Corte Madera Creek (Marin County, California)
| Corte Madera Creek | |
| stream | |
 |
|
| Country | United States |
|---|---|
| State | California |
| Region | Marin County |
| Tributaries | |
| - left | San Anselmo Creek |
| - right | Ross Creek, Tamalpais Creek, Larkspur Creek |
| Cities | Ross, Kentfield, Corte Madera |
| Source confluence | San Anselmo Creek and Ross Creek |
| - location | Ross |
| - elevation | 36 ft (11 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°57′58″N 122°33′26″W / 37.96611°N 122.55722°W |
| Mouth | San Francisco Bay |
| - location | Corte Madera, California |
| - elevation | 0 ft (0 m) |
| - coordinates | 37°56′30″N 122°30′08″W / 37.94167°N 122.50222°WCoordinates: 37°56′30″N 122°30′08″W / 37.94167°N 122.50222°W |
Corte Madera Creek is a short stream which flows southeast for 4.5 miles (7.2 km) in Marin County, California. Corte Madera Creek is formed by the confluence of San Anselmo Creek and Ross Creek in Ross and entering a tidal marsh at Kentfield before connecting to San Francisco Bay near Corte Madera.
The Coast Miwok lived for thousands of years in the Corte Madera watershed, gathering pinole and acorns, hunting, and salmon-fishing. Traces of the Miwok include seven mounds in what is now the Town of Ross.
The Mexican government divided the northwest and southeast portions of the Corte Madera watershed into two separate land grants. The Rancho Cañada de Herrera, a 6,658-acre (26.94 km2) rancho that includes the areas that are now Fairfax, Sleepy Hollow, and part of San Anselmo, was granted to Domingo Sais in 1839. His family used the land for crops, sheep, horses, and cattle and fished San Anselmo Creek for salmon. The Rancho Punta de Quentin, an 8,877-acre (35.92 km2) rancho established in 1840, was granted to Captain John B. R. Cooper, a sea captain from Boston, by Mexican Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado to repay a $5,250 debt. Cooper harvested timber and was also granted a license to hunt southern sea otter (Enhydra lutris nereis), then prevalent at the mouth of Corte Madera Creek. Rancho Punta de Quentin is now the towns of San Anselmo, Ross, Kentfield, and Larkspur.
Corte Madera Creek is named for the Spanish corte de madera meaning "a place where wood is cut".
A Tasmanian immigrant, James Ross, who had made a fortune selling liquor to gold panners in San Francisco, bought much of the Rancho Punta de Quentin in 1840 for $50,000. Ross continued logging and also started a regular schooner route to San Francisco to transport the wood. His family established an estate at the site that is now the Marin Art and Garden Center.
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Wikipedia