Alviso, San JoseThe old port town of Alviso, nestled in the southernmost point of San Francisco Bay, was busy long before the gold rush. It began in the 1700s as a landing for Mission Santa Clara, where Californios drove oxcarts heavy with cowhides and tallow to load aboard ships bound for New England and Europe. Later immigrants disembarked from paddle-wheel steamers to establish farms and businesses throughout the South Bay. Quicksilver from the New Almaden mines, lumber from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and grains and produce of the Santa Clara Valley all passed over these weathered docks. Several prominent entrepreneurs, including James Lick, got a foothold here, and its yacht harbor, now echoing only the slap of wasteblackened marsh water on mud-bound boats, once drew the likes of Jack London to its colorful saloons, gambling dens, and bordellos. The old port town of Alviso, nestled in the southernmost point of San Francisco Bay, was busy long before the gold rush. It began in the 1700s as a landing for Mission Santa Clara, where Californios drove oxcarts heavy with cowhides and tallow to load aboard ships bound for New England and Europe. Later immigrants disembarked from paddle-wheel steamers to establish farms and businesses throughout the South Bay. Quicksilver from the New Almaden mines, lumber from the Santa Cruz Mountains, and grains and produce of the Santa Clara Valley all passed over these weathered docks. Several prominent entrepreneurs, including James Lick, got a foothold here, and its yacht harbor, now echoing only the slap of wasteblackened marsh water on mud-bound boats, once drew the likes of Jack London to its colorful saloons, gambling dens, and bordellos. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | 6 |
Port Alviso | 31 |
Houseboats Schooners and Scows | 53 |
The James Lick Legacy | 85 |
People and Haunts | 105 |
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Common terms and phrases
Agnew Alice Huxham Alviso Slough Bay Yacht Club became Berryessa Breitels bridges built cabins Chinese Courtesy Alviso Library Courtesy History San Courtesy San Jose Courtesy William Wulf Coyote Creek Cruz Darrell Severinsen DENWR depot Don Edwards Drawbridge dredging EMBARCADERO farm farmworkers flooding Foon Chew Fred Huxham Gonzales Guadalupe River History San Jose James Lick JAMES LICK MANSION John Laine land later left to right Lick Mill Lick's Lynn Rogers Maria married marsh Martin mayor Mercury Mexican MIDWAY SCHOOL miles Milpitas Mission Santa Clara Mizota Ohlone orchards Ortley photograph Pictured Port Alviso prune RANCHO Rancho Milpitas Road salt San Francisco Bay Santa Clara Valley Santos SBYC School schooner Scow Sepulveda ships South Bay Yacht South Pacific Coast STEAMBOAT steamer Thomas Foon Tilden Tilden house town track tule U.S. Geological Survey unidentified Vahl's Restaurant Wade warehouse wildlife Zanker