Murphy Springs

For thousands of years, Murphy Springs has been a place where people gathered around one of nature's most valuable resources—fresh water. Long before the arrival of European settlers, the springs provided a dependable water source for the Ohlone people, travelers along El Camino Real, and the pioneers who would later make this valley their home.

The area was part of the homeland of the Matalan Tribelet of the Tamien-speaking Ohlone. Villages at Tomol, near present-day Chesbro Reservoir, and Matalan, near Coyote, used the Murphy Springs area for food preparation and daily living. The abundance of water, nearby streams, marshes, and ponds made it an ideal place to settle.

In 1835, the Mexican government granted the 8,900-acre Rancho Ojo de Agua de la Coche to Juan María Hernández. He built the area's first adobe home beside a natural spring. A decade later, Irish immigrant Martin Murphy Sr. purchased the ranch and adobe, living there with his family until 1850. Situated between what would later become the 18-mile and 21-mile roadhouses, the adobe became a familiar stopping place for travelers journeying through the Santa Clara Valley.

More than a century later, Murphy Springs would reveal a remarkable secret from its distant past.

In 1988, while preparing land for a new housing development in northwest Morgan Hill, a construction supervisor noticed what appeared to be unusual stone objects emerging from freshly turned soil. Heavy equipment digging roads and house foundations had uncovered a collection of ancient artifacts buried beneath the ground.

Recognizing the significance of the discovery, local officials invited San José State University archaeologist, members of the Morgan Hill Historical Society, representatives of the Muwekma Ohlone Tribe, and community volunteers to investigate. Together, they began an archaeological excavation that would shed light on thousands of years of local indigenous history. The excavation uncovered an impressive collection of artifacts, including spear points and many tools used for grinding and processing food. 

These discoveries confirmed that Murphy Springs had been an important Native American settlement and activity area for generations. The artifacts provided valuable evidence of daily life, food preparation, and the long-standing connection between Indigenous people and the land.

Today, the excavation site has been preserved as Murphy Springs Park in Morgan Hill. A commemorative plaque honors the Native Americans who once lived and worked there, ensuring that the story uncovered beneath the soil continues to be remembered for future generations.