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Downtown History
In May 1861, under the direction of Charles B. Polhemus, the construction of a railroad to link San Francisco with San Jose began. The track was completed in January 1864 and the first service through San Mateo was on October 17, 1863. The train made the trip from San Francisco to San Mateo in thirty-seven minutes. With Polhemus in the role of director of railroad construction, the decision about where the central business district would be located lay in his hands. The first building to be erected near the tracks was the train station, but it wasn't long before buildings began springing up in the area of Main Street and Railroad Avenue. This was the beginning of downtown San Mateo.
Now, Downtown San Mateo is one of the largest downtowns on the Peninsula, but it still retains its historic character. Take the Historic Walking Tour.
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