Every year in mid-May, the San Mateo County Historical Association hosts a special day of activities to celebrate the official founding of the county in 1856.
This year, however, the historical association is teaming up with the County of San Mateo to host a spectacular 169th birthday celebration 5 p.m. Thursday, May 15, under the rotunda at the Old County Courthouse/History Museum in downtown Redwood City which is free and open for all to attend.
That birthday celebration will be followed by a brief procession accompanied by the Woodside High School Band to a ribbon cutting and dedication for 500 County Center, the greenest civic building in the United States.
Barely a year old, 500 County Center is already the winner of numerous Best of the Best Sustainability awards, including from engineering News Record and the American Institute of Architects.
It will be beautiful evening to celebrate the county’s storied past, the possibilities of the future and to toast the renaissance of San Mateo County with family, friends, neighbors, free food, music and activities.
The evening will begin at the History Museum with a reenactment of the founding of the county featuring the individual considered to be the father of San Mateo County, New York native Horace Hawes, the former district attorney of San Francisco.
While serving in the state Assembly in 1856, Hawes introduced legislation aimed at rooting out San Francisco’s corruption that was later amended to create San Mateo County. California was only 6 years old as a state and San Mateo County became its 18th county which had a total population at the time of less than 5,000 people.
Hawes watched as the San Francisco to San Jose Railroad tracks took shape in the Peninsula and were brought through Redwood City in 1863, five decades before the first cars started traveling the dirt roads of El Camino Real.
Those rail tracks with coal- and diesel-powered locomotives formerly running on them are home to the oldest, continuously running commuter train west of the Mississippi which since 1985 is Caltrain.
Caltrain is now one of the greenest commuter lines in the entire country as its brand-new electric fleet annually reduces greenhouse gas emissions by 250,000 tons — the equivalent of taking 55,000 cars off the road.
The Caltrain tracks and so many other Peninsula landmarks including the fog-swept Santa Cruz Mountains are clearly visible from the fifth floor of 500 County Center, the new home of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and County Executive’s Office.
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On May 15, the board, CEO and Historical Association welcome you all to the new workplace for San Mateo County employees which is becoming a destination for large community gatherings with its immense lobby and vast courtyards that can accommodate hundreds of people.
500 County Center represents the cultural, artistic, political and economic revival of what has become the healthiest and near wealthiest county in California.
We are living in this county’s renaissance as we are no longer a pit stop nor sleepy bedroom community between San Jose and San Francisco.
San Mateo County is experiencing an explosion of change up and down the Peninsula from the Bay to the coast as some of the most innovative and wealthiest companies in the world are headquartered here.
YouTube is expanding in San Bruno, Meta is expanding in Menlo Park, Stanford Health is expanding in Redwood City and Replit, an AI company valued at over $1 billion, relocated from San Francisco to Foster City last year.
As we celebrate the then and now of this county and our amazing new civic building, we should be proud to call San Mateo County home and on Thursday May 15, we invite you all to share that pride as we step into history and toast the future.
So please join us for an unforgettable evening marking the 169th anniversary of San Mateo County and the grand unveiling of 500 County Center.
The event kicks off 5 p.m., Thursday May 15, San Mateo County History Museum, 2200 Broadway, Redwood City with a procession to 500 County Center at 5:30 p.m., followed by an unveiling, immersive experiences, music by DJ John Beaver, free food and more.
Make this a night to show your love for this beautiful county we call home, learn a little history at the same time and make some new friends. All are welcome.
David Canepa is president of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors and Mitch Postel is president of the San Mateo County Historical Association.
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