Jose Pomponio Lupugeym (1799-1824) was an Miwok Indian rebel, and leader of an outlaw band he called "Los Insurgentes". He was brought to Mission San Francisco de Assisi (Mission Dolores) as a young child from the Bolinas Bay area, and was raised by the Franciscans to be a loyal Spanish subject.
Instead, Pomponio became rebellious, and questioned why the Spaniards should rule over the native people of California. He escaped mission life, and found other disaffected Indians to join his band. They raided missions, pueblos, and ranchos over a wide area, as far south as Mission Soledad, and as far north as Mission San Rafael. He was captured and executed by firing squad in 1824.
In 1823 is it known that Pomponio made his headquarters in a cave in a remote canyon in the Santa Cruz Mountains. A Santa Clara News article dated November 12, 1869 identified his cave as being near a waterfall in Devil's Canyon, in what is now Long Ridge Open Space Preserve. This canyon is steep and dangerous, and there is no trail. A friend and I explored this area and investigated several caves in the sandstone rock outcroppings. One cave in particular meets the description of the Ponponio's hideout. It is next to a waterfall, has a flat floor, and is large enough for a band of outlaws to take shelter. There is no way to prove it, but this is the best candidate I have found. Photos are included..
The San Jose Public Library's California Room seems to have a file clipping called "Pomponio's Cave" https://www.sjpl.org/caroombrowse/p?page=69
ReplyDeleteThe waterfall is where Peters Creek flows over the edge of the watershed into Devil's Canyon. There is a trail, but it is not officially maintained by the Long Ridge Open Space crews. And the cave is on the other side of the creek from the trail. The closest parking lots are the Grizzly Flat and Long Ridge lots on Skyline Blvd (Hwy 35). Head west down to the Peters Creek Trail. Go right. Cross Portola Heights road 30 feet and turn left down the not-a-trail trail. Turn right on the overgrown driveway, cross the abandoned homestead, and follow the trail west all the way to the end of the Peters Creek canyon. The cave entrance is a gap between two semi-tractor sized boulders on the other side of the water path.
ReplyDeleteI too have been looking for P.’s cave for a few years now, and I’ve been to this cave by peter’s creek, and as cool as it is, I don’t think this is Pomponio’s cave.
ReplyDeleteFrom what I’ve heard and seen, the actual cave is marked by a cross etched into the rock that’s impossible to miss.
It's easy to miss if you don't know where to look. I had the same experience when I was there. See my post below (Dec 27, 2022 at 12:10 AM). The cross is visible in two of the above photos.
DeleteI’m looking as well. Got lost on my way back up to Peters creek from devils canyon- no trails, lots of poison oak (which I got) and lots mountain lion tracks.
ReplyDeleteUpdate from my oct 18 post.
ReplyDeleteI found it Today.
This is the place in these pics. The cross is right behind him on the rock hip level. Almost looks covered in the pic here tho.
Thanks for this helpful clue. It helped me locate the cross. It's actually visible in two of his photos above. See my December 27, 2022 at 12:10 AM post below for details.
DeleteThe cross is visible in the author's third and fourth photos if you zoom in enough to see them. In the third photo, where he's standing in the center, to the left of his right hand holding the pole, there's a whitish rectangular patch on the rock in the background. The vertical line of the cross coincides with the lower 3/4 of the left edge of this whitish patch. I had to open the pic in a new tab, zoom in enough to see it. The cross is somewhat smaller than I was expecting. I also found it on a photo I took when there. I looked for it for at least 15 minutes while there, even that rock, but missed it. But it's clear in the photo I took now that I know where to look.
ReplyDelete