave
1887 the Spring Valley Water Company acquired a large swath of land, which included the tiny town of Searsville. The company constructed a dam which when filled meant that tiny Searsville would be forever buried in a watery grave.
In 1922 Searsville Lake opened to the public for swimming, boating and picnicking. However, in 1975 Stanford University closed the popular family destination to the public.
Legend has it ghosts of Searsville can occasionally be heard by those given to folklore.
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 emphases 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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