Post-Conquest era In the 1850s, following the American Conquest of California, many San Franciscans began building summer homes in the mid-Peninsula, because of the milder climate. The area that is now the city of San Mateo was owned by a few large landowners, including Howard, whose Rancho San Mateo occupied in 1853 north of San Mateo Creek, pushing most of this early settlement into adjacent Hillsborough, Burlingame, and Belmont; other significant landowners in the area included John Parrott, who purchased in 1860 south of the creek and southwest of El Camino Real and Alvinza Hayward, who owned the land south of the creek and east of El Camino. Much of the remaining land south of these areas was used for agriculture until the early 1900s; the owners included John Whipple, who had a large horse farm south of Parrott's land, Lemuel Murray, J.S. Colegrove, and David McClellan.
Post-Conquest era In the 1850s, following the American Conquest of California, many San Franciscans began building summer homes in the mid-Peninsula, because of the milder climate. The area that is now the city of San Mateo was owned by a few large landowners, including Howard, whose Rancho San Mateo occupied in 1853 north of San Mateo Creek, pushing most of this early settlement into adjacent Hillsborough Burlingame and Belmont; other significant landowners in the area included John Parrott, who purchased in 1860 south of the creek and southwest of El Camino Real and Alvinza Hayward, who owned the land south of the creek and east of El Camino. Much of the re,maining land south of these areas was used for agriculture until the earl,y 1900s; the owners included John Whipple, who had a large horse farm south of Parrott's land, Lemuel Murray, J.S. Colegrove, and David McClellan.