JEAN PERICHON

             Mr. Perichon is the popular host at the Perichon House; and in the role of hotel keeper and genial host is probably one of the best known and well liked characters in the city of San Mateo as well as the entire county.

             Mr. Perichon was born at Vichy, France, September 24, 1870, just a few months before the outbreak of the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-71.  When a comparatively young man he came to America where he has lived ever since during the last twenty-one years.  His first years in this country were spent in New York City where he followed the occupation of hotel keeper with marked success and achieved an enviable reputation in his chosen calling.

             After five years he decided to come to California; and it so happened that he came first to San Mateo where he has lived ever since.

             Ten years ago Mr. Perichon was married to a lady of his own country, Miss Eugenie Rouquette.  The couple have two children, Jeanne, aged three and Marguerite who is eight years old.

             At the time of his marriage Mr. Perichon purchased the property upon which he built the attractive hotel which he is still running.  The Perichon House was originally built with one dining room in the front, but this has since been added to and the dining room enlarged to accommodate the ever increasing patronage.

             The Perichon House was the first structure erected upon the Taylor Addition which ran from the Wisnom property to the county road and was surrounded by the Catholic Church, Red Cross Hospital, High School Gymnasium, High School and the Public Library.  It seems hard to realize—so fast has the city grown—that at that time there was no road passing the hotel.  Now the well paved street passing the Perichon House is only one of hundreds of miles of well paved roads that now gridiron the entire county.

 

 

Transcribed by Betty Wilson

 

Source: History of San Mateo County by Philip W. Alexander & Charles P. Hamm page 117-118. Press of Burlingame Publishing Co., Burlingame, CA. 1916.