Calero County Park: Bailey-Fellows House
The nearby Bailey Fellows house is a historic "Italianate" structure located at
the south end of Calero Reservoir and appears on the County of Santa Clara
Heritage Resource Inventory. The house is named for Boargenes R. Bailey and
Judge Edward Fellow.
B. R. Bailey, born Kentucky, arrived California in 1850 and probably built the
structure in 1867. In 1855, he married Ellen Sparks, a member of the 1848
Lassen Party, in Mountain View. They removed to Tulare County and in 1864
returned to the area with the purchase of their Calero Valley lands of 874
acres. B. R. Bailey predeceased Mrs. E. Bailey who held the property until
1903. Their ranch was sold to the Newman Brothers in 1905 and it became
known as the "Newman Ranch". The Santa Clara Valley Water Conservation
District purchased the land in 1935 to construct the Calero Reservoir.
In 1924, Judge Edward Fellow began his law practice in San Jose, having
attended the University of Santa Clara. He purchased the 2,000-acre "Calero
Rancho" in 1938 where he operated a cattle ranch and farm. In the 1940s Mrs.
Triscilla Fellows remodeled the Bailey House. In 1956, E. Fellows became a
Judicial District Court Judge for the City of Morgan Hill. Social interests
included hosting the Santa Clara Bar Association's annual barbeque and the
formation of the California State Horseman's Association.
Following Judge Fellow's tragic 1967 death, the family sold the house and stables
to the Santa Clara Valley Water District who leased the land and reservoir to
Santa Clara County for water-oriented recreation. Since then, additional lands
were acquired and a 2003 a grant from the David and Lucille Packard Foundation
allowed for an additional acquisition of almost a 1000-acres.
DEDICATED BY THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY HISTORIC HERITAGE COMMISSION
& THE SANTA CLARA COUNTY PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT
AUGUST 11, 2007
SPONSORED BY
MOUNTAIN CHARLIE CHAPTER No. 1850,
E CLAMPUS VITUS
"RIGHT WRONGS NOBODY"
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