Back in August, I wrote about the prominent Gilroy resident
Heinrich Alfred Kreiser who changed his name to Henry Miller and
became the
”
Cattle King
”
of the American West.
Back in August, I wrote about the prominent Gilroy resident Heinrich Alfred Kreiser who changed his name to Henry Miller and became the “Cattle King” of the American West. It turns out there’s much more to Miller. Not only was the rancher the largest private land owner in U.S. history, he also founded the community of Los Banos on the other side of Pacheco Pass from the South Valley.
The people of Los Banos are extremely proud of their famous founding father. I would dare say they’re probably prouder of him in their community than the people of Gilroy are. I draw this conclusion from the fact that they have made the main attraction of their downtown a beautiful 10-acre public square that they call Miller Plaza. The centerpiece is a monumental life-sized bronze sculpture of Miller sitting on his horse.
Not only has Los Banos devoted its downtown heart and an equestrian artwork to Miller, it has also organized an annual event called the Henry Miller Wild West Weekend which will take place this Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It’s a rootin’ tootin’ celebration of the spirit of the cowboys of the old time ranch days.
In case you don’t recall the earlier column I wrote about the amazing Mr. Miller, here’s a refresher. Miller was a German immigrant who came to San Francisco in 1850 with $6 in his pocket looking for a better life for himself. Soon he found employment as a butcher. From that job, he developed a knowledge of cattle in California.
In the 1850s, he traveled to the San Joaquin Valley and began to acquire land and build his cattle empire. He was savvy enough to purchase real estate on both sides of the San Joaquin River for a distance of about 120 miles. Miller formed a partnership with another rancher named Charles Lux, and they based their headquarters at what’s now the Canal Farm Inn in Los Banos.
Interestingly, the name Los Banos – which means “the baths” – has a South Valley connection. Between 1808 and 1833, a Franciscan monk named Padre Felipe Arroyo de la Cuesta was based at the Mission San Juan Bautista. One of La Cuesta’s duties was to visit the Native Indian tribes living in the Central Valley, and so he would trek over Pacheco Pass on his travels there.
On one of his missionary visits, the priest happened to come across pools of water created by a creek flowing through a rocky canyon in the San Joaquin Valley. La Cuesta found the place so pleasant that he decided to camp at the spot for the night and took a bath in the pools. Over time, the local settlers called the creek “El Arroyo de Los Banos del Padre Arroyo.” Because this was a mouthful for most people, the name quickly became “Los Banos Creek.”
Decades after La Cuesta’s bath, a man named Gus Kreyenhagen established a trading post near the creek. He decided to run a post office from his business and name the post office after the creek. The post office and trading post served the needs of the farming and ranching families in the community.
As the Miller-Lux Corporation grew, Miller became a prominent shaper of California’s Central Valley’s politics. In 1871, he established the San Joaquin and Kings River Canal and Irrigation Company. He also introduced to the region cotton, rice and alfalfa – crops that are still an important part of California’s economy.
The rancher saw the opportunity for having a railroad extend through the western region of the San Joaquin Valley and promoted this endeavor – which certainly helped his own business by allowing for the easier transportation of cattle to East Coast markets. By placing the tracks of the railroad extension near his headquarters, he helped to establish the location of a town Los Banos. As it grew, the community provided for the needs of the farmers and ranchers in Merced County.
Los Banos incorporated in 1907. Today, it is a city of more than 25,000 people. Many of its residents moved there to take advantage of affordable home prices (compared to what they might have found in Silicon Valley). They make the trek across Pacheco Pass and through the South Valley every work day as they travel to their jobs in Silicon Valley.
The Henry Miller Wild West Weekend that starts today is a great way to celebrate the history of a genuine California cow-town with a South Valley connection. The successful German rancher will no doubt be there in spirit, impressed with how the community he founded has grown from a place where a Franciscan padre once took a bath to a city thousands of people call their home.
