Local Railroad and Yachting History Celebrated at SMC History Museum

[Editor's Note: The following information was received by Patch from the City of Redwood City, and is reprinted here.]

On Saturday, January 25 at 1 p.m., the San Mateo County History Museum will focus on railroad history.  In honor of the 150th anniversary of the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad, it will present Peter A. Hansen, who will discuss "Steam, Silicon, and Brave New Worlds: The Railroad and Technological Change."  The San Francisco - San Jose was the first commuter railroad west of the Mississippi.  Trains have traveled continuously along its right of way to this very day, now operating as Caltrain. 

In a region where the economy is based largely on technology, Hansen will offer reflections on an earlier "world-changing invention" - the railroad.  No other industrial development had such far-reaching effects, at least until the advent of the microprocessor, and perhaps not even then.  Many of these changes were beginning to hit home around the time the San Francisco & San Jose Railroad was built (1864), and the comparison between those times and ours is a fascinating one.

Peter A. Hansen has been the editor of Railroad History, the scholarly journal of the Railway & Locomotive Historical Society, since 2007.  He is also a writer for popular and industry publications related to railroading, and a writer of award-winning documentary films for public television.  He has been a history consultant to several noted museums, including the California State Railroad Museum, the Nevada State Railroad Museum, and the Smithsonian Institution.  Hansen has also been an on-camera source for CBS News, NBC News and PBS.

And on Thursday, January 30, the San Mateo County History Museum will debut a new photographic exhibit entitled Salute to the Sequoia Yacht Club.  Started in 1939, the Sequoia Yacht Club is celebrating its 75th year in 2014.  Located within the Port of Redwood City for all of its years, the Club has become a fixture of the sporting life of the San Francisco Peninsula.  The display will be mounted within the Museum's historic rotunda.  The Museum is open every day except Monday from 10:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.  Admission is $5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and youngsters, and free for children five and under.  The Museum occupies the 1910 county courthouse at 2200 Broadway in downtown Redwood City.  For information go towww.historysmc.org, or call 650.299.0104.

After the presentation, attendees will be invited to visit the Museum's Journey to Work: Pioneering Patterns of Growth gallery, to discover more about the transportation history of the Bay Region.  This presentation is free with the price of admission to the Museum ($5.00 for adults, $3.00 for seniors and students).  For information go to www.historysmc.org or call 650.299.0104.