MilpitasThe grass-carpeted hills of Milpitas, on the southeast shore of San Francisco Bay, were home to the Ohlone Indians for at least 1,300 years before they became a landmark for Spanish padres who rested at nearby Penitencia Creek on the long day's journey between two missions. When the area became a Mexican cattle ranch in 1835 it was called Rancho Milpitas, meaning a thousand flowers or gardens. Later adopted by the town that grew up there, the name accurately described the many farms laid out on rich soil honeycombed with clear springs. The produce of Milpitas, shipped by rail and water, once supplied San Jose and San Francisco, and its hay and grain fed the cities' horses. As the agricultural era waned, Milpitas, with its picturesque hills, attracted new residents and industries and is now home to businesses like Cisco and Sun Microsystems. |
Contents
Acknowledgments | 6 |
Historic Main Street | 23 |
Railroad and Reservoir | 51 |
Contemporary Main Street | 83 |
Industry and Incorporation | 97 |
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Common terms and phrases
acorn adobe Alviso Alviso Road Baptist Catholic Church became breadbasket built Calaveras Boulevard Calaveras Dam Calaveras Road Calaveras Valley California Carlo city hall City of Milpitas Corner Courtesy of author Courtesy of Milpitas Courtesy of San Courtesy of SFPUC Courtesy of Velma Curtner dairy Dixon Landing east Elmwood Evatt farm Fat Boy Barbeque firehouse Ford plant Gomes grammar school Highway Higuera J.R. Weller Jerry Brown John O'Toole John the Baptist KOZY KITCHEN Laguna Valley left to right LEVIN COUNTY PARK Levine located Mabel Mattos Manuel Mayor MILPITAS CITY Milpitas Historical Society Milpitas Post Milpitas's Mission Santa Clara MONUMENT PEAK Ohlone Park Pashote building PAUL ZUVELLA Penitencia Creek photo was taken photograph Port Alviso Portuguese Sal Cracolice San Francisco Bay San Jose Library San Jose Mercury Santa Clara County Siberian elms Silva Skip Skyrud town Tularcitos Velma Valencia Veterans Vogel wagon watershed Winsor