Morgan Hill

Sister cities

• San Martín Hidalgo
• Seferihisar district
• Headford
• Mizuho
• San Casciano in Val di Pesa

History

Prior to the arrival of Spanish colonists, Santa Clara Valley had been inhabited by the Tamien nation of Ohlone people for more than 6,000 years. In that area, the Matalan tribe lived in a hunter-gatherer society. Before the area was colonized as part of the Alta California province of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, the 1772 Spanish expedition led by Pedro Fages and Father Juan Crespí, the two explorers camped in the area around Morgan Hill alongside Llagas Creek. The location of their camp subsequently became a campsite for Spanish soldiers on their way from New Spain to Alta California. With the founding of Mission Santa Clara de Asís in 1777, the lands of present-day Morgan Hill were granted to the Roman Catholic Church. In 1850, Martin Murphy Sr.'s youngest son, Daniel Martin Murphy, married Maria Fisher, heiress of the neighboring Rancho Refugio de la Laguna Seca, thus combining the two estates. By 1870, the Murphy family had acquired around of the Morgan Hill area. In 1869, he founded the Malaguerra Winery, the oldest extant winery in Santa Clara Valley, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1875, Tiburcio Vásquez, famed Californio bandido, robbed 21-Mile House; the Vásquez Oak that stands there today is named in his memory. In 1882, Daniel and Maria Murphy's daughter, Diana Helen Murphy, fell in love with Missouri businessman Hiram Morgan Hill. and others stating it was due to the religious differences with his family being Quaker and her family being Roman Catholic. By 1886, the family chose to live primarily at the Rancho Ojo del Agua de la Coche, as they jointly inherited around the estate. However, the move was temporary, as scandal caused by the marital complications of Hiram Morgan Hill's prominent socialite sister, Sarah…

Geography

Morgan Hill is approximately south of downtown San Jose, north of Gilroy, and inland from the Pacific coast. Lying in a roughly southern extension of the Santa Clara Valley, it is bounded by the Santa Cruz Mountains to the west and the Diablo Range to the east. At the valley floor, Morgan Hill lies at an elevation of about above MSL. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city encompasses an area of , all land. Although there are no natural lakes or ponds within the city limits, there are several flood-control and water storage reservoirs in the adjacent hills which are operated by the Santa Clara Valley Water District, with recreational activities such as boating, etc., administered by the Santa Clara County Department of Parks and Recreation. Morgan Hill is located within the seismically active San Francisco Bay region. The significant earthquakes in the region are generally associated with crustal movements along well-defined, active fault zones. The nearest known active faults are the San Andreas Fault, approximately southwest, and the Calaveras Fault, approximately northeast. Both faults have produced major earthquakes in the past, and have estimated maximum credible Richter magnitudes of 8.3 and 7.3, respectively. The 1984 Morgan Hill earthquake registered at a 6.2 magnitude. Within Morgan Hill's area are a number of lakes and reservoirs, including Anderson Lake (eastern Morgan Hill), Uvas Reservoir (west), Chesbro Reservoir (west), and Coyote Lake (south). The Sargent-Berrocal Fault, a potentially active fault, lies away from the sites and has an estimated maximum credible Richter magnitude of 7.4. The Coyote Creek Fault is located in Morgan Hill and is classified as potentially active as well. In addition, several unnamed faults traverse the…

Race & ethnicity

Most-observed species

• Turkey Vulture

  Cathartes aura (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  11,541
• California/Woodhouse's Scrub-Jay

  Aphelocoma californica (Vigors, 1839) · Aves
  11,195
• Anna's Hummingbird

  Calypte anna (R.Lesson, 1829) · Aves
  10,192
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  9,557
• Acorn Woodpecker

  Melanerpes formicivorus (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  9,505
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  9,095
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  8,815
• Black Phoebe

  Sayornis nigricans (Swainson, 1827) · Aves
  8,744

Largest nearby schools

• Christopher High
  High · Gilroy · 1,664 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• Ann Sobrato High
  High · Morgan Hill · 1,521 students · 23.4:1 ratio
• Live Oak High
  High · Morgan Hill · 1,137 students · 21.9:1 ratio
• Solorsano Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 780 students · 22.3:1 ratio
• Brownell Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 747 students · 22.6:1 ratio
• South Valley Middle
  Middle · Gilroy · 735 students · 21.6:1 ratio
• Luigi Aprea Elementary
  Elementary · Gilroy · 716 students · 24.7:1 ratio
• Rod Kelley Elementary
  Elementary · Gilroy · 707 students · 27.2:1 ratio