[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 58 (Tuesday, May 3, 2011)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E794]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN RECOGNITION OF THE CENTENNIAL OF DALY CITY

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. JACKIE SPEIER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                          Tuesday, May 3, 2011

  Ms. SPEIER. Mr. Speaker, I rise to celebrate the 100th birthday of 
the city of Daly City, California. Known as the ``Gateway to the 
Peninsula,'' Daly City sits at the northernmost edge of San Mateo 
County, stretching from the Pacific Ocean to the West to almost San 
Francisco Bay on the East.
  Although the Ohlone Indians occupied much of this area since the 6th 
century, the Spanish claimed it in the early 16th century. In 1769 the 
explorer Don Gaspar de Portola learned of the existence of San 
Francisco Bay and within a few years the Presidio and Mission Dolores 
were established and European settlers began to inhabit the north 
peninsula.
  After the Mexican-American War, the U.S. government declared the area 
between San Bruno Mountain and Lake Merced government property that 
could be acquired by private citizens. This led to a brief land rush by 
mainly Irish settlers who established ranches and farms in what today 
are the neighborhoods of Serramonte and Westlake and the cities of 
Colma and Pacifica. It didn't take the farmers long to discover one of 
the signature characteristics of the area: fog. Many farmers fled, 
others converted to dairy and cattle farms. Had Mark Twain visited Daly 
City instead of San Francisco, he would have changed his well-known 
statement to ``the coldest winter I ever experienced was a summer in 
Daly City.''
  The tensions before the American Civil War led to a famous duel in 
1859 near Lake Merced. California was divided between pro-slavery and 
Free Soil advocates. Two of the main figures in this debate were U.S. 
Senator David Broderick, a Free Soil advocate, and David Terry, a 
former state chief justice in favor of extending slavery into 
California. In the duel Terry mortally wounded Broderick who died three 
days later. This incident is considered the first shot of the Civil War 
and the location marked with two granite shafts is a designated 
California Historical Landmark.
  Of course Daly City wouldn't be Daly City without its namesake. John 
Daly was 13 years old when he came to what is now San Mateo County from 
Boston in 1853. His mother died during the Panama crossing and young 
Daly had to fend for himself. He found work on a dairy farm and learned 
the business quickly. He married his boss' daughter and in 1868 bought 
his own 250 acres on the ``top of the hill.'' He soon supplied milk and 
dairy products from his own cows and other dairies in the area and 
became a prominent businessman.
  Populations were growing in San Francisco and on the south peninsula, 
but not in the Daly City area--until 1906. On the morning of April 18, 
1906 a major earthquake off the coast near Mussel Rock destroyed much 
of San Francisco and displaced thousands of people. John Daly, who had 
moved to San Francisco, but maintained his business on the top of the 
hill, opened his farmland up to refugees, offering them temporary 
shelter, milk, butter and eggs. He realized the value of his land and 
subdivided his property in 1907. As streets and housing tracts emerged, 
the need for city infrastructure and services grew. The first attempt 
to incorporate the city of Vista Grande in 1908 failed. Three years 
later, on January 16, 1911, a petition was filed with the San Mateo 
County supervisors to incorporate the city of Daly City. In a special 
election on March 18, the incorporation narrowly passed in a 132 to 130 
vote.
  Daly City didn't grow much until the late 1940s when the developer 
Henry Doelger bought 600 acres of sand dunes and built Westlake. 
Doelger houses kept spreading West and South. Soon, major Daly City 
landmarks like Seton Medical Center and Serramonte Shopping Center were 
added.
  Today, Daly City is San Mateo County's largest city with a population 
of over 108,000. Residents love their town and are proud of its 
diversity. After Honolulu, Daly City has the second largest Asian 
American community in the United States--about half of the residents 
are Asian and most are Filipino which is why the city is commonly 
called ``Pinoy Capital.''
  Mr. Speaker, I ask this body to join me in celebrating the history 
and future of the city of Daly City on this day of its Centennial, 
March 22, 2011.

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