Agnew's Village, California

37°23′38″N 121°57′29″W / 37.394°N 121.958°W / 37.394; -121.958

1953 USGS map showing "Agnew", where Agnew Rd. crosses the Southern Pacific railroad track that runs parallel to Lafayette Ave., Santa Clara, California

Agnew's Village (or Agnew) was a small unincorporated village in what is now Santa Clara, California. It was named for Abram Agnew, a Santa Clara Valley pioneer from Ohio who settled there around 1873.[1][2][3] Agnew donated 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land for a South Pacific Coast Railroad station and laid out the town, causing the station and town to be referred to as "Agnew's".[2] The railroad depot is still standing.

South Pacific Coast Railroad Agnew Depot, in what was once Agnew's Village

Agnew's land appears on 1877 maps, opposite Lick Mill, a paper mill operated by James Lick.[2] Agnew's Village was annexed into Santa Clara in the mid 1980s.[4]

The Agnew name lives on in Agnew Park in Santa Clara,[2] as well as Agnews Developmental Center,[1] the western campus of which was located in Agnew's Village. The campus has since been turned into the Rivermark community and an R&D campus for Oracle Corporation (formerly the headquarters for Sun Microsystems). The latter includes the 14.5-acre (5.9 ha) Agnews Historic Park.[5]

Notable people

  • Marv Owen (1906–1991) was a baseball player, manager, coach and scout. Known for his time on the Detroit Tigers.
  • Edward J. Livernash (1866–1938) was a newspaperman and lawyer who served one term as a U.S. Representative from California.

References

  1. ^ a b William Bright; Erwin Gustav Gudde (November 30, 1998). 1500 California place names: their origin and meaning. University of California Press. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-520-21271-8. Retrieved January 20, 2012.
  2. ^ a b c d "Residents Share Stories About Santa Clara Street, School & Park Names". City of Santa Clara. Archived from the original on April 13, 2016. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  3. ^ Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Word Dancer Press. p. 591. ISBN 978-1-884995-14-9.
  4. ^ Patel, Julie (June 29, 2007). "Decision to fix Santa Clara roads a close call". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  5. ^ "City of Santa Clara, California : Parks". City of Santa Clara, California. Retrieved February 9, 2016.
  • "Abram Agnew". The Valley of Heart's Delight. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
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