The term Cambrian was first used over 133 years ago when David Lewis of the Lewis Casey Ranch named the first Cambrian School in honor of his homeland, Wales. Cambria is the classical, or Latinised, name for Wales. Since Lewis' time, Cambrian has grown to define a distinct geographical area and has persisted as such despite much confusion caused by the emergence of many overlapping jurisdictions.
In 1863 when the settlers of the area provided education for their children, two distinct geographical entities were created as Cambrian and Union School Districts.As outlying areas of the County of Santa Clara at that time, cartographers used the school district boundaries for geographical delineation as shown in the 1876 Thompson & West Historical Atlas of Santa Clara County.The school names had grown into geographical and directional references.
Political borders and maps changed drastically in answer to demand for services to support the population explosion after World War II. As the realigned borders of the City of San Jose, the City of Campbell, and a small portion of the Town of Los Gatos overlay the previous map, the community began referring to their area in terms of both definitions, giving rise to fuzzy definitions.
To furthe rmuddy the waters, over a four-year period (1958-1962) the San Jose MercuryNews and the Cambrian Weekly News produced almost 100 pages devoted to “Cambrian Park” (which is within Cambrian) instead of “Cambrian” and gave varied descriptions of the borders. The Cambrian Weekly News announced that the U.S. Post Office had clarified the issue in 1961 by combining Union and Cambrian with the zip code 95124. The paper did not note that when the Post Office did so it relegated some of the original Cambrian School district to zip codes 95132 and 95008. While confusingthe geography, both newspapers agreed on the important issue-Cambrian valuesremain that of the settlers who originated the as…”Their activities outside thehome are still family centered in schools and churches, where their time andenergy and money is benefiting their families and communities”…”growing a newproduct-young, healthy and happy American families”. And while admitting the borders areconfusing, they agree that Cambrian is “as much as state of mind as offriendliness and informality that makes it a wonderful place to live”. A Sketch Glory Anne Laffey, historical consultant, stated thatthere were more languages spoken in Santa ClaraCounty than in all of the rest of the United States. As you read the number of immigrations,including our own, it isn’t hard to understand that Cambrian is no differentthan the rest of the country and that it has always been that way.
The Frontier: 1850-1860
During thisperiod most of the land was held in huge Mexican land grants as large as 13,000acres – Rancho de Los Gatosto the southwest, Rancho San Juan Bautista Narvaez to the southeast with formermission land between the two ranchos and north of Dry Creek claimed by Juan C.Galindo. Acting majordomo since thesecularization of the Mission Santa Clara, Galindo was granted 3800 acres byFather Real, but the courts later denied his claim. The property became public land and openedfor settlement as was the public land on which most of Cambrian area is located. His small home on Dry Creek eventually becamethe home of H. A. Leigh. TheCambrian area continued to be used as it had been by the Mission Santa Clara aspart of the grazing land, which in 1827 supported a minimum of 14,400 head ofcattle and 15,500 sheep. The land grantswere slowly subdivided and sold to the earliest settlers in parcels of 80 to600 acres with a few at 2,000 acres reflecting the change in many 49rs whofound that the shortage of wheat, fresh vegetables, and fruit made their returnto farming as lucrative and more stable than searching for gold. Although land titles were not all settleduntil the 1870s, with a few settlers having to buy their property more thanonce, many “squatting” until they were settled, the area was slowly becomingpopulated. Slowly is the key word asshown in a census in 1852 – only eight farm sites were shown on the Galindoclaim. By 1860, the most dominant cropwas wheat and the few farmers who irrigated, varied their crops to more thandouble the value of their farms. At the endof the era Cambrian settlers, located six miles from San Jose, between agrowing Campbell, the Los Gatos gateway to the Santa Cruz Mountain lumber andthe New Almaden Mine were close to all the hubs without the bustling activitiesof any of the centers. By 1858 stagecoachtravel through the Los Gatos toll road to Santa Cruz and beyondbrought people to the area as well as provided access to market. Los Gatos was a busy town with the Forbes Mill and thefirst hotel of the area. Beyond hardwork, innovation and rich soil – Cambrian had the key elements to development –location and transportation. Large – Scale Wheat Farming: 1861-1870
A stableperiod, emphasis was on high yield dry farmed wheat production with barley as asecondary minor crop. Farmers increasedtheir wheat production from an average of 2.7 to 20 bushels an acre by1870. The farmers gave little thought todiversification except in the form of farm stock. As we imagine the sheer laborinvolved as these pioneers cleared the land and successfully increased theircrops eight fold – we have to stand in awe of them as we realize they builttheir first grade schools at the same time. An insight into the challenge of conquering the land as well as thenature of the land can be seen in the observations of a Santa Cruz Sentineljournalist during his stagecoach travel in 1869.
It is singular that the best grain, as an average,we saw in the county, was in this vicinity, from land cleared of the densechaparral – poison-vine, greasewood, sage, manzanita etc., growing in everydirection. The plan adopted to clear, isnovel. First a large very heavy roller-runs over the standing brushwood. Thisprocess effectually levels the brush close to the ground. After the broken mass becomes thoroughly dry,fire is put into it which consumes everything even with the ground: then comesa heavy plow, drawn by ten horses which turns the roots and snags up to the sunat a depth of about 14 to 18 inches; these roots are again gathered into heapsand carted to San Jose and sold for firewood; then cross-plowing takes placewhich effectually and permanently clears the land ready for crops.
Era of General Farming: 1871-1880
Stable again until the late 1870s when the bottomfell out of the wheat market and wheat production decreased to only 4.5 bushelsper acre, farmers turned to “general farming’ raising poultry, sheep, swine,barley and hay. Toward the end of the1870s farmers had begun to experiment in intensive horticulture, cultivatingapples, peaches, prunes and grapes as the result of the failure of the “onecrop” economy..
Horticulture Expansion: 1881-1945
Secondgeneration farmers saw the profitable results of the W. Ware, H.A Leigh, L.Casey, G W Gardner and G. M. Harwood successful horticulture and viticultureexperiments and began subdividing their land into 5 to 20 acre parcels at ahigh profit, retaining enough to profitably establish their own orchards. Some of the ranchers subdivided to theirchildren. New neighbors arrived andschools needed expanding.
Althoughmany factors contributed to the successful transition from wheat farms toorchard ranches, the railroad was the key to getting the fruit rapidly tomarket as well as bringing thousands of people to the area on “excursion”trains for development. The Campbell railroad depotand canning industry became the focus of Cambrian ranchers. In 1887 the Flemming brothers and the firstcannery by J.C Ainsley established the earliest fruit packing operation in1891.
Activelyinvolved at every turn, in 1929 when the Campbell-Los Gatos Prune and ApricotAssociation was officially approved by the state, W. A. Riggs from Union and L.Hiatt of Cambrian were elected to the board of directors while William H.Cilker and Frank Steindorf were elected representatives to the California Pruneand Apricot Growers Association who had built Sunsweet Plant 1 in 1919.
Withorchards came the change of the farm complexes, consisting of farmhouse, barnand equipment sheds, to include drying yards, cutting sheds, fruit barns anddehydrator tunnels. As demand increasedmany farmers chose to use their land for their dryers instead of for planting. In 1937 the Campbell cooperative was formed to become thelargest of all cooperative dryers by 1948.
Orchardshad not only provided the area with income and growth, but also spurred theindustrial growth of the auxiliary industries and created a populationexplosion that required services. ForCambrian – the area between the hubs – it meant the continuation of hard workas the ranchers developed and maintained their orchards and irrigation whileraising their families. It also meantprosperity and continued success.
By 1939three projects were completed that would greatly affect the future of the area:water conservation programs, connection of the Bayshore Freeway, and theestablishment of Moffet Field as a Naval dirigible base. The fourth factor was Frederick Terman. Hired as an engineering professor at Stanford University in 1930, his guidance wasresponsible for the university becoming a leader in the field of electronics.
World War II and Beyond: 1945 +
World WarII, like the gold rush a century before, had a major effect on the changingcharacter of the area. Thousands ofmilitary personnel were brought to the area, exposing the beauty of the valleyto public view. Post-war contracts wereawarded to William Hewlett and David Packard, who continued to grow theelectronics industry. The companies ofHewlitt-Packard, Varian, Sylvania, GeneralElectronics and Lockheed were forming the nucleus of the Silicon Valley. Between 1950 and1975 the population increased five-fold.
Rising landvalues and property taxes induced the ranchers to sell their orchards todevelopers. As the first generation ofwheat farmers divided their lands to the second generation orchard ranchers,the third generation sold their lands to developers. Many of them moved to more rural communitieswhile others provided income for their children. The Valleyof Hearts Delight had become the Silicon Valley. The last innovation in land use gives way to innovation in industry. Cambriansaw a rapid transition as mom and pop “corners” such as Cambrian corner withthe Carmen Nursery, Peppertree Market, and the one pump gas station or Camden corner with Mac’sMarket, Daugherty’s Drugs and Grace’s Children’s Shop were replaced by rows ofretail businesses. Tract housingreplaced orchards and new schools were needed. In the 1950s as more and more services were required, a major change inpolitical boundaries took place as Campbell incorporated;Los Gatos extended its borders and the City of San Jose expandedradically.
Cambrian isnow a mixture of the first, second and third generation of those who arrivedafter World War II, the more mobile young people of the 90s and a few remainingpioneer ancestors. Although the numberof houses, size of property, political boundaries, and livelihood has changeddrastically since the beginning of this sketch, Cambrian remains a relativelyquiet area between the hubs and has retained focus on family, religion andcommunity that was inherent in the original settlers.
Schools
Residentsof the Cambrian area are served by the public schools of the Cambrian and Union Grade School Districts and the Campbell Union High School District. Private schools of religious nature include ValleyChristian School,St. Frances Cabrini and St. Lucy in Campbell. Cambrian Grade School District
Cambrian School Districtwas established in 1863 when the settlers built the first Cambrian Schoolon the southeast corner of what is presently Bascom and Curtner on propertydonated by Lewis Casey and his sister, Rebeccah. Welsh immigrant, David Lewis, a farm hand onthe Casey Ranch who donated the funds to purchase materials to build the schoolhousewas asked to help name the new school. He suggested Cambria, Latin for Wales. Built by the labor of the surroundingfarmers, the first Cambrian School was the only onein the area at that time and therefore it welcomed children from Campbell, SanThomas and parts of the Moreland district. Ida Price,the first president, was instrumental in establishing the Cambrian Home andSchool Club, which provided hot lunches and convinced the board members of thepleasantry of inside plumbing. The presentHome and School clubs continue to provide invaluable support for the childrenof the Cambrian School District.
TheCambrian Men’s Club, in the 1940s through 1960s, also took an active role inthe school as well as Cub and Boy Scout troops as they provided thecommunity-at-large with fundraising social events such as the Annual Fiesta –penny carnival where the men built collapsible booths for games such as themilk bottle toss and wheel of fortune.
Schools presently servingthe Cambrian School District: Ida Price Middle School Farnham School Bagby School Sartorette School Fammatre School
Union Grade School District
The Union Grade School District beganinformally in 1858 on the 320-acre ranch of Major Lewis Foster Parker nearpresent Harwood and Blossom Hill when he called a meeting of 50 neighboringsettlers to establish some form of education for their children. Formalizing the district in November 1863,they set about the task of hiring an unmarried woman teacher at a salary of $50a month with room and board. In additionto teaching, she would trim the lamp-wicks, keep the water bucket and cupclean, keep the fire burning and maintain a clean building.
When thefirst Union School was built, the District did notown property, nor could the community agree as to location, therefore it was asmall portable structure built on skids to allow it to be moved to differentproperties. Reportedly it had been moved, twice in one night, utilizing horseteams. After it burned down in 1872, Mrs. Christopher Schofield donated an acreof land at the intersection of Los Gatos-Almaden Road and Union Avenue, for the first permanent Union School,which opened in 1873. From that timeforward the district and schools has reflected the changing population andeconomy of the current times.
The UnionHome and School club began in 1892 when the We And Our Neighbors Club assistedMiss Van Meter with a school Christmas Party. The Home and School clubs continue this tradition of doing good deeds asthey lend financial and advisory support to their perspective schools.
Schools presently service the Union School District: UnionMiddle School Dartmouth Middle School Carlton School NoddinSchool Lone HillSchool LietzSchool Athenour School OsterSchool Guadalupe School
Campbell Union High School District
Prior tothe 1900s, students living in the area who wanted an education above eighthgrade had to travel far to a public high school. In 1900 a bond was passed to form the Campbell Union High School District. CampbellHigh School opened in 1900 and servedas the area high school until 1955 when CamdenHigh School opened at the corner of Union and Camden Avenues. When closed in 1980, the community members succeeded in preserving aportion of the property for the Camden Lifetime Activities Center –including acommunity swimming pool. Today, Cambrianis served by Del Mar High School (1959), LeighHigh school (1962) and Branham High school (1967). Cambrian Signposts
Roads of 100+ years ago were very simply named via commonconsent to convey the destination, note a landmark, or honor adjacent ranchersand farmers. Although a few had theirbeginnings as the easiest historical route between point A and point B, manywere built and maintained for private passage between fields and neighboringfarms. When neighbors petitioned the County of Santa Clara to declare a road public,the area was honored as the road was added to the county map and the namebecame part of the county historical record. Many of the roads we know today were made public in that manner.
Bascom Avenue – Beginning in 1852 as the Roadby Way of the Plains, in 1862 it gained its present name to honor Dr. H.L.Bascom and family. A classical pioneerstory first published in 1887 by the Overland Monthly, the “GrandmaBascom Story” typifies the 49’er spirit. Upon arriving in San Jose overland from Kentucky in 1949,Grandma Bascom felt the need to augment the good doctor’s income. She opened a boarding house, entertaining theelite of that day, including the legislators of the new state capitol. Nicknamed “Slapjack Hall” due to thedexterity of the helpful legislator’s cooks in the flipping pancakes,“Grandma’s was a great success. In 1852the Bascom's moved to a 100-acre ranch on the southern outskirts of Santa Clara whereneighbors petitioned the road to be named in their honor.
Branham Lane– The present Branham Laneis an extension of the road to Isaac Branham’s 656-acre farm just west of Almaden Road. One of the first and most prominent pioneersof the Cambrian area, Isaac Branham (1803-1887) and his family of smallchildren arrived at the San Jose Pueblo after a six-month journey by coveredwagon from Missouriin 1846. Upon arrival he immediatelyenlisted in the Mexican War. In 1847,with partner, Captain J. Hanks, he built a water-powered sawmill above Los Gatos that suppliedlumber needed in the rapidly growing valley. Entrepreneur, hunter and philanthropist, multi-faceted Branham was also aninnovative farmer. Allocating 50 acresof his property to grapes, he planted one of the first vineyards in the areathat reached a production of over 5,000 gallons of wine per year by 1865. He is also on record for producing a 63lb. beetand a 40lb. carrot that was 4’ long.
Politicallyactive, he loaned the California Senate a temporary building on San Carlos Streetwhile helping to finance a more permanent building.
Camden Avenue – An acronym for “from Campbell to New AlmadenMine.” Camden Avenue,previously Railroad Avenue,began as a narrow gauge branch of the South Pacific Coast Railroad on July 15,1886 to haul timber from the Santa Cruz Mountainsto the New Almaden quicksilver mine. South Pacific took over the branch and converted it to standard gauge in1906. South Pacific shared track withthe electric interurban Peninsular Railway between 1906 and 1930 while runninga weekly mixed train. Beginning withdevelopers and later for pleasure, special weekend excursions would bringthousands of people to the area for barbecues, picnics, music and dancing. Between the automobile and depression, by1937 the depots at Blossom Hill (Le Franc), Union Avenue and Bascom Avenue were closed. Santa Clara Countywas deeded the stretch of the right of way between the present Highway 17 andAlmaden by South Pacific in 1940.
Campbell Avenue – Completed in 1883, Campbell Avenuejogged around Campbellpioneer, founder and first postmaster, Benjamin Campbell’s home to create aneast-west route between what is presently Winchester Boulevard, and Bascom Avenue. Heading the county petition was Campbell with neighbors;Mrs. Willet, H.S. Foote and G. W. Gardner. The road, as well as the post office that followed, was successful inenticing the Southern Pacific Coast Railroad to build through the district in1886 – a pivotal point in the prosperous transition from area’s wheat farmingto horticulture.
Curtner (Casey Road) - The imprint “Casey Road” can still be spotted on onesection of the concrete curb at Curtner and Union Avenues reminiscent of thetime when the western portion to Camdenwas named after the Lewis Casey family. In 1853, pioneers from Ohio, theCasey’s settled on 84 acres north of Curtner and west of Unionto Bascom. One of the first in horticulture,Lewis Casey donated a corner of his property creating the first CambrianSchools established in 1863.
In 1968when Curtner Avenuewas extended to meet Casey Road,the name was changed to prevent confusion. A true “rages to riches” biography, Henry Curtner (b1832) arrived from Indiana in 1852 with acapital of $20. He quickly rose to thestatus of millionaire and one of the valley’s greatest philanthropists.
Dry Creek Road – Farmers and ranchers went to bed onthe stormy night of December 20, 1866 and awakened to find the “flood of allfloods” had caused the Los Gatos Creek to jump its banks below Campbell and cutnorth along Los Gatos North Water Ditch through five miles of farmland beforedropping back into the old channel just east of Meridian Road. Titles were rewritten as property lines wereadjusted to accommodate the new and present channel that caused some farmers tocross the creek to get to their barns while others along the old channelsuddenly lacked the legal division between neighboring properties. Shallow and wide, the old channel became Dry Creek Road.
Harwood Road– Relatively short, Harwood Road is a straight meridian petitioned byneighbors to be named after G. M. Harwood who took the risk to plant grapes onhis 214 acres at the north base of Lone Hill. By 1871 his 66,000 vines were so profitable that it contributed greatlyto the land value of the area.
Leigh Avenue– H. A Leigh convinced his sister and recently widowed mother, Delicia tomove from Englandin 1874 as partners in a 180-acre farm on the north side of Dry Creek Road. Delicia’s cultured British background madethe family the center of social life for politicians and local leaders alike asshe remodeled and expanded the house to include a private tennis court and carriagehouse with dance floor above it.
Noteworthyas an innovative farmer, H.A. Leigh was one of the first to successfully makethe transition from wheat to horticulture in 1881 when he subdivided hisacreage into 5 to 15 acre parcels at a high profit while retaining sixty acresthat he planted in orchards. His successsaved other by encouraging them to do likewise. Their neighbors petitioned a newly constructed road adjacent to them bename for this highly regarded family.
Los Gatos-Almaden Road – In the 1850’slumber from Santa Cruz Mountains, milled in Los Gatos, was transported via horse drawnwagon to supply the Almaden Mines with support beams for 259 miles ofunderground tunnels. Teamsters traveleddown what is presently Los Gatos Avenue to Los Gatos-Almaden Road and turned rightbefore Lone Hill (a true hill at that time) to Blossom Hill Road and out Farley toAlmaden.
Meridian Avenue – Named for its position on thenorth-south meridian that passes through Mount Diabloand used as a base point for surveys in the Bay Area, it was laid outerroneously in 1852 by a surveyor using magnetic compasses. In 1889, to the relief of the area landtitle- holders, astronomer James Keeler of the Lick Observatory discovered andrectified the eight feet per half-mile error. Since that time Meridian Avenue has been true to it namesake.
Union avenue(Ware Road)– In 1867 the loyal Unionist along Ware Road petitioned that the road becomepublic and designated Union Avenue. William Parker, John Stanford, Hiram Platt,William La Montagne and William H. Ware, among other adjacent farmers agreedwith N. G Haines as he claimed that Union Avenue had more “dignity” than a namethat had the title “road” and pointed out that it was lined with trees and“graded except for half a mile.”
William H.Ware, knows to all as Billy Ware, typified the early pioneering spirit of thegold rush period. Dreaming of gold as ateacher in Mississippi,he joined a California-bound mule train. Taking the work “rush” very seriously, he broke away from the slow muletrain only to run into Indians who stole his horse. Ware made it through the Sierras onfoot. After accumulating wealth via goldmining and dabbling in ditch digging, a trading post and a hotel, in the 1850’she settled down on his 574 acre wheat and hay ranch located northeast ofpresent day Foxworthy and Union Avenues as one of the earliest settlers inCambrian. One of the innovative farmersof the time, his farm increased in value from $6,000 in 1860 to $40,000 in1870.
White Oaks Road – Between 1858 and 1880, wearypassengers of the Pioneer Stage Coach Company and other travelers refreshedthemselves at the Seven Mile House, which stood on what is presently White Oaks Road andBascom Avenue. The road is named for the immense stand oftrees that welcomed and shaded them.
Snapshots
The merry-go-round of Cambrian Park Plaza, designed by alocal baker, depicts a young family on a pleasure outing – consistent with afamily community as Paul Schaeffer, orchardist-turned-builder, envisioned it almost50 years ago. Mr. Schaeffer turned his270-acre prune orchard into a finished community including homes on large lots,donated land to build the Cambrian Park Methodist Church, and in 1953, the“first one-stop” shopping center including medical and dental professionaloffices. Innovative in its approach toblending the architecture with that of planned homes, providing coveredwalkways to protect shoppers during inclement weather and provide a reardelivery area to keep trucks from interfering with customer vehicles – itopened with a huge celebration. As youshop, be sure to read the plaque in front of Price Low and notice PaulSchaeffer’s favorite marigolds and roses.
The water tower in the corner ofthe Downing Center on Union Avenue and Los Gatos-Almaden Road is an emblem ofthe community responsibilities fulfilled by the ranchers as each morning theyloaded a water barrel onto their wagons, filled it at a nearby water tower andwetted down the roads to lower the dust stirred up by their equipment.
The John Downing family arrived inthe area by train from Nova Scotiain the late 1800s. Innovativeorchardists, poultry and egg ranchers until the 1960s, many local residentsstill recall buying cartons of eggs from their creative vending machine, withthe change on top of the box.Today, fourth generation Dwayne Downing provides a glimpseinto the past – quietly surrounding his Live Oak Kitchen patrons with AuntFlora’s antique radio or the fireplace mantel lifted intact from theRiggs-Downing home circa 1888 while 1930s photographs of the Downing Ranchcover the walls.
Although the “little grocer” is smiling because heis proud that his Cosentino Market on Bascom and Uniondemands a freshness that has to live up to “what we would serve at our owntables”, he might also be enjoying its history. Cosentino Market has its roots in teen rebellion. In 1945,Sicilian immigrants Dominic and Isabella Cosentino moved to the area from Ohio with four sonsbetween 7 and 18 years of age. Dominichad dreams of an orchard, but sons Salvadore, Marino, Phil and Dominic who hadbeen in produce since they could walk “were NOT going to be farmers.” They began their California enterprise by selling bananas offthe back of a truck. Three stores, muchexpansion – including a new store in Santa Clara, nineteen children, twenty grandchildren, and ashopping center named after their mother later, the “boys” are still pleasedwith their decision. A photo history oftheir development is mounted above the produce in their stores.
Picture from the Past
As farm properties weresubdivided, quite a few of the farmhouses and public buildings were moved toother lots in order to preserve them. Many are private dwellings at this time, but one of the buildings isavailable for all of us to enjoy.
We And Our Neighbors clubhouse is quietly announced onthe carved redwood sign in front of the building on the northeast corner of Los Gatos-Almaden Roadand Union Avenue. The antique exterior hides the beauty of thehardwood floors, parlor and stage. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the U. SDepartment of the Interior it is the meeting place for one of the oldestcontinuously meeting women’s service organizations in the valley.
Over100 years old, the club began in the home of Mrs. Jane Cilker in June of 1892to “improve themselves culturally and assist one another when needed.” Performing a plethora of good deeds toonumerous to list, their minutes give insight into their longevity: first dueswere $1 annually; $300 bought a piano; benefit dances were 24 cents; clubhouserental was $1.25 for members, $6 for all others.
TheseUnion district pioneer women held their meeting at their homes until theconstruction of the clubhouse in 1910 made possible by the land donation ofMrs. Sophia La Montagne and a building donation of $2,650 by Mrs.Scholfied. Throughout its history theclubhouse has been made available for local community events – such as servingas the county lending library in the 1950s. It presently serves as a meeting place for Girl Scouts and Boy Scouts aswell as variety of other public and private functions.
