Purisima Creek (Santa Clara County)
Encyclopedia
Purisima Creek is a 2 miles (3.2 km) eastward-flowing stream
originating in Los Altos Hills
in Santa Clara County, California
, United States
. It is a tributary of Adobe Creek which it joins just after entering Los Altos
.
land grant, which was granted by Governor Alvarado in 1840 to Jose Gorgonio, an Indian living at Mission Santa Clara de Asís
. In 1844 Gorgonio sold the one square league Rancho La Purísima Concepción to Juana Briones de Miranda
(1804-1889), the daughter of Marcos Briones, who accompanied Junípero Serra
in 1769. Gudde's "California Place Names" incorrectly asserted that there was no namesake for the land grant in Santa Clara County. Juana Briones sold about three quarters of her rancho in 1861 to Martin Murphy Jr. (1807-1884) of Sunnyvale
, who had come to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
in 1844.
One of the founders of Hewlett-Packard
, David Packard
, lived on the upper watershed of Purisima Creek on a large apricot
(Prunus armeniaca) orchard.
. The creek's source is at the top of the west fork between Dezahara Way and Altamount Road. The "Packard Pathway" is a public walking/riding path that descends the north fork from its origin below the Packards' Taafe House on Taafe Road. At the base of the property the two forks come together to form the creek mainstem which levels out as it passes through the remains of an old walnut grove, then crosses Elena Road, flowing along Josefa Lane and the northwestern edge of Foothill College
to where it passes under I-280
, then along O'Keefe Lane and the O'Keefe Open Space Preserve to its confluence with Adobe Creek just inside Los Altos.
(Ficus carica), Plum
(Prunus), Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalytpus globulus), European Olive (Olea europaea) and Siberian Elm
(Ulmus pumila).
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 in Los Altos Hills
Los Altos Hills, California
Los Altos Hills is an incorporated town in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 7,922 at the 2010 census. Located in Silicon Valley, Los Altos Hills is one of the wealthiest cities in the nation.-Strictly residential:...
in Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is a tributary of Adobe Creek which it joins just after entering Los Altos
Los Altos, California
Los Altos is a city at the southern end of the San Francisco Peninsula, in the San Francisco Bay Area. The city is in Santa Clara County, California, United States. The population was 28,976 according to the 2010 census....
.
History
Purisima Creek runs through the historic Rancho La Purísima ConcepciónRancho La Purísima Concepción
Rancho La Purísima Concepción was a Mexican land grant in present day Santa Clara County, California given in 1840 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Gorgonio and his son José Ramon, Ohlone Indians...
land grant, which was granted by Governor Alvarado in 1840 to Jose Gorgonio, an Indian living at Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Mission Santa Clara de Asís
Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded on January 12, 1777 and named for Santa Clara de Asis , the foundress of the order of the Poor Clares. Although ruined and rebuilt six times, the settlement was never abandoned.-History:...
. In 1844 Gorgonio sold the one square league Rancho La Purísima Concepción to Juana Briones de Miranda
Juana Briones de Miranda
Juana Briones de Miranda was born near the Santa Cruz Mission, in California. Her parents arrived with the earliest explorations of this then remote fringe of the Spanish empire, and her family members had accompanied both the Gaspar de Portolà and the Juan Bautista de Anza Expeditions...
(1804-1889), the daughter of Marcos Briones, who accompanied Junípero Serra
Junípero Serra
Blessed Junípero Serra, O.F.M., , known as Fra Juníper Serra in Catalan, his mother tongue was a Majorcan Franciscan friar who founded the mission chain in Alta California of the Las Californias Province in New Spain—present day California, United States. Fr...
in 1769. Gudde's "California Place Names" incorrectly asserted that there was no namesake for the land grant in Santa Clara County. Juana Briones sold about three quarters of her rancho in 1861 to Martin Murphy Jr. (1807-1884) of Sunnyvale
Sunnyvale, California
Sunnyvale is a city in Santa Clara County, California, United States. It is one of the major cities that make up the Silicon Valley located in the San Francisco Bay Area...
, who had come to California with the Stephens-Townsend-Murphy Party
Stephens-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...
in 1844.
One of the founders of Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard
Hewlett-Packard Company or HP is an American multinational information technology corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, California, USA that provides products, technologies, softwares, solutions and services to consumers, small- and medium-sized businesses and large enterprises, including...
, David Packard
David Packard
David Packard was a co-founder of Hewlett-Packard , serving as president , CEO , and Chairman of the Board . He served as U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense from 1969–1971 during the Nixon administration...
, lived on the upper watershed of Purisima Creek on a large apricot
Apricot
The apricot, Prunus armeniaca, is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation.- Description :...
(Prunus armeniaca) orchard.
Watershed and Course
Purisima Creek consists of two minor forks (a north and west fork) which embrace the apricot orchards now owned by the David and Lucile Packard FoundationDavid and Lucile Packard Foundation
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation is a private foundation that provides grants to not-for-profit organizations. It was created in 1964 by David Packard and his wife Lucile Salter Packard. Following David Packard's death in 1996, the Foundation became the beneficiary of part of his estate...
. The creek's source is at the top of the west fork between Dezahara Way and Altamount Road. The "Packard Pathway" is a public walking/riding path that descends the north fork from its origin below the Packards' Taafe House on Taafe Road. At the base of the property the two forks come together to form the creek mainstem which levels out as it passes through the remains of an old walnut grove, then crosses Elena Road, flowing along Josefa Lane and the northwestern edge of Foothill College
Foothill College
Foothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...
to where it passes under I-280
Interstate 280 (California)
Interstate 280 is a 57-mile long north–south Interstate Highway in the San Francisco Bay Area of Northern California. It connects San Jose and San Francisco, running along just to the west of the cities of San Francisco Peninsula for most of its route.I-280 from its northern end at King...
, then along O'Keefe Lane and the O'Keefe Open Space Preserve to its confluence with Adobe Creek just inside Los Altos.
Habitat and wildlife
There O'Keefe Open Space Preserve protects the riparian habitat along an 800 foot section of the creek below I-280. It is an 8.2 acre nature preserve. This section of the creek has been invaded by non-native species that compete with the native vegetation for its water, including Canary Island Palms (Phoenix canariensis), Common figCommon fig
The Common fig is a deciduous tree growing to heights of up to 6 m in the genus Ficus from the family Moraceae known as Common fig tree. It is a temperate species native to the Middle East.-Description:...
(Ficus carica), Plum
Plum
A plum or gage is a stone fruit tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The subgenus is distinguished from other subgenera in the shoots having a terminal bud and solitary side buds , the flowers in groups of one to five together on short stems, and the fruit having a groove running down one...
(Prunus), Blue Gum Eucalyptus (Eucalytpus globulus), European Olive (Olea europaea) and Siberian Elm
Siberian Elm
Ulmus pumila, the Siberian Elm, is native to Central Asia, eastern Siberia, Mongolia, Xizang , northern China, India and Korea . It is also known as the Asiatic Elm, Dwarf Elm and Chinese Elm. Two varieties are recognized: var pumila and var. arborea, the latter known as Turkestan elm...
(Ulmus pumila).
See also
- List of watercourses in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Adobe Creek (near Los Altos, California)
- Foothill CollegeFoothill CollegeFoothill College is a community college located in Los Altos Hills, California and is part of the Foothill-De Anza Community College District. It was founded on January 15, 1957 by Founding Superintendent and President Dr. Calvin C. Flint.-History:...