that era, a trip of 4-5 days or more to
a spa could easily be explained.
Abortion was legal in California
at the time, however, the patient
needed the prescription of two
doctors. The procedure was not only
socially unacceptable but medically
unsophisticated with a high mortality
rate. Medicine in the U.S. was just
becoming more of a science, and
medical degrees were not yet required
to practice. Patent medicine and
quackery were hard to distinguish
from legitimate practice. Dr. Josselyn
may have been able to prove that
he graduated from the University of
Pennsylvania in 1844, but no record
exists of his attendance at any school
of medicine. Dr. E.L. Willis purchased
the spa from Josselyn and carried
on the practice for only a few years.
He eventually sold the spa and it
was converted to a regular resort for
families. Both doctors ended their
”careers” in disgrace. Josselyn was
convicted under the new laws of
1901 for practicing without a license.
Dr. Willis was convicted in Denver,
1921 for the hotel room abortion-
related death of a teacher.
The Madrone Soda Springs
continued as a resort until the
early 1930s, when the advent of
personal automobile transporta-
tion made it unnecessary to stop or
stay in Madrone. Pollution of the
springs’ water tank and a State health
complaint sealed its doom. The land
was then purchased by the Coe family.
Most of the buildings are gone now,
except for the cold storage and a
fountain head awaiting those willing
to make the hike.
Glen Wildwood operated under
various names and may have been the
site of the popular Island Dell Park.
GILROY • MORGAN HILL • SAN MARTIN
april/may 2019
Island Dell was operated by James
Swindell until it was submerged under
Anderson Reservoir in 1950.
So, what happened to Madrone?
The mines closed after demand waned
in the 1920s. The cattle no longer
roamed the foothills and valleys, and
the wineries, including world-famous
Cribari Cellars, closed or moved their
operations elsewhere. The church
closed as the population decreased,
although the school remained. Morgan
Hill grew after incorporating in 1906
and encouraged residential construc-
tion. The Southern Pacific Railroad
no longer stopped at Madrone at the
beginning of the First World War.
There was no longer a reason for
people to come to Madrone. The
community didn’t lose its identity, but
it did lose its economic base. That is,
until it incorporated with Morgan Hill,
by popular vote, in 1958.
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