WELCOME TO OAK VALLEY, CUPERTINO

The Oak Valley Story | Oak Valley Homes For Sale!

From a knoll above tree-studded Oak Valley, Juan Bautista de Anza first glimpsed San Francisco Bay. Standing in the foothills of the Pacific Coast Range, the daring explorer saw a rich mosaic of spring-fed creeks bounded by oak and bay trees. From that moment on, the history of Oak Valley would become entwined with the History of Northern California.

For hundreds of years preceding the arrival of European civilization, the hills and surrounding plains nurtured many varieties of native oaks. Bunch grasses grew side by side with California poppies, wild rose, columbine, and other wild flowers. Making their homes in this rich, botanical mixture were coyotes, bobcats, and deer, as well as swooping red-tail hawks and melodious California thrashers. Ample water, plentiful game, and mild weather made the area a paradise for the original Americans. The hills served as transitional camps for the Ohlone Indians who moved seasonally between the Bay and mountains.

In 1776, de Anza led an expedition to establish a route from Sonora, Mexico to the Port of San Francisco and found the presidio of St. Francis. When an advance party camped near what is now Oak Valley, they christened the creek next to the encampment Arroyo San Joseph Copertino in honor of de Anza’s patron saint, San Guiseppe (“Saint Joseph”) of Copertino, Italy. It was later called Stevens Creek and the town that grew up around it became Cupertino.

A Mexican land grant of one square league of land extending from Stevens Creek to Adobe Creek was awarded to Juan Prado Mesa. His family was instrumental in establishing the colonies of San Francisco and San Jose and he was a veteran of many skirmishes against the Californias and Indians. Juan Prado took possession of this land in 1840 and named it Rancho San Antonio. Five years later, in order to cover his many debts, his rancho was divided and sold to the grant brothers. The Grant brothers lived in a little white cabin that is still standing in the Deer Hollow Farm area of Rancho San Antonio Open Space Preserve. They raised grain and hay and leased their fields to dairy farmers.

John Snyder purchased the adjacent land, “Hillside Farm,” after seeking his fortune during the gold rush. Snyder planted wheat (a “first” for the area), orchars and vineyards. His success inspired others and the region became famous for the quality and quantity of its harvests. When Snyder’s daughter married in 1881, he built her a rustic home, “Hammon/Haines Homes,” which is still standing on the hill southwest of Oak Valley.

During the 1920s, the Catholic Church bought land at Rancho San Antionio, including Oak Valley, as a site for Maryknoll Junior Seminary and St. Joseph’s Seminary. Junior high and high school students at Maryknoll attended classes at the adjacent seminary at St. Joseph’s. To fund its endowments and renovation projects, the Archiocese of San Jose decided to consolidate seminary training and sell much of the Church’s property at Rancho San Antonio. During the last decade, the sale of the land in and around Oak Valley has been the subject of extensive community discussion and creative planning. The years of public and civic talks have resulted in a land plan that will preserve the scenic, pastoral land including hilltops, the valley of Permanente Creek, and the steep wooded areas. In 1998, the O’Brien Group acquired 212 acres of the former seminar land. Two thirds of this land is being deeded to Santa Clara County as permanent open space and the four new neighborhoods of Oak Valley will stand on the adjacent land. Oak Valley’s private open spaces, meandering parks, and native landscaping represent a commitment to balancing environmental preservation and human habitat.

The information contained in this web site is updated at regular intervals by Malka Nagel, Realtor for Coldwell banker.