Francis J Smith House - San Jose, CA
Posted by: 
saopaulo1
N 37° 18.637 W 121° 47.152
10S E 607589 N 4130021
A sign in thr Evergreen area of San Jose, CA.
Waymark Code: WM16X8F
Location: California, United States
Date Posted: 10/22/2022
Views: 0
"CITY OF
SAN JOSE
CAPITAL OF SILICON VALLEY
FRANCIS J. SMITH HOUSE
CITY OF SAN JOSE LANDMARK HLA 86-031-01
RESOLUTION NO. 79565
HOME OF FRANCIS J. SMITH
FIRST, LAST, AND ONLY POSTMASTER OF EVERGREEN
PIONEER EVERGREEN SETTLER, FRANCIS J. SMITH BUILT THIS HOME IN 1874 ON LAND
ORIGINALLY PART OF THE CHABOYA MEXICAN LAND GRANT, RANCHO YERBA BUENA. THE
VILLAGE OF EVERGREEN'S COMMERCIAL CENTER STOOD NEAR THIS SITE, WHERE IN 1868,
BROTHERS CHARLES C. AND FRANCIS J. SMITH OPENED A GENERAL STORE. IN 1870, THE
FARMERS OF EVERGREEN PETITTIONED FOR A POST OFFICE. FRANCIS J. SMITH BECAME
EVERGREEN'S FIRST POSTMASTER AND HELD THE POST UNTIL THE POST OFFICE WAS
DISCONTINUED IN 1914. FARMERS PICKED UP THEIR MAIL AT SMITH'S STORE AND
PATRONIZED NEARBY BUSINESSES, INCLUDING A BLACKSMITH SHOP AND WINERY. THE
HOUSE STOOD BEHIND THE GENERAL STORE AND IS PICTURED IN THOMPSON AND WEST'S
1876 HISTORICAL ATLAS MAP OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY. ALTHOUGH THE STORE BURNED IN
1929, THE HOUSE REMAINED A HOME FOR ONE OF SMITH'S CHILDREN, KATHERINE R. SMITH,
A SCHOOLTEACHER, LIVED HERE UNTIL HER DEATH IN 1873 AT THE AGE OF 103. AN
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN THE EVERGREEN SCHOOL DISTRICT BEARS HER NAME. IN 2019, THE
HOUSE WAS MOVED CLOSER TO THE ROAD TO MAKE ROOM FOR NEW DEVELOPMENT. SOME
OF THE EUCALYPTUS AND PEPPER TREES FRANCIS J. SMITH PLANTED STILL REMAIN.
DEDICATED 2021
BY
CALIFORNIA PIONEERS OF SANTA CLARA COUNTY
MOUNTAIN CHARLIE CHAPTER NO. 1850
E CLAMPUS VITUS
"RIGHT WRONGS NOBODY"
Rating: Not listed
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