Published in the April 13-26, 2016 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Trina Hineser
Trina Hineser
The American poet Robert Frost described spring perfectly: “The sun was warm but the wind was chill. You know how it is with an April day.”
If you have never had the pleasure of going out to Harvey Bear Ranch County Park, you are missing out on one of the best parts of our beautiful San Martin community.
With spring in the April air, the hills are turning green, the wildflowers are blooming and there is a trail perfect for every activity you can imagine, including dog walking, running, biking, hiking, to equestrian rides.
This little gem of nature is located at the end of San Martin Avenue just off of Foothill Avenue and is known in San Martin as the Bear Ranch Entrance. It’s open year round from 8 a.m. to sunset. If you time it right, the sunset vistas along the Santa Cruz Mountains are glorious.
Last April 2015, the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance Memorial Committee, through donations of members in the San Martin community and the efforts of the Santa Clara County Parks Department, proudly announced the permanent memorial at Harvey Bear Ranch of picnic structures dedicated in the memory of Sylvia Hamilton. She was a tireless community leader to the residents of San Martin.
The history of Harvey Bear Ranch goes to 1844 when Irish immigrant Martin Murphy, Sr., came to California and purchased the land and brought his family here to settle.
During the Gold Rush, the Murphys struck it rich and, through a series of events, by the 1850s they eventually owned 7,800 acres of this extraordinary ranch land.
By the 1860s, the family demonstrated control over most of the earlier ranchos. By the 1890s the ranchos were subdivided.
John Baumgartner, Jr., purchased a portion of the early rancho lands in 1949. He built a home on the hill above the reservoir and later sold the ranch to Harvey Bear who raised his family and ran cattle there until his death. The heirs of Harvey Bear deeded the ranch to the Santa Clara County Parks and Recreation Department in 1997.
After many years of planning and development, the park opened on May 14, 2005. This piece of nature has been preserved so that many can come out and enjoy its beauty. In the park’s 11th year, it is still what some people would consider new to our area.
If you haven’t ventured out to see it or if it’s been a while since the last time you were there, take advantage of the spring weather we are enjoying and discover the opportunity to see the many wonders of nature happening at the Harvey Bear Ranch.
SMNA will hold our next quarterly community meeting at Andrade Country Meadows in San Martin, on April 19, 2016 at 6 p.m.
Trina Hineser is the president of the San Martin Neighborhood Alliance. She wrote this column for Morgan Hill Life.
