Madrone, Morgan Hill, California

The area now known as Madrone had long been known as a popular campsite for Spanish colonists traveling between Monterey and San Jose. However, Madrone was first permanently settled in 1835, during the period of Mexican rule in California, by Juan María Hernández, who was granted the Rancho Refugio de la Laguna Seca. In 1845, the rancho came into the hands of Captain William Fisher, the first American citizen to own land in the area.

Soon after the 1850 American Conquest of California, the area was organized as the Burnett Township in 1852, named after Peter Hardeman Burnett, the first American Governor of California and local resident.[5][6] By 1882, settlement came to be known as Madrone, after the Pacific Madrone, with the popularity of the local Madrone Mineral Springs.[7]

Within Madrone, there are numerous distinct communities, including:

• Amadora
• Capriano
• Madrone Plaza[8]
• Stonebridge
• Willow Springs Canyon

Madrone is home to a number of Silicon Valley tech companies, all housed within the Madrone Business Park, on Madrone Parkway. Some of these companies include:

• Paramit Corporation[9]
• Harris Corporation[10]
• NxEdge
• Amtech Microelectronics

Madrone is also home to numerous small businesses and community organizations, such as:

• Josephine Bakery,[11] a high-end, specialty bakery housed in a historic Spanish Revival building.
• Edward Boss Prado Foundation,[12] a Morgan Hill charitable foundation

Madrone is served by the Morgan Hill Unified School District:

• Sobrato High School
• Central High School[13][14]
• Morgan Hill Charter School