San Mateo County Places: The Cow Palace

When the livestock exposition at the 1915 Pan-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco was shown to be one of the most popular features, the idea of building a permanent structure to house future livestock expositions in the San Francisco area was born.  Ten years later, it was still just an idea.  Then in 1925, the San Francisco Exposition Company was formed to finance the project. 

Nineteen firms and individuals each contributed $20,000, and the land was purchased in the Marina District, the site of the 1915 fair.  

 

Six years later, the plan was still just a dream. The San Francisco Chronicle in their issue of 2 Feb 1936, gives a picture of what happened next.  

The article goes on "After being kept secret in several hundred column inches of type over a period of five years the proposed pavilion blossomed forth as a brand new project when work actually began last week."

In 1931 the California state legislature formed Agricultural District 1A in San Mateo and San Francisco counties.  The stated purpose was to raise funds for an "agricultural exhibition palace on the county line."  The legislature promised to match up to $250,000 in funding.  

Getting started wasn't easy.  First SF Mayor Rossi vetoed the funding, later the Board voted it down.  When finally it was passed in SF the State Board of Equalization stepped in and deleted it from the county budget stating that it was over the maximum allowed according to the "Riley Plan".

Finally in 1935 it was approved by everyone, and Federal money was added to make it happen. Now a program of the WPA,  thousands were employed in construction.

Although designed mainly to hold "animal" exhibitions, plans included a half mile track for harness racing and a polo field was to be included in an adjacent lot.  There were also hopes that there could be bike races and boxing and wrestling matches.

The name evolved from a local newspaper which asked,  "Why, when people are starving, should money be spent on a "palace for cows?" A headline writer turned the phrase around and the name was born.

Completed in 1941, the first show at the Cow Palace was held in April.

UC Berkeley - SF Bulletin Collections

The Cow Palace (Grand National Livestock Exposition Pavilion) was completed in 1941. The new arena boasted a concrete and steel roof that covered nearly six acres. The first event to be held in the new arena was the Western Classic Holstein Show in April, 1941. In November of that year, the first Grand National Livestock Expo, Horse Show and Rodeo was held, featuring a tribute to the late Will Rogers. The show was declared a smash hit.

December brought the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the start of World Ward II.  The government rented the Cow Palace for $1 a year for the next five years. for the staging of troops being deployed to the Pacific Theatre and as a repair garage for the ordnance department. 

Following the war the Cow Palace saw the return of the Grand National, circuses, national conventions, the SF Shamrocks, the Dickens Fair, Raves and much more.  Read more........

History of the Cow Palace
The Palace for Cows belongs to San Mateo
Stock Plant biggest of it's Kind   SF Chronicle 14 Apr 1937

San Mateo County Cemeteries: Chinese Christian

Although San Francisco had prohibited burials within the city as of the beginning of January 1898, an extension had been granted for the burial of Chinese in City Cemetery, due to the inability of the Chinese Six Companies to purchase land for a cemetery in San Mateo County.  Finally in July "Patrick Brooks sold 2 acres of land for $1,000 to the Chinese Christian Cemetery Association in an area that is now Daly City.

Chinese Six Companies (六大公司) refers to the Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association. The Six Companies consisted of the Sam Yup Company, Yeong Wo Company, Kong Chow Company, Ning Yung Company, Hop Wo Company, and Yan Wo Company. In 1882, they extended their earlier cooperative efforts and officially established the benevolent association in San Francisco.

SF Chronicle 24 Jun 1911

Troubles for the Six Companies did not end with the purchase of the cemetery land in 1898.  Many Chinese were buried in Colma as an interim resting place before their bones were returned to China.  In 1911 with over 3000 bodies under contract to be moved, San Mateo County imposed a rate of $10 for a permit to remove each body.  The effort to remove the burials without a permit went all the way to the Supreme Court. The decision was that the Board of Supervisors could impose the fee.  There was an effort to reduce the fee to $3.

Many Chinese came to the United States hoping to make enough money to live comfortable lives on their return to China. Even in death it was important to many to return to be buried beside their ancestors where living relatives would honor them.  There are many good articles on Chinese burial customs y u'll find a few links below.

SF Chronicle  12 Nov 1911

 

Chinese Cemetary Association, 34 Jason Court, San Francisco, CA 94133 Phone: (415) 982-4148

• Chinese Christian Cemetery - Find A Grave Only a few listings
• Six Companies - Found
• Chinese Consolidated Benevolent Association
• Daly City Cemeteries 
• Chinese Cemetery Association miscellany, 1955-1999 - UC Berkeley 
• Tung Sen Cemetery - More on burial practices
• Chinese Burial Traditions
• The Final Journey Home: Chinese Burial Practices in Spokane

Early Families: Northern County Families, cont.

Russ Brabec has contributed another set of families to this growing biographical resource.  This installment adds another five families to the collection.

Robert Sheldon Thornton

Perhaps the highlight of the additions is a three part series on Robert Sheldon Thornton, his family and the state beach that bears his name.  If you haven't had the pleasure of finding one of these biographies in the past, you will be astounded by the amount of research in each one.  You will find a detailed time line of the lives of those followed, maps, references to deeds and other county documents, newspaper articles and much more.

Even if you have no connections to these families, you will find the biographies interesting and worth the read.

• McMahon - Owen McMahon, Elizabeth McMahon & Their Daughters
• Patton/Patten - Robert Patton/Patten, Elizabeth Patton/Patten
• Pierce - Francis Ellis Pierce & Fanny Pierce 
• Thornton
  • Robert Sheldon Thornton, Sarah A Thornton & Their descendants
  • Robert Sheldon Thornton Special Events
  • Thornton Beach State Park

• Van Winkle - Abraham Jacob Van Winkle, Hannah Elizabeth Philbrook & Their Daughters

Early Northern San Mateo County Settlers #2

Russell Brabec has added another ten biographies to the collection of Early Northern San Mateo County Settlers.

John Donald Daly

• Patrick Morgan Brooks, Bridget Brooks & Their Daughters  
• George Michael and Ella Winifred Fay Collopy, Michael Fay and Joseph J Hill, 
• Daly, John Donald
• pt. 1 And Family
• pt 2 The Republican
• pt 3 Daly and the Dairy Industry
• William H Kinne, Dairyman & Sheriff
• John William Marchbank(s) 
• Peter George  Partridge & his brother Patrick M Partridge
• Edward & Elizabeth Robson & her parents Hanora & William Burley
• Jeremiah Smith

Tanforan Racetrack
owned by John William Marchbank

Links for all of the Early Northern San Mateo County Settlers as well as to biographical material on other early San Mateo County Residents can be found on the SMCGS website, click on Research on the main menu bar and then on First Families.

RESEARCH-FIRST FAMILIES

Early Northern San Mateo County Settlers

Russell Brabec has finished a number of biographies on the early settlers of Northern San Mateo County.  You will find links to the pdf files below.  Look for another list of families later this spring.  

Mother Minerva 1927
OpenSFHistory.org

Along with the early settlers you will find a biography of John Patrick (Jack) Lawson: Mayor of Bayshore.   Bayshore was a short lived city located near the border of San Francisco behind where the Cow Palace is located today.  Incorporated in 1932 to "...ensure a local government friendly to the racetrack and bookies. Dog racing was the town's purpose."  Dog racing was outlawed in 1939 under pressure from  horse racing interests and the city unincorporated. You can read more about Bayshore City in the San Mateo Daily Journal article, Bayshore City was built for the dogs, of 5 Mar 2007.


Don't miss the biography of Mother Minerva Hartman 1832-1937, a nurse in the Civil War, the Crimea, the Spanish American War.... and more.  A late settler in the area, Mother Minerva died in a fire at the age of 104 in Colma, where she had lived for about 30 years. 

Early Settlers of Northern San Mateo County

• Bepler -  Justice and Louise H Christaine Bepler
• Brown - Henry Ward Brown and Margaret Pauline Brown
• Carter - Charles D Carter at Visitacion Valley
• Comerford - Michael Comerford
• Daly - Michael Daly (John Donald Daly's father)
• Doncks - Peter Herman Doncks, Johanna G Doncks and their Daughters
• Gardner - John & Ellen Gardner
• Haquette - Isabelle Daly Haquette (John Donald Daly's Sister) 
• King - Jacob and Mary Ann King
• Knowles
  • Isreal Graham Knowles & Mary Sanderson Knowles
  • Knowles Matson Marriage Mystery 
• Locker
  • John Wesley Locker, Elizabeth Rachel Atkinson Locker
  • ​Levi W. Locker (brother)
• Matson  - Knowles Matson Marriage Mystery
• Prince - William Tyron Prince
• Walbridge - Hiram Waldbridge at Visitacion Valley
• White - Samuel Stetson White and Marry Ladd White

Early Families: Justice and Louise H Christiane Bepler

In the Introduction to this, the first of thirty histories of Early Northern San Mateo County Families, Russell Brabec states.....

"I became interested in the people of the northern San Mateo County who settled there after the gold rush and statehood.  During my 38 years of employment with the City of Daly City, I observed that most of the written history of this era was of those people who settled in the central and southern part of the county.  Thus I began a project of researching many of the settlers of the northern part of the county.......

"The basis of my information came from the records of San Mateo County, the California Digital Newspaper Collection (internet) for nineteenth century and very early twentieth century newspapers, and the main library of San Francisco for city directories and newspaper microfilms.   

"I have referenced Deeds and Official Records in the footnotes on each page.  Footnotes without the note [not transcribed] have been transcribed by me.

"Each family faced different challenges, and it has been interesting discovering these events in their lives." 

Future blogs will list other families in the collection.  You will also find links on the San Mateo County Genealogical Society Website.  From the Research tab, click on First Families and page down to The Pioneers.  Click on a name to access a PDF file that may range from 6 to 80 pages.

But back to the Beplers.....   Russ's history starts with Justus's birth in Germany about 1826 continuing with his purchase of land in San Francisco in 1854.  The 24 page document includes numerous land documents, a timeline of family and area history, and a spectacular collection of maps.

There is documentation of the death of Louise in 1869 at the age of 33, shortly after the birth of twin sons Edward and Louis.  Edward died later that year.  Justice died in 1875  leaving three sons Frederick, David and Louis.  

You will find references to his probate as well as census records for family members.  But rather than spending a lot of time reading this blog ... read the original

JUSTICE and LOUISE H. CHRISTIANE BEPLER

A Chronological Account of Their Lives from

the Records the County of San Mateo,

the California Digital Newspaper Collection

and other sources

Russell Brabec 2015

San Mateo County First Families Blog

Russ Brabec actively researches Daly City and Colma Pioneers.  He's compiled family histories using records in the San Mateo County Record Depository, newspapers and other resources. Check out his list of available families the San Mateo County First Families blog.  While you are there check the other pages where you will find links to cemeteries, place histories and more.  This is a slowly growing collection of San Mateo County materials.  Do you have information you'd like to share?  Are you looking for information on early San Mateo County residents.  Contact publications@smcgs.org to contribute to the blog.