The decade of the 1870's saw an influx of European immigrants into the Half Moon Bay area and over to the coast. Irish, German, Italian, and Portuguese made up the majority of the newcomers whose numbers included merchants, business people, dairy and farmers. Joseph Debenedetti, a native of Genoa, Italy, was one of the earliest dry goods merchants in the area. In the late 1860's Debenedetti traveled on foot down the San Mateo County Coastline with a heavy pack of merchandise on his back, selling door to door to the farmers along Irish Ridge. In 1872, the firm of Cereghino and Debenetti opened a branch store in Spanishtown with Joe as manager. By 1877 he had married, constructed a residence adjacent to the store and opened a third outlet in Pescadero. The general store in Spanishtown became a popular meeting place for local residents and Debenedetti acted as postmaster and was a member of the local school board. A Democrat by political persuasion, in 1896, he became the first Italian American to be elected to the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors. He was a dedicated community leader.
The Debenedetti BuildingBuilt 1906
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