Vásquez Tree and Site of 21-Mile House

Santa Clara County · 1.25 miles south of Morgan Hill · location approximate

When the stagecoaches ran from Monterey to San Jose, this tree was a welcome sight to passengers. Under the tree a famous stage station stood, called the "21-Mile House," where horses were changed and travelers could revive themselves. Local rumor says the bandit Vásquez would tether his horse to the lone oak and go inside the stage station to spend some of his loot on fun and cheer. The oak died in 1970 and was removed.

1971 register text, presented as a historical document. It uses the period's terms for Native people; the state's landmark listings still carry most of this wording, and the California Office of Historic Preservation maintains the program's current texts.

Many of these plaques have since been recast or their texts revised. The California Historical Landmarks program and its current texts are maintained by the California Office of Historic Preservation. California Office of Historic Preservation ↗

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

Marker data: State of California, Department of Parks and Recreation, California Historical Landmarks (1971)

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