The 19th century hamlet of Bellvale was founded by James Bell, who promoted a schoolhouse and post office on the site.

The Lost Village of Bellvale

The dam and reservoir are named after the former 19th century resort and stagecoaching village of Crystal Springs, once part of the main route between San Francisco, San Mateo and points south.  The village was flooded when the dam was closed in the late 1880s.

The Lost Village of Crystal Springs

Grabtown grew up around the headquarters of a 19th century logging company.  It was a natural stopping point for teams dragging loads up from the Tunita Creek canyon, and became a squatters' settlement of teamsters, employees and their families.  A couple of modern homes occupy the best parts of the site, this hide is in the redwoods at the edge of old town.

The Lost Village of Grabtown

Lobitos was a small agricultural settlement that just kept getting smaller.  Even having its own train station back in the 1910s didn't do any good.  This is a multi that takes you through the old site, with part of the trip following the historical route of Hiway One.  There a few vintage farmhouses here - how old we don't know - the rest are modern upscale development.

The Lost Village of Lobitos

Purissima started as a squatter's settlement, but became big enough to rival Half Moon Bay, and was the center of a Coastside oil boom.  The oil played out quickly, the biggest landholder went bankrupt, and HMB won the competition.  Now all that's left is a vine covered townsite and graveyard.

The Lost Village of Purissima

Searsville started as a layover spot for 19th century teamsters driving loads of redwood from Skyline down to the Redwood City embarcadero.  Some of the earliest sawmill operators in San Mateo County lived here as well.  Searsville died in the 1890s when the Searsville dam submerged much of the town.  Most of the site is now inside the Jasper Ridge Preserve - which offers occasional tours - but there's nothing left of the town, either there or on the north side of Sand Hill.

The Lost Village of Searsville

Summit Springs was a layover point for teamsters taking horse-drawn loads of redwood from the western side of Skyline down to the docks at Redwood City.  Once there was a hotel and small settlement here - there are now a few modern homes on the old site.

The Lost Village of Summit Springs

A 19th century logging and farming village was abandoned, then obliterated by I-280, a power substation and watershed lands.

The Lost Village of West Union

A surprising number of early San Mateo County settlements have vanished through the years from various causes.  Our Lost Villages series of caches will lead you to them.  Since they are spread around geographically, this list ties together the caches.

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Lost Villages of San Mateo CountyPublic