Located at the top of Los Gatos Creek Canyon, the location that became Wrights Station gained prominence because of the sudden influx of railroad workers, mostly Chinese, who were housed at this now-remote place while boring the 1.2 mile Summit Tunnel through the mountains beginning in 1877.  The location was named after James Richards Wright, the owner of a large parcel of land adjacent to the construction site. Wright owned a fruit orchard and vineyard nearby and also owned the Arbor Villa, a stagecoach hotel near Summit. The town of Wrights can officially be dated to 1879 when the post office was established at the station house. The Summit Tunnel was completed the next year in 1880, placing the station as a vital link between the Santa Clara Valley and Santa Cruz. Wrights became an important freight station for farmers who wanted to quickly bring their goods to market.  Nearly 3,200 acres of fruit orchards and vineyards were under cultivation by the late 1800s.