James Orr Taaffe, Descendant of Los Altos Hills Founder Dies at 73

James Orr Taaffe died of cancer Monday. He was 73.   

Born May 29, 1938, Mr. Taaffe was the great-great grandson of Martin Murphy Jr., who was part of the first wagon train to cross the Sierra Nevada Mountains in 1844, opening the trail west to thousands. His family, who settled in Santa Clara Valley, played a significant role in early California history.

The Bear Flag Revolt and the meeting of the first state legislature took place on the family’s property. They built the first wood-frame house in the valley, were the first ranchers in the state to grow wheat and helped establish the Convent of Notre Dame and Santa Clara University­­­—the first institutions of higher learning in California.

The family eventually became one of country’s largest landowners are and credited with founding the cities of Sunnyvale, Los Altos Hills, San Martin, Morgan Hill and Murphys. At one time, a person could ride a horse from Sacramento to San Luis Obispo without leaving the family’s property.

Mr. Taaffe, who was the youngest son of Martin and Elsie (Orr) Taaffe, grew up and raised his family on the Taaffe Ranch that Martin Murphy Jr. purchased in 1852 as a wedding present for his daughter Elizabeth Yuba Murphy and San Francisco merchant William Post Taaffe. The family grew wheat and hay on the property until 1907, when they began to subdivide the land. 

The 3,800-acre property is now the town of Los Altos Hills.

Mr. Taaffe was born in Palo Alto and grew up on an 11-acre parcel of the ranch in Los Altos Hills. He rode his horse to the same one-room schoolhouse that his father attended and spent his summers in the family’s apricot orchards.

His childhood dream was to drive tractors like his father, who operated a paving and grading company. With his sister and brother, Mr. Taaffe eventually took over the family business and operated M.J. Taaffe Company. The company was only one of two commercial businesses in the Los Altos Hills history to be permitted to operate in the residential-only town. Adobe Creek Lodge was the other business.

Much of the area’s roads and driveways were built and maintained by M.J. Taaffe Company, including those at the Los Altos Hills Town Hall, its Little League fields, Los Altos parking plazas and Covington pool.

Mr. Taaffe worked in paving and grading for 45 years and spent most of his life in Los Altos Hills until he retired and moved to Angel’s Camp in 2004.

"His life here is such a strong statement to my mind why preserving that history here so important," said Laura Bajuk, executive director of the Los Altos History Museum. "It’s really an incredible statement about the quality of life in this area that a family who put down roots in the rancho period, stayed here and were an active part of the community all this time."

Kind hearted, gentle natured and with a strong appreciation of humor, Mr. Taaffe seemed to effortlessly attract a diverse group of friends and admirers throughout his life—something that never went unappreciated.

Mr. Taaffe is survived by his wife of 52 years, Deanna; daughters and sons-in-law, Candice and Chris Blair, Natalie and Mark Feathers and Linda Taaffe and Kevin Legnon; grandchildren Erika, Erin, Tyler, Ryan and Devin; sister, Arline Reed; numerous nieces and nephews; and a wide circle of friends who he considered family.

A memorial service is scheduled at 2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 13 at Vallecito Union Church, 3780 Church St., Vallecito.

Donations can be made be made to Hospice of the Sierra, 20100 Cedar Road, N. Sonora, CA, 95370 or to the CHISPA Parlor #139, Native Sons of the Golden West, P.O. box 151, Murphys, CA, 95247.

- Contributed by Linda Taaffe

- Additional reporting by Los Alto Patch Editor L.A. Chung