Millbrae's history began in the 1860s when financier Darius Ogden Mills purchased land to build his country estate. His estate eventually grew to span Skyline Boulevard to the Bayshore Highway and Millbrae Avenue to Trousdale Drive.The city took the Mills name and added the "brae" - a Gaelic word meaning rolling meadowlands.

Incorporated in 1948, much of Millbrae's growth has been centered around transportation. During the turn of the century, a streetcar traveled through Millbrae linking the city with San Francisco and San Mateo. The streetcar was dismantled just after the city was incorporated. Now a major international airport is Millbrae's neighbor and it's home to a new BART and CalTrain station.

City leaders say the city's economy, which depends much on hotel taxes, sales and property taxes, is beginning to turn around for the better. This means the city will be able to renovate its parks, fix firehouse plumbing and repair City Hall roofs.

Other city plans are to focus on development that will provide good jobs, diversify and strengthen the tax base and help make Millbrae a destination city. This includes breaking ground on a beautification project for El Camino Real, which will transform it into pedestrian corridor with new shops, housing, transportation, parks and other spaces for people to gather.

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[San Mateo County Community College District]