Historic Alum Rock Park - San Jose, CA - E Clampus Vitus Historical Markers on Waymarking.com

HISTORIC ALUM ROCK PARK
FOUNDED IN 1872 AND KNOWN AS THE RESERVATION, ALUM ROCK PARK IS THE OLDEST
MUNICIPAL PARK IN CALIFORNIA. IT WAS NAMED FOR A LARGE ROCK FORMATION
BELIEVED TO CONTAIN ALUM. EVEN AFTER IT WAS DISCOVERED TO HAVE BEEN
INCORRECTLY IDENTIFIED, THE NAME PERSISTED. THE PARK WAS A TREMENDOUSLY
POPULAR RECREATIONAL DESTINATION, FAMOUS FOR ITS MINERAL SPRINGS.

OVER TIME, THE PARK HAS FEATURED A HOTEL, A SALOON, MINERAL BATH HOUSES,
A CAFE, A ZOO, AND AN INDOOR SWIMMING POOL. THE ROCK ALCOVES,
FOOTBRIDGES AND OTHER STONE FEATURES WERE BUILT IN THE LATE
1800S, A LIVERY STABLE AT THE UPPER ENTRANCE TO THE PARK PROVIDED HORSES
FOR HIRE AND CONTINUED TO OPERATE UNDER PRIVATE OWNERSHIP FOR MORE
THAN A CENTURY. AN EXTRATERRESTRIAL METEOR WAS A POPULAR SITE UNTIL IT
WAS DISCOVERED TO BE A NATURAL GEOLOGICAL FORMATION. A SMALL CAROUSEL
WAS INSTALLED, WHICH FEATURED THE FIRST HORSES MADE OF CAST ALUMINUM.
AT THE HEIGHT OF ITS POPULARITY, TRAINS BROUGHT THOUSANDS OF VISITORS
DIRECTLY INTO THE PARK FROM DOWNTOWN SAN JOSE.

IN 1954, THE YOUTH SCIENCE INSTITUTE OPENED ITS DOORS TO CHILDREN TO
PROMOTE AN APPRECIATION OF THE WILDLIFE AND NATURE IN THE PARK, AND IT
MARKED A CHANGE IN THE UNDERSTANDING OF HOW THE PARK COULD SERVE THE
CITY OF SAN JOSE. IN LATER YEARS, IT WAS DETERMINED THAT CONTINUED HEAVY
USE WOULD IRREVERSIBLY DAMAGE THE FRAGILE ECOLOGY OF THE PARK. MANY OF
THE STRUCTURES THAT HAD DRAWN CROWDS IN YEARS PAST WERE DISMANTLED,
AND THE PARK WAS RESTORED TO A MORE NATURAL STATE, ALLOWING VISITORS TO
APPRECIATE ALUM ROCK PARK'S GREAT RUSTIC BEAUTY.
DEDICATED ON OCTOBER 18, 2014/6019
MOUNTAIN CHARLIE CHAPTER No. 1850
E CLAMPUS VITUS.

Rating: Not listed

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