Published in the Nov. 12-25, 2014 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Mike Monroe
Mike Monroe
Many of us cherish memories of our elementary school years. We travel back for school homecomings and expressions of fun times and meaningful experiences seem to bubble up from inside us when we remember our childhood days at school. Before the consolidation of rural school districts into “unified” organizations, local community schools like Machado were focal points for nearby farming families.
The Machado School on Sycamore Drive was just such a place for residents of Paradise Valley. A picturesque vale to this day running along LLagas Creek on the backside of El Toro, “Paradise” is an apt name for this quiet country landscape still home to pastoral scenes of ranches and vineyards.
Machado School sits on 1.5 acres donated by the Bernard and Mary Frances Machado family in 1895.
The one-room school house was built by Charles and Leon Smith with a second room added on the Llagas Creek side in 1910 and served all eight primary grades. The school was used continuously until the end of the 1967 academic year when it was closed due to seismic concerns.
When Martin Murphy Sr. and his family crossed the Sierras in 1844, they eventually made their home at the Rancho Ojo del Aqua de la Coche (today’s Morgan Hill) and bought the Juan Hernandez adobe. He had a large family and most of his sons and daughters were among the early pioneers of Northern California. His second son, James with his wife Ann, settled in the San Rafael/Corte Madera area. Mary Frances Murphy was their oldest child and was 2 when the family crossed the Sierras.
In 1848, the Gold Rush took off and James Murphy seeing his workers leave decided to join in too.
Several of the Murphy brothers were successful which allowed them to acquire large land parcels. One such opportunity arose when Guillermo Castro decided to sell the family rancho and the Murphy clan quickly added thousands of acres to their holdings in what was to become San Martin.
James and Ann Murphy eventually had seven children and called Ringwood Farm, near Milpitas, their home ranch. Mary Frances, born in 1842 in Canada, had met Bernardo Seferino Machado, also born in 1842 in San Diego, while her family was involved with the Las Llagas rancho. Bernardo was a vaquero on the Las Llagas and won the hand of Mary Frances in 1868, initially to the dismay of her parents.
James and Ann Murphy perhaps thought Bernardo’s lack of education or rough upbringing was not the right fit for their daughter. Mary Frances attended Notre Dame Academy in San Jose and was socially in the upper class. James, however, signed his name with an “x,” suggesting he was not particularly literate.
Bernardo and Mary Frances built their home on Murphy property at the southwest corner of Watsonville Road and Santa Teresa Boulevard. Today the house site and a barn are listed in the Santa Clara County Heritage Resource Inventory. Mary Frances planted a redwood tree in front of the house in 1874 and it has remained a local landmark. She died in 1916 eight years after Bernardo and is buried at old St. Mary’s Cemetery in Gilroy. The Machado School Heritage Society restored the school site 1983 and still maintains the property for community events.
Mike Monroe is a business owner and amateur naturalist. He is docent for Santa Clara County Parks and an Adopt-a-Creek member.
This Month’s Hike:
What: Machado School hike
When: 10 a.m. Sunday Nov. 16
Location: Machado School, 15130 Sycamore Drive
Description: Easy walk. Open to all. Rain cancels
Contact: Mike Monroe (408) 234-6377
