The Guadalupe River and the Native People - San Jose, CA - Signs of History on Waymarking.com

"Spanish explorers came upon this waterway in 1769. One wrote in his diary " A full flowing river having a great many trees in its bed, very tall thick cottonwoods, sycamores, willows." Eight years later, the famous Mexican expedition leader, Juan Bautista de Anza named it Rio de la Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe - River of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The fledgling pueblo of San Jose was first founded beside the river that same year by 66 settlers.

The 20 mile long Guadalupe River is fed by seasonal tributaries in the Santa Cruz Mountains and runoff from the surrounding valley floor. The river meanders through its 170 square miles watershed as it makes its way to the San Francisco Bay.

... The ohlone/Muwekma People who lived by the Guadalupe probably solved the problem of flooding by moving their reed homes to highter ground during the wet season.

When priests built Mission Santa Clara on the Guadalupe in 1777, the native people ceded this area by the river Tamien thus the missionaries decided to name these Ohlone people and the language they spoke Tamien. Sadly many of the Ohlones died from disease carried by Europeans settlers. The small remainder of local native people were moved to the mission, where they were baptized and educated by the catholic settlers.

San Jose's agricultural sucess was in large part due to the river's occsional flooing. The adjecent lands were enriched by centuries of flooidnf than delivered meinerals to the soil. Flood protecion improvements have been completed to protect downtown and forth San Jose from flooding, while winding riverine habitats.

Group that erected the marker: City of San Jose Address of where the marker is located. Approximate if necessary: Guadalupe River Trail Virginia St San Jose, CA USA URL of a web site with more information about the history mentioned on the sign: Not listed

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