Old site of Mission Santa Clara de Asis - Santa Clara, CA
Posted by: 
WalruZ
N 37° 22.002 W 121° 56.473
10S E 593753 N 4136078
The first Mission in the Santa Clara valley once stood somewhere near this unlikely spot...
Waymark Code: WMCTX
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/16/2006
Views: 37
The first mission in this valley, Mission Santa Clara de Thamien, was established at this site by Franciscan Padres Tomás de la Peña and Joseph Antonio Marguia January 17, 1777. Here, at the Indian village of So-co-is-u-ka, they erected a cross and shelter for worship to bring Christianity to the Costanoan Indians.
The location is one that Santa Clara area drivers can conjure up - the spot where the Central Expressway starts, right near the San Jose airport. Lanes of busy traffic. Some inscrutable business nearby, and an odd semi-vacant lot. The big noise buffers of the airport loom to the east.
Unlikely as it seems, somewhere near this spot is where the first padres stopped and erected a simple mission at an existing indian village. We've changed their landscape so much it's almost impossible to imagine what once might have been here, green fields, scrub, a stream finally bridged by the fathers. It's all paved now.
There is no plaque at the site. 3/4 of a mile South there is a cross commemorating the site, but no official marker is to be found. Jets take off overhead. It's all different now.
It's easier to park at the cross (N 37 22.006 W 121 56.469) so you might want to visit there instead of at the waymark coordinates. Post a picture if you can.