In a corner of Santa Clara Valley there exists an exceptional historical site that very few know anything about and one that far fewer have ever visited.

Located in the eastern foothills at about 2000 ft. elevation above Gilroy at the far end of a canyon sits the 150 year old resort of Gilroy Hot Springs.

The resort first began in approximately 1860 receiving visitors including California’s elite.

The resort was widely known for it’s recreation and curative powers.

Early advertising cite the ability to leave S.F. by train in the morning and having taken a special livery from the Gilroy train station arrive on site by afternoon.

In it’s heyday the resort is known to have entertained 500+ guests as well as the staff and their families who lived on-site.

Although the hotel and sleeping annex burned down in the late 1900′s their still exists a small town of cabins, barn, and resort facilities.

In the latter years of the sites operations in the late 1900′s the site was home to app. 60 post-internment camp Japanese-American families.

Currently, due to the extremely fragile state of the site access to this historical monument is limited to guided tours offered by the Friends of Gilroy Hot Springs.

Two members of the Friends of Gilroy Hot Springs will be presenting a narrated slide show as well as a display of artifacts to members of the Milpitas Historical Society as well as  members of the general public.

The Milpitas Historical Society will be hosting a Foothills Tour on Saturday, June 26th. If you wish to attend this tour please contact Barbara Bowman at 942-1492.

The first stop will be at the only apricot ranch left in Milpitas which is owned by Society members Kelly and Diana Silva.

You will be able to see first hand how the apricots are picked, cut, sulfured and spread on the ground to dry. This ranch has belonged to the Silva family since the 1800′s, and his son Clarence (Kelly) continues to farm it.

Across the street, our next stop is the gated St. John’s Catholic Cemetery which is closed to the public. St John’s is the resting place of many pioneers who settled in our town. The previous owners were Frederico and Teresa Narvaez who sold the property to Sebina Dias on September 8, 1898 for $625. Four days later on September 12,1898 she sold the property to the Roman Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco for the same price. The first burial according to records was on February 13, 1903. John Joseph Cabral was 55 and a native of Portugal. Other names that may be familiar to members and the community are Borge, Carlo, Coelho, Gomes, Lopes, Mello, Nunes, Pashote, Pedro, Rose, Silova, Silveira, Soares, Pimental and Terra.

Next stop will be Ed Levin Park to get the ranger who will open the gate to the Downing Ranch at Sandy Wool Park. This ranch was once owned by long time rancher George Lucas Downing in the 1800′s. This is still a working ranch and not open to the public. There is an interesting rock formation once used by the Ohlone Indians on a hill at the ranch we may climb up to view.

The public is welcome to attend, the group will meet at Mervyn’s parking lot at 9:45 a.m. and plan to leave at 10 a.m.

It is suggested everyone wear sun screen, a hat, walking shoes and bring a bottle of water.

Members can get more information and sign up at the next meeting May 12th.

From Harriett McGuire

Mr. House has had a long and varied career: college, being in the service, working with the FBI, then in education as principal of Lick High School from 1954 to 1972. In 1973 he opened the new Santa Theresa High School where he stayed until retirement.

The meeting will be held at 7 p.m. in the Milpitas Public Library multi-use room 160 N. Main Street.

From Harriett McQuire

The Program for the evening will be a presentation by Marie Strait, president of the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association.

Quilting has been her passion for more than 35 years, and she has taught nearly as long. Marie works with and enjoys teaching scrap quilts, fast piecing techniques and fabric art using fusing techniques. She holds a California College teaching credential in sewing and needlecrafts. She began teaching in a quilt shop in Stockton, then Manteca Adult School, Merced College, Madera Adult School, in her own and other quilt shops and for many quilting groups in California and Virginia. She enjoys putting a contemporary twist to traditional quilts, and will bring some to show.

Marie will give a short synopsis of the history of quilting and explain her various techniques. Members may bring in one quilt to share at the meeting and get input from Marie.

On Thursday, April 29th members are invited for a field trip to the San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 520 S. First Street in San Jose. Joan Schulze, fiber artist, will meet the group and give a tour of her exhibit at the Museum.

The meeting is open and guests are welcome to come and meet Marie Strait and see some of her beautiful quilts.

By Harriett McGuire
President
Milpitas Historical Society

It is my hope that Society members will join the blog and become contributing members and directly post information to this blog, or even become bloggers themselves, like Bill Hare, and create their own blogs on this server with content related to local history. This is a multi-user blog, and will have lots of features that will make this a useful place to store and contribute the intellectual property of the group.

Ann Zeise
Milpitas Historical Society Member
Current Owner of this Blog.

At the November meeting our new president made a motion which passed to have some kind of celebration. Since so many members are former Milpitas Grammar School students, and 2nd and 3rd generations of the pioneers who settled in our town, the Society’s anniversary will be combined with a Milpitas Grammar School Reunion. There will be a lot of history at this event. We were lucky to find the only opening left this year at the Community Center on March 6, 2010.

The Celebration Committee has been working very hard over the holidays on this event. Invitations were sent inside the January newsletter. If you are planning to attend, please RSVP by February 19, 2010. We need a count for the caterer.

If you did not get an invitation, and you attended the Grammar School or are a current Milpitas Historical Society member who may have not seen the invitation or lost it, please call Barbara Bowman at (408) 942-1942.

Since the committee will be busy arranging this event, there will be no installation luncheon this year. Officers were installed at the November meeting.

Robin is a licensed acupuncturist and herbal medicine specialist who has been practicing in Milpitas for the last 24 years. She specializes in all types of health conditions as well as allergies. Robin will take questions from the audience and explain how acupuncture works. She will also treat anyone who wishes to experience acupuncture.

Your $20 in dues is used to for the monthly printing, labels, and stamps for our great little newsletter, our monthly refreshments, taxes, insurance, tags for the fire truck and police car, and for food and suppies for out potlucks.

In order to receive your April newsletter, dues need to be received by March 25, 2010.

Make a check out to the Milpitas Historical Society, and send to:

Milpitas Historical Society
1209 Park View Drive
Milpitas, CA 95035

Carole Fried

Don Egbert

Dorothy Cestaric

Margaret Kruse

Rachel Martinez

Mary Ellen Hagen

Leslie Stobbe

Wanda Olinger