Santa Clara Valley
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MAYFIELD
In the year 1853 what is now the beautiful farm of Edward Barron, was located on by E. O Crosby, who gave it the name of Mayfield which has, as we have remarked before, been transmitted, first to a post office and then to the town, and too much credit cannot be given to the gentleman who laid out the town for continuing the sweet sound instead of adding to the already too long list of villes and cities in California. But Steady! Mayfield was not the town of that name yet. Where it now stands had earned a celebrity of another nature.
It may be remembered that James Otterson had located on what is now the ranch of ex-Governor Stanford and believing it to be Government land, sold it to David Adams. On perfecting this transition, he moved to what is now Mayfield. By some means or other he had become possessed of the knowledge that it was the intention of the authorities to divert the county road from its below the railroad, to its present line, he, therefore, conceived the idea to construct a public house on its line, near where it would cross the road into the redwoods. The building was completed August 15, 1853; it was named by common consent , "Uncle Jim's Cabin," and when the county road was made, it was found to be on its direct line. But there were other settlers before him. When he came from the ranch, he says a Mexican called Jesus Ramos, lived on the spot afterwards occupied by James Dunn;' under the live-oak tree, next to Peter Towne's livery stable, there was a shanty where dwelt Panch Salaza, a Mexican-Indian; Chatto Robles and a house near the residence of Mrs. Meyers, close to the Matadero creek; while, on the bank of the same stream dwelt a Frenchman whose name cannot be recalled. "Uncle Jims' Cabin" had a wide reputation in those days, belated travelers often pushing their jaded beasts, so that the hearty welcome of host and hostess- for his family had joined him in 1852-might be attained and comfortable rest enjoyed. The next building to group was the butcher shop, kept by Andreas Ramos and Cinovia, in 1854, and stood a little to the south of the brick building now occupied as the agency of Wells, Fargo & Co. The next house was a little store, erected on the opposite side of the brick store before mentioned, by C. J. Fuller, in 1855, to be followed shortly after by a blacksmith's shop, next to it, owned by George La Pierre. This building is still in existence, being used as an outhouse on the farm of Peter Coutts. Then Pat. Clark put up a shoeing shop below the brick building already noted . In the year 1855, William Paul became possessed of the tract of land now known as the Ayshire Farm, and at Christmas, 1856 ,finding that there was not enough trade to support two stores, bought out Fuller, brought down his stock of goods from the creek, and, with those purchased, established his emporium, also near the brick store: now stands, where he had purchased an acre of ground.
It should have been mentioned that in 1855, a post-office had been established at Mayfield and the appointment given to James Otterson, the business of the office being conducted by his stepdaughter, Sarah Ann Smith. This estimable lady now the wife of William Page, lumber merchant, and Mayfield, informs us , that at this time mail-matter was carried by the stage coaches between San Francisco and San Jose, but so primitive was the carrying service, that one bag containing the letters would be made up at the forwarding office for the whole district, and wherever there was a post-office established, there would this bag be opened, the letters for the locality taken out, the bag resealed and handed back to the driver. To be sure the districts of California were not very populous, but in these days of voluminous correspondence, the outcry, were such a plan still in operation, can be more readily assumed than explained. In this year there was a school building-a mere cabin-standing under one of the umbrageous live-oak trees, near the present school house. It was taught by Miss Mary Tice, of San Francisco.
THE HERRING BOX SCHOOL
The building now stands at the corner of First and Sherman streets, and was at an early time, dubbed "The Herring Box," by a facetious State Superintendent. In this year Jerry Easton erected the dwelling-house now occupied by George La Pierre, on Sherman street. In 1855, too , have we mention of the first wedding, that of A. Kaiser to Miss Elizabeth Keisner, and the death of David Adams, by a fall from his horse, on the road near Fuller's store.
In 1857 "Uncle Jim" made extensive additions to his cabin and opened it as a hotel, but on the erection of the Mayfield Hotel, on its site, it was transported to the opposite side of the street, and now does duty as the residence and butcher shop of C. Velati. About this time, or probably a little earlier, Dr. Gunning, an English physician, commenced the practice of his profession , having departed from the defunct town of Ravenswood; while in the same year, Judge Wallis came to the locality, established himself in business , and has ever since been the only lawyer conducting an office in Mayfield.
Thus matters would appear to have rested for several years. The coming of the railroad was anxiously looked forward to; at length, in or about the month of January 1864, it arrived at Mayfield, but the first station for that district, was situated about three-fourths of a mile from the little town where had now gathered a considerable population. In the meantime William Paul had become possessed of a house, located on some land, which he rented. To his consternation and the chagrin of his tenant, who, we believe, was John Duchesneau, he found another building being erected directly in front of him, and so close that ingress and egress was almost debarred. To hurry off at once to San Francisco, to consult with the late W. C. Ralston, the agent for the proprietor, was work of imperative necessity, the outcome of which was that Paul purchased the balance of two twenty-acre lots, and conceived the idea of laying out a town. Meanwhile the little community felt aggrieved at the position chosen for the railroad depot. Naturally they wanted it at Mayfield, and steps were taken to attain that object, yet considerable opposition was felt, but, after two years, it was brought down and established on the site of the present buildings, and Walter Henderson appointed the first agent at Mayfield. This building is now occupied by William Paul as a private residence.
The town was laid out by William Paul, March 20, 1867, and surveyed by J. J. Bowen, at that time County Surveyor, and not long afterwards names given to the streets and their grading proceeded with. The town is build chiefly on three original Mayfield lots, and W. Hawkhurst's addition, while provision is made for it' extension by the plots laid off by L. Dornberger and F. W. Weisshaar. The streets running north-east and southwest are named Lincoln, Sherman, Grant, Sheridan, and Washington, the cross streets being known by their numbers, while Lincoln street was the first opened, and the sale of lots on either side inaugurated.
Among the earliest purchasers were J. L. Chandler, and Horatio Orr, the first of whom acquired a piece of ground, removed his dwelling from some distance out of town, placed it on his newly-obtained lot, where it now stands occupied by Joe. Spaulding, next to the Delavan House. Mr. Orr also transferred his house from outside the community, and it is now occupied by a Frenchman called Victor.
In the year 1866, William Page and Alexander Perrs started a lumber-yard' in 1868 a brewery was opened by M. Klineclause; in 1871 the Catholic Church was erected; in 1872 the Methodist Episcopal Church was built; while the growth of the town has been ever since its foundation, it now consisting of two churches, a school house, one drug-store, a post-office, Wells, Fargo & Co's agency, three dry-goods stores, a brewery, a bakery, two butchers, several blacksmith shops, and the usual number of saloons.
Mayfied Lodge, No. 192, I. O. O. F. - Lodge No. 192 was instituted September 13, 1871, the following being the Charter Members: T. B. CURLEY, Joseph KAUFMAN, J. N. SPENCER, F. W. WEISSHAAR, James CARLETON, Walter HENDERSON. The first officers were: T. B. CURLEY, P. G., N. G.; Joseph KAUFMAN, V. G.; J.N. SPENCER, Sec.; F. W. WEISSHAAR, Treas.; Joseph WARE, R. S. N. G.; Walter HENDERSON, Warden; James CARLTON, I. G.; J. W. BOULWARE, R. S. S.; H. W. DUFFY, L. S. S.; T. B. CURLEY, Joseph KAUFMAN, Walter HENDERSON, Ttustees. The present membership is fifty-three, who meet every Tuesday evening in the hall rented by them from Jeremiah CLARK. The officers for the current term are: W. W. BROWN, N. G.; James MOCKBEE V. G.;E. A. MINSHCH, P. G.; Charles M. KELLOGG, Sec.; C. VAN BUREN, Per. Sec.; Walter HENDERSON, Treas..; Joseph P ONCE, R. S. N. G.; Joseph WILSON, L. S. N. G.; Harry TOMPKINS, R. S. V. G.; Thomas Kewley, L. S. V. G.; Ginzi PALLANDA, R.S.S.; William MOUNT, L. S. S.; James BROADY, Warden; George R. SHARP, Condutor; Christpher DUCKER, I. G.; Hermann BANTA, O. G.; C. DUCKER, J. P. PONCE, A. J. PITMAN, Trustees. The lodge is in a flourishing condiditon , and has lost but four of its members since institution.
Lumber Yard- This yard was orginally started by William Page and Alexander Peers, in 1866, under the style of Page & Peers. In 1867. Page bought out Peers, and alone continued the business until 1868, when he sold a half interest to Hanson, Ackerman & Co., and the yard became known as the Big Redwood Mills. In 1871, the whole concern was bought by Peers, who conducted it in his own name until 1879, when Page purchased the yard and a one-half share in the timber lands, which is the present state of the undertaking. The timber lands are situated in San Mateo county, on a branch of the Pescadero, called Mill creek, where there is a steam saw-mill that supplies the yard at Mayfield with lumber, in which there is usually stored from five hunded thousand to one million feet, which is the average amount of the yearly business done.
Mayfield Railroad Brewery- This enterprise was started in the year 1868 by M. Klineclaus, on the site which it now occupies, by whom it was managed until 1871, when Christopher Ducker, the present proprietor, took charge and has since conducted it under the firm name of Ducker & Co. The building has a frontage on Lincoln street; is forty by sixty feet in size, and comprises all the ncessary buildings, while a yearly business with the vivinity of about one thousand barrels is done.
Transcribed by cdf
History of Santa Clara County, California
San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881, page 266-279
The History of Fremont Township:
Mountain View
Mountain View Station
SANTA CLARA COUNTY BIOGRAPHY PROJECT
SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORY - THE VALLEY OF HEART's DELIGHT