USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California : including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description > Part 15
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90
Fremont .- Commencing at a point upon the Santa Cruz mountains at the corner of the counties of Santa Cruz, San Mateo, and Santa Clara, and run- ning thence down the channel of the San Francisquito creek, which is the boundary between the counties of Santa Clara and San Mateo, to its mouth in the Bay of San Francisco; thence following the shore of the said bay easterly to the mouth of Guadalupe river; thence up the channel of the said Guada- lupe river two miles, more or less, to a point at the intersection of the United
133
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
States township line between township six south, range one and two west; thence due south on said township line, through Martin Murphy's rancho, seven and one-half miles, more or less, to its intersection with the county road running from San Jose west to the mountains, at a point upon the western boundary of the Rancho Tito or Quito, said road being the one which passes Rucker's, Blaburn's, and Craft's: thence three miles west along the line of said road, as surveyed by the County Surveyor, to its intersection with the Arroyo Cupertino or Stevens' creek, one-half mile below Captain Stevens' old house; thence up the channel of said arroyo to its source in the Santa Cruz mountains; thence due south to the summit of said mountains, which is the boundary between the counties of Santa Cruz and Santa Clara; thence north-westerly, following the said boundary along the summit or water divide of said mountains ten miles, more or less, to the place of begin- ning.
Redwood .- Commencing at a point upon the Arroyo de Cupertino or Ste- vens' creek, where the road from San Jose west to the mountains, which passes Rucker's, Blaburn's, and Crafts', as surveyed, crosses the same, and running up the said Stevens' creek to its source in the mountains; thence due south to a point upon the summit or water divide of the said Santa Cruz mountains, at the southern corner of Fremont township; thence south-east- erly, following the said water divide, which is the boundary between the counties of Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, twelve miles, more or less, to the south-west corner of New Almaden township, which point is upon the sum- mit of said mountains, about two miles south-easterly from the crossing of the Santa Clara and Santa Cruz turnpike road; thence due north to the south-east corner of the Rancho Rinconada de los Gatos or Hernandez Ran- cho; thence northerly, following the eastern boundary of said rancho, as patented, to the most northern corner thereof, upon the Arroyo San Tomas Aquino; thence northerly along the eastern boundary of the Rancho de Tito or Quito, as finally surveyed by C. C. Tracy, United States Deputy Surveyor, two miles, more or less, to the aforesaid road from San Jose west to the mountains; thence due west along said road to the place of beginning.
Gilroy .- Commencing at a point in the summit of the Coast Range of mountains, at the corner of the counties of Santa Clara, Monterey, Stanis- laus, and Merced, and running thence northerly along the summit of the Coast Range, which is the line between the counties of Santa Clara and Stan- islaus, ten miles, more or less, to the south-east corner of Burnett township; thence due west along the line of said Burnett township to the south-west corner thereof; thence due south one mile, more or less, to the south-east cor- ner of Almaden township; thence south-easterly along the summit of the Santa Cruz mountains, following the boundary line between the counties of
.134
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, to the line of Monterey county upon the Pajaro river ; thence up the said river, following the boundary line between the counties of Monterey and Santa Clara to the Lake San Felipe; thenee along the northern shore of said lake to the monument erected at the mouth of the San Felipe creek, about two miles below Pacheco's house upon the last-named county boundary; thence due east, continuing upon said boundary, passing about one mile south of the houses of Fine and Thomas, eleven miles, more or less, to the place of beginning.
Burnett .- Commencing at a point upon the summit of the Coast Range of mountains at the south-east corner of San José township, and running thenee due west along the line of said township to the boundary line of the Yerba Buena Rancho, and thence following the south-eastern boundary of San Jose township to the corner of Almaden township, and thence southerly along the eastern boundary of Almaden township to its intersection with the United States township line between townships nine and ten south, range one east, said point being about one mile north of the south-east cor- ner of Almaden township, on the summit of the Santa Cruz mountains ; thence due east upon the United States township line passing south of the Twenty-one-mile House upon the Monterey road, to the summit of the Coast Range of mountains, at a point about three miles northerly from the crossing of the Overland mail road through Pacheco's pass; thence north-westerly along the summit of said Coast Range, which is the boundary between the counties of Santa Clara and Stanislaus, fifteen miles, more or less, to the place of beginning.
Milpitas .- Commencing at the corner of the boundary line between the counties of Santa Clara and Alameda, at the head of the Coyote slough, so called, and running thence north-easterly along the said county boundary, to the north-eastern corner of Santa , Clara county, upon the summit of the Coast Range of mountains, said ¡point being also the south-east corner of Alameda county ; thence southerly following the water divide of said mount- ains, which is the boundary line between the counties of Stanislaus and Santa Clara, eight miles, more or less, to the point where the United States town- ship line between townships six and seven south, range five east, if pro- duced, would crown said mountains; thence due west along said line, fifteen miles, more or less, to the north-eastern boundary of the Rancho Cañada de Pala ; thence along said boundary as finally surveyed, north-westerly, to the source of the Arroyo del Aguag or Peneteneia creek, thence down the channel of said arroyo, following the course which it takes in the wet season, through the willows in the vicinity of Richardson's and James Murphy's, passing the town of Milpitas, to the place of beginning, being the whole course of said stream, from its source in the mountains nearly to its mouth at the head of Coyote slough.
135
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
Alviso .- Commencing at the mouth of the Guadalupe river upon the Bay of San Francisco, and running up the channel of said river to the old Spanish bridge, so called, said bridge being about one and one-half miles above Lick's mill; thence north-easterly along the boundary of the Rancho Rincon de los Esteros, or Alviso Rancho, along which boundary a county road has been located, to the Penetencia creek, near John Trimble's; thence down to the channel of said Penetencia creek to its mouth in the Coyote slough, so called; thence down the said slough, and along the shore of the Bay of San Fran- cisco to the place of beginning.
Santa Clara .- Commencing at a point upon the Guadalupe river, at the old Spanish bridge. so called, before described as the corner of Alviso town- ship, and running thence down the channel of said river to the point before described as the corner of Fremont township, where the United States township line, between townships one and two west, intersects said river ; thence due south on said line, being also the line of Fremont township, seven and one-half miles, more or less, to the road described as the county road running from San Jose west to the mountains, at the corner of Fremont township; thence due east upon the line of said road passing Blaburn's, Craft's and Rucker's, to the point where the eastern boundary line of the final survey of the Rancho de Tito or Quito, confirmed to one of the Alvisos, crosses said road; thence southerly along said boundary, passing the Bland place, two miles, more or less, to the corner of the Rancho Rinconada de los Gatos, or Hernandez Rancho, said corner being upon the Arroyo San Tomas Aquino, near the old residence of the late Sebastian Peralta; thence south- erly along the boundary of the final survey of the said Rancho de Rincon- ada de los Gatos, to the point where said line crosses the Arroyo de los Gatos; thence down the channel of the said Arroyo de los Gatos, two and one- quarter miles, more or less, to the point where the Mount Diablo meridian line of the United States township surveys crosses said arroyo; thence due north upon said meridian line, five miles, more or less, to the point upon the Guadalupe river, where said line crosses the same near Kennedy's old place upon the Stockton Rancho; thence down the channel of said river, two and one-half miles, more or less, to the place of beginning.
New Almaden .- Commencing at a point upon the Arroyo de los Gatos, where the eastern boundary of the Rancho Rinconada de los Gatos or Hernandez Rancho, as patented, crosses the same, and running thence, southerly, along said boundary of said rancho, as finally surveyed, four miles, more or less, to the south-east corner of said rancho, near James F. Kennedy's; thence due south to a point upon the summit of the Santa Cruz mountains, about two miles easterly from the place where the turnpike road from Santa Clara to Santa Cruz crosses said mountains; running thence south-easterly
136
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
along the summit, or water divide, of said mountains, which is the boundary between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz, seven miles, more or less, to the corner of Gilroy township; thence due north to the source of the Arroyo de los Alamitos ; thence down the said arroyo, passing the Hacienda of the . New Almaden mines, to its junction with the Guadalupe Seca; thence down the last-named arroyo to its junction with the Arroyo de los Capitancillos ; thence up the last-named stream, one and one-half miles, more or less, to the corner upon said stream of the Rancho de San Juan Bautista, or Narvaez Rancho, as finally surveyed by Charles T. Healy, United States Deputy Surveyor; thence north-westerly along the boundary line of said rancho to the most westerly corner thereof, upon the Arroyo de los Gatos; thence up the last-named stream, one and one-quarter miles, more or less, to the place of beginning.
San José .- Commencing at the old Spanish bridge upon the Guadalupe river, before described as the corner of Alviso township, and running thence up the said river two and a half miles, more or less, to the point where the meridian of Mount Diablo crosses said river near the old residence of Mr. Kennedy on the Stockton Rancho; thence due south upon said meridian line to the Arroyo de los Gatos; thence up the channel of said arroyo, one and one-quarter miles, more or less, to the corner of the Rancho San Juan Bautista, or Narvaez Rancho, as finally surveyed by Charles T. Healy, United States Deputy Surveyor; thence south-easterly along the boundary of said survey to the corner of said rancho, upon the Arroyo de los Capitan- cillos; thence down said stream to its junction with the Arroyo Guadalupe Seca, at the junction of the roads from the New Almaden and Guadalupe mines to San José; thence up the channel of the said Arroyo Guadalupe Seca to its junction with the Arroyo de los Alamitos, which comes in from the direction of the Almaden mines; thence north-easterly in a straight line to the most north-western corner of the Rancho de la Laguna Seca, or Fish- er's Rancho, as finally surveyed by A. W. Thompson, United States Deputy Surveyor ; thence north-easterly along the boundary of said rancho to the Coyote river, three-fourths of a mile, more or less, below the Twelve-mile House, upon the Monterey road, said point being also a corner of the Rancho de Yerba Buena, confirmed to Antonia Chabolla; thence north-easterly, follow- ing the boundary of said Rancho of Chabolla, as patented, five miles, more or less, to its intersection with the United States township line between townships seven and eight, range three east, and running thence due east upon said township line, passing through the valley called Cañada de San Felipe, to the point upon the summit of the Coast Range of mountains, where said United States township line, if produced, would cross the same, said point being upon the boundary line between the counties of Santa Clara and Stanislaus; thence north-westerly, following the said summit, or water
137
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
divide, seven miles, more or less, to the point before described as the south- east corner of Milpitas township; thence due west upon the line of said Mil- pitas township to the boundary of the Rancho Cañada de Pala, or Wilson and Quivey Rancho, as surveyed by J. W. Wallace, United States Deputy Surveyor ; thence north-westerly along the boundary of said rancho to the source of the Arroyo del Aguag, or Penetencia creek; thence down said Pene- tencia creek, following its course through the willows, passing Richardson's and Murphy's to the corner of Alviso township, upon said Penetencia creek, near John Trimble's; thence south-westerly along the boundary line of the Rancho Rincon de los Esteros or Alviso Rancho, which is the line of Alviso township, two and one-half miles, more or less, to the place of begin- ning.
Though uninteresting to the general reader, the foregoing dry details form a no mean lesson of practical utility, the production of which is rendered necessary in a work which purports to serve the double purpose of easy reference and pleasant recreation. To follow, year by year, the changes effected by successive Courts of Sessions and Supervisoral Boards, would be taxing to too great an extent, the patience of the reader, and would serve 110 good purpose ; suffice it to say that township boundaries have been rectified, as the necessity for such arose, while in one instance the abolished Redwood township had been re-created August 10, 1855.
School Districts .- On October 8, 1855, we find the first record of the county having been partitioned into school districts, there being sixteen in all, six of which were allotted to the townships of Fremont, Santa Clara and Redwood, and ten to San Jose, Alviso, Burnett, Almaden, and Gilroy. This division would appear to have embraced too large a scope of territory, for, on the 7th November of that year, the township of Santa Clara, in itself, was formed into four separate school districts. In 1859, February 7th, the divis- ion of Gilroy township into the districts of San Ysidro, Adams and Gilroy; Lone Mountain, in Redwood; Lexington, in Redwood and New Almaden ; and in the following year, Guadalupe in Alviso, were all created-but why pursue this theme further. Like in the townships themselves, the motto " circum- stances alter cases," was apposite; boundaries and limitation lines were per- petually being altered at the solicitation of innumerable petitioners, the authorities, ever with an eye to the people's welfare, in most cases granted the prayer, until after an infinity of rectifications, the present school districts of the county were named.
Election Districts .- The first record extant of the division of the county into Electoral Precincts is that for an Election called on May 4, 1850, for the purpose of chosing two Justices of the Peace and one Constable for Wash- ington township, the polling places established being at San José, at the Court House, with Samuel C. Young Inspector ; Gilroy, at the house of John
138
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Gilroy, Manuel Gilroy Inspector ; Santa Clara, at the house of Charles Clay- ton, Charles Clayton Inspector ; Redwood, at Campbell's Mills, - Dabney Inspector ; and Washington, at the store-room of H. C. Smith, Lone Kemble Inspector. At the same time a precinct was established at Alviso, in Wash- ington township, with Thomas Burnett as Inspector. With few alterations these divisions would appear to have sufficed for the wants of the residents, until, so urgent had they become, February 5, 1867, the county was again redistricted into Union, Almaden, Alviso, Burnett, Mayfield, Mountain View, Gilroy, San Ysidro, Solis, Milpitas, Lexington, Saratoga, Santa Clara, Berreyessa, Evergreen, Oak Grove, and San José, but in the following year the latter was divided into districts number one and two and redivided into three districts, April 10, 1872. Naturally, where the increase of population has been so large, the precincts enumerated above have proved insufficient to the wants of the voters, until at the present writing, they have been trebled.
Road Districts .- Another criterion of the rapid development of a hitherto sparsely peopled country is the want immediately felt for carefully laid- out roads and easy means of transport. He who has experienced such a de- sire can fully appreciate the comfort of well-graded thoroughfares and smoothly macadamized streets. The scarcely to be recognized trails give place, as if by magic, to the skill of the surveyor; the dangerous ford to the well-built bridge and the impenetrable undergrowth to the road-makers' ax. In a few short years miraculous changes are worked, and science brings places within comfortable travel and neighbors within ken. Santa Clara in the pre- American days was not a whit better off than the neighboring counties. True it possesed the grand old Alameda laid out, according to Frederic Hall, in " the midnight year of the last century," 1799-but more of this avenue anon. Other highways had been built, which we will endeavor, as we go on, to locate in their proper districts, but it is not until August 19, 1850, that we find any official record of there being such. On that date the Court of Sessions passed an order declaring certain roads public highways. The mat- ter once taken in hand, with the aid of the citizens, was pushed with becom- ing vigor. On October 21, 1852, the county was divided into nine road districts, and proper appointments made for their supervision and mainte- nance. In 1856, once more was a partition into road districts made, and in February of that year, a road fund, to be composed of ull moneys received from taxes, property taxes for road purposes, and all fines for non-compliance of citizens with the road laws, was created. We have not the space at our disposal to follow the hundreds of petitions for this purpose as they appear in the Records of the Court of Sessions and Board of Supervisors. To give even an outline of each road would more than fill a volume of no ordinary propor- tions. As the fertile district was settled, each new arrival felt the want of some avenue of outlet from his homestead, connection was needed with the
.
139
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
main arteries of traffic, the inevitable petition to the authorities was trans- mitted to the proper quarter, and, where the necessity was proved, never was the prayer rejected. With the opening out of fresh highways more districts were imperatively necessary; with the creation of these districts it was as necessary to appoint overseers; and now Santa Clara county is blessed with a net-work of roads, better than which there are none in the State.
Court of Sessions and Board of Supervisors-Once more we have to record the accession to power of the Court of Sessions, who held their first sederunt, April 7, 1854, in lieu of the Board of Supervisors, who were abolished ; but after only a year of office, the Supervisoral Board was re-established in pursuance of an Aet passed March 20, 1855, entitled “ An Act to create a Board of Supervisors in the counties of this State, and to define their duties and powers." For better reference the ninth section of the above Act is quoted in full: "The Board of Supervisors shall have power and jurisdiction in their respective counties. First, To make orders respect- ing the property of the county, in conformity with any law of this State, and to take care of and preserve such property. Second, to examine, settle, and allow all accounts legally chargeable against the county, and to levy, for the purposes prescribed by law, such amount of taxes on the assessed value of real and personal property in the county, as may be authorized by law ; provided the salary of the County Judge need not be audited by the Board ; but the County Auditor shall, on the first judicial day of each month, draw his warrant on the county Treasurer in favor of the County Judge for the amount due such Judge as salary, for the month preceding. Third, To examine and audit the accounts of all officers having the care, management, collection or disbursement of any money belonging to the county, or appropriated by law, or otherwise, for its use and benefit . Fourth, To lay out, control, and manage public roads, turnpikes, ferries, and bridges within the county, in all cases where the law does not prohibit such jurisdiction, and to make such orders as may be requisite and necessary to carry its control and management into effect. Fifth, To take care of and provide for the indigent sick of the county. Sixth, To divide the county into townships, and to change the divisions of the same, and to create new townships, as the convenience of the county may require. Seventh, To establish and change election precincts, and to appoint inspectors and judges of elections. Eighth, To control and manage the property, real and per- sonal, belonging to the county, and to receive by donation any property for the use and benefit of the county. Ninth, To lease or to purchase any real or personal property necessary for the use of the county, provided no pur- chase of real property shall be made unless the value of the same be pre- viously estimated by three disinterested persons, to be appointed for that purpose by the County Judge. Tenth, To sell at publie auction, at the
140
HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CALIFORNIA.
Court House of the county, after at least thirty days' previous public notice, and cause to be conveyed, any property belonging to the county, appropriat- ing the proceeds of such sale to the use of the same. Eleventh, To cause to be erected and furnished, a Court House, jail, and such other public buildings as may be necessary, and to keep the same in repair ; provided that the con- tract for building the Court House, jail, and such other public buildings be let out at least after thirty days' previous public notice, in each case, of a readi- ness to receive proposals therefor, to the lowest bidder, who will give good and sufficient security for the completion of any contract which he may make respecting the same; but no bid shall be accepted which the Board may deem too high. Twelfth, to control the prosecution and defense of all suits to which the county is a party. Thirteenth, To do any and perform all such other acts and things as may be strictly necessary to the full dis- charge of the powers and jurisdiction conferred on the Board." The second section provided that in all counties where no Board of Supervisors already existed, the County Clerk, the County Assessor, and the County Surveyor, should constitute a Special Board, who should, previous to the first election therein provided for, divide the county into a number of districts correspond- ing with the number of Supervisors to be elected. For this purpose the Special Board convened and apportioned the county as follows: District No. 1, to comprise the townships of Alviso, Fremont, and Santa Clara; District No. 2, San Jose township; and District No. 3, to be formed of Almaden, Burnett, and Gilroy townships; the first Board of Supervisors under the new Act being: for District No. 1, Samuel Henderson, Chairman; William R. Basham, District No. 2; and District No. 3, David Murphy; who held their first session May 7, 1855. In November, 1856, Redwood township was added to the First Supervisoral District, since when changes, as they appeared necessary, have been made, boundaries changed, and the county re-districted.
Post-offices .- Among the first signs of a thorough county organization is the establishment throughout its length and breadth of a system to facil- itate the transmission of correspondence from point to point; to attain this end is the object of post-offices. To set at rest any doubt which may remain in the minds of the residents of Santa Clara as to who were the first post- masters at the different stations in the county, the accompanying informa- tion has been most courteously furnished us by the Post-office Department at Washington :-
" POST-OFFICE DEPARTMENT,
"OFFICE OF THE FIRST ASSISTANT POSTMASTER-GENERAL, "Washington, D. C., November 22, 1880.
"Alley, Bowen & Co., San Jose, Santa Clara County, Cal .- Sirs : Your communication of date, August 31, 1880, in which you ask for the date of
141
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY.
the establishment of the post-offices in Santa Clara county, California, and also the names of the different postmasters of said post-offices when estab- lished, has been received at this Department. In answer thereto, please find the following, as recorded on the books of the Department.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.