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Charles Henry "Mountain Charlie" McKiernan lived from 1825 to 1892.
He was a native of Ireland who served with the British army in New Zealand. Charlie came to California in 1849 where he engaged in mining and freighting by pack mule to the Trinity River diggings. His business was prosperous until the local natives ran "his mules" off, forcing him to move to Santa Clara County. After settling in the Santa Cruz mountains in 1850, he became legendary as a hunter, rancher, teamster, road builder, lumberman, and "celestial" Clampatriarch of Mountain Charlie Chapter No. 1850, E Clampus Vitus. His Motto was "Right Wrongs Nobody."
The Mountain Charlie History Tour near san Jose, California, is a series of E Clampus Vitus monuments pertaining to Mountain Charlie, that can be visited in a day.
Mountain Charlie Waymarks on the tour:
Mountain Charlie Grave, at Oak Hill Memorial Park in San Jose.
Mountain Charlie Road, 50 Feet from Summit Road,
just west of Highway 17
Mountain Charlie's Cabin, on Mountain Charlie Road, 50 yards east of Riva Ridge Road
Mountain Charlie Bear Fight, on Pierce Road, off Mountain Charlie Road
Mountain Charlie Big Tree, 450 feet from the old Glenwood Highway
Patchen, intersection of Old Santa Cruz Highway and
Mountain Charlie Road
The Mountain Charlie's Cabin plaque is located on the south side of Mountain Charlie Road,
0.9 Mile from the Highway 17/Summit Road intersection,
and about 50 yards east of Riva Ridge Road in Santa Cruz County, CA.
NOTE: This is a private home.
Please do not disturb the residents.
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