Martin Creek
Encyclopedia
Martin Creek, known locally as Dennis Martin Creek, is a 1.4 miles (2.3 km) north by northeastward-flowing stream
originating just east of Skyline Boulevard
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
, near the community of Skylonda
in San Mateo County, California
, United States
. It flows through the town of Woodside
before entering Corte Madera Creek
in Portola Valley
. Corte Madera Creek in turn enters San Francisquito Creek
below Searsville Reservoir
and flows to San Francisco Bay
.
party became the first pioneers to cross the Sierra Nevada into California. Their route was the same as that chosen by the ill-fated Donner Party
two years later. Upon reaching Truckey's Lake (now Donner Lake
) on November 14, 1844, the party left six of their eleven wagons because of difficulties getting the wagons over what would become Donner Pass
. Eighteen year old Moses Schallenberger spent the winter there alone watching over the wagons, surviving the impassably deep snows only by trapping High Sierra fox
es for food. The rest of the party spent the winter in the upper Yuba River
valley, until most of the men were enticed to fight with Captain John Sutter for Mexican California Governor Manuel Micheltorena
in exchange for promises of land grants. Instead of joining them, Dennis Martin returned to the upper Yuba with supplies for the women and children. Upon learning of the plight of Moses Schallenberger, twenty-three year old Martin crossed the snowbound Sierras in mid-winter to rescue Schallenberger at Donner Lake in February, 1845. Martin showed Schallenberger how to construct proper snowshoes and successfully the two recrossed the Sierras to the Central Valley.
Martin worked for Captain John A. Sutter in the summer of 1845, who sent him to supervise three Indians cutting redwood on the San Francisco Peninsula. While so employed, Dennis Martin met a fellow Irishman, John Coppinger. Then Martin sought and found gold on the Mokelumne
and Stanislaus
Rivers in partnership with Daniel Murphy, his transcontinental companion, and Charles Maria Weber, the founder of Stockton
. Quickly making his fortune in gold, Martin bought 1,500 acres of land north of San Francisquito Creek from his friend John Coppinger, the grantee of Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
, for $1,500. This property is now marked by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
. Then he purchased the wooded slopes of the creek he named for himself from the Rancho Corte de Madera
including much of the modern day Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
, the Ladera
subdivision and the Webb Ranch. Martin established an upper and lower sawmill on Dennis Martin Creek, the lower mill about a half-mile downstream from Schilling Lake. Martin encouraged his relatives and friends in Canada
and Missouri
to join him, and many of these made up the early population of the historic mill town of Searsville, inundated by Searsville Dam
in 1892. After financial misfortune and land disputes typical of the era, his lands were bought by Leland Stanford
in November, 1882. Dennis Martin died in June 1890 and was buried at the St. Dennis Cemetery (Martin had built his own church) on his former property (by then Stanford's).
The creek's watershed includes the historic Thornewood House, a 1920's estate built by Julian Thorne and surrounded by 3.5 acres of landscaping and gorgeous valley views. This 87-acre estate was willed to the Sierra Club Foundation
and later given to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
. Currently, the house and 10-acre private leasehold are closed and under restoration.
Schilling Lake is named for August Schilling, the “King of Spice”, who founded A. Schilling & Company
in San Francisco in 1881. Schilling purchased the land from Julian Thorne, who purchased it from Edward Preston (attorney), who purchased it from the pioneer and lumberman, Dennis Martin.
. In the spring of 1991, an adult steelhead (0.74m) was observed jumping at the base of Searsville Dam. According to local historian Dorothy Regnery's notes from her 1966 interview with Edgar H. Batchelder, who was 2 years old when his father became caretaker of Searsville dam in 1897, his "favorite place to fish for trout was in Dennis Martin Creek."
zone and crosses Portola Road where the ground becomes nearly level and it is one of a nexus of half a dozen creeks that coalesce in a large freshwater marsh to form Corte Madera Creek
. Old maps suggest that Dennis Martin Creek and Alambique Creek were tributary to Sausal Creek.
system, including the Bridal Trail and an easy walk to Lake Schilling along the wooded 3/4 mile Schilling Lake Trail. The preserve is accessed from the south side of La Honda Road (Highway 84), 1.6 miles past its intersection with Portola Road in Woodside.
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
originating just east of Skyline Boulevard
California State Route 35
State Route 35 in the U.S. state of California, generally known as Skyline Boulevard, is a two-lane road running along the western ridge of Silicon Valley in California. It runs from Highway 17 to San Francisco at State Route 1. It provides scenic views of both the Santa Cruz Mountains, the...
in the Santa Cruz Mountains
Santa Cruz Mountains
The Santa Cruz Mountains, part of the Pacific Coast Ranges, are a mountain range in central California, United States. They form a ridge along the San Francisco Peninsula, south of San Francisco, separating the Pacific Ocean from San Francisco Bay and the Santa Clara Valley, and continuing south,...
, near the community of Skylonda
Sky Londa, California
Sky Londa is an unincorporated mountain community in San Mateo County, California located at the intersection of State Route 84 and State Route 35...
in San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County, California
San Mateo County is a county located in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. It covers most of the San Francisco Peninsula just south of San Francisco, and north of Santa Clara County. San Francisco International Airport is located at the northern end of the county, and...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It flows through the town of Woodside
Woodside, California
Woodside is a small incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States, on the San Francisco Peninsula. It uses a council-manager system of government. The U.S. Census estimated the population of the town to be 5,287 in 2010....
before entering Corte Madera Creek
Corte Madera Creek (San Mateo County, California)
Corte Madera Creek is a creek that flows north-northwest to Searsville Dam and then joins with Bear Creek to form San Francisquito Creek in California...
in Portola Valley
Portola Valley, California
Portola Valley is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 4,353 at the 2010 census. It was named for Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola, who led the first party of Europeans to explore the San Francisco Peninsula, in 1769.Portola Valley is one of the...
. Corte Madera Creek in turn enters San Francisquito Creek
San Francisquito Creek
San Francisquito Creek is a creek that flows into southwest San Francisco Bay in California, United States of America. Historically it was called the Arroyo de San Francisco by Juan Bautista de Anza in 1776...
below Searsville Reservoir
Searsville Dam
Searsville Dam is a masonry dam that was completed in 1892, one year after the founding of Stanford University, and impounds Corte Madera Creek to form a reservoir known as Searsville Lake. Searsville Dam is located in the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and is owned and operated by Stanford...
and flows to San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay is a shallow, productive estuary through which water draining from approximately forty percent of California, flowing in the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers from the Sierra Nevada mountains, enters the Pacific Ocean...
.
History
The namesake of Dennis Martin Creek has a fascinating history. Dennis Martin was the Canadian-American son of William Martin, who with his parents and siblings, began a cross-country trek from Missouri to California in 1844. At the urging of a Jesuit priest, the Martin family had joined two other Irish families--the Murphys and the Sullivans—to leave Missouri in search of “Catholic institutions” in the West. The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy PartyStephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
The Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party consisted of ten families who migrated from Iowa to California prior to the Mexican-American War or the California Gold Rush. The Stephens Party is significant in California history because they were the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada during the...
party became the first pioneers to cross the Sierra Nevada into California. Their route was the same as that chosen by the ill-fated Donner Party
Donner Party
The Donner Party was a group of American pioneers who set out for California in a wagon train. Delayed by a series of mishaps, they spent the winter of 1846–47 snowbound in the Sierra Nevada...
two years later. Upon reaching Truckey's Lake (now Donner Lake
Donner Lake
Donner Lake is a freshwater lake in northeast California on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada and about northwest of the much larger Lake Tahoe. A moraine serves as a natural dam for the lake. The lake is located in the town of Truckee, sandwiched between Interstate 80 to the north and...
) on November 14, 1844, the party left six of their eleven wagons because of difficulties getting the wagons over what would become Donner Pass
Donner Pass
Donner Pass is a mountain pass in the northern Sierra Nevada, located above Donner Lake about nine miles west of Truckee, California. It has a steep approach from the east and a gradual approach from the west....
. Eighteen year old Moses Schallenberger spent the winter there alone watching over the wagons, surviving the impassably deep snows only by trapping High Sierra fox
Sierra Nevada red fox
The Sierra Nevada red fox , also known as the High Sierra fox is a subspecies of red fox and one of the most endangered mammals in North America. Until recently, only a few dozen were known to exist in a remnant population near Lassen Volcanic National Park...
es for food. The rest of the party spent the winter in the upper Yuba River
Yuba River
The Yuba River is a tributary of the Feather River in the Sacramento Valley of the U.S. state of California. It is one of the Feather's most important branches, providing about a third of its flow. The main stem of the river is about long, and its headwaters are split into North, Middle and South...
valley, until most of the men were enticed to fight with Captain John Sutter for Mexican California Governor Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena
Manuel Micheltorena was a Brigadier General of the Mexican Army, Adjutant-General of the same, Governor, Commandant-General and Inspector of the Department of the California...
in exchange for promises of land grants. Instead of joining them, Dennis Martin returned to the upper Yuba with supplies for the women and children. Upon learning of the plight of Moses Schallenberger, twenty-three year old Martin crossed the snowbound Sierras in mid-winter to rescue Schallenberger at Donner Lake in February, 1845. Martin showed Schallenberger how to construct proper snowshoes and successfully the two recrossed the Sierras to the Central Valley.
Martin worked for Captain John A. Sutter in the summer of 1845, who sent him to supervise three Indians cutting redwood on the San Francisco Peninsula. While so employed, Dennis Martin met a fellow Irishman, John Coppinger. Then Martin sought and found gold on the Mokelumne
Mokelumne River
The Mokelumne River is a river in Northern California. The Upper Mokelumne River originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain range and flows into Pardee Reservoir and then Camanche Reservoir in the Sierra foothills. The Lower Mokelumne River refers to the portion of the river below Camanche Dam...
and Stanislaus
Stanislaus River
The Stanislaus River in California is one of the largest tributaries of the San Joaquin River. The river is long and has north, middle and south forks...
Rivers in partnership with Daniel Murphy, his transcontinental companion, and Charles Maria Weber, the founder of Stockton
Stockton, California
Stockton, California, the seat of San Joaquin County, is the fourth-largest city in the Central Valley of the U.S. state of California. With a population of 291,707 at the 2010 census, Stockton ranks as this state's 13th largest city...
. Quickly making his fortune in gold, Martin bought 1,500 acres of land north of San Francisquito Creek from his friend John Coppinger, the grantee of Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
Rancho Cañada de Raymundo
Rancho Cañada de Raymundo was a Mexican land grant in present day San Mateo County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to John Coppinger. The two and one half league long by three quarter league wide grant consisted the eastern slopes and valleys in the present day Woodside area...
, for $1,500. This property is now marked by the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center
SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory
The SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, originally named Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, is a United States Department of Energy National Laboratory operated by Stanford University under the programmatic direction of the U.S...
. Then he purchased the wooded slopes of the creek he named for himself from the Rancho Corte de Madera
Rancho Corte de Madera
Rancho Corte de Madera was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1844 by Governor Manuel Micheltorena to Máximo Martínez. The name translates as "the place where lumber is cut"...
including much of the modern day Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve
The Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve is a 1,200 acre is a nature preserve and biological field station owned by Stanford University, located at south of Sand Hill Road and west of Interstate 280 in Portola Valley, California. It is used by students, researchers, and docents to conduct biology...
, the Ladera
Ladera, California
Ladera is a census-designated place located in southern San Mateo County, California adjacent to Portola Valley. Primarily a residential community, it comprises approximately 520 homes. The ZIP Code is 94028 and the community is inside area code 650...
subdivision and the Webb Ranch. Martin established an upper and lower sawmill on Dennis Martin Creek, the lower mill about a half-mile downstream from Schilling Lake. Martin encouraged his relatives and friends in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
and Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
to join him, and many of these made up the early population of the historic mill town of Searsville, inundated by Searsville Dam
Searsville Dam
Searsville Dam is a masonry dam that was completed in 1892, one year after the founding of Stanford University, and impounds Corte Madera Creek to form a reservoir known as Searsville Lake. Searsville Dam is located in the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and is owned and operated by Stanford...
in 1892. After financial misfortune and land disputes typical of the era, his lands were bought by Leland Stanford
Leland Stanford
Amasa Leland Stanford was an American tycoon, industrialist, robber baron, politician and founder of Stanford University.-Early years:...
in November, 1882. Dennis Martin died in June 1890 and was buried at the St. Dennis Cemetery (Martin had built his own church) on his former property (by then Stanford's).
The creek's watershed includes the historic Thornewood House, a 1920's estate built by Julian Thorne and surrounded by 3.5 acres of landscaping and gorgeous valley views. This 87-acre estate was willed to the Sierra Club Foundation
Sierra Club Foundation
The Sierra Club Foundation is a public charity whose mission is to provide financial support to the Sierra Club and other environmental organizations for tax deductible work...
and later given to the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a special-purpose district that manages over of open space in 25 preserves in the San Francisco Bay Area. It includes parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. The District was created by voter initiative in 1972...
. Currently, the house and 10-acre private leasehold are closed and under restoration.
Schilling Lake is named for August Schilling, the “King of Spice”, who founded A. Schilling & Company
A. Schilling & Company
A. Schilling & Company was an American foodstuffs company founded in San Francisco, California, in 1881 by August Schilling and George F. Volkmann, both natives of Bremen, Germany who had migrated to America and were then both aged 27. It dealt in coffee, tea, baking powder, extracts, and spices...
in San Francisco in 1881. Schilling purchased the land from Julian Thorne, who purchased it from Edward Preston (attorney), who purchased it from the pioneer and lumberman, Dennis Martin.
Ecology
Dennis Martin Creek and the other Corte Madera Creek tributaries and mainstem were historically Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) streams; however, access to the creek has been blocked since 1890 by Searsville DamSearsville Dam
Searsville Dam is a masonry dam that was completed in 1892, one year after the founding of Stanford University, and impounds Corte Madera Creek to form a reservoir known as Searsville Lake. Searsville Dam is located in the Jasper Ridge Biological Preserve and is owned and operated by Stanford...
. In the spring of 1991, an adult steelhead (0.74m) was observed jumping at the base of Searsville Dam. According to local historian Dorothy Regnery's notes from her 1966 interview with Edgar H. Batchelder, who was 2 years old when his father became caretaker of Searsville dam in 1897, his "favorite place to fish for trout was in Dennis Martin Creek."
Watershed
Dennis Martin Creek drains second growth Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) forest as it descends the northeastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains. It traverses the Thornewood Open Space Preserve where it is met by an ephemeral stream that drains Schilling Lake. Shortly after crossing under Old La Honda Road the creek reaches the San Andreas FaultSan Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
zone and crosses Portola Road where the ground becomes nearly level and it is one of a nexus of half a dozen creeks that coalesce in a large freshwater marsh to form Corte Madera Creek
Corte Madera Creek (San Mateo County, California)
Corte Madera Creek is a creek that flows north-northwest to Searsville Dam and then joins with Bear Creek to form San Francisquito Creek in California...
. Old maps suggest that Dennis Martin Creek and Alambique Creek were tributary to Sausal Creek.
Recreation
Hiking trails are available in the 167 acre Thornewood Open Space Preserve, part of the Midpeninsula Regional Open Space DistrictMidpeninsula Regional Open Space District
The Midpeninsula Regional Open Space District is a special-purpose district that manages over of open space in 25 preserves in the San Francisco Bay Area. It includes parts of Santa Clara, San Mateo and Santa Cruz Counties. The District was created by voter initiative in 1972...
system, including the Bridal Trail and an easy walk to Lake Schilling along the wooded 3/4 mile Schilling Lake Trail. The preserve is accessed from the south side of La Honda Road (Highway 84), 1.6 miles past its intersection with Portola Road in Woodside.
External links
- http://museumca.org/creeks/1460-SFrancisquitoWS-Big.htmlSan Francisquito Watershed & Alluvial Fan at Oakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
website] - San Francisquito Watershed Council
- http://museumca.org/creeks/1460-OMSFrancisquitoUpr.html#Upper Watershed San Francisquito Creek Watershed prepared by the Oakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of CaliforniaOakland Museum of California or Oakland Museum is a museum dedicated to the art, history, and natural science of California located in Oakland, California....
] - The Creeks that Flow through Woodside by the Bear Creek League of Advocates for the Watershed (Bear CLAW)