Almaden in San Jose in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
Wood Road & Jacques Ridge
Photographed By Barry Swackhamer, January 9, 2012
1. Wood Road & Jacques Ridge Marker
[Photo captions; top, left to right:]
A teamster hauls wood along Wood Road for furnaces at the Hacienda Reduction Works. In 1892, teamsters were paid $35 per month plus board.
Photograph courtesy Robert Bulmore.
Hacienda Furnaces required up to 300 cords of wood per month. It was 4.5 miles down Wood Road to the furnaces.
Photograph courtesy S.J. Hawes.
Current location of the sandstone quarry along Wood Road. The Quicksilver Mining Company found substantial deposits in 1884 and used this stone at the Buena Vista Shaft house.
Photograph 2008 by Art Boudreault.
[Photo caption, bottom:]
A modern panorama of Wood Road and the western side of Jacques Ridge, looking north. Above Jacques Ridge is Los Capitancillos Ridge. This is a good view of the Sandstone Quarry and the modern 35-ton rotary furnace.
Photograph by Art Boudreault.
Inscription.
Wood Road and Jacques Ridge. . [Side-bar on left:]
Wood Road and Jacques Ridge. Built in April 1876 by the Quicksilver Mining Company, Wood Road originally served to connect nearby oak woodlands to the mining operations where voracious wood-fueled furnaces processed cinnabar ore into liquid mercury. Dedicated on April 7, 2004, Wood Road now provides parking and trail access to Almaden Quicksilver County Park., In 1994, the Santa Clara County Parks partnered with the Mid-peninsula Regional Open Space District to purchase 907 acres known as Jacques Ridge for $6.65 million dollars. The California Department of Parks and Recreation supplied a $230,000 grant to help insure that deer and mountain lions inhabiting the area were provided with a permanent home. The purchase straddles Hicks Road, thus connecting New Almaden Quicksilver County Park with the Mount Unumhum area of the Sierra Azul Open Place Preserve. One and one-half miles long, the Jacques Ridge purchase also provided a vital link in the Bay Area Ridge Trail. Photograph courtesy John Slenter.
[Side-bar on left:]
Wood Road and Jacques Ridge
Built in April 1876 by the Quicksilver Mining Company, Wood Road originally served to connect nearby oak woodlands to the mining operations where voracious wood-fueled furnaces processed cinnabar ore into liquid mercury. Dedicated on April 7, 2004, Wood Road now provides parking and trail access to Almaden Quicksilver County Park.
In 1994, the Santa Clara County Parks partnered with the Mid-peninsula Regional Open Space District to purchase 907 acres known as Jacques Ridge for $6.65 million dollars. The California Department of Parks and Recreation supplied a $230,000 grant to help insure that deer and mountain lions inhabiting the area were provided with a permanent home. The purchase straddles Hicks Road, thus connecting New Almaden Quicksilver County Park with the Mount Unumhum area of the Sierra Azul Open Place Preserve. One and one-half miles long, the Jacques Ridge purchase also provided a vital link in the Bay Area Ridge Trail.
Photograph courtesy John Slenter.
Erected by New Almaden Quicksilver County Park Association.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles. A significant historical month for this entry is April 1876.
Location. 37°
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10.516′ N, 121° 51.691′ W. Marker is in San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Almaden. Marker is on Woods Road east of Hicks Road. This marker is located in New Almaden Quicksilver County Park on the Wood Road Trail near the Wood Road parking lot. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: San Diego CA 92120, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 19, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 661 times since then and 8 times this year. Photos:1, 2. submitted on February 19, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.