HISTORY

First
Famılies
The story of the first families to settle in Los
Altos Hills begins with with Martin and Mary
Murphy’s quest for religious and educational
freedom which leads the Catholic-Irish immigrants
to Mexican California six years before the Gold
Rush, where they rise from humble farmers to influential
figures during California’s formative period. Much of the
state’s commerce, agriculture and education start on their
Santa Clara Valley ranch that encompasses Los Altos Hills.
A Family of Pioneers
The Murphy family’s California
legacy begins in 1844 when
the pioneers establish the first
wagon route to California over
the Sierra Nevada Mountains,
opening the California Trail
for thousands of other
immigrants. Although
this route is now
called Donner Pass,
it was the Murphy-
Townsend-Stephens
Party who pioneered
this crossing.
The Murphy’s eldest daughter,
Elizabeth “Lizzie” Yuba Murphy-
Taaffe, who later receives Los
Altos Hills as a wedding present
from her parents, is born near the
summit of the Sierra
Nevada Mountains
during the trek,
earning her the
distinction of
being the first
American child
born in California,
according
to California