Hundred of thousands of Americans and foreigners set their sights on the perceived riches of California and quickly swelled the territory’s population. Within a few months, the word that gold had been discovered at Sutter’s Mill in the Sierra Nevada Mountains spread like wildfire, setting off what is considered the greatest voluntary mass migration of people in human history. Following a three year war with Mexico, the United States gained control over the region in 1848. In the next decade, life in California changed quickly and in a dramatic fashion. The friars retained control of Santa Clara until 1836, after which it fell into disrepair. After Mexico gained independence from Spain in 1821, most of the mission properties were secularized and broken-up into “ranchos” or ranches that were subsequently granted to the friends and family members of important Mexican officials. The cornerstone for the permanent church was laid in November 1781 at a ceremony presided over by Father Junipero Serra, who is considered the founder of the chain of 21 missions that eventually stretched from San Diego northward to Sonoma. Two years later, the first mission complex was flooded by the Guadalupe River, and the friars decided to move it upland. Santa Clara was also meant to balance the mission at San Francisco, thereby creating a strong Spanish presence on the lower half of San Francisco Bay-one of the best natural harbors on the west coast of North America. The Franciscans chose the Santa Clara Valley because its grassy expanse, dotted with sturdy oaks, was interlaced with springs that could be used to irrigate fields and support herds of cattle, sheep, and goats. While some Ohlone willingly participated in the mission system, many were forced into compliance. In January 1777, the friars established Mission Santa Clara and set out to work among the Ohlone, teaching not just religion, but also practical skills such as woodworking and tanning. Franciscan missionaries worked toward the conversion of the region’s American Indians to Christianity, a stated goal of Spanish colonization. In the latter half of the 18th century, the Spanish Empire based in Mexico began to make greater efforts to secure the California coast. When the Spanish first explored the area along the southern end of San Francisco Bay, it was inhabited by the Ohlone American Indians who moved between the uplands and the shore where they hunted amid the wetlands and gathered grasses to construct shelters. Today, California’s Great America remains a prime regional destination known for its roller coasters, live stage and musical shows, and themed fantasy lands. Marriott later decided to sell the complex, and it was purchased by the city of Santa Clara which in turn sold it again in the late 1980s. Opened in 1976, Great America was the result of a partnership between actor Fess Parker, who had played Daniel Boone and Davy Crockett on television, and the Marriott Corporation and was intended to be a family-friendly destination. Passengers heading for a day of fun and sun at the amusement park can hop a shuttle bus from the rail station to the park entrance. The station is also a stop for the Altamont Corridor Express (ACE), a rail service that links Stockton and San Jose, and local buses run by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority. Lush flowering shrubs line the edge of the platform and provide a showy display of white and red blossoms. Located on the northern fringe of town near California’s Great America amusement park, the Santa Clara-Great America station consists of a concrete platform with a simple shelter to protect passengers from the warm summer sun and cool winter rains. With a service area that spans eight northern counties, the Capitol Corridor was inaugurated in 1991 and envisioned as an alternative to congested Interstate 880. In the late 1980s, the state of California decided to make significant investments in intercity passenger rail. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority.Understanding Accessibility Requirements.North Carolina Station and Train Host Association Case Study.Surface Transportation Block Grant Program: Transportation Alternatives (TA) Set-Aside.Historic Preservation and Sustainable Design: St.Cultural Space & Museums: Cincinnati, OH.Architectural & Aesthetic Improvements: Elizabethtown, PA.Aesthetic and Architectural Improvement.
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