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Author: Vladimir Ofitserov

New Type Fire Hydrant

New Type Fire Hydrant

1964: ‘Miss Foster City’, Susan Arnell, helped to showcase the innovative “new type” fire hydrants being installed throughout the city by posing daintily atop of one, a fire helmet completing her look. An excerpt from the promotional article reads: “Properly bedecked in fire helmet, Susan tells Foster City patrolman there is no cause for alarm. Susan is also receptionist at ‘The Captain’s House’, model home on Flying Cloud Isle.” Lovely Susan Arnell, who is Miss Foster City in the 1964…

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Bayporte Unveiled During Preview 

Bayporte Unveiled During Preview 

Bayporte Association will turn 50 on January 25th 2024. This article was originally published at “The Argus”, Fremont, California · Sunday, March 31, 1974 FOSTER CITY — Robert H. Grant Corporation will unveil Bayporte, their new $8.2 million waterfront luxury home development during a three-week preview beginning today.  According to Gary O. Brocks, president of Robert H. Grant Corporation, Northern California. Bayporte homes will be among the largest and most luxurious three and four bedroom homes to be built in…

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Foster City Bridges

Foster City Bridges

Bridge inventory information collected by each State transportation department, Federal agency and Tribal government is reported to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), as requested, in accordance with the National Bridge Inspection Standards (NBIS) reporting requirements (23 CFR 650.315). The resulting information is maintained in the National Bridge Inventory (NBI) database, which enables state-level and national-level analyses and reporting, supports Federal funding programs, and facilitates the identification of freight and defense-critical corridors and connectors. By having a complete and thorough inventory,…

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Independence Day Through The Years

Independence Day Through The Years

Once upon a time in the picturesque city of Foster City, the year was 1976, and the air was filled with excitement as the Fourth of July celebration was just around the corner. The community was buzzing with anticipation for a day filled with festivities, patriotism, and joy. Families gathered together, preparing for a day of fun and frolic. In the heart of the city, the Leo J. Ryan waterfront park was transformed into a colorful haven, decorated with red,…

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Foster City Recreation Center Construction (photos) (1974-1976)

Foster City Recreation Center Construction (photos) (1974-1976)

The original 1970’s Foster City recreation center was an indoor/outdoor space connected by outdoor patios. It had large wind enclosed areas for childcare and pottery uses. The architectural style inside was to be ‘Polynesian’ and to this day you will see that style mirrored in homes across Foster City, but the city has more or less given up on that style and theme for Foster City civic buildings. It was eventually re-done in the 1990’s and now, again, in the 2020’s.

Our New Logo

Our New Logo

The Foster City Historical Society was established in recognition of the city’s rich history and cultural heritage. Our new logo combines the rotunda gazebo in Leo J. Ryan park, sunrise, bridge, and sailboat which are all important elements in this history, each with its own unique story to tell. The rotunda gazebo, situated in the heart of the city served as a gathering place for the community. Over the years, it has been a venue for countless events, from weddings…

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Dream Girl Pageant 1976

Dream Girl Pageant 1976

Back in 1976 miss Foster City Kelli McKenney won San Mateo County Dream Girl Pageant. Dennis Wilson, an American singer, and songwriter presided over the jury. Denis co-founded The Beach Boys, that began as a garageband and became one of the most influential acts of the rock era. https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/39038035

Cultural Resources Study of the Bowditch School

Cultural Resources Study of the Bowditch School

April 21, 2022 FOSTER CITY HISTORICAL SOCIETY P.O. BOX 4592 FOSTER CITY, CALIFORNIA 94404 VIA EMAIL: [email protected] RE: BOWDITCH MIDDLE SCHOOL PROJECT, FOSTER CITY, SAN MATEO COUNTY, CALIFORNIA To Whom It May Concern: Michael Baker International is conducting a cultural resources study in support of the Bowditch Middle School Project (project) in Foster City, California. The project site is located on the existing Bowditch Middle School campus at 1450 Tarpon Street and is bounded by Beach Park Blvd to the…

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Man-made City Planned for 35,000

Man-made City Planned for 35,000

Republished from Engineers News, April 1964, Vol. 23 – No. 4 This month the first one hundred homes of Foster City will be completed, and families will be living in an area that just a few years ago was salt ponds and pasture land. Foster City is the result of the imagination and courage of T. Jack Foster, with the assistance of his sons, T. Jack Jr., Bob, and Dick, and the skill and labors of the Operating Engineers. It…

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Exploring Our Marshlands

Exploring Our Marshlands

Republished from Foster City Community Guide 1978, page 20 by Ronald White. “The more artificially complex man’s affairs become, the more he yearns for the fundamentals, the things of the earth. Some would say it is a form of escapism and perhaps it is in a way, but not an escape from reality, rather a flight from the unreal things.” Roger Tory Peterson Last Saturday, while sitting on the bench at Foster City’s Belmont Slough Wildlife Refuge, my thoughts moved…

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