[Congressional Record Volume 144, Number 14 (Tuesday, February 24, 1998)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E207-E208]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE INCORPORATION OF THE CITY OF MILLBRAE, 
                               CALIFORNIA

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. TOM LANTOS

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                       Tuesday, February 24, 1998

  Mr. LANTOS. Mr. Speaker, it is a great pleasure for me to 
congratulate the beautiful City of Millbrae, California, on the 50th 
anniversary of its incorporation. Located just 16 miles south of San 
Francisco on magnificent sloping land between San Francisco Bay and the 
Pacific Ocean, Millbrae has evolved through the years from rural 
farmland to a sleepy town to a bustling suburban community. Despite all 
these changes, Millbrae has remained an outstanding home to its 21,000 
citizens, a nourishing environment for parents to raise children and 
for citizens to become involved in their schools and their 
neighborhoods.
  Millbrae's history begins long before the presentation of its City 
Charter on January 14, 1948. It can be traced back to the years prior 
to the birth of our country. The first documented residents were the 
Costanoan Indians, who were joined during the 18th century by Spanish 
explorers traveling north from Mexico. The first sighting of San 
Francisco Bay by the European newcomers took place near Millbrae's 
present border, on Sweeney Ridge in 1769.
  Growth was quite limited during the next century, Mr. Speaker. In the 
1860s, financier and philanthropist Darius Ogden Mills purchased a 
large tract of land in what is now Millbrae. He encouraged the 
development of his property, which he named Millbrae, combining his 
last name with the Scottish word brae, which means ``rolling hills.'' 
While the area encompassed by the estate remained largely rural, dairy, 
a train depot, and several other buildings eventually joined Mills' 
impressive mansion.
  As San Francisco matured into a leading American city, Millbrae and 
other surrounding communities steadily grew and began to thrive. Around 
1919, the West Coast Porcelain Works Factory opened in Millbrae, 
creating enough jobs to boost the area population to over 300 people. 
Eight years later, on May 7, 1927, Mayor James Rolph, Jr., of San 
Francisco dedicated the Mills Field Municipal Airport just east of 
Millbrae. By the end of 1928, 22,352 flights carrying 38,302 passengers 
had used the new airport. Today--seventy years later--the facility, now 
called San Francisco International Airport, handles over 35 million 
passengers annually, is one of the major airports in the United States, 
and remains a major boon to Millbrae's economy. The City currently 
claims over five hundred flourishing business, including six major 
hotels, and branch offices of leading financial institutions.
  Millbrae organized a volunteer fire department in 1931, a signal of 
the progress and rapid growth that continued unabated during the Great 
Depression and post-World War II years. This progress culminated in the 
incorporation of the City of Millbrae less than three years after V-J 
Day.
  The half-century since its incorporation, Mr. Speaker, has witnessed 
the continuing growth and invigoration of Millbrae's economic and 
social life. As the able and devoted city mayor, Mark Church, 
explained:

       Despite tremendous growth and change in and around the 
     City, Millbrae still remarkably maintains its unique charm. 
     Millbrae is strengthened by its citizenry who give selflessly 
     for the betterment of the community. An economically viable, 
     balanced community, where residents enjoy a high quality of 
     life is the result.

  Mr. Speaker, the outstanding quality of life that the citizens of 
Millbrae enjoy is the result to a long line of dedicated city officials 
and city workers, including Mayor Church, the current Millbrae City 
Council, the City Administrator and the 136 full-time employees. They 
serve as a hallmark of the City's long tradition of public service and 
devotion to community.
  I would like to encourage all of my colleagues to visit this splendid 
city. Millbrae is the host of a number of wonderful events throughout 
the year. One of the premier activities is the annual Millbrae Art & 
Wine Festival, one of Northern California's premier events with over 
250 craftspeople and 20 international food vendors. The City also 
boasts a

[[Page E208]]

year-round Farmers Market, which attracts an average of 2,000 patrons 
every Saturday.
  But as wonderful as it is to visit Millbrae, Mr. Speaker, it is an 
even greater delight to live there. I can personally attest to this, as 
I lived in the City for ten years and served as a member of the 
Millbrae School Board for eight years. Millbrae's spirit and energy 
represents the best our nation has to offer, and I am honored to invite 
my colleagues in this House to join me in congratulating Millbrae on 
the 50th anniversary of its incorporation.

                          ____________________