Phleger Estate facts for kids
The Phleger Estate is a beautiful park in San Mateo County, California. It's located near the town of Woodside. This special park is right next to Huddart County Park. In 1991, a group called the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) bought the land for $25 million. Now, it's part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area (GGNRA), which means it's protected for everyone to enjoy.
Contents
Exploring the Phleger Estate's Location
The Phleger Estate covers about 1,084 acres. It sits on the eastern side of Kings Mountain, which is the second-highest point in San Mateo County. The park is nestled between Huddart Park to the south and a famous estate called Filoli to the north. This area is part of the Santa Cruz Mountains.
When you enter the estate, you'll cross the south fork of Laguna Creek. This creek flows north towards the Upper Crystal Springs Reservoir. Higher up the mountain, smaller streams flow into West Union Creek. This creek eventually joins Bear Gulch Creek and then San Francisquito Creek, which finally reaches San Francisco Bay.
A Look Back: History of the Land
Early People and Spanish Explorers
Long ago, in 1769, Spanish explorers arrived in the San Francisco Peninsula. The land where the Phleger Estate is now was home to the Lamchin tribe, part of the Ohlone people. The Spanish explorers, led by the Portolà expedition, met these people. Later, between 1784 and 1793, the Lamchin people were moved to Mission San Francisco de Asís.
Ranchos and Redwood Logging
After the Spanish missions closed, a large area including the Phleger Estate became part of a huge land grant called Rancho Cañada de Raymundo. This land was given to John Coppinger in 1841. Coppinger was a British sailor who later supported a governor's revolt. After he passed away, his wife married Captain John Greer, who started selling the rights to cut down trees on the Rancho. He also created Cañada Road in 1862.
The giant Redwood trees here were very important for lumber. In the 1840s, a lot of wood was sent from this area to the Hawaiian Islands. The wooded areas also became a hiding place for people who cut timber and made alcohol. When the California Gold Rush began in 1848, the demand for wood exploded to build the growing city of San Francisco. By the 1860s, most of the trees on the eastern side of the mountains had been cut down.
One lumberman, Willard Whipple, used to drag logs to Redwood City. The road he used is now called Whipple Avenue. Whipple built his steam-powered mill in 1852 where the Phleger House stands today. He named the creek where his mills operated West Union Creek.
Protecting the Watershed
Around 1908, a man named William Bourn bought the Spring Valley Water Company. This company owned a lot of land, including the Phleger Estate and Bourn's own estate, "Filoli." Bourn closed these lands to farming, logging, and vineyards to protect the water supply for San Francisco. The Crystal Springs lakes and San Andreas Lake were once called "Spring Valley Lakes" because of this water company.
In 1915, Bourn hired an architect named Willis Polk to build Filoli. Just before Bourn sold the water company to San Francisco, he allowed one of his company's vice presidents, Samuel P. Eastman, to create his own estate called "Mountain Meadow" near Filoli. Eastman's house was finished in 1927. It was designed to have great views of the redwood and oak forests.
The Phleger Family's Legacy
In 1937, Herman and Mary Elena Phleger started buying this land. They called it "the home place" and eventually owned 1,315 acres. Herman was a lawyer and diplomat. Mary Elena came from a well-known family.
Herman Phleger was a director of the Save the Redwoods League for 20 years. He and Mary Elena wanted to protect their land for future generations. In 1990, Mary Elena and her family began talking with the Peninsula Open Space Trust (POST) about buying the land. Their goal was for POST to raise the money and then give the land to the National Park Service.
Mary Elena passed away in 1990, and her daughter, Mary Elena "Polly" Goodan, continued to represent the family's wishes. In 1994, the family sold the land to POST for $21 million, which was a very generous contribution, as the land was worth more. POST then gave the Phleger Estate to the National Park Service. However, the National Park Service didn't want the Phleger mansion. So, Audrey Rust, from POST, convinced Gordon Moore, the founder of Intel Corporation, and his wife Betty to buy the house and 24 acres. This part became a special conservation area. Some members of the Phleger family still own a small piece of land on the estate.
On December 23, 1994, the Phleger Estate officially became part of the National Park System. On April 29, 1995, it was dedicated as part of the GGNRA. Polly Phleger Goodan, who grew up on the estate and even rode her horse from her home to attend college at Stanford, passed away in 2005.
Exploring the Trails
The Phleger Estate has many hiking trails. You can hike or even ride horses on some of them. The trails have special signs and go through beautiful redwood forests and oak woodlands.
In the lower parts of the park, the Miramontes Trail follows West Union Creek. The Lonely Trail climbs steeply from the valley up to Skyline Boulevard. As you explore, you might see different kinds of birds, Banana slugs, and the Coast Range Newt.
The park is bordered by San Francisco watershed land to the north, Skyline Blvd (Highway 35) to the west, and Huddart County Park to the south. The area to the east of the park is private property and is not open to hikers. You can get to the trails from the parking area in Huddart County Park, which is off Kings Mountain Road. There is also a trailhead access point on Skyline Blvd.
