Forbes Mill
Forbes Mill Annex | |
California Historical Landmark No. 458 | |
Location | Los Gatos, California |
---|---|
Coordinates | 37°13′20.03″N 121°58′49.87″W / 37.2222306°N 121.9805194°W |
Built | 1880 |
Architect | James Alexander Forbes |
NRHP reference No. | 78000776[1] |
CHISL No. | 458 |
Added to NRHP | July 31, 1978 |
Forbes Mill is a now-defunct flour mill originally built in 1854 located in Los Gatos, California, which served as the History Museum of Los Gatos after having been saved from destruction in 1982. The museum closed in 2014, and its collections are now part of New Museum Los Gatos.[2] The building is currently owned by the city.
The mill is the first commercial building to be established in the city of Los Gatos. The existing two-story building is actually a storage annex, which was added to the original four-story stone mill building in the fall of 1880.[3]
Forbes Mill was built as the Santa Rosa Flour Mill by
The
The opening of Forbes Mill was an auspicious moment in the history of the
Unfortunately, Forbes knew nothing about flour milling. He had built a dam 0.5 miles (0.8 km) upstream on the creek, carrying water via a flume to two 20-foot (6.1 m) high water wheels. However, a 20-foot (6.1 m) high water drop proved to be inefficient, so he had to keep raising the water level. Not only that, but there was also only enough water in the creek to power the mill during the winter months, meaning that the machinery sat idle for much of the year.[6] Furthermore, by the time the mill was in operation, competing mills had been constructed, and the Gold Rush was coming to an end, thus driving flour prices down to a mere $5/barrel.[5]
Besides his outstanding loans, Forbes had also lost a lot of money speculating on wheat and flour and was forced into bankruptcy. He eventually defaulted on his loans, and the mill and land were sold in 1857 to Gustave Touchard, one of his creditors. Forbes continued to operate the mill for Touchard but ultimately was evicted from the property in 1858. Touchard hired others to run the mill, but they did not have much success with it either, although he was able to sell parcels of the land for a small profit.[6]
In 1866, he sold the mill to William H. Rogers, who had previously worked at a flour mill in
In 1869, he brought in partners WS McMurtry and JW McMillen and renamed the company as the Los Gatos Manufacturing Co. The waterhead was increased to 200 feet (61.0 m), and the company constructed reservoirs to hold enough water to allow for year-round production. With these improvements, the mill was able to produce 100 barrels of flour a day.[6] In 1881, the Los Gatos News wrote, "While other cities and towns may boast of a larger population, for the manufacture of the finest grade of flour known to the markets of the civilized world, Los Gatos Flouring Mills stands preeminent."[5]
It continued as a flour mill until 1887 when it successively became a power plant for the Los Gatos Ice and Power Company, a brewing and bottling company, the Los Gatos Gas Company, and finally the
On June 10, 1950, the California Centennial Commission commemorated the mill's contribution to the State's rich past by designating it as California Historical Landmark number 458. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
- ^ "Los Gatos: Museums get new name, and soon new home". San Jose Mercury News. October 22, 2014. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
- ^ a b "Forbes Mill Annex". California's Historic Silicon Valley. National Park Service. Retrieved 2007-03-12.
- ^ "Our Rich Heritage". Los Gatos Chamber of Commerce. Archived from the original on 2008-02-07. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ^ a b c Aldrich, Bob (March 27, 1996). "The Old Mill Stream". Los Gatos Weekly-Times. Archived from the original on 2007-03-01. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
- ^ a b c d "Brief History of Forbes Mill". The History Museum of Los Gatos. Archived from the original on 2008-05-09. Retrieved 2008-01-21.
This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Park Service.