[Image: The Bellevale Post Office. Photo by Moss Beach Postmaster R. Guy Smith]
Story by John Vonderlin
Email John ([email protected])
Hi June,
While looking through old newspapers online I came on an ad that mentioned the stage stopping at La Honda, Hayward’s, Wurr’s, Bellvale and Pigeon Point. Curious about the town of Bellvale, as I had never heard of it before, I did some research. Wikipedia has this short article on it. I’ve attached a ScreenShot of a Q & A column from the October 16th, 1908 issue of the Call] that asks and answers where Bellvale is and a ScreenShot of a bit of Federal Government news about the Post Office from 1904..
I wonder if Mrs. Bell was the last of the Postmasters for Bellvale, holding the post until it closed in 1922? Do you have any idea about where Hayward’s was? Enjoy. John
Bellvale, California is a populated place in San Mateo County, located at latitude 371843N, longitude 1221912W (decimal degrees: latitude 37.31194, longitude -122.32). The small community is on Highway 84 (La Honda Road) between San Gregorio and La Honda. Bellvale has an elevation of 240 feet above sea level.[1] Although Bellvale once had a post office, the community is now only sparsely settled with homes and farms.[2] The Bellvale post office, located 2.25 miles west of La Honda, opened in 1897 and was discontinued in 1922.[3] U.S. Geological Survey maps show oil wells in the area, tapping a relatively small pool of petroleum that was first identified in the nineteenth century.[4]