THE BURLINGAME HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESENTS: BURLINGAME JEOPARDY! Play along, win prizes and have fun on Sunday, February 28th at 2pm, when we will use images from our permanent collection to test the audience’s sleuthing ability while discovering Burlingame past and present. FREE and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC in the Lane Room of the Library . The Program is in conjunction with the Burlingame Library Foundation.  Annual election of the Executive Board to take place; nominations will also be taken from the floor. 

(Update as of November 8, 2015: (City of) Burlingame continues to negotiate with Caltrans to explore alternatives acceptable to both parties that do not necessitate the widening of El Camino Real.) After almost 2 years of inaction, and in particular, no response to Burlingame and Hillsborough's "Operational Changes" suggested for piloting on a test basis to reduce left-turn related accidents at Floribunda, before resorting to widening the highway for a fifth lane, Caltrans has notified the Cities and the Burlingame Historical Society of its application to the State Historic Preservation Office for concurrence with a "Finding of No Effect" regarding the widening of the highway for a length of 644 ft. on the eastside of El Camino Real, and 427 feet on the westside, and thus the permanent loss of 14 trees, only 5 of which they propose to replace elsewhere. It appears that widening was the only alternative they ever intended to use. The original paved width of the historic highway is roughly 43ft, and the "improved" width will be closer to 60ft, thus no room for trees, and only a minimal sidewalk.  No mention is made of the other 9 trees, many of which protect the condos, apartments, and pedestrians from being hit, nor the adverse effects [...]

Come experience: “THE RISE AND FALL OF PACIFIC CITY—THE CONEY ISLAND OF THE WEST”, a presentation featuring newly acquired photographs of the fantastic amusement park at Coyote Point in the early 1920s.

August 2, 2015 1pm Choose between one of two tours offered, both are free of charge and start at 1pm. The first tour meets at 1pm the Burlingame Avenue Railroad Station (290 California Dr.) and describes the three-decade growth of Burlingame Avenue, from wealthy equestrian playground in 1895 to a bustling suburb. The second tour option will meet at 1pm at the Wells Fargo building (1145 Broadway) and explore the growth of the Town of Easton, addressing why Burlingame has two main business streets, why Broadway has an arch and other interesting tidbits. Tours are approx. 1 hour. Enjoy our museum afterwards (open 1-4pm, Burlingame Ave. Railroad Station). No reservations required. Just show up by 1pm (in costume, if you'd like!). Children welcome. Call Jennifer Pfaff at 340-9960 for any questions.

Next Quarterly Meeting:  A dramatic presentation featuring: "The stories of Sarah Winchester and Harriet Pullman Carolan" will take place on Thursday, May 7th, 7pm in the Lane Room. Free and open to the public. Actors: Kay Arnaudo, Betsy Bogel, Lois Everett, Catherine Foxhoven, Anne Peter, and Laura Peterhans from the San Mateo County History Museum

Is it possible to keep the essence of Burlingame intact, in the face of rapid change? Periodically over the past several years, our newsletters have informed you of various contemporary events and developments that are history in the making. Some change is deliberate and calculated, following current regional trends in city-making, while other change can result from accidental twists of fate. What is clear, however, is that the Burlingame we know today may look a whole lot different in the future. As the city of Burlingame begins a very busy 2015, it seems only fitting to give our readers some updates: In June 2007, following long negotiations with Burlingame to mitigate negative impacts of permanent road closure around the Burlingame Railroad Station, South Lane at Burlingame Square was closed for good and with it, access over the tracks. The Burlingame Historical Society worked with Caltrain’s contractors to make sure the original, albeit damaged “Burlingame Square” concrete slab imprint was restamped in new concrete, exactly in its old location- one of three imprints still in existence on the Square. City Council members, including two longtime Burlingame Historical Society board members, worked hard to make sure the new landscaping and shelter construction on the platforms reflected the history [...]

The Burlingame Historical Society undertook a research project in 2013 to identify the town's war memorials and then to identify names of those who died in military activities during war. The research identified over forty townsmen who were lost in Vietnam, the Korean war, the Second World War, and the First World War. We assume that more were lost than are on this list. This list provides a place for their sacrifice to be honored as they are discovered. (updated version, Feb. 2015.....click link to PDF)Casualties of War 6 Feb 2015 re edit draft update Special thanks to volunteer researcher Lee Livingston for the ongoing research of this topic.