San Mateo County Poor Farm and Cemetery

04/21/2024

Hi members! My son is doing a paper on the cemetery for the poor farm and I wanted to share with the pictures he took today. We accessed the hiking trail behind the Calvary Baptist Church.

01/30/2021

1946 Map Crystal Springs poor farm cemetery site

The connection between the San Mateo Poor Farm and the property we not call the SF Peninsula Watershed runs deeper than its geographical proximity to then Spring Valley Water Valley Property. It has in common with the watershed a deep and colorful history that is for some reason is not taught in our public schools, and generally unknown by the public. In 1923 the population of San Mateo County was roughly 40,000 and the city of San Mateo had around 6,000 people. If not the same time we share the same space as these people from the past, and are connected to them nonetheless. This is our heritage, something to think about whist traveling on the roads that surround the hidden historical place called the SF Watershed and beyond.

01/30/2021

OSFW Advocate Catherine Hill Apsley shares photo of a grave marker underneath hiding under some trees and bushes and in better condition than most of the grave markers.

Thanks Catherine!

01/30/2021

In 1894 the Poor Farm fulfilled its need for a Cemetery; they placed it in the southeastern most corner of the property. Graves were marked with wooden head markers and were numbered. San Mateo Poor Farm records show 542 graves logged. However in 2001 the University of Santa Clara Archaeology and Anthropology departments teamed up with The Institute for Canine Forensics and they found grave markers numbered into the 600’s. Today and everyday people will drive pass with this graveyard totally unrecognized but some old wooden markers remain, and a line of eucalyptus trees indicates a possible tree laden border of this solemn place.

01/30/2021

This photo has come to our attention which is (allegedly) the only known photo (to our knowledge) of the San Mateo Poor Farm... !!!
https://openthewatershed.org/the-san-mateo-poor-farm/

01/30/2021

01/26/2021