Barry's Bits

From the files of Barry Goyette

If one wonders why some work their way through projects faster than others, the answer might be found by some deep research.  In Barry's case, we discovered that obituaries couldn't be cut before the "other side" of the page had been carefully perused. And as we discovered we were often chuckling or fondly reminiscing at the resulting finds, we decided to share.  Here is the first of Barry's Bits....

SF Examiner 21 Aug 1924

San Mateo County Places - La Honda

John Sears settled the forested mountain area around La Honda (the Sling) in 1862 and built a small inn along the stage road to Pescadero.  Legend states that Jim and Bob Younger of the Jesse James gang helped with the construction.  (The original store was destroyed by fire in 1960.) 

The Marysville Daily Appeal reported on 4 Mar 1873 that the Senate Amendments to create post roads were to go into effect that day.  Those post roads included the route from Redwood City to Pescadero through Searsville and La Honda Junction.

A little colony and resort grew around La Honda Junction with saloons aptly named "Robber's Roost" and "Apple Jacks".  Since the 1870's La Honda has remained an area of lumbering and ranching with a population in 2010 of 928.

Sacramento Daily Union 18 Oct 1873

In 1873 a store and hotel at the junction were owned by Sayers and Lausman as reported in the tale of Major Pauline Cushman.





The Pacific Rural Press announced the opening of a new Grange in La Honda on 25 Jul 1874.  There were also granges in Pescadero, Ocean View and San Mateo.



On 28 Nov of that year the following letter which was placed in the Pacific Rural Press gives a picture of farming in the area.

You can find hundreds of articles about La Honda and its residents on the California Digital Newspaper website. Articles include reports of bear hunting, camping, visiting and visitors, court cases, employment advertisements, accidents as well as births, marriages and deaths. There are nearly 1000 from the San Francisco Call alone.  When searching be sure to use quotes around "La Honda" to avoid getting results for each word.

Links and More:

• Hanson's Mill at La Honda 1870
• Live or Die in La Honda
• Mobile Ranger: Old La Honda Road
• The La Honda Voice
• La Honda Historical Society no longer maintained but interesting info, including a 7 part lecture on the history of La Honda.
• La Honda - Wikipedia
• The South of Skyline Story
• Jones, Charles & Susan Friedman, A Separate Place,SF Sierra Club 1974
• La Honda - Arcadia Publishing

San Mateo County Cemeteries: Home of Peace

San Francisco Bulletin
28 Oct 1865
p3 The Cemeteries of San Francisco

Home of Peace Cemetery was was dedicated in Nov 1888 by Congregation Emanu-El on 20 acres at the foot of the San Bruno mountains. 

It was the third cemetery established by the congregation, the first opened during the gold rush on Vallejo St., the second Navai Shalome, (the Peaceful Abode) in 1860 in the area that is now Dolores Park. Across Eagle street Giboth Olam (Hills of Eternity) opened early the next year. 

In 1888 the two congregations bought adjoining land in San Mateo County and all burials were removed from San Francisco and reinterred individually. 

San Francisco Chronicle
30 Nov 1888 p8

San Francisco Chronicle
27 Dec 1888

Today there are designated sections for two bay area synagogues; Congregation Beth Sholom (San Francisco) and Peninsula Temple Sholom (Burlingame).   

Some of the famous buried there include: the Fleishhaker Family (banking); Adolf Sutro; Levi Strauss; the Sellerbach Family (Crown Zellerbach); and IW Hellman (founder of Wells Fargo).

 

Home of Peace Cemetery 1299 El Camino Real, Colma (650) 755-4700

Home of Peace on FindAGrave  over 3000 listings over 80% photographed