Story from John Vonderlin
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Hi June,
San Gregorio rarely gets described in the travelogues in the old newspapers, but here’s an exception. This excerpt about the San Gregorio region appeared in an article in the July 1st, 1872 issue of “The Daily Alta.” The title of the piece was called, “The Industrial Condition of the State.”
While I agree with much of what the guy wrote,, his real estate advice is a little out of date, and I am a little curious where all the orange groves on the Coastside are hiding? Enjoy. John
The editor of the “California Agriculturist,” who has lately visited the San Gregorio region in the nothwestern corner of San Mateo County, after praising the new wagon road now being made over the Gabilan ridge back of Searsville says:
I know of no better place for purchasing desirable homes, or where such can be had on better terms than this San Gregorio region. Water and timber are abundant, the soil is excellent, and the road will make transportation ready. The climate, in many respects, is remarkably favorable for health and or vegetable production. The pastures are almost always green. The moisture from the ocean condenses in the cool soil and on the leaves of the growing plants as soon as the sun disappears ****
There is so little frost in this section that potatoes are planted and grown all winter. The early planted ones are ripe in May, While those planted in May ripen in October. Fruit trees to do well must be planted in the most sheltered places, and there are numerous nooks on every farm among the hills, where such sunny spots, protected from the winds by bluffs or timber, can be found. We advocated the policy of planting orange orchards throughout the Coast range. In Italy the coolest parts of the country produce the best oranges. While the coast is almost always cool–it is never so cold as to injure the orange. For small fruit, such as currants, gooseberries, raspberries, and blackberries, there can be found no better climate.****
