Almaden Valley History

Joe and Teresa Pierce talking about the history of Pierce Ridge in Almaden Valley. Transcript available below.

Teresa Pierce: I always thought it was beautiful. I love hills and I love trees, so to me it would be the ideal place that I wish that I could live – build a home and live there. It’s so virgin in itself in that the animals – the wild turkeys are there, the deer, I’m sure there must be some snakes but I’ve never seen a snake yet. The trees are just unbelievable, I love all those oak trees. I’m impressed by the natural beauty because I am a nature lover. It’s an ideal place to live because it’s so beautiful. I was very happy to have Mike drive us there and see it, I’ll always remember that, it was very, very special.

Joe Pierce: It took me back. My escape was a mare named Babe, and she was a beautiful sorrel. As a child I would take my horse and we would go. It would be so beautiful up there because there was nothing – you could see to Gilroy, you could see to San Francisco. It’s a quiet, serene spot. I think it’s God’s place, to tell you the truth. It’s been that way since the beginning, it’s never been touched. It is one of the most beautiful preserved natural things you’ll ever see. And in an area with so many homes around it. So close to huge cities, but it is pure. There’s a purity to it – that when you see the tree fell it’s there and there it stays, when you see deer just laying there and you’re walking up, and, they just think it [the land] belongs to them, they’re not moving. And the turkeys, and the quail… It brought back a lot of love. I really would love to see it stay the way God put it together.