HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Resolution 21-059 Point of Interest marker - El Quito Olive FarmRESOLUTION NO: 21-059
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY
OF SARATOGA AUTHORIZING THE INSTALLATION OF A POINT OF
INTEREST MARKER FOR "EL QUITO OLIVE FARM"
WHEREAS, on February 1, 2017, the City Council of the City of Saratoga adopted
Resolution No. 17- 007 which authorized a process for establishing Point of Interest Markers to
increase knowledge, understanding and appreciation of the City's past by commemorating events
and places that are identified with the region that are no longer in existence, and
WHEREAS, the City Council determined on February 1, 2017, that a site marked as a Point
of Interest does not signify the site as a cultural or historical resource, is not identifying a heritage
site nor is it to be associated with the Saratoga's Heritage Resources Inventory, and
WHEREAS, in 1865 Don Jose Ramon Arguello chose 80 acres of land out of his large grant
for a home and a place to grow olives. Edward E. Goodrich bought the olive farm from the estate
of Arguello in 1880, and
WHEREAS, Edward E. Goodrich built a winery type building housing an olive mill. The
mill consisted of two huge flat stones which rotated, crushing the olives and converting them into a
pulp. The pulp was placed in a powerful press which forced out the oil. It was then bottled in various
sizes. The olive oil was marketed under the name El Quito olive oil in colorful bottles, and
WHEREAS, the Heritage Preservation Commission has recommended that a Point of
Interest Marker be installed on Quito Road and Paseo Olivos to identify the site of the El Quito Olive
Farm, and
WHEREAS, the text for the proposed marker was drafted, reviewed and edited by the
Heritage Preservation Commission and the Director of Community Development, and
WHEREAS, the Director of Public Works reviewed and recommended the marker location
within along Quito Road and Paso Olivos, in consultation with the Heritage Preservation
Commission and the Director of Community Development, and
WHEREAS, this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act because
there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment
(CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3)).
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Saratoga
hereby: 1) Authorizes the final text shown in Exhibit F to the staff report for this resolution and
marker design described in the staff report for this resolution; 2) Authorizes the location to install
the Point of Interest Marker shown in Attachment H to the staff report for this resolution; and
3)Authorizes the Director of Community Development and the Director of Public Works to proceed
with contracting for the manufacturing and installation of the marker in cooperation with the property
1
owner.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Saratoga on this 21s' day of July
2021 by the following vote:
AYES: Mayor Yan Zhao, Vice Mayor Tina Walia, Council Members Mary -Lynne Bemald,
Kookie Fitzsimmons, Rishi Kumar
NOES:
ABSENT:
ABSTAIN:
Yan Zhao, Mayor
Attest:
0�zz /Q�� DATE: -7 d 7�2-o L/
ebbie Bretschneider, City Clerk
EL QUITO OLIVE FARM
1865
IN 1865 DON JOSE RAMON ARGUELLO CHOSE 81 ACRES FROM HIS LARGE GRANT FOR A
HOME AND A PLACE TO GROW OLIVES AND OTHER FRUIT. EDWARD E. GOODRICH AND
HIS WIFE, SARA M. SHAFTER, HAD MOVED TO SARATOGA FROM MASSACHUSETTS,
BOUGHT THE OLIVE FARM FROM THE ESTATE OF ARGUELLO IN 1880. A FORMER AND
SUCCESSFUL ATTORNEY, EDWARD BEGAN TO ESTABLISH AN OLIVE INDUSTRY.
MORE OLIVE TREES WERE PLANTED WITH GRAPE VINES BETWEEN THE ROWS-- A
CUSTOM COMMONLY FOUND IN ITALY AND SPAIN. HE BUILT A WINERY -TYPE BUILDING
HOUSING AN OLIVE MILL. THE MILL CONSISTED OF TWO HUGE FLAT STONES WHICH
ROTATED, CRUSHED THE OLIVES AND CONVERTED THEM INTO A PULP. THE PULP WAS
PLACED IN A POWERFUL PRESS WHICH FORCED OUT THE OIL.
THE OLIVE OIL, BOTTLED IN VARIOUS SIZED COLORFUL BOTTLES, WAS MARKETED
UNDER THE NAME EL QUITO OLIVE FARM. THE OLIVE OIL PLACED FIRST IN THE 1885 NEW
ORLEANS EXPOSITION. MANY OTHER AWARDS AND PRIZES WERE WON AT VARIOUS
CALIFORNIA FAIRS. THE PICKLED OLIVES AND OLIVE OIL SOLD RAPIDLY FOR MANY
YEARS. OTHER OLIVE ORCHARDS WERE PLANTED IN THE VALLEY, PRACTICALLY ALL
FROM THE QUITO TREE CUTTINGS. AFTER GOODRICH'S DEATH SOME OF THE OLIVE TREES
WERE DONATED FOR DISPLAY AT THE WORLD'S FAIR HELD IN 1939 AND 1940.