Half Moon Bay was originally a tiny village called San Benito. When it grew into a bigger village, it was known as “Spanishtown,” a 19th name that stuck with locals well into the 20th century.
In 1891, Coastsider Frank Hendricks penned a poem called:
“Spanishtown”
“I view the sea shore
“And hear int he distance
“The wild breakers roar,
“And down the green valley
“By fountain and tree
“There appears to my vision
“The Gem of the Sea.
“No costly reared mansions,
“Nor cloud piercing domes,
“Overlook in proud grandeur
“That cluster of homes,
“But where a warmth hearth and
“A welcome will be,
“I’ll return to that village;
“The Gem of the Sea.
“Upon the wide prairies
“A shelter was mine;
“I have dwelt in the shade of
“The cedar and pine;
“I have had many homes but
“The dearest to me
“Is that beautiful village,
“The Gem of the Sea.”