by Mike Monroe

The Ohlone people inhabited the banks of Little Arthur Creek for thousands of years utilizing the area for habitation, acorn processing, fishing and hunting. Early on they traversed the southern ridges of the Santa Cruz Mountains following the animal trails that were present throughout the watershed.

Little Arthur Creek

Soon after the Gold Rush of the early 1850 ' s, and the final removal of the Ohlone people from the landscape, a spur of the Redwood Retreat pathway became the access route to Murphy Canyon- the location of the earliest redwood logging camp in South County. The Charles Sanders family were among the first settlers of Murphy Canyon. In 1863. They built their cabins deep in the redwood groves, and began clearing land for gardens and orchards while excavating channels for irrigation and water storage.

Depending on the season Redwood Retreat Road was either dusty or muddy as it led out from Gilroy to the Sanders property next to Little Arthur Creek. To arrive at the Sanders camp, travelers had to veer off the main trail for a short distance. That main trail, following the course of Little Arthur Creek and Greeninger Canyon, had served generations of people as the connecting route linking Santa Clara County with Santa Cruz County. An historic school building, known as the Redwood School, once stood close to Little Arthur Creek at the base of Mt. Madonna.

After American settlement the first formal roadway over Mt. Madonna became known as the Pajaro Turnpike or simply the " Toll Road ". Wagon teams or stagecoaches traveling over the " private " mountain trail paid a toll at a gate near Summit Road. By the 1870 ' s the toll road would be managed and maintained by the respective county governments. New names were applied, either the Watsonville Road or Old Mt. Madonna Road, would designate the way over the mountain pass.

When the " Yosemite to the Sea Highway "( aka Hecker Pass) was completed in 1928. The lane leading to the Sanders property

became known as Redwood Retreat Road. So named after the " resort " the Sanders family had developed. The once primitive

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logging trail today hosts Fernwood Cellars and Martin Ranch Winery-two of the new residents of Murphy Canyon and Redwood Retreat.

While modern residential properties today claim their homesites in Murphy Canyon, there are still a few old barns along Redwood Retreat that provide some historical context. They are hidden behind the recovering groves of oak trees that were once a source of firewood. One of the old homesteads was a stagecoach stop where horse teams were changed out in support of travelers crossing the redwood flanks of Mt. Madonna. An early pioneer by the last name of Arthur was a manager of such a stage stop located on Redwood Retreat Road. Mr. Arthur was also a miner searching for chromium deposits on the hillsides of Mt. Madonna. Little Arthur Creek was named after him sometime in the 1850 ' s.

The cool stream waters that originate from the natural springs of Mt. Madonna and the winter runoff from storms would swell the flow of Little Arthur Creek. Thirsty horses, deer, bears, fish, and people were all refreshed by the waters of Little Arthur Creek. The Ohlone would trap migrating salmon and steelhead trout by constructing " weirs " to block their escape. During the hot and dry summer months, anticipating periods of drought, the American settlers would install numerous small reservoirs and stock ponds. One anecdotal story from the 1950 ' s recalled that during the bountiful runs of steelhead trout swimming in Little Arthur Creek the fish were trapped and then harvested with the aid of pitchforks. Today, the steelhead are now listed as an endangered fish and protected by law, although poaching still occurs.

In the 1960 ' s small runs of Coho salmon were still recorded in the Pajaro River watershed, including its supporting tributaries of Little Arthur and Uvas Creeks. Today, the salmon runs are

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