The Half Moon Bay Walking Tour Comes to PCT!

By Justin Phu

Out of all the cities and towns in the coastside, Half Moon Bay has an historic past. Being the first settlement of what is now San Mateo County back in the 1840's, the land grants of the Half Moon Bay area were given to the early Mexican settlers. Soon after, the Gold Rush in 1849 brought in people of various cultures to California and to Half Moon Bay, which helped shaped its colorful and unique history. In addition, many events including the 1906 earthquake left an impact on Half Moon Bay.

The infamous earthquake of 1906 affected many places in the Bay Area, and Half Moon Bay was no exception. Both the Mexican adobes and early American brick buildings in the area were destroyed, but the original wooden structures, dating back in the late 1800s, survived the earthquake and can still be seen by the public today. Overall, this is just one of the main events in Half Moon Bay’s historic past.

In addition to the 1906 earthquake, another event that would affect Half Moon Bay was the Prohibition Era (1920-33). Although production and sales of alcohol was ban during this period, that did not stop bootleggers from smuggling in illegal liquor to Half Moon Bay. In fact, the hidden coves and the fog in the Half Moon Bay area were great advantages for both the local and Canadian bootleggers. The Prohibition Era, along with the 1906 earthquake are just little snippets of the town’s colorful history and there is so much more to it.

Want to know more? Watch David Cresson, the President of the Half Moon Bay History Association, as he leads a tour through downtown Half Moon Bay and explains the town’s historic past.  

It will premiere on Sunday, August 13 and repeats every Saturday at 7pm.

If interested, you can join the next tour by calling (650)726-4468. The goals of the Half Moon Bay History Association are to preserve, educate, and celebrate the Coastside Community’s past.

You can visit them online: http://www.halfmoonbayhistory.org/museum.html

Or in person at the historic Zaballa House on 326 Main Street, Half Moon Bay, CA

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