Portola Valley in San Mateo County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Hallidie Tramway

Photographed By Syd Whittle, February 21, 2007

1. Hallidie Tramway Marker

Inscription.
In 1894 Andrew Hallidie, inventor of San Francisco’s cable cars, built an aerial tramway on his hillside property, Eagle Home Farm. It served as a model for prospective customers. The tramway stretched 7,341 ft from this vicinity to a station near the intersection of Skyline Blvd. and Old La Honda Road, a vertical rise of 1,168 ft. Heavy timbers created the towers from which the cable hung. The longest span between towers was 630 ft. The highest point above the ground was 120 ft. A 10 horse power steam engine powered the cable, which carried 3 passenger cages and 20 iron buckets, each of which could hold 100 to 300 pounds. After Hallidie’s death in 1900, the tramway was dismantled.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1894.

Location. 37° 22.966′ N, 122° 13.879′ W. Marker is in Portola Valley, California, in San Mateo County. Marker is on Portola Road, on the right when traveling south. Marker is located at the entrance to the Trinity Preschool at Christ Church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 815 Portola Road, Portola Valley CA 94028, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Portola Primary School (approx. 0.2 miles away); Our Lady of the Wayside (approx. 0.2 miles away); Town of Searsville

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(approx. 1.6 miles away); First Saw Mill (approx. 2 miles away); Casa de Tableta (approx. 2.1 miles away); The Chinese Walls (approx. 2½ miles away); Folger Stable c.1905 (approx. 2½ miles away); St. Denis Church and Cemetery (approx. 2.7 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Portola Valley.

Also see . . .
1. History of Portola Valley. Town website entry:
Andrew Hallidie (inventor of San Francisco's cable cars) lived on a large estate extending from Portola Road to the Skyline. He offered a portion of his Eagle Home Farm as a site for a school and the small village of Portola developed around it near today's Episcopal church. (Submitted on April 30, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.)

2. The Biography of Andrew Smith Hallidie. A biography of William Hallidie for the Cable Car Museum in San Francisco by Edgar Myron Kahn. (Submitted on April 30, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona.)

3. The Hallidie endless wire ropeway, manufactured by California Wire Works, San Francisco, Calif. Internet Archive website entry:
1902 sales brochure, explaining all and filled with illustrations. (Submitted on September 10, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.)

Photographed By Syd Whittle, April 24, 2009

2. Hallidie Tramway Marker

Photographed By Syd Whittle, April 24, 2009

3. Hallidie Tramway Marker

Hillside Up to Alpine Road image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Syd Whittle, April 24, 2009

4. Hillside Up to Alpine Road

Area of the tramway location.

Andrew Hallidie image. Click for full size.

The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley

5. Andrew Hallidie

Wire Rope Tramway Tower image. Click for full size.

Photographed By backcountry Explorers, Unknown

6. Wire Rope Tramway Tower

Credits. This page was last revised on September 10, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 30, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. This page has been viewed 1,864 times since then and 20 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on April 30, 2009, by Syd Whittle of Mesa, Arizona. 6. submitted on October 22, 2020, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York.