silver creek mines | Evergreen Mural Walk

How else do we learn about our creek beds and their healthy or climate than taking a look at them up close and personally? I ventured into our creek beds which gave me an awesome understanding of our fair Evergreen. Today, we’re going to discuss a creek bed which is the namesake for the Western region of Evergreen between its namesake and Coyote Creek.

That’s right. I’m talking about Silver Creek. I went to Silver Creek High School, built in 1969, and never once wondered why the name. When I first started this project, it appeared that Silver Creek was an important part of Evergreen’s story. Farmers with land attached to creeks had the upper hand. Before Silver Creek, the area, was an idea, the creek was there and Cunningham Lake was named Silver Lake. This creek must’ve been so large, it contributed to the naming of the region. In fact, the whole network of creeks through Evergreen contribute to the Lower Silver Creek Watershed.

Silver Creek, as in the neighborhood and Evergreen’s first high school, has beenlocated on maps at least into the 1860’s. Silver Creek, the area and the Creek, are historic. This 1867 Altas shows it off predominantly. It’s 2 miles outside of Downtown Evergreen, located off San Felipe Road and Evergreen Road. It might’ve grown up as a town had stores not opened in nearby Township of Evergreen. Because of its closeness to Edenvale and Downtown San Jose, it was incorporated into the City Limits earlier than Downtown Evergreen. Evergreen is the entire Rancho Yerba Buena. This area too being so far West would’ve been settled pretty early on by squatters. Some of the defendants in the Chaboya case from these area specifically were the Cottle Family.

Evergreen was a haven for farmers because of its creeks and natural water delivery system in gravity, hillsides and natural springs throughout Evergreen. Springs will appear whenever seismic activity is taking place, like Silver Creek and the Silver Creek Mines behind Silver Creek Valley Country Club. Oak Trees and wild berries line the creek bed, with poppies, wild lupin and grasses around the surrounding hills. These Oaks are Coastal Live Oak for the most part, even though Evergreen hosts a wide variety of oak trees. An illness makes oak trees white like this. It’s called root canker. Amongst the spectrum of oak diseases, Silver Creek’s oaks are really looking pretty good.

Silver Creek’s ecosystem is fairly healthy, as indigenous birds and wildlife still call it home. Silver Creek’s existing water formations are very clean and free from pollutants. When I examine this Creek, the only littering I see is on road ways nearby – not in the water itself. Here, by Silver Creek Linear Park where Silver Creek appears to end, the Cottle’s cobble stone walls along the Dove Hill border are still evident.

Silver Creek Road, King Road, White Road, Quimby Road and Evergreen Road back in those days were the huge arteries into Evergreen. You can see in this enlargement to the left that Silver Creek Road and the Creek intertwined through modern day “the Ranch” development over Hassler Parkway. Below you can view the entire length of the creek and roads. Where Silver Creek Road straightens out has always transitioned to King Road. King Road would’ve been the way to get to Downtown. Kinda still is.

Silver Creek had its own grammar school at one point too. I couldn’t find it on an atlas map, but Evergreen historian and trusted source, Colleen Cortese, has it closer to Coyote Creek than Silver Creek, but hey. It served this whole area.

Silver Creek Road picks up again today near a Spring that contributes to Silver Creek’s Watershed. Springs are created by the geology in the surrounding areas, not the gathering of water heading down the slope like lots of Evergreen’s creeks.

Silver Creek Mines are also located off of this portion of Silver Creek Road. You can see North Almaden Mines here in this 1890 map above. This same road used to connect over the hillside before its development. Bradford Investment was involved with the Mining Industry in those days, establishing Silver Creek Mines, and would’ve built this road through to his jobsite. You can see the entrance off San Felipe Road. The Hellyers and Piercys too would’ve mined in Silver Creek region. Brothers George and Daniel would choose opposite sides of Coyote Creek along the border with Edenvale, another small township. Coyote Creek creates the western most point of Silver Creek and therefore Evergreen. There’s a wicked rumor that someone accidently contaminated the Creek with quicksilver and their orchard turned to silver. This may or may not have happen to oak trees in the area.

Until Silver Creek High School opened, students had to travel outside of Evergreen to go to school. The Creek would’ve existed where 101 lies now near the school. Many sections of Silver Creek, the Creek and the Road, have been paved over for the 101 Freeway in the 1930-40’s and built on top of for Silver Creek Valley Country Club’s construction in the 1990’s. Silver Creek Road which once followed the creek’s path also met up with San Felipe Road in the early 1900’s.

Silver Creek is a giant chunk of Evergreen, like a third. It’s presence influenced people to settle in and raise their farms and families here. Silver Creek is older than any Country Club, Park, or School. All this time, I thought it just described nearby Dry Creek / Thomspon Creek when this was the larger watershed hooked up to Silver Lake or now Cunningham. Here’s the Artwork featuring Silver Creek.

Miners who would strike it rich in the Gold Rush would make Evergreen their home in the later half of the 1800’s. The discovery of gold would hasten California’s Statehood and spur immigration to the Golden State. Evergreen had a huge hand in bringing California to Statehood. Businessman, Orchardist, winemaker and French immigrant, Luis Pellier, would become the father of California’s Fruit Industry when noting the high price of fruit while he was panning for gold. With a little success gold panning and a little luck being a farmer from France, he managed to create his own gold. Henry W. Coe, for whom the park is named after, struck it rich importing mining equipment through the Gold Rush, enabling him to invest in such a large Evergreen property after pulling stakes up from Willow Glen.

A little known fact is that the Town of Evergreen would be that it is built up around active, productive mines. Tracking down these mines would be a little bit of a dig, but mining was a big deal for two distinct periods of time in Evergreen’s history. Mercury and Quicksilver are in the foundation of San Jose’s History, so much so that newspaper is called the Mercury News.

One of the first businesses ever opened in Evergreen was the Kettmann Saloon. Andrew Kettmann’s establishment was located on San Felipe Road in Downtown Evergreen, just North of the historic Smith family homes and businesses. The turn of the 20th century watering hole was frequented by miners up until Prohibition. The inebriated patrons would stumble off to kiss under the bridges of creek crossings nearby Cadwallader neighborhood by Keaton Loop. Prohibition brought the business under and San Felipe Road would be rerouted.

H. R. Bradford would eventually come to own the mining prospect and property in the 1890’s. Mr. Hector R. Bradford came from a mining family and one with political interests. Father, F. W. Farnsworth and once Governor of Massachusetts and descendants of Mayflower passangers, would move the family out West to California in 1884. Eldest son H. R. was only nine years old and sweeping around mine shafts as child. As an adult, H. R. Bradford would accumulate mining interests across California, but especially adored his Evergreen holding. He and partner J. Treadwell would own and operate the Silver Creek Mining Company. His business acumen was something to be admired.

In 1895, a close examination of the flooding and mines was made and Silver Creek mines began delivering pay ore. Silver Creek mines was producers of quicksilver, mercury and cinnabar.

Mr. H. R. Bradford must have heard about furnaces like this at the mining prospect before making his decision about the Silver Creek acquisition. Quicksilver Mining would require lots of timber to fuel the furnaces. Evergreen had plenty of orchards pulling trees and natural oak trees. Bradford’s property in Evergreen was huge.

Silver Creek Mines and the Mining Company would be named after Silver Creek, a spring and creek which lay nearby the site of the mines. In fact, this mine is located directly Southeast from Silver Creek Valley Country Club, and you know you’re wicked close when you’re along the backside of the Country Club and get to the Creek. The mine now sits with the Espinosa family for some years now.

These mines in Evergreen, however, were preexisting. Bradford purchased historic cinnabar mines that were dormant and flooded for 25 years. These mines would be 5 miles North of the Almaden Mines. Their original name were the North Almaden Mines when it was owned by A. J. Piercy. Heir E. M. Piercy would sell to Bradford. Before the North Almaden Mining Company extracted cinnabar ore, it was known as the Adams Mine. The Comstock Panic would bring the mines to a halt in the 1860’s. The Comstock Panic brought to light poor money management and stock dealings in the mining industries in 1865. True interests and dividends were not being distributed properly. New Almaden would halt due to wage negotiations in the 1860’s. World War I & II would bring the mines back to popularity in the production of ammunitions.

Was Silver Creek named for the quicksilver found near by? Contamination could’ve been the reason for the name. It could also be named after its sparkling beauty. This is really a chicken-egg debate that only the Native Ohlone can answer.

The Native Americans here in Evergreen would take note of the red soil and water contamination. They knew about the cinnabar before the Spanish came to colonize California.

New Almaden Mines would date back to 1824. It’s name came from a combination of Arabic words “Al”, from, and “Maden”, the mine. Quicksilver would be cultivated at New Almaden then North Almaden in Evergreen. The largest producer would be Spain’s Alamden mines, or Old Almaden Mines. Quicksilver would be used in medicine and in the amalgamation of gold and silver ores as far back as the 16th century through furnaces and distillation.

Only faint traces of the mines and mining culture can be found in Evergreen today. Here shown to the left is historian Richard Neiman, showing of some 100 year old mining equipment found at Blauer Ranch in the 1960’s. One half of Blauer Ranch would become the front portion of the Villages. The other would become the Silver Creek Valley Country Club.

Mining creates a redundant theme in our Evergreen Mural Walk artwork. Here’s some of the Artwork with Mining overtones.

Evergreen Mural Walk

A Public Display of Affection

Tag Archives: silver creek mines

Silver Creek – the Creek

Redundant Theme – Mining for Evergreen