The creek here is named for early San Mateo lumberman Denis (Dennis) Martin, who owned redwood timberlands and lumber mills in this area in the 1850s. In 1849 Martin's 'Lower' steam lumber mill was opened at the forks of Martin Creek, about a quarter mile upstream from this location, and fed the rapid growth of Gold Rush era San Francisco. Then in 1853, Martin completed his upper mill, with 26 steam powered reciprocating saws, further upstream on the current site of Schilling Lake in Thornewood Preserve. This mill operated for only three years, until it was dismantled in 1856.
The timber had not run out, but Martin's luck had. He had purchased land rights that relied on a particular interpretation of old Spanish grants. When the newly established US courts in California ruled against him, he lost title to most of the timber he thought he owned. The financial panic of 1855 caught him overextended with loans for which he had just lost the collateral. Martin was wiped out. (For more about his history, see our companion cache Denis Is Not Here (GCWN2B).) The remains of Martin's mils were subsequently obliterated by a combination of floods and construction by spice baron August Schilling.
This spot is also an entrance to the Thornewood Preserve of the MidPeninsula Open Space District. Enter the gate to reach a trail of many switchbacks, tht will lead you up past beautiful redwoods to visit Schilling's lake.
The cache is a camo taped small plastic pill bottle in an easily accessible location. Due to the poor satellite reception here, the hint is very specific. MROSD minutes we retrieved while researching this location suggest that nearby homeowners have been annoyed by noctural party activities near this spot, so a night search is not suggested. NOT DOWN SLOPE. CHECK HINT as reception is very poor.