Santa Clara County CA Archives History - Books .....Chapter XIII 1922
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Book Title: History Of Santa Clara County

CHAPTER XIII.

County Government and Good Roads—The Transportation Facilities of the Early
Days—History of Various Important Road and Railway Enterprises—The Rise and Fall
of Toll Roads—Early Modes of Transportation—First Telegraph Line.

  There is no better index of the character of a people than the nature of the
laws and the manner in which they are administered. As a rule the California
codes closely follow the codes of New York, but in matters of state, and
especially of county, government there are many vital differences. An
intelligent examination will show that all the best experience of the older
states has been embodied in the California legislative laws, for hither came, in
the early days, some of the brightest minds in the legal profession at a time
when the laws were ready to be made on the most approved plans. It is hard to
budge an established system of government, even when its defects are apparent.
California, therefore, having few laws and no prejudices in early days, was
ready to profit by all that had been learned in the older communities.
  
Down to 1879, the state had moved along under the constitution of 1863, but the
growing power of certain strong corporations and the large influx of Chinese
brought about a revolution in politics. The working classes asserted themselves
and in 1879 a new constitution was adopted that radically changed not only many
of the vital principles of the laws, but at the same time provided great changes
in the legislative branches of the government. Some of these changes went into
effect ;by the terms of the constitution (such as the abolition of District.
County and Probate courts and the establishment in their place of the Superior
Court), but others, particularly those governing county and munici-pay
legislative bodies, required action by the Legislature. Such action was soon
taken, but working under the new constitution was an experimental business, and
the acts passed for those purposes were declared by the Supreme Court to be
unconstitutional. It was not until 1883 that a law providing for a uniform
system of county government was passed that stood the test of the courts. Since
then, several amendments, relating principally to county officers and their
remuneration, have been passed, but the general system of government has not
been impaired.

  As the constitution requires that all laws shall be uniform in their
operation, and as special legislation of all kinds is prohibited, a general
system of county government is provided; but as some counties are more densely
populated than others, and as therefore there had to be a variation in the
number of county officers, the counties were divided into classes, according to
population, the only material difference in the laws for the various classes
being the number of officers provided for, the law for the administration of the
county affairs in all the counties being the same. This plan greatly simplified
matters in many ways, especially in the determination by the higher courts of
vexatious problems that occasionally arise. Nearly every problem of consequence
has already been determined, so that now the business of all the counties
proceeds on established lines.

  The judicial branch of the county government is the Superior Court. Santa
Clara County, according to class, is provided with three judges. They divide the
work between themselves, handling probate, civil and criminal cases. The
officers of the Superior Court are the county clerk, sheriff and district
attorney. These, of course, and especially the clerk, have multifarious duties
apart from those appertaining to the court. Santa Clara County is Republican in
politics, but in county elections politics cuts small figure, so that the
offices are divided between the Republicans and the Democrats. In 1920 the
Republicans held the sheriff's, the surveyor's, the treasurer's, the
superintendent of schools' and the coroner's offices, while the Democrats held
the offices of clerk, tax collector, assessor, district attorney and auditor.
All the officers hold four years, except the judges, who hold six years.

  The board of supervisors takes care of the finances of the county schools. The
county superintendent is Miss Agnes E. Howe and the following are the-members of
the county board of education: Francis Gallimore, Santa Clara; J. E. Hancock
(president), San Jose; Robert Loosemore, Los Gatos; W. P. Cramsie, San Jose;
Agnes E. Howe (secretary), San Jose. There are ninety-one schools and 350
teachers in the county, exclusive of San Jose. The school houses are handsome,
well-built and commodious structures, with up-to-date appointments.

  At the-head of the administrative department of the county government stands
the board of supervisors. The county is divided into five districts on the basis
of population. Hence it follows that some districts are much larger in area than
others; some are wholly in the valley; others partly in the mountains; some
include the cities of the county, which have separate governments of their own
and manage their own roads, schools and taxes, while others have to be adjusted
and managed in the most skillful and intelligent manner so that common justice
is done and a uniformity of public interest preserved. The system, therefore, is
far more complicated than the uninformed are aware of.

  The board is composed of five members, one from each district, the districts
electing their own members. These elections are so regulated that at least two
of the members on any elected board shall already have been in office two years,
thus securing a constant quantity of experience. This is a very important
feature. A board composed entirely of new members might easily get into trouble
through mistakes. The duties of the board are intricate. It must establish
school districts, fix boundaries and provide money; it must take care of the
roads, fix the tax rate, care for and maintain the county buildings, almshouse
and infirmary; provide for the inspection of orchards, for the care of the
county sick, infirm and poor; make provision for every need of the county, fill
vacancies in county offices, declare the result of county elections, make
appropriations for various humanitarian and other purposes, sit as a board of
equalization, and perform such other duties as befit the guardian of the
county's welfare. The maintenance and establishment of good roads is one of the
most important of the board's duties, and it may be said without fear of
contradiction that in no county of the state has this work been more
satisfactorily carried out. The preliminaries for road work are entrusted to the
county surveyor. During the incumbency of Surveyor Irving Ryder (seven years)
ninety-eight miles of paved roads have been completed and in 1922 contracts were
let for sixteen additional miles. Before his time the county had but twenty-two
miles of completed paved roads. This does not include the state highway of about
seventy-five miles, which runs from Palo Alto on the northwest side of the bay
to San Jose and on to the southern end of the county at Sargent's Station; and
from a short distance beyond Milpitas on the north to San Jose and on to Los
Gatos. The beginning of the good roads movement came with the advent of the
automobile. At first the supervisors made experiments in road paving, but all
proved failures until the present concrete system was tried. Nearly all the
roads in the county are paved with concrete. Other material, oil macadam, is
used on some of the orchard roads and excellently answers all purposes. During
the fiscal year 1919-1920 the road and bridge improvements of the countv cost
$582,000.

  The history of road building in Santa Clara County shows that the matter of
furnishing easy and convenient means of communication between the different
sections of the county has been an important question before the county
government since its organization. The demand for good roads has been met,
almost before it was expressed, and the result of this policy, long continued
with a liberal spirit, is seen in the broad, smooth, well-kept paved highways
reaching to every part of the valley, winding through the orchards, among the
foothills and extending over the mountains. These roads are watered during the
summer months, making them always comfortable for travel. Before the Americans
came into possession in Santa Clara County, there were practically no roads.
Travel was chiefly performed on horseback, and for this a narrow trail was
sufficient. Where the ox-carts ran there were tracks, a little wider, but they
had no legal existence as roads. There being no fences and the country being
used mainly for grazing. there was no necessity for the warning to "keep off the
grass." and in going from one point to the other, the route was generally an
air-line, except where intervening water courses compelled the traveler to seek
an easy ford or crossing, or where opposing hills required a circuit to be made.
Even when wagons first came into use, this system was kept up, and in the winter
time, when the ground was wet and soft, the wagon tracks ran parallel to each
other to such an extent that it was a common saying that the road from San Jose
to San Francisco was three miles wide. With the Americans came a different
system. About the first order made by the county government after its
organization was in reference to public roads. The order is of interest, as it
established the first highways in the county. It was made by the Court of
Sessions on July 6, 1850, and is as follows: "It is ordered by the court that
the following roads be, and they are hereby declared, public highways within and
for the County of Santa Clara, to-wit:

  "First—A road commencing at the City of San Jose and running where the present
road now runs, by James Murphy's, and from thence to the right of Lucencia
Higuera's ranch through the Mission of San Jose to the county line, where the
road crosses the Arroyo Delmaya at Sunol's ranch.

  "Second—Also a road commencing at the City of San Jose, at First or Monterey
Street, and running where the road now runs to San Juan, until it reaches the
county line.

  "Third—Also a road commencing at the City of San Jose, at Santa Clara Street,
and running where the present road now runs, to the Mission of Santa Clara, and
from thence, by the left-hand road, to the old Indian village, thence by
Busard's to S. Robles', and from thence to where the present road runs to the
county line.

  "Fourth—Also a road commencing at the City of San Jose, at Santa Clara Street,
and to run where the present road now runs, to Santa Cruz, through Fernandez'
ranch, by Jones' mill to the county line." The Jones' mill referred to is the
present town of Los Gatos.

  The third specification in the order above set forth refers to the road to San
Francisco. S. Robles' ranch being the present town of Mountain View. The road
includes the Alameda, famous in song and story. This avenue was laid out by the
Fathers of the Mission of Santa Clara. The trees were planted by Father Catala,
the work being performed by the Indians under his instruction. There were
originally three rows of trees, one on each side and one in the center. The
ground was moist and full of adobe, which, when wet, made traveling troublesome.
Ditches were made for the purpose of drainage, but they but imperfectly
accomplished their object. The shade of the trees excluded the sunshine and
prevented evaporation. While during the summer months the Alameda was a most
charming drive, for four or five months in the year it was almost impassable for
vehicles. Travelers passing between Santa Clara and San Jose were compelled to
seek the side of the road and often make a circuit of four or five miles. After
dark it was not unusual for people to lose their way and be compelled to pass
the night in the open air.

  To meet this trouble the county government opened another road by way of what
is now known as Union Avenue, back of the Fair Grounds, now Hanchett Park. This
did not entirely obviate the difficulties, and in 1862 a franchise was granted
to a company called "The Alameda Turnpike Company," granting it the privilege of
collecting toll on the Alameda, the company to keep the road in good condition
for travel. This company erected gates, but owing to the nature of the soil
could never make the road good in all its parts at all seasons. Many complaints
were made and finally, in 1868, the county purchased the franchise of the
company and declared the road free. The price paid by the county was $17,737.50.
In 1870 the report went abroad that the road occupied more ground than belonged
to it, and that several feet on the south side was government land and subject
to preemption. One night a gang of squatters carried lumber out on the road and
enclosed strips of land on the south side, and in the morning many of the
residents found themselves shut off from the highway. The squatters, however,
had nothing but their labor for their pains, as they were compelled to abandon
their claims unconditionally. To prevent a recurrence of this dispute an Act of
Congress was procured in 1871 granting the county a right-of-way for the road,
115 feet wide and defining its location. Accurate official surveys were made and
granite monuments placed so that the exact lines should always be preserved. The
final location was made in 1873. After this date extraordinary efforts were made
to keep the road in repair and maintain its beauty. These efforts were
measurably successful. One of the greatest obstacles in the way of improvement
was the shade cast by the center row of trees, and propositions for their
removal were made from time to time. But each' proposition was met by a
remonstrance from the people, who looked upon the gnarled willows as a link
connecting the past with the present, and although many of the trees had died
and others were in advanced stages of decay, they were retained. Finally, in
1887, a proposition was made to construct an electric railroad along the center
of the highway. In view of this improvement the people consented to part with
the trees, and in the same year they were removed. Since then the avenue from
San Jose to Santa Clara has been paved with concrete, thus forming a link in the
long concrete-paved road from San Jose to San Francisco.

  Santa Clara Avenue, or Alum Rock Avenue, as it is generally called, is the
beautiful avenue from San Jose to the Alum Rock Springs in the canyon of the
Penetencia, east of town. The original road was established by the board of
supervisors in June, 1866. In 1872 an act was passed by the Legislature
authorizing the city of San Jose to survey and improve a road to be known as
"Santa Clara Avenue," running from the eastern limits of the city to the city
reservation in the eastern foothills. The act provided for a board of
commissioners to be appointed by the governor, with power to superintend the
work of construction and select a tract of 400 acres in the canyon for a public
park. To construct and improve the road and park, a tax was provided for all
property in the city and all property lying within three-quarters of a mile on
each side of the proposed avenue. This tax was to be ten cents on the hundred
dollars for the first year and five cents per year for the next three years, to
be levied by the city and county as other taxes are levied and collected. With
this money the road was constructed and trees planted. At the end of four years,
when the special tax expired, the road was kept up from the road fund of the
road districts, in which the avenue was situated until 1878, when an act was
passed by the Legislature authorizing the board of supervisors to pay these
expenses from the current expense fund. Today all the roads leading to the park
entrance are maintained by the county, while the roads inside the park are kept
up by the city, which also pays for the improvement and maintenance of the park.

  Saratoga Avenue was created at the same session of the Legislature, and in the
same manner as Santa Clara Avenue, except that the act provided that the road
should be 100 feet wide and that the special tax should be levied and collected
by the trustees of the town of Santa Clara. The commissioners began work, laid
out and opened the road, but some of the outside property owners protested
against paying the tax. The objection was that it was an unconstitutional
assessment, inasmuch as it was to be levied and collected by officers not
elected for the purpose. The courts decided the objection to be valid and the.
road went into the hands of the county government as a public highway, and all
improvements were paid for from the road fund of the district. In spite of the
fact that there was no special revenue, the highway has been thoroughly improved
and now it is one of the finest paved roads in the county.

  In early days there seemed to be an impression that the best way to improve
the county roads was to grant franchises for toll companies, who were to keep
the roads in repair in consideration of the privilege of collecting tolls. The
argument used was that the people who used the roads ought to pay the expense of
maintaining them. Acting on this proposition, many such franchises were granted,
some by the board of supervisors and some by the Legislature. The tollgate on
the Alameda was the outgrowth of this idea.

  In 1861 the San Jose and Alviso Turnpike Company secured a franchise to erect
gates and collect tolls on the road from San Jose to Alviso. In 1863 the
franchise was purchased by the county for $5,000 and the road declared a public
highway. In 1867 the Saratoga and Pescadero Turnpike Company received a
franchise for a toll road over the mountains from Saratoga. In 1880 the
franchise was purchased by the county for $5,000 and the name changed to the
"Congress Springs" road. The Gilroy and Watsonville road was a toll road in
early days, but was declared a public highway in 1874.

  The Santa Cruz road from Los Gatos over the mountains was a toll road under a
franchise from the state up to 1878, when it was declared a public highway by
the board of supervisors. The company resisted the action of the board and
attempted to maintain its gates. This caused considerable excitement and
threatened serious trouble. The teamsters went in a body and tore the gate down.
The company fought the matter in the courts and lost. The purchase of the
Pacheco Pass road wiped out the last toll road in the county.

  The most prominent, if not the most popular, highway in the county is the
Mount Hamilton road, or Lick Avenue. It has a worldwide fame for the reason that
it leads to the great Lick Observatory and because it is one of the best
mountain roads in the world. In September, 1875, James Lick addressed the board
of supervisors, saying that he would locate his observatory on Mount Hamilton if
the county would construct a first-class road to the summit, and if the county
had not sufficient funds on hand to accomplish the task he would advance the
money and take the county's bonds for the same. The proposition was accepted and
on October 4, 1875, a preliminary survey was ordered. The committee on survey
reported that the construction of the road, including bridges, would costs
$43,385. Mr. Lick then deposited $25,000 in the Commercial & Savings Bank as a
guaranty that he would stand by his proposition. A. T. Herrmann was appointed
engineer for the work and on February 8, 1876, the contract for construction was
let to E. L. Derby. Up to this time the work had gone on with great expedition,
but now, the people having had time to talk the matter over, considerable doubt
was expressed as to the advisability of the enterprise. It was argued that the
county might go to great expense in building the road and that in the end Mr.
Lick might change his mind in regard to the location of the observatory. In that
event the county would have a very expensive road that would be of very little
practical use. The majority of the board had very little doubt of Mr. Lick's
good faith, but in order to satisfy the popular demand they arranged matters so
that Mr. Lick deposited a further sum of $25,000, subject to warrants drawn for
the construction of the road, and agreed to take county bonds therefor, payable
when the observatory was completed on the mountain.

When this point was settled an oppositon was developed from another source. W.
N. Furlong, as chairman of the board, refused to sign the contract with Derby,
but finally consented under protest. The protest claimed that there was no
authority of law for building the road in this manner, as the statute required
all money levied in any road district to be expended in the district paying the
same; that there was no law compelling the county at large to pay for a .road,
and that the county had no authority to enter into a contract with Mr. Lick to
advance the money. The board, to satisfy the former objection, passed a
resolution that the Legislature would be asked to pass an act authorizing the
county to issue bonds to the amount of $120,000, of which $50,000 should be
applied to the indebtedness of the several road districts in the county, and the
balance used to pay the warrants drawn for the construction of the proposed
road. Thus this difficulty was disposed of. There were numerous minor obstacles
to contend with which caused much trouble and vexation to the promoters of the
enterprise, but they were finally disposed of. Up to May 22, 1876, the sum of
$45,115.34 had been paid on Derby's contract. In the meantime there was great
dissatisfaction with Derby's operations, and he had been compelled to assign his
contract to his bondsmen, who had established a trust for their protection,
drawing the money on the contract and paying the contractor's verified bills.
This dissatisfaction caused the board to appoint a committee to investigate the
work. The report showed grave misconduct by the contractor. In September the
contract was declared forfeited and on October 5, 1876, the board authorized its
committee to go on with the work. This the committee did, employing Messrs.
Drinkwater and Swall as superintendents. On January 9, 1877, the Lick board of
trustees and the supervisors made an official inspection of the road, and
afterwards the trustees declared officially that the work had been done in a
satisfactory manner and that the road met all of Mr. Lick's requirements. The
inspection was a general holiday throughout the county, there being about 5,000
visitors to the summit of the mountain on that day. On January 13, 1877, the
road was declared to be fully completed, the total cost being $73,458.88. Of
this amount $27,339.87 was in outstanding warrants against the general road
fund. An act was passed in the Legislature of 1878 authorizing the board of
supervisors to issue bonds to pay these warrants and accrued interest, the bonds
to bear no interest, and to be payable when the observatory was practically
completed. The gentlemen composing the board of supervisors during the time the
Mount Hamilton road was in course of construction were: 1875—W. N. Furlong,
chairman; J. M. Battee, J. W. Boulware, A. Chew, Abram King, H. M. Leonard,
William Paul. 1876—H. M. Leonard, chairman; S. F. Ayer, J. M. Battee, A. Chew,
W. N. Furlong, Abram King, W. H. Rogers. 1877-78—Same as in 1876, with the
exception that J. M. Battee was chairman.

  Under Mexican rule the transportation of passengers was almost exclusively on
horseback. Women and children would occasionally take passage for short
distances in the rude carts of that time, but journeys generally, whether long
or short, were performed in the saddle. As the foreigners came in they adopted
the same custom, for the reason there was no other means of conveyance. When
affairs became settled after the Mexican war and the country began to be settled
by immigrants from the states, other methods of transportation for passengers
and freight were looked for. Boats to ply between San Francisco and Alviso were
secured and connection with them from San Jose was made with wagons. The cost
for each passenger for this trip was thirty-five dollars.

  In April, 1850, Messrs. Ackley and Morrison put on a line of stages to run
through to San Francisco, and in the same spring John W. Whisman put on a line
to run to San Jose. Trips were made tri-weekly by each line, thus giving a daily
stage each way. The fare was thirty-two dollars and the schedule time was nine
hours. In September of that year Hall & Crandall purchased Whisman's route. The
roads became so bad in the winter that the stages were withdrawn and travel to
San Francisco went by way of Alviso.

  Two steamboats, the Wm. Robinson and New Star, furnished the water
transportation. This was a great improvement over the old mustang route, but was
not quite satisfactory to the people of the pueblo. Early in January, 1851, a
meeting was called for the purpose of taking steps toward building a railroad to
San Francisco. The meeting was largely attended and very enthusiastic. At this
time the road to Santa Clara along the Alameda was impassable, and to reach that
town from San Jose a circuit of about six miles was required, while passengers
to San Francisco were compelled to work their passage for about half the
distance. Under these circumstances it is not surprising that the meeting should
unanimously declare in favor of the railroad. Resolutions to this effect were
adopted and books opened for subscriptions to the capital stock. Some
subscriptions were made and W. J. Lewis was appointed to make the survey and
estimate of cost. The survey was completed in December and the estimate
presented. The total cost to put the road into operation amounted to
$1,539,126.17. These figures seemed to have a depressing effect on the railroad
enthusiasm of the people, for no more was heard of the matter for several years.

  In July, 1851, the stage fare to San Francisco was reduced to ten dollars and
to Monterey to twenty-five dollars. In March, 1852, Messrs. Reed and Kendall
organized an express to run between San Jose and San Francisco by way of Alviso.
On April 11, 1853, the boiler of the Jenny Lind, a steamer on the Alviso route,
exploded with disastrous effect. She had left Alviso with 150 passengers, among
them many prominent citizens of San Jose. When about opposite of what is now
Redwood City the explosion occurred, killing many and wounding others. Among
those killed were J. D. Hoppe, Charles White and Bernard Murphy of San Jose.
This accident spread a gloom over the community. A public meeting was called in
San Jose and resolutions expressing sympathy with the afflicted were adopted.

  In October, 1853, the first telegraph line, connecting San Francisco with San
Jose, was built. It was a great mystery to the native population, some of whom
thought the Americans had all turned Catholics and were erecting innumerable
crosses as a testimony of their faith. The establishment of telegraphic
communication revived the desire for a railroad, but no effective steps were
taken except an ordinance passed by the common council granting St. James Park
for depot grounds. In 1856 an omnibus line was established between San Jose and
Santa Clara by the Crandall brothers, and in 1857 a weekly express to Sonora was
put on by W. H. Hoy. The growth of business in San Jose and the development of
the surrounding country brought the railroad question again to the front in
1859. A meeting was held in February to discuss the question of building a short
line to Alviso to connect with fast boats at that port. Estimates were made and
books were opened, but before anything was done in a practical way another
proposition was made and the work of promotion was suspended.

  A company had been organized in San Francisco to build a railroad .to San Jose
via San Mateo and Redwood City. This company wanted Santa Clara County to take
$200,000 worth of the stock of the enterprise. It was found impossible to raise
this amount by individual subscriptions, and in 1861 an act was secured from the
Legislature authorizing the county, through the board of supervisors, to
subscribe for this amount of stock, provided that the people, at a regularly
called election, should endorse the measure. The election resulted in a majority
of 722 favorable to the project. No time was lost and on May 25 the supervisors
made the subscription and ordered the issuance of bonds for the payment of the
same. These bonds bore interest at the rate of seven per cent per annum and were
payable in fifteen years. The work of building the road commenced immediately
and on January 16, 1864, the road was completed and formally opened with a grand
excursion from San Francisco and way towns to San Jose. There was great
rejoicing when the first train arrived. Flags were hoisted and everybody took a
holiday.

  The county now had a railroad, but it also had an indebtedness of $200,000, on
which it was paying a large interest. The question was soon mooted as to whether
it would not be good policy to sell the railroad stock owned by the county and
apply the proceeds toward paying this debt. As the stock was paying no
dividends, an affirmative conclusion was soon reached. The Legislature was
appealed to and in April, 1864, an act was passed authorizing the county to sell
the stock and to apply the proceeds to the redemption of county bonds. In
November, 1864, B. G. Lathrop offered to buy the stock and pay $200,000 in
currency. As these were Civil War times, the currency would be equivalent to
$170,000 in gold. The proposal, however, was accepted, but Lathrop neglected to
make his offer good and that was an end of the transaction. In February, 1865,
C. B. Polhemus, Peter Donahue and H. M. Newhall, directors of the railroad
company, offered to buy the stock for $200,000, paying in either currency or in
the bonds of the county issued to pay for the stock when the county had
subscribed for it. An agreement was made, but having the default of Lathrop in
mind, the supervisors exacted from the purchasers a bond for the fulfillment of
the contract. As there was no compliance with the contract, the board lost
patience and in 1867 suit was instituted. This brought offers of compromise and
pending negotiations the suit was dropped. Nothing came of the negotiations and
1869 another suit was instituted. In the interval Polhemus had disposed of his
interest in the railroad. Mayne, his successor, made another proposition—the
company would pay $100,000 in money for the stock and would extend the line from
San Jose to Gilroy. The proposition was accepted and its terms complied with.  
In 1869 the Gilroy road was built.

  In 1863 the Western Pacific Company was constructing that portion of the
transcontinental railroad lying between Sacramento and Oakland, and offered, if
the county would subscribe $150,000 to its capital stock, to construct a branch
from Niles to San Jose, thus placing the city on the through overland line.

On April 14, 1863, an act was passed authorizing the county to make this
subscription and the election in confirmation resulted in a favorable majority
of 522 votes. The stock was sold to David Colton for $120,000 in February, 1872.
The agents who negotiated the sale were paid $9,000, thus leaving a net loss to
the county of $39,000. The Western Pacific afterwards became a part of the
Southern Pacific system.

  As the county to the north of San Jose began to develop fruit*culture,
especially strawberries, blackberries, etc., a more convenient and rapid means
of transportation to San Francisco was desired by the growers. The two railroads
already constructed just skirted the border of this district, and shippers were
compelled to haul their fruit to San Jose, Santa Clara or Milpitas to get it on
the cars. Arrived in San Francisco it had to be hauled on trucks for a long
distance from depot to market, and this bruised and injured the fruit to the
great loss of the producer. This caused the matter of a narrow-gauge railroad to
connect with fast boats at Alviso to be revived. In 1870 a meeting was held and
subscription books opened. Strenuous efforts were made to get the stock taken.
Chief among the promoters of the scheme were John G. Bray, S. A. Bishop and Cary
Peebels. Pending the floating of the stock a fast boat was put on the line
between Alviso and San Francisco and the fruit growers hauled to the Alviso
wharf instead of shipping by rail. Little progress with the project was made.
Finally, in 1876, a new company was formed, called "The South Pacific Coast
Railroad Company," with A. E. Davis as its president. This company asked no
favors. It had money for everything it needed, including the right-of-way. It
built the road and in April, 1878, the first train came into San Jose, and in
May the road opened for business. An extension of the line to Santa Cruz
followed. It was completed after much time and labor spent in tunneling the
mountains. The road did a prosperous business from the start. In 1887 it sold
out to the Southern Pacific Company. In 1886 a narrow-gauge branch from Campbell
to the New Almaden mine was constructed. Later it was taken over and
standardized by the Southern Pacific. In the same year the Southern Pacific
built a line to the same point, connecting with the trunk line at Hillsdale.

  In 1885 a railroad to run from Murphy's on the Southern Pacific line to
Saratoga was projected and several miles were constructed. No further progress
has ever been made, partly on account of the lack of money and partly by the
construction of other lines and by the electric system of railways which reaches
every point of importance in the valley.

  The Southern Pacific has greatly extended its lines since it took over the
original railway from San Jose to San Francisco. It has extended the coast line
to Los Angeles, where connection is made with the Eastern states, thus placing
San Jose on two transcontinental lines. It has increased its orchard service by
building a line from Mayfield to Los Altos and from Los Altos along the foothill
region to Los Gatos via Monte Vista (near Cupertino), Quito Olive Farm and
Wasona Junction. Therefore the orchardists of the valley have easy access to
railway transportation.

  The Western Pacific Railroad Company's branch from Niles to San Jose was
completed in the spring of 1922. The main line extends from San Francisco to
Salt Lake City and passes through Niles. The San Jose branch takes in Irvington,
Warm Springs, Milpitas and the Berryessa district. Then it proceeds around the
southerly limits of San Jose, cuts through the Willows district in a westerly
direction and after curving toward the north ends in a main freight terminus at
Bush and Wilson Streets on the Alameda. Construction of the San Jose branch was
started in 1917. was halted by the European war and started again in 1920. The
main passenger station is in East San Jose and yards for switching, storage,
round house facilities, fuel and water supply stations, turntable, track scales
and repair tracks are located on William Street. There are several spurs built
for the benefit of orchardists. The coming of this railroad induced the
Remillard Brick Company to reopen its works in East San Jose.



Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

HISTORY OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY CALIFORNIA
WITH
Biographical Sketches
OF
The Leading Men and Women of the County Who Have Been Identified With Its Growth
and Development From the Early Days to the Present

HISTORY BY
EUGENE T. SAWYER

ILLUSTRATED COMPLETE IN ONE VOLUME

HISTORIC RECORD COMPANY
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 
1922


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