🎤 The Streets of Menlo Park, by Bo Crane

Presenter: Bo Crane

The Streets of Menlo Park delves into the genealogical background of many of the street names of Menlo Park and the very special people behind these street names especially those from the Gold Rush Era.

Bo Crane will present a talk on how he created his work, The Streets of Menlo Park / Origins of the Street Names, published in November 2017 by the Menlo Park Historical Association (with all proceeds going to MPHA).

He wrote the book at the request of the MPHA and quickly realized that several stories behind the namesakes contained colorful tales that required genealogical exploration.. His discussion will focused on how he used several tools to delve into backgrounds, highlighted by four examples, all mysteries to be solved.

Partridge Avenue is located amongst a neighborhood of all collegiate names. Was that because the street was named prior to the mapping of the Stanford Park subdivision? The basis of the name was related to me by a San Mateo Co. Genealogy Society member. Who was he and how did Partridge come to be?

There are two Blake Streets in Menlo Park, one named for the first mayor and the other for his Welsh mother, who grew up on the original Menlo Park Ranch. The mayor, who had been a San Francisco dentist, was born in Menlo Park in 1861, two years before the train arrived, but made his way back home after a nasty divorce.

Two street names were especially difficult to unravel: Wallea and Marmona Drives. One of the namesakes was born on Christmas while her father was dying of pneumonia. The other married her Palo Alto High School sweetheart, who went on to become the country’s leading tennis champion. Her grandfather was a Civil War Colonel, but mistakenly listed in histories for the wrong army.

There are such tales to be told. Books will be available for purchase.

Bo Crane is the author of The Life and Times of Dennis Martin and The Streets of Menlo Park.