Carnadero

Carnadero Station on the 1939 San Juan Bautista USGS Map.

In the open fields to the south of Gilroy sits the lone remnants of a little-used railroad station that goes by the name of Carnadero. Named after a Spanish word that means either "bait maker" or "butchering place", a likely reference to a nearby tributary of the Pajaro River called Carnadero Creek (or Uvas Creek), Carnadero Station first appeared in Southern Pacific Railroad records in 1871. Early that year, the railroad completed its track through the area on its way to Hollister and Tres Piños at the southern end of the Santa Clara Valley. Soon afterwards, Carnadero Station was established as the start of a new branch line to the town of Pajaro and (eventually) to Salinas. By 1873, this route became the main line of the railroad and the route to Tres Piños became a branch.

The area around Carnadero is the former Rancho Cañada de Las Uvas (Rancho Canyon of the Grapes), originally owned in 1842 by Lorenzo Pinedo. It was later sold to Bernard Murphy and it passed to his son Martin John Charles Murphy in 1860. It was his family that still owned the land when the railroad passed through. Pinedo and Murphy were both famous for growing grapes in the region, a practice that began in the mission days. Thus if any industry operated out of Carnadero, it was probably this. In contrast, the "butchering" reference in nearby Carnadero Creek actually dates to the Portola Expedition and, therefore, predates any later land usage. Local agricultural and pastoral farms sprang up along the railroad track in the area, so it should not be surprising to find a freight platform at Carnadero in 1899. What precisely was shipped out from this point is not known, but the numerous buildings are shown to sit alongside the tracks, Carnadero Avenue, and Carnadero Creek from the 1913 to 1939 USGS survey maps. Some maps even suggest an unincorporated township resided along the state highway which was about a mile away from the station.

For many years the station saw a lot of passing trains, but by the 1930s service to the stop had all but ceased. Except for some freight and local passenger customers, the station does not appear to have attracted any significant groups. Picnickers preferred more scenic spots such as Sargent or Chittenden, while most freight customers could just as easily go to Gilroy three miles to the north. The station remained on timetables but only as a flag-stop. When the double-track was installed from Gilroy to Sargent, any siding or spur at Carnadero was removed and none is ever shown on USGS maps. The truncation of the Tres Piños Branch to Hollister in 1942 also likely reduced active traffic at the stop. Although Carnadero remains a registered station on Union Pacific Railroad timetables, it is unlikely that it receives regular customers and there are currently no facilities at the station to permit freight or passenger loading. It seems to remain a stop only because of the Hollister Branch.

Official Railroad Information:
Carnaderos was established around June 1871 along the mainline of the Southern Pacific Railroad track. In November 1871, the route to Pajaro was opened with its junction to the main line at Carnadero. In August 1873, the Pajaro route became the main line and the other route became the Tres Piños Branch (Hollister Branch from August 1942 to today). As of 1899, Carnadero had a C-class freight station, which implies a siding or a spur and a small freight platform but no formal service. The presence of a station structure at any time in its history is not known. The station was located 83.2 miles from San Francisco via San José. By 1937 a double-track running from Gilroy to Sargent passed through Carnadero, probably replacing the siding or spur that was originally there as it is no longer referenced. A phone was the only listed service at the stop and no passenger or freight stops were scheduled, although the station served as a flag-stop for all passing passenger trains. Little has changed at Carnadero since 1940 and it still remains an officially-registered Union Pacific Railroad station and the junction for the Hollister Branch.

Geo-Coordinates & Access Rights:
36.976˚N, 121.543˚W

Carnadero Station is located at the break of Carnadero Avenue, a dirt road south of Gilroy. Take the Bolsa Road exit on State Route 101 and head south on Bolsa Road—Carnadero Ave will be on the left (east). Beside the tracks is a large clearing on either side of the road and the triple-track junction of the Hollister Branch with the mainline. It is unclear what the ownership status of the surrounding property is so caution is advised. As usual, this is an active track so do not trespass on or across the tracks.

Citations & Credits:

• Nanney, Duncan. Personal correspondence.
• Robertson, Donald B. Encylopedia of Western Railroad History: Oregon, Washington. Caxton Press, 1986.

Miller & Nema

Miller as located on the 1917 USGS Map

At the absolute southernmost end of the Santa Clara Valley sits the mostly forgotten—although still technically active—station of Miller. The station most likely dates to the earliest years of the Santa Clara & Pajaro Valley Railroad (soon the Southern Pacific Railroad) when the tracks passed beside Henry Miller's ranch in 1870. Miller was in fact Heinrich Kreiser, a German immigrant who stole the identity of a man named Henry Miller. Miller became a major cattle rancher in and around the Bay Area. At the Bloomfield Ranch south of Gilroy, Miller built a 44-room mansion in 1888 which acted as the center of a small railroad community. Around it were built livery stables, a blacksmith shop, granaries, a general store, and a train station. Miller also owned a mansion on Mount Madonna for many years.

Bloomfield Ranch, date unknown. (King Library)

Bloomfield Mansion at Miller's with a cattle herd in front. (Calisphere)

By the turn of the century, Miller's was a major cattle and agricultural shipping point in the area and the Miller family land stretched in all directions. At the top of the long siding at Miller's, the Southern Pacific designated a new station that went by the name of Nema (Spanish for "letter seal"—origin unknown). From this site a long spur went to the west to the base of the nearby Santa Cruz Mountains. The precise purpose for this spur is not presently known but the existence of a reservoir in the hills and the amount of oil located in these hills just to the south may act as clues. The fact that the tiny town of Miller's Station was located here suggests that Nema may have become a new station point for Miller, despite Miller remaining a stop along the main line. Today a private ranch still sits at the end of this spur site, although the tracks are now gone. Unfortunately very little can be found on Nema Station. The stop shut its doors in 1941 with the spur torn up a few years earlier.

Bloomfield Mansion at Miller's

Much more is known about Miller's Station, which became Miller in the late 1900s. Miller himself was one of the largest land owners in California by the time of his death in 1916. His estimated value was at $40 million. Following his death, his grandson George Nickel reincorporated the family company, Miller & Lux Corporation, into a holding and land development firm. A few members of the family continued to farm for many more years, but they appear to have lost influence in the lower Santa Clara Valley, selling its remaining assets in 1930. The family sold the rest of their holdings over the course of the following thirty years. The station has surprisingly remained on timetables continuously since 1870, although there is no longer any spur at the station and it is doubtful that it has been used for many years. A long freight shed alongside the tracks marks the site of the original station point.

Official Railroad Information:
Miller's Spur was an early station along the Southern Pacific Railroad's main line. When precisely it appeared is not presently known to this historian but it seems likely it was an original stop. In 1899, it occupied a long stretch of track between 84.2 and 84.4 miles south of San Francisco via San José. Sometime soon afterwards—no later than 1905—the northern end of this track was renamed Nema. Miller's had a A-class freight platform but had no other facilities listed at the site. It's spur sat on the west side of the tracks and was initially fairly short but by 1899 it stretched 0.2 miles and had become a long siding. By 1937, Nema sat at 84.1 miles south of San Francisco while Miller was at 84.4. An 18-car (~900 feet) spur ran along the western track. At Nema, a 28-car (~1,400 feet) spur ran to the southwest, ending immediately to the east of State Route 101. Extant USGS maps show that this spur forked at the end and included two additional spurs along its length, one staggered on either side of the track. According to the 1939 USGS map, Nema's long spur was removed entirely in the late 1930s. In 1940, both stations were demoted to "Additional Stations" although it appears nothing else changed; Nema was still listed as having a spur, although the length was no longer noted. Nema was formally abandoned on December 15, 1941. Miller remains in use officially, although it seems unlikely that it has seen service for many years. Both stations's spurs have long since been removed and no trace of them remains. The double-tracks from Gilroy pass directly beside the old freight building.

Geo-Coordinates & Access Rights:
36.958˚N, 121.545˚W (Miller)
36.963˚N, 121.544˚W (Nema)

The site of Miller Station is currently inaccessible to the public. It sits along a long stretch of double-track about 500 yards south of the crossing of Hollister Road over the tracks. Currently a long freight shed marks the site of the spur, although all trace of the spur itself appears to be gone. Nema Station, meanwhile was located just north of this crossing, with the spur paralleling Hollister Road on the north side. It crossed the road just at about the site of the highway on/off ramp. The farm that the station serviced still exists today and is located at the southeast corner of Highway 101 and Hollister Road. The Garlic Shop is across Hollister Road from this site.

Citations & Credits:

• Igler, David. Industrial Cowboys: Miller & Lux and the Transformation of the Far West
• Nanney, Duncan. Personal correspondence.
• Salewske, Claudia. Images of America: Gilroy. Arcadia, 2003.
• Southern Pacific Railroad agency books and employee timetables, 1899-1940.

Corporal

Corporal on the 1955 USGS Map.

It should come as no surprise that the Southern Pacific Railroad had some fun when they named Sargent's northern neighbor "Corporal". This location is the newest station covered by Santa Cruz Trains, opening services only in January 1949. It never operated as a services passenger or freight stop but rather appears to be more of a stop of convenience due to its location at the southern end of the Gilroy double-track and the northern end of Sargent's trackage limits.

Unfortunately, the newness of this station does not help in identifying its purpose. The close proximity of many oil wells in the region, including some that are still active, suggests that this may have been a secondary oil-loading area located closer to the wells than Sargent 0.6 miles away. Alternatively, it could have originally serviced a short-lived agricultural or pastoral facility that is no longer in the vicinity, although this seems less likely. Third and most likely, it serves as a waiting point for trains switching from the double-track to the single line through Chittenden Pass, although the limited use the line sees does not imply a high chance of collision in this area. Newspapers do not mention the stop and even many maps do not include it. Further research is required before the original purpose of Corporal Station is definitively known.

Official Railroad Information:
Corporal first appeared in Southern Pacific Railroad records on January 23, 1949. It is located 86.4 miles south of San Francisco via San José. The station was only ever a freight stop although for a while waiting passengers could flag passing trains informally. The station had no services except a station sign and a phone. The stop served as the northern end of the Sargent freight area and still serves as the southern end of the Gilroy Double-Track. The stop marked the beginning of the Automated Block Signal system to Castroville as well as the start of the centralised traffic control system to Logan. In 1996, the station was taken over by the Union Pacific which adjusted the milepost location to 83.1. The station is no longer in use but is still a registered stop on UP records.

Geo-Coordinates & Access Rights:
36.928˚N, 121.548˚W

Access to the Corporal site is surprisingly easy if you are heading southbound on State Route 101. Take the exit just after passing over Tar Spring Creek and the railroad tracks. From there, turn north and stop just before going under the freeway. At this location, you can see the double-track cutting off and heading north while the Sargent double track cuts back into the mainline (although it is now disconnected). A sign for Corporal is still in the area. The remnants for the grade crossing are also under the freeway since the concrete highway was once the original Highway 101. Considering these are still active tracks, caution is advised and do not trespass onto the tracks themselves.

Citations & Credits:

• Nanney, Duncan. Personal correspondence.
• Southern Pacific Railroad employee timetables, 1949 to 1990.

Sargent

Sargent's on the 1915 USGS survey map.

Unlike so many stops along the Southern Pacific Railroad's Coast Division, Sargent Station has been there since the beginning. The area began life in 1835 as Rancho Juristac, a 4,500 acre Mexican land grant owned by Antonio and Faustino German. Even in its earliest days, it was known for its oil field, which gave the land the nickname La Brea. In 1856, James P. Sargent, a New Hampshirite, along with his brothers Jacob, Roswell, and Bradley, purchased Rancho Juristac, renaming it Sargent's Ranch. By the time the property was confirmed by the California Public Land Commission in 1871, railroad tracks were already terminated beside the conveniently-named Sargent's Station. For the next three decades, this would be the stop that people detrained from for the six-mile stagecoach ride to San Juan Bautista.

Throughout much of its life, Sargent's served a triple purpose: it was an oil site requiring tanker cars to regularly haul out oil of various types, it was a sugar-beet plantation requiring regular shipments of beets to Watsonville and Spreckels, and it was a local passenger and freight station servicing the locals that lived on and around Sargent Ranch. To support the station, a siding was added which slowly extended in length until it reached a maximum extent of approximately 2,000 feet. By 1937, a double-track was extended from Gilroy and terminated just south of Sargent's. The station included a full passenger and freight office, telephone service, a class-A freight platform and beet-loading equipment, a train order register, and a water tower.

Firstly, oil had been known to be on the property since Mexican times and in the mid-1860s the first test wells were drilled in the hills over the Pajaro River. By the early 1870s, a number of wells on Sargent's Ranch were producing black gold, making the property quite valuable to its owners. In 1906, harder asphaltic oil (tar) was found in the soil and became a staple export for many years with over 780,000 barrels of assorted types of oil shipped out of the station making it the most profitable oil field in the Bay Area. In 1883, gold and silver was even discovered on the property, although not in significant enough quantities to warrant extensive extraction. Oil continued to be extracted from the ranch into the 1940s, with the last well closing in 1948

Secondly, the sugar-beet empire of Claus Spreckels spread up the San Juan Valley ending around Sargent, where the family and its tenants grew large crops of beets beginning in the early 1900s. This industry continued, albeit not through Spreckels, well into the 1950s and perhaps as late as the 1970s.

A structure at Sargent's, possibly showing the station although this building does not reflect the design of other Southern Pacific structures in the region. (Sargent Quarry)

Finally, the size of the station and the ranch, as well as its proximity to the river, made it an ideal vacation spot. Besides the locals who used the station regularly for transport and freight, visitors came regularly in the summer months to enjoy the beautiful ranch property. A small town located around the station supported both a hotel and a saloon, and there was an open-air dance pavilion for picnic parties. The area also supported hunting of all types and the nearby river was a popular fishing spot for vacationers.

The beet-loading tower sitting beside the abandoned spur at Sargent.

Threats to remove Sargent from railroad timetables date to as early as 1905 when Betabel was slated to be the new beet-gathering hub, but plans failed when the San Juan Pacific Railway made Betabel redundant. The station remained and grew over the years, with sugar-beets taking over as the primary good shipped out of the site. When precisely this product ceased being shipped from there is not known, but relics of the old beet conveyors still remain at the station site today.  The station almost became a hub for a branch line that would pass through Pacheco Pass in 1907, but plans for the route fell through. In 1908, the agency permanently closed down, although passenger and freight service was still permitted so long that it was prepaid. After petitions to the government, the post office was allowed to remain opened however, meaning that passengers still had a waiting area for trains. The Spreckels Sugar Company, Watsonville Oil Company and Sargent Estate all were also allowed to operate out of the station structure for many more years. In October 1942, the station structure was finally torn down.

The Sargent family continued to maintain the property until 1956 when the last member of the family died. Attempts to develop the property failed many times before the property was transferred to a debt-collection agency. The majority of the property is now used for cattle grazing and hay farming, although there is a proposal by Sargent Quarry to repurpose a corner of it for gravel quarrying.

Official Railroad Information:
Sargent's first appeared in railroad timetables as early as 1869 as the terminus of the Southern Pacific Railroad. Extension of the line began the following year. By 1899, the stop had a freight and passenger agency office, a class A freight platform, telegraph services, and a four-car siding (~125 feet). The station was located 87.1 miles from San Francisco via San José. By 1937, the double-track from Gilroy terminated just south of Sargent (the "s" being removed from the name) while the spur had become a nearly 4,000-foot-long siding. A water tower was also now at the site while telegraph services were replaced with telephone. A train-order registry was kept at the station house. Many services began to disappear by the mid-1950s with only phone service remaining as of 1963. The siding, however, had been lengthened to 4,500 feet, but the double-track, though still remaining, appears to have gone out of use at this time. As late as 1974 the station was still listed as an official freight stop with an active phone and 4,395-foot siding, but it seems the station structures themselves had gone out of use. Officially, the station remains in Union Pacific Railroad records, but evidence from the station suggests that the stop has long been abandoned and both the siding and second track are overgrown and disconnected from the main line.

Geo-Coordinates & Access Rights:

The tracks at Sargent with the oil field in the background.

36.923˚N, 121.547˚W

The site of Sargent Station is accessible via a rarely-used right turn off of State Route 101 just south of Tar Spring Creek where the highway passes over the railroad tracks. Taking the exit, immediately turn left to parallel the tracks. A short distance down the old cement road will reveal the ruins of the station site, with a loading ramp and three heavily-graffited structures still standing on the right immediately by the still-surviving triple tracks located there. While accessing the structures is probably not going to bother anybody, remain off the tracks—the track furthest from the station is still in active regular use by the Union Pacific Railroad.

Citations & Credits:

• "History". Sargent Quarry.
• Santa Cruz (Morning/Evening/Weekly) Sentinel, 1869 to 1956.