Morgan Hill – The Big One Zero Zero. Today, Morgan Hill hits the triple digits on the 100th anniversary of its incorporation as a city. And various community leaders stress that the centennial celebration has major significance for residents today as the town enters a new century.
Back on Nov. 2, 1906, locals voted 65 to 36 to incorporate the little village beneath the mountain El Toro. The town had reached Santa Clara County’s requirement for incorporation with a population of 500 citizens living within a square-mile area, and villagers. Locals believed incorporation as a city would give them more control over what their community would become in future years. On Nov. 10, 1906, town officials signed documents making the town officially a city.
After incorporation, Morgan Hill thrived and developed as a community. The town took charge of its own destination while other small unincorporated villages did not, said Beth Wyman, a Morgan Hill historian and the city’s mayor in 1982 and 1983. “The community has survived and prospered for 100 years,” she said. “There were lots of little burgs in the county and many of them have not survived as well as Morgan Hill.”
Wyman believes the city prospered because the natural scenic beauty and community spirit here has encouraged a stable population. “People really love being here,” she said. “They love the climate. They love the community so they stayed and prospered … I think there’s still that feeling. People I meet say that Morgan hill has grown a lot, but it’s still a really nice place, a really good place to live.”
Wyman, who wrote a book about Hiram Morgan Hill for whom the city is named, believes the man would be amazed at how the city of his namesake has evolved over the last century into what it is today – a city of about 35,000 citizens in one of the high-tech centers of the world. “I think if he compared it to other places today, he’d be proud,” she said. “But from the 1906 perspective, he’d shocked at seeing the growth and housing developments and businesses and things like that.”
Local history buff and city councilman Greg Sellers grew up in Morgan Hill and believes the centennial observance can inspire locals to work together to make the city an even better place to live in the coming years. “It gives us a chance to look back and see how far we’ve come,” he said. “In council meetings, I often refer to our city’s history because it has so much to do with how we deal with matters today.”
One common theme Sellers has observed over the last 100 years is the question of how Morgan Hill has managed its urban development and growth. City councils in every decade since incorporation have had to wrestle with this controversial issue, and looking at it from a historic perspective helps the current council determine where the city should develop in the 21st century, Sellers said.
Dennis Kennedy, who has served more than 11 years as the city’s mayor, said he feels proud to end his service as an elected official with the city’s centennial celebration year. “It’s really exciting to have been mayor during our centennial year,” he said. “It’s really nice go out as we celebrate our centennial.”
Kennedy believes the centennial celebration of Morgan Hill helps residents see that the community is now a “full-service” city with jobs, shopping and public facilities that enhance life in the town. He also believes that the quality of life in Morgan Hill is greatly enhanced by the open space and natural terrain such as hills, lakes and county and state parks that are easily accessible.
“I always marvel at the beautiful natural resources that we have at our doorsteps here in Morgan Hill,” he said. “We are so blessed.”
Another aspect of Morgan Hill’s centennial celebration, Kennedy pointed out, is the fact that its various sister cities have been actively involved in this milestone event. Morgan Hill’s European and Asian sister cities are much older, helping local residents recognize the community is still very much in its infancy in contrast.
Recently, Morgan Hill’s sister city of Hereford, Ireland, sent 41 performers to share a special show at the local community center in an international cultural exchange. The performance shows that our local community is connected internationally to other cities that are chronologically farther along in their own history, Kennedy said.
“So many of our sister cities have wonderful works of art and ancient places that are part of their history,” he said. “We’re a very young city (in comparison). This is a real opportunity to recognize Morgan Hill’s history, as young as we are.”
As president of the Morgan Hill Centennial Committee, Jennifer Tate has a unique perspective of how the city’s 100-year-old birthday bash helps residents comprehend why the city’s past history affects the present. Today, the committee will unveil a “history trail” it has built near the entry pathway leading to Diana and Morgan Hill’s Villa Miramonte estate at 17860 Monterey Road, a home that helped establish the original village of Morgan Hill. The spiraling trail portrays about 90 significant historical events on raised posts, and over time various other events taking place in the city’s future will be added, she said.
“We’re living our history,” she said. “You are part of history, and if we take time to stop and look at what we’ve done and where we’re going, it’s helpful to see if we’re on the right path or if we need to change things. I think we’re on the right path. This is a great place to live.”
1906 FACTS
Population: About 500 people
Size: About one-square mile
Industry: fruit orchards
Diseases: Tuberculosis, influenza/pneumonia, typhoid fever
Mode of Transportation: horse-drawn carriage, walking
Average Life Expectancy: 47 years
Average Hourly Wage: 22 cents an hour
2006 FACTS
Population: About 36,000 people
Size: 11.7-square miles
Industry: various including high-tech
Diseases: Heart disease, cancer, obesity
Mode of Transportation: car
Average Life Expectancy: 83
California Minimum Wage: $5.75 an hour
The median income for a household in the city was $81,958, and the median income for a family was $90,134.
