Alma, California, Santa Clara County is a mesmerizing ghost town nestled in the picturesque landscapes of California. Once a bustling hub, its remains whisper tales of a vibrant past now overtaken by nature’s quiet embrace. Below is detailed information about the town.
County: Santa Clara County
Zip Code: Not available
Latitude / Longitude: 37.1839° N, 121.9836° W
Elevation: Approximately 1,030 feet (314 meters)
Time Zone: Pacific Time Zone (PT)
Established: 1870s
Disestablished: 1952
Comments: Alma was primarily a logging town that grew around the South Pacific Coast Railroad line. Its establishment was closely tied to the logging industry and the railroad that connected the Santa Cruz Mountains area to larger cities. The town thrived in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, serving as a crucial stop for the transportation of lumber.
Remains: Today, Alma is submerged beneath the Lexington Reservoir, which was created in the early 1950s. The reservoir was built to supply water to the rapidly growing areas of Silicon Valley. When water levels are low, remnants of the town can occasionally be seen. These include foundations and other structures that hint at the town’s past existence.
There are two different possible origins for the name of the town. The first is that the town was the location of a branch road that led to the New Almaden mine. The second, and more fanciful, the origin is that the town was named after a local prostitute. The original town name registered with the Postal Service in 1861 was Lexington. It was re-registered as Alma in 1873.
Current Status: Alma is classified as a submerged ghost town, with its remains lying beneath the waters of Lexington Reservoir. It is not accessible to the public, but its history is preserved through local stories and historical records.
Some foundational structures, old roads, and a bridge dating from 1926 are only visible when the reservoir’s water levels drop. The bridge can only be viewed when the water level is unusually low, such as in the summer of 2008, when construction on the dam lowered the water level to 7% capacity.
Modern-day State Route 17 passes by the reservoir—beneath which lie the former towns of Lexington and Alma. A U.S. Weather Bureau cooperative weather station in Alma reported average annual rainfall of 22.60 inches (573.5 millimeters).
Remarks: Alma’s story poignantly reminds us of the many towns that once flourished but were ultimately lost to progress and development. Its significance lies in its contribution to the logging industry and its role in expanding California’s infrastructure.
Though submerged, Alma continues to intrigue those interested in the histories of forgotten places. The town was mostly demolished when the James J. Lenihan Dam was constructed there in 1952. At the time, Alma had a population of fewer than 100 people.
The town was an important rail stop for the logging industry in the Santa Cruz Mountains as well as a stop for vacationers heading to the coast from the Santa Clara Valley. Just north of Alma was the town of Lexington, which had greatly declined by the time that dam and reservoir were constructed. Alma had a stage stop, hotel, saloons, small agricultural operations, general merchandise store, lumber mills, and other establishments.
The South Pacific Coast Railroad served Alma between 1880 and 1940, providing service between Los Gatos and Santa Cruz via Wrights, also known as Wrights Station or Wright’s Station.
