Governor Alvarado granted Rancho San Antonio to Juan Prado Mesa in 1839 . Mesa had been a soldier at the San Francisco Presidio since 1828 . In 1853 , William A. Dana , a former seafarer and merchant , purchased the Rancho . In 1923 , the Catholic Church purchased what had become the Snyder Ranch and in 1926 constructed Saint Joseph 's College and the Maryknoll Seminary . Saint Joseph 's College was demolished after sustaining heavy damage in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . The Maryknoll Seminary , with its oriental motif , stands east of the park across Cristo Rey Drive . The Santa Clara County Parks Department purchased 130 acres in 1977 and another 35 acres in 1981 from St. Joseph 's Seminary . The Park 's improvements were constructed in the early 1980s with additional improvements completed in 1993
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 Loma Prieta earthquake
Rancho San Antonio County Park