Lost Places

Explorations of abandoned or vanished sites of interest.

The Annexation of Mayfield: How a Rowdy Railroad Town Became Palo Alto’s California Avenue District

| Incorporation & Annexation, Lost Places, Mayfield Railroad |

The annexation of Mayfield by Palo Alto in 1925 erased a fiercely independent railroad town known as ‘Whiskey Gulch’ from the map, but its saloons, street grid, and civic pride still echo through the California Avenue business district. This article traces the decades-long struggle over temperance, taxation, and identity that culminated in a contentious vote and the quiet absorption of one of Santa Clara County’s most colorful lost communities.

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The Japanese American Community of Palo Alto: From Blossoming Nurseries to Post-War Resilience

| Civil Rights & Housing, Local History & Heritage, Lost Places |

A comprehensive history of the Japanese American community in Palo Alto, tracing its origins in early 20th-century agriculture, the devastating impact of World War II incarceration, and the enduring legacy of the Buddhist Temple and cultural institutions that continue to shape the city’s identity.

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The Lawrence Tract Experiment: Palo Alto’s Forgotten Vision of Integrated Suburban Living

| Civil Rights & Housing, Lost Places, Neighborhoods |

In the mid-1950s, a bold experiment in racial integration took root on a former orchard at the edge of Palo Alto. The Lawrence Tract was designed as a model interracial community, but its promise was eroded by blockbusting, white flight, and eventual redevelopment. This is the story of a neighborhood that dared to defy segregation and the forces that ultimately unmade it.

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Mayfield: The Town Palo Alto Annexed

| Incorporation & Annexation, Local History & Heritage, Lost Places |

Before it became the California Avenue business district, Mayfield was a fiercely independent railroad and saloon town that resisted the dry ambitions of Stanford University and Palo Alto for decades. Its 1925 annexation erased a distinct municipal identity, but the streets, buildings, and memories of the vanished community still shape the landscape of south Palo Alto.

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Mayfield: The Lost Town That Became Part of Palo Alto

| Lost Places |

Explore the rise and fall of Mayfield, the independent town that once rivaled Palo Alto before being annexed in 1925. From its origins as a stagecoach stop to its notorious Whiskey Gulch, this comprehensive history reveals how political battles, Stanford University, and the railroad shaped the community that now forms the California Avenue district and College Terrace neighborhood.

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