| The Palo Alto History Project |
| The Beginning of Mayfield's End El Camino Real and California Avenue |
| 2006 |
| The Beginning of Mayfield's End The California Avenue area has long had an independent attitude. Sometimes called Palo Alto’s second downtown, California Avenue was once home to a stately row of the finest houses in the city of Mayfield, which was incorporated into Palo Alto in 1925. Originally, Mayfield was the larger town --- that is until it made a fatal mistake --- at least fatal in terms of being its own entity. In 1886, Senator Leland Stanford met with local Mayfielders on the corner of California and El Camino (then known as Lincoln and Main) to inform the locals about his big plans for a university in their town. He wanted the entrance gates to the university to be situated on Stanford Avenue near Hanover Street. One catch though --- Stanford wanted the town to go “dry” --- no more alcohol (obviously universities did not have the same reputations as they do today). Mayfield, with its 13 saloons, voted no thanks. Rejected, Stanford turned his eyes north and convinced his friend, Timothy Hopkins of the Southern Pacific Railroad, to buy 700 acres of private property and sell lots. The collection of homes that grew up around the university (originally called University Park) eventually became Palo Alto. It was also the beginning of the end for old Mayfield. Mayfield soon fell on hard times. Workers who had lived in Mayfield during the building of Stanford University eventually chose to live in Palo Alto --- free from liquor, home to a university and a better place to raise children. As the wet poorer relation to Palo Alto, Mayfield began to acquire an unsavory reputation. As grocer Frank Backus said at a Board of Trustees Meeting in 1904, “Mayfield people are tired of having the roughs from all around the country come here, get drunk and raise a row. We’re tired of renting our cottages for $5 and $6 a month…when a house can’t be had in Palo Alto for $20-$25.” Sound familiar? Those differences never did get much better --- landlords in South Palo Alto are still complaining of the difference in rents, although few would accept a $25 rent check these days. In 1904, Mayfield voters, realizing their earlier mistake, finally did ban the saloons. And after originally ignoring the ban, 10 days in jail finally convinced saloon owners to throw in the towel. Still, Mayfield continued to be overshadowed in competition with their northerly neighbor. In 1905, Mayfield accused Palo Alto of “unsisterly conduct,” claiming Palo Alto had blocked the building of a road from Mayfield to Stanford’s main quad. Finally, Mayfield decided that if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Plagued by money problems, bad roads and little leadership, a group of residents began an effort in 1918 for Mayfield to be annexed by Palo Alto. A first attempt at annexation was voted down in 1924, but a second passed, 357 to 288, less than a year later. Palo Altans agreed to the annexation, and the two communities officially consolidated on July 6, 1925. Still, more than 75 years later that rift still remains --- at least in part. South Palo Alto sometimes bristles at its lesser stature and lack of equal representation among the elite of Palo Alto politics. -Matt Bowling |
| Palo Alto: Then & Now |
| Students of Mayfield Grammar School in 1922. (PAHA) |
| A present day shot of the corner where Senator Stanford spoke to Mayfielders. |
| Leland Stanford's home at Palo Alto farm in 1887 (PAHA) |
| A present day mural of old Mayfield. |
| Leland Stanford, posing in Senatorial formality |
| 2007 |
| circa 1920 |
| The map below shows the California Avenue area |
| Leland Stanford: A man looking for a dry town (PAHA) |
| In 1920 the old Mayfield Bank sits on the corner of El Camino and California Avenue where Leland Stanford once spoke to Mayfield townspeople. The post office sits behind the bank. |
| Today the office building at 490 California hosts a variety of services. Radioshack and Quiznos Subs are on the bottom floor while various companies occupy the upstairs offices. The building is owned by Menlo Equities, the same company renovating the AME Zion Church in the SOFA area. |
| The Stanfords laying out the cornerstone for their new university in 1887. (PAHA) |
| Sources: Palo Alto Weekly, Palo Alto Historical Association |