The Menlo Gates Project

 

This is one of several existing photos of the gates that in 1854-55 were erected at the entrance to the cattle ranch of Dennis Oliver and Daniel McGlynn. The gates were located on County Road (El Camino Real) about where the parking lot just south of Menlo Avenue is today. At the top of the main gate was written in large letters the name of their ranch, Menlo Park. In the early 1860s, when the peninsula railroad was being planned, it was decided to have a stop just north of the San Francisquito Creek and to give it the name seen on this nearby gate.

At least twice (1886 and 1905) the gates were re-erected after being blown down during storms. Finally on the morning of July 7, 1922, they were completely destroyed by two speeding autos filled with singing passengers.

Today there is a great deal of interest in reproducing the Menlo Gates to serve as a visible symbol of Menlo Park’s origin. Local architect Ernst Meisner and daughter Melina have produced detailed drawings for construction.

 

Per Oliver's diary of  (see Dennis Oliver page), the Gates were completed in 1855. "MENLO PARK" in foot-high letters is still (barely) visible (with a high-resolution iMac) in at least 1 photo of the Gates. The subsequent newspaper commentary (see Notes on Gate History) lends credence to the Gates also having a date under this name. The date may have been the date Oliver/McGlynn purchased their ranch. From Oliver's 1855 diary, the bulk of the land was obtained by assuming a mortgage held by (George C.) Johnson. How and when did Johnson acquire the land?  Based on the letter from Roscoe D. Wyatt to Dr. F. M. Stranger dated January 24, 1939, the date on the Gates was likely "1852," perhaps abbreviated to just "52" because of space limitations. There is little evidence that the two smaller arches had the names Oliver and McGlynn, although the idea is plausible. Did Oliver or McGlynn ever live on the ranch, even if just in summers? Unlikely given the long commute  time from San Francisco and the fact that they were active businessmen in the City. Did they ever even build houses for themselves? Again unlikely, although the 1855 diary does have them riding over to Woodside to investigate possible purchase of lumber that could be used for a house.

The 1905 report (see Notes on Gate History) that the old Johnson barn, built in 1850, burned down, contains a lot of ambiguities. The barn may have actually been built by Oliver/McGlynn, and the date could equally well have been 1852, 53 or 54. Note that in Oliver's 1855 diary (see Dennis Oliver page), he describes a trip he and McGlynn made to the ranch in early 1855. There were 10 men plus one woman working on the ranch. They were then living in a common structure, which could plausibly be the same as "the old Johnson barn."

The Fund-Raising Campaign

1974 was the centennial celebration of the first (brief) incorporation of Menlo Park. At that time, the name Menlo Park included today's Atherton, East Palo Alto, and associated unincorporated areas. During the centennial period, some local citizens came up with the idea of reproducing the Menlo Gates and installing them on Ravenswood Ave between the Library and the Gate House--the same plan as the current campaign. Read about it HERE.

Interestingly enough, when publicity began to spread about the present campaign, a local resident came forward with construction drawings that as a new graduate of Stanford University (about 1974) he was commissioned to do of the Gates based on existing photographs. He preserved his drawings and has now loaned them to MPHA.

Last Updated: 17 August 2017