San Antonio Valley, California facts for kids
San Antonio Valley, also known as San Antonio or San Antone, is a quiet community in eastern Santa Clara County, California. It is located near the Diablo Range mountains. To the north, it borders Alameda County, and to the east, Stanislaus County. This peaceful area is found where San Antonio Valley Road, Mines Road, and Del Puerto Canyon Road meet.
A special part of the area is the San Antonio Valley Ecological Reserve. This nature preserve covers 3,282 acres. It was created when the Nature Conservancy bought land from a local rancher named Keith Hurner. The reserve is famous for its herd of tule elk, a type of deer native to California.
Quick facts for kids
San Antonio Valley
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 San Antonio Valley, California
Location in California
San Antonio Valley, California
Location in the United States
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| Country | United States |
| State | California |
| County | Santa Clara |
| Time zone | UTC-8 (Pacific (PST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-7 (PDT) |
| ZIP code |
94550
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| Area code(s) | 408 |
| GNIS feature ID | 232374 |
Contents
History of San Antonio Valley
The San Antonio Valley was once a meeting point for different Native American groups. The Ohlone people lived in the San Francisco-Monterey area. The Yokuts people lived near the San Joaquin River. It is thought that the Ohlone arrived in the Bay Area around 500 A.D.
Early Names and Explorers
On April 5, 1776, a group led by Juan Bautista de Anza explored the area. They called it El Cañada de San Vicente. Later maps, like the 1956 Thomas Brothers map, spelled the name as San Antone. This spelling sounds like how local people say the name today. The 1924 "Mount Boardman, California" U.S. Geological Survey map also used the spelling San Antone.
The Old Horse Trail
An old trail called La Vereda del Monte passed through the valley. This trail connected the Sacramento River Delta with the Central Valley. It was used by people who moved horses. Some of these horses were legally obtained wild mustangs. Others were stolen horses. San Antonio Valley was a place where horses were picked up from nearby holding spots. These spots were in Adobe Canyon and Isabel Valley.
Deforest Post Office
In 1892, the U.S. Postal Service opened a post office in the area. It was called Deforest. The post office moved a few times before closing in 1909. A 1924 map shows a group of buildings along San Antonio Creek named Deforest. The name came from Ransford S. Deforest. He was the first Postmaster in the community.
Geography of the Valley
The San Antonio Valley community is located in the San Antonio Valley. It sits at an elevation of about 2,133 feet (650 meters). The valley has a stream called San Antonio Creek. This creek flows northwest into Arroyo Valle. Arroyo Valle is part of the Alameda Creek water system.
Community Life
The community has a CAL FIRE station. It is located at 47405 Mines Road. This station is called Sweetwater - Station 25. It is part of the Santa Clara Ranger Unit.
There is also a restaurant called The Junction Bar and Grill. It is located where Mines Road, San Antonio Valley Road, and Del Puerto Canyon Road meet. This restaurant is a popular spot for locals. It is also a stopping point for many motorcycles, bicycles, and tourists.
Telephone Service
For a long time, the area had manual telephone service. This meant you had to talk to an operator to make a call. Dial service arrived in the early 1980s. Before that, there was a special coin telephone on San Antonio Road. Its number was "San Antonio California Toll Station Number 3." Today, wired phone numbers in the area start with (408) 897-xxxx. Frontier Communications provides telephone service here.
Books About the Area
If you want to learn more about San Antonio Valley, here are some books:
