If you are standing at the coordinates above, you're standing on the wharf at Frank's Tannery.
Yes, it's full of silt right now, but in 1873, this was a bustling waterway. Boats would head upstream about a half mile from here to Bridge Street, now named Broadway, where there was a wide "turning-basin" for the boats to turn around, and large wharfs to load/unload cargo.
Frank's Tannery began operations here in 1873. Tanneries in Redwood City were a by-product of the lumbering industry. Tanbark was stripped from trees, then dried and boiled in water, creating the tannic acid used in making leather. Frank's Tannery closed in 1959 and the vacant buildings burned to the ground in a 1968 fire.
The Redwood City Library has some great images of Frank's Tannery which I apparently cannot post here. However you might enjoy looking at them from the library site.
To find the 2nd (Final) location, you must answer a question. From the posted coordinates:
- Look upstream to your left. You should see a flag pole way beyond the bridge. If you think, in the late 1800's, that boats did not venture that far up the river, go to 37 29.195 -122 13.645, near Broadway and Main, to see the location of the old "turning basin" (where the big boats turned around) and find the cache. Note, in this area, the pavement on the driveway is painted blue to indicate that the river was below the location.
- Look at the wooden timbers in front of you. If you don't think these were part of the original Frank's Tannery Wharf, go to 37 29.490 -122 13.540 to get a better look at the extent of this wharf, and then find the cache.
- If you think the boats went up as far as the flagpole, and you also think the posts in front of you along the waterway were part of the wharf at Frank's Tannery, go to 37 29.502 -122 13.499 to find the cache.
