Historic Plaques
The land that Stanford Redwood City now occupies has a rich history.
As a tribute to those who used this property prior to Stanford's arrival, a series of historic plaques are installed on campus to commemorate just some of the important uses this land has seen throughout history. You'll find the plaques along Community Court, just off Broadway Avenue between University and Discovery Halls.
Each plaque briefly covers a period of time—from when dinosaurs roamed to the present day. Here, you'll find the same content shared on the historic plaques.
2.6 million - 11,700 years ago
Fossilized bones were discovered on this site in 2017 during earthwork grading operations for the Stanford Redwood City campus.
1795 - 1848
Spain claimed Alta California after its conquest of Mexico (1519-1521).
1898 - 1916
Nurseryman Michael Lynch bought the property that is now the Stanford Redwood City campus in 1898.
1954 - 2005
Alexander M. Poniatoff (1892-1980), a Russian immigrant to the United States, and his colleagues saw enormous commercial potential in the German recording technology they encountered during World War II.