History:

 In 1866, Atherton, known as Fair Oaks, was a flag stop on the Southern Pacific Rail between San Jose and San Francisco, where owners of large estates spent their summers.  The entire area was known as Menlo Park.  It had been part of the 35,240 acre Rancho de las Pulgas of the Arguello family which is today San Mateo County.  In 1923, when Menlo Park decided to incorporate to include Fair Oaks, the large estate owners wanted to maintain their community as strictly residential, and realized they would have to incorporate separately.  Both groups rushed to Sacramento, the Fair Oaks representatives arriving first. Since Fair Oaks was a name already in use at a nearby Sacramento town, they chose Atherton in honor of Faxon Dean Atherton, one of the first property owners to reside in the area.  Among the large estates in Atherton were that of Selby's "Almendral", Doyle's "Ringwood", Flood's "Linden Towers", Atherton's "Valparaiso Park", Donohoe's "Holmgrove", and Watkins' "Fair Oaks".  Built as a summer residence on 1875, the Watkins property was leased by the Russian Consulate.  In 1881, Charles Holbrook, a New Hampshire native, who resided in San Francisco, purchased the property and named it Elmwood.  It was a farm supplying the family food throughout the year.  One half acre was planted in Elm trees, hence the name.  

 In 1926, Olive Holbrook Palmer inherited the property and continued to use the residence as a summer home with her husband, Silas Palmer.  Upon her death in 1958, Olive Holbrook-Palmer willed the property to the town of Atherton to be used as a recreational park.  Her husband had life tenancy and upon his death, it reverted to the Town of Atherton.  The Holbrook-Palmer Park Foundation, a non-profit organization, was then established in 1968, to receive donations for developing the 22 acres into a viable and usable park.

It was also in 1968 that the Atherton Dames was formed, to support the Foundation in their mission of raising funds for the Park's capital improvements.  That same year, the first fund-raising event took place, called “Day at the Park”.  This annual event had been an outstanding success for 30 years.  It was family oriented with the charm of an old-fashioned country fair that attracted everyone, young and old, with an attendance of several thousand.  

Through their numerous fund-raising events, the Atherton Dames have been instrumental in the building of the Jennings Pavilion, the Arts and Crafts Center, and the renovation of the Main House, the restoration of the Carriage House, the new foot-bridge, and on-going landscaping in keeping with the Park's Master Plan.  The gates, North Meadow, roads, parking areas, tennis courts and one-mile jogging path were financed from funds raised by private donations through the Foundation.

Today, two historic structures, built by the Holbrooks, still stand at the Park.  The 130 year old Water Tower and the 121 year old "Gen Merrill" Carriage House.  Both structures have solidly withstood numerous earthquakes, and remain sound and undamaged, thanks to the efforts of the Foundation/Dames in maintaining and restoring the structures.

Athertonians are proud of the unique, beautiful public park that is allegedly only one of two in the entire United States that has never received federal or local tax dollars for maintenance or improvement.