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Stanford in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

A Road Well Traveled

 
 
A Road Well Traveled Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023
1. A Road Well Traveled Marker
Inscription. The industrious Leland Stanford wore many hats over his lifetime-lawyer, merchant, chief railroad builder, governor of California, horse breeder, vintner, university founder and U.S.-senator. His lifelong passion, however, was horses. The son of a farmer and innkeeper, Stanford wanted his own son to experience rural living. In 1876, he began his purchase of 8,180 acres for the Palo Alto Stock Farm - now the site of Stanford University.

This tree-lined lane is a remnant of the farm. Governor's Avenue originally ran 1.6 miles between the Stanfords' country residence to Lake Lagunita. Whenever Governor Stanford was at the farm, he travelled this path to the trotting stables to watch the horses train every morning, including the day he died.

The Need for Speed
Leland Stanford's pioneering flair carried into his horse training. At his Stock Farm, colts were trained as yearlings, not adults; horses were driven at full speed for short runs, not at slow speed for long distances. Stanford's system worked: The farm's horses, including some sired by Stanford's prized horse, Electioneer, set 19 consecutive world speed records. The road to Stanford's historic Red Barn is named after the legendary stallion.

From Horses to Hollywood
The development of motion pictures traces back to the Palo Alto Stock
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Farm. Leland Stanford hired photographer Eadweard Muybridge to prove his contention that a horse, in its running stride, lifts all four feet at once. The horse-in-motion experiments, involving a 24-camera setup on a training track once west of here, led in 1878 to the first series of photographs depicting live-action movement. The experiment site is California Historical Landmark #834.

"I bought a little horse, that turned out to be remarkably fast, and it was in the using of it that I became interested in the study of the horse and its actions." Leland Stanford Sr. 1890
 
Erected by Stanford University.
 
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: AnimalsEntertainmentSettlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1876.
 
Location. 37° 25.566′ N, 122° 10.685′ W. Marker is in Stanford, California, in Santa Clara County. Marker is at the intersection of Santa Teresa Street and Govenor's Avenue, on the right when traveling east on Santa Teresa Street. The resin marker is mounted to a metal post at the sidewalk. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Stanford CA 94305, United States of America. Touch for directions.
 
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Development of Motion Pictures (approx. 0.2 miles away); Nourishing the Whole Student (approx. ¼ mile away); Papua New Guinea Sculpture Garden
A Road Well Traveled Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed By Joseph Alvarado, June 24, 2023
2. A Road Well Traveled Marker
(approx. ¼ mile away); Exploring the Forces of Nature (approx. 0.3 miles away); In Pursuit of Breakthroughs (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ancient Ohlone Villages (approx. 0.4 miles away); Motion Picture Research Commemoration (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Stanford Women’s Clubhouse (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Stanford.
 
Regarding A Road Well Traveled. Inset Image:
Leading the Way | Governor Leland Stanford traveled by horse carriage to the Red Barn.
 
Related marker. Click here for another marker that is related to this marker. Development of Motion Pictures
 
Also see . . .  A history of Stanford.
"When Jane Lathrop Stanford and railroad magnate and former California Gov. Leland Stanford lost their only child, Leland, Jr., to typhoid in 1884, they decided to build a university as the most fitting memorial, and deeded to it a large fortune that included the 8,180-acre Palo Alto stock farm that became the campus. They made their plans just as the modern research university was
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taking form."
(Submitted on September 1, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on September 1, 2023. It was originally submitted on August 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 51 times since then and 9 times this year. Photos:   1, 2. submitted on August 28, 2023, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.

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Apr. 29, 2024