Menlo Park train station

From Palo Alto Wiki

The Menlo Park train station, as it stands today, is one of the earliest railroad stations built in California. It is currently the oldest station still operating, making it a state historical landmark. It opened for business in August, 1867.

It was built soon after the first train traveled from San Francisco to Mayfield along the San Francisco and San Jose Railway on Oct. 18, 1863. The line was bought by the Southern Pacific in 1868.

The railroad affected everyone. It provided wealthy San Francisco barons faster transportation to their country homes--a round-trip ticket from Menlo Park to San Francisco cost $2.50 and a one-way ride took 80 minutes, compared to the stagecoach, which took four hours from Redwood City to San Francisco.

The railroad also gave the area's farmers a rapid way of sending their produce to the markets in San Francisco and, most importantly, spawned industry and growth that otherwise would probably have gone elsewhere.