Okay, so this isn't quite San Francisco, but I don't think there's a Bay Area board here....

I'm doing some genealogy research right now on the SUGGS and BRYAN families of a town in Santa Clara County that existed in the 1870s to 1890s, but was later enveloped into Los Gatos, though it hardly exists today in any form.

Known as either Frohm or Guadalupe, it was located somewhat southeast of the intersection of Shannon Road at Hicks Road, along Guadalupe Creek. The old San José city directories described Frohm as "a postal town on the S.P. Co.'s Narrow Gauge Almaden Branch Railroad, 10 miles south of San Jose."

First, does anyone have any general knowledge about this town? They had a post office, ranches, and a saloon, but what else? Any pictures of this place? Where did this railroad pass through and what was its complete route? What was going on at the nearby Guadalupe Mines? Any particular resources I should check out?

Thanks!
Scott Trimble


-- Scott Thomas Suggs Trimble (stst@stst.net), August 15, 2001

Answers

This area appears to be near or in the Almaden Quicksilver County Park. There is plenty of material on the New Almaden cinnabar mining district both in libraries and on the net. Mining activity here goes back to the Mexican period and any railroad activity was probably mine related. Have fun!

-- Don Martinich (dutchm@dcn.davis.ca.us), August 16, 2001.