Little Known Facts about Morgan Hill’s History
Compiled by Gloria Pariseau/Special to The Pinnacle
The Murphy Family
Did the Murphys come to California before or after the Donner
Party? Before, in 1844.
Where did Martin Murphy Sr. and his family first live in Morgan
Hill? At Llagas Road and Hale Avenue.
To which location did they move, and why? They moved to San
Martin because of flooding.
Little Known Facts about Morgan Hill’s History
Compiled by Gloria Pariseau/Special to The Pinnacle
The Murphy Family
Did the Murphys come to California before or after the Donner Party? Before, in 1844.
Where did Martin Murphy Sr. and his family first live in Morgan Hill? At Llagas Road and Hale Avenue.
To which location did they move, and why? They moved to San Martin because of flooding.
How many children did Martin Murphy Sr. have? Nine.
Which of his children founded Sunnyvale? Martin Murphy Jr.
Which of his children founded Stockton? Helen Murphy Weber.
Which of his children founded the Milpitas area? James Murphy.
Which of his granddaughters married a Mexican cowhand? Mary Murphy Machado, daughter of James and Ann Murphy.
Which Murphy son married Virginia Reed of the Donner Party? John Murphy.
Which of his children was killed in a steamboat explosion at Alviso? Bernard Murphy, husband of Catherine Murphy Dunne.
Which of his children was reported to be “the largest landholder in the world” at the time of his death in 1892? Daniel Murphy.
Which Murphy family descendant currently lives in Morgan Hill? Anita Kell Mason.
What is Morgan Hill’s first name? Hiram.
How many children did Morgan Hill and Diana Murphy have? One daughter, Diane Murphy Hill.
Where is Diana Murphy Hill Rhodes buried? In Cannes, France.
Where is Morgan Hill buried? Next to his father-in-law, Daniel Murphy, at the Catholic Cemetery in Santa Clara.
What happened to Morgan Hill’s sister, Sara Althea Sharon Terry, after seven years of litigation over her marriage to Senator Sharon? She spent 40 years at the Stockton Insane Asylum.
The 22 Murphy burials at San Martin Church were taken to which location? St. Mary’s in Gilroy.
The Morgan Hill Area:
Who were the first settlers of the Morgan Hill area? The Constanoan Indians.
Who was the first owner of the 9,000 acre Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche? Juan Maria Hernandez.
What does Ojo de Agua de la Coche mean? Pig’s Spring.
Where was the forest of oaks noted by the Spasnih explorers in 1776? Between Dunne Avenue & Tennant Avenue and Monterey Road & Hill Road.
What happened to the forest? Settlers cut down the trees, chopped it into firewood and sold it in San Jose for $1 a cord.
What other names has El Toro been called? Murphy’s Peak, 21 Mile Peak.
What mineral is only found in Morgan Hill? Poppy Jasper.
Describe the unusual geographic tilt of the Morgan Hill area: The two major waterways, Coyote Creek and Llagas creek, run in opposite directions. Coyote Creek empties into San Francisco Bay, whereas Llagas Creek joins the Pajaro River and empties into Monterey Bay.
Which four original streets in Morgan Hill are named for Murphy family members? Diana Avenue, Hill Road, Dunne Avenue and Murphy Avenue.
Which nearby settlement is 50 years older than the City of Morgan Hill? Madrone.
When was Morgan Hill incorporated? November 10, 1906.
To which government agency did Sada Coe leave Coe Park? County of Santa Clara.
Which government agency now owns Coe Park? State of California
Where are the Keesling Trees? Two rows of black walnuts planted by Horace Greely Keesling along Monterey Road from San Jose to Gilroy.
When was the Machado School founded? 1895.
Where was the original location of the Jackson House? Beneath Anderson Dam.
People:
Which Morgan Hill resident made a recording with famous opera singer Alma Gluck? Charles Kellogg, the Nature Singer.
What happened to Charles Kellogg’s “Travel Log?” It was moved to a home in San Martin, where it stayed from the 1930s to the 1990s. It is now located in Quincy at the Plumas County Museum.
At what location did Isola Kennedy fight the mountain lion? Along Coyote Creek at Island Dell, a site now under the waters of Anderson Dam.
Which Kodak heiress built a mansion in Morgan Hill? Gertrude Strong Achilles built Fountain Oaks.
Which famous Mexican bandit robbed the 21 Mile House? Tiburcio Vasquez.
