The Valley of Heart's Delight
santaclararesearch.net

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Tennant' Station- This point on the route of the Southern Pacific Railroad , is a hotel and blacksmith's shop.  The first of these was originally known as the Twenty-one-mile House, and was built by Wiliam Host in 1852.  It was then a two-story building twenty by twenty-five feet.  In November of that year the property was purchased by William Tennant, but the house was unfortunately destroyed by fire in 1853.  Mr. Tennant, however, at once commenced its reconstruction, as it stands at present, two stories in height, twenty-two by thirty-six feet, with two wings, eighteen by twenty feet, and sixteen by eighteen feet respectively.  Here Mr. Tennant conducts the post-office, which was establihsed April 5, 1871.

In 1876 this same enterprising gentleman erected a blacksmith's shop, which, though at first intended for private work is now used by the neighborhood generally.
transcirbed by cdf
History of Santa Clara County, California
San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881, 878 pgs.

William Tennant Bio-—The-subject of this sketch, whose portrait appears in our work, was born in London, England, June 15, 1830, and is descended from good old Scotch stock. He is the eldest son of William and Dorinda Tennant, the former of whom came to California in 1849—his family coming out with our subject. Having received his early education in the world's metropolis, he afterward learned the trade of a piano-forte maker, which he followed until 1851, when he sailed in the ship Prince Charlie, by way of Cape Horn, for California, arriving in San Francisco in the latter part of that year. He almost immediately commenced tuning pianos in that city, being the only one of that occupation in the State. Early in 1852, he was called to Alviso to tune the piano of Governor Burnett, and afterwards performed the like duty at the Santa Clara and San Jose colleges, and returned to the city, but being enchanted with the valley, he returned in a short time, rented the ground on which the Twenty-one-mile House stands, and commenced keeping that station, in the Spring of 1852, where he has since resided. He now farms twelve hundred acres of the finest land in the county. Mr. Tennant is reckoned among the most successful agriculturalists in Santa Clara county, while it is said of him that he has never been known to fail in any undertaking. He was for some years one of the Directors of the Bank of Gilroy, and is now a stockholder in the Bank of San Jose, and also in the Home Mutual Insurance Company, as he is also a Director of the Santa Clara and San Mateo Agricultural Society, while it is a matter of fact that he has ever been willing to put forth a helping hand to his less fortunate fellows. During a trip to Europe, in 1873, his house was sacked by the noted desperado, Tiburcio Vasquez and his band, who carried off booty, in the shape of jewelry and articles of vertu, to the value of eight hundred dollars. Mr. Tennant was appointed Postmaster at Tennants, April 5, 1871, and still holds the position. He married at San Jose, April 22, 1866, Margaret McAllister, and has four living children, viz.: Mary Ann R, Isabella M., Emily C., and Sarah E.
History of Santa Clara County, California
San Francisco: Alley, Bowen & Co., 1881, 878 pgs.

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WILLIAM TENNANT-
AGRICULTURIST, TENNANTS, 21 Mile House, Santa Clara County