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 El Palo Alto - Palo Alto, California Posted by:  DougK
N 37° 26.834 W 122° 10.214
10S E 573395 N 4144810
Palo Alto means Tall Tree in Spanish. This tall redwood was a sentinel tree for early Spanish explorers in the area because of its height. It became the namesake for its city of location.
Waymark Code: WMR2GW
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 05/02/2016
Views: 2
The San Francisco Guide says:
Where US 101 crosses San Francisquito Creek, 31.3 772. , appears a few hundred feet west, near its bank, the solitary redwood, PALO ALTO (tall tree), a landmark for explorers and travelers since the Caspar de Portola expedition first saw it in 1769. It was not a tree of remarkable height among redwoods, but standing far removed from any others, it towered above its neighboring oaks, visible for many leagues. It appears in early prints and on the seal of Stanford University as a double-trunked tree; one section has fallen.
Today the tree stands beside the commuter rail line between San Jose and San Francisco. A small park with a pedestrian-bike trail travels parallel to the rails. Several interpretive signs line the line, explaining the early history of the area. Mounted on a rock at the base of the tree is a plaque, which reads:
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[a relief image of the old double-trunked El Palo Alto]
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Under this giant redwood,
the Palo Alto, November 6 to
11, 1769, camped Portola and
his band on the expedition
that discovered San Francisco
Ba. This was the assembling
point for their reconnoitering
parties. Here in 1774 Padre
Palo erected a cross to mark
the site of a proposed mission
(which later was built at
Santa Clara). The celebrated
Pedro Font topographical map
of 1776 contained the drawing
of the original, double trunked
tree marking the Palo Alto,
the first official living
California Landmark.
Placed by the Historical Landmark Committee
Native sons of the Golden West
Nov 7 1926
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Book: San Francisco
Page Number(s) of Excerpt: 471
Year Originally Published: 1940
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