Half Moon Bay History Association Museum

In June of 2018 the Half Moon Bay History Association opened a refurbished museum in the old Jail on Johnston Street.  Formerly in the hands of the Spanishtown Historical Society it had been closed for quite some time.  The city gave them a lease and a three month window to get it opened and docents trained.

Dave Olsen gave me a tour the other day, as they prepared for a weekend anniversary celebration.  I was very impressed with the quality of the displays, both the collection and the signage which is currently in both English and Spanish.  In the works are translations to Portuguese and Chinese and maybe Italian.

It is a small space, but nicely put together offering a wide assortment of items without feeling cluttered.  There is more to see though, so fundraising is underway to convert the "Johnson" Barn that sits on the property behind the Jail into a larger museum.   

Among the collections that they inherited from the Spanishtown Historical Society is a collection of oral histories that is over fifty years old.  They are working to preserve and transcribe that collection. 



The museum is open on weekends from 10-4 and it is possible to make arrangements for group tours.

The HMB History Association holds quarterly meetings featuring speakers on local history, which are open to the public, at the Portuguese Community Center. 

I first heard about the Association and the Jail Museum, because they were looking for information on the jail during its years of operation (1919-1967).  If you have any information on the jail, or on any aspect of Half Moon Bay history they would love to hear from you.

Check out their website  Half Moon Bay History Association for more information on the Association, it's history, HMB history, the oral history project, the museum project and contact information.

And be sure to stop in the next time you find yourself in Half Moon Bay on a weekend.

Museum
505 Johnston Street, Half Moon Bay, CA
(near the corner of Kelly Avenue and Johnston Street)

info@halfmoonbayhistory.org

(650) 763-3231

Mailing Address:
Half Moon Bay History Association
625 Miramontes Street, Ste 203
Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

SMCGS Databases Online: Sheriff's Office Booking Registers

Some years ago, we were fortunate to receive permission from the Sheriff to borrow, copy and index the booking registers that had been found in a closet in the jail. The registers, numbered 7 through 16 covered the years 1924 to 1953.  Volume 13 (1943-1945) was not found, perhaps during the war years no bound volume was created, or perhaps it has been lost.  The first six volumes may be in the offsite collections of the San Mateo County Historical Association, however, they were not in their catalog the last time we checked.

These records can offer some great clues to locating ancestors.  Prior to WWII, it was not uncommon for homeless residents to lodge in the jail. They would be picked up in the late evening and released in the morning without being booked.  You can find not only the aged and disabled who had no means of support, but also those travelling into the county to find work.  Often time of residence is listed as one day.

The records give a wealth of information.  Besides the surname, given name and alias you will find the day of incarceration, occupation, age, height, weight, time in county, state and U, where picked up, by whom, the justice, the code under which the person was picked up, hour of arrest, hour of release, number of meals served, sentence, date of commitment, date of discharge, fines paid and a column for further remarks. 

Barry Goyette hefted those volumes for many months creating the copies which can be found in the SMCGS Library.  Jo Rebuck with a little help from Michelle McLaughlin worked endlessly creating the index you'll find here with over 60,000 entries.  This is an index, giving only Name, Age, Book, Page and Line. Visit the library to obtain a copy or see the research page for information on ordering a full transcription of an entry.

San Mateo County Sheriff's Booking Register Index

Check out the other SMCGS Databases and good luck with your research