Resources - Historians
Silicon Valley
- San Jose Library California Room The first place to visit when researching a local
building. Check out the online digital Sanborn Fire Insurance maps with detailed maps of San Jose
dating back to 1884.
- History San Jose manages History Park and the
Peralta Adobe/Fallon House Historic
Site as well as a collection of over 500,000
historical artifacts from Santa Clara Valley. They house
a Research library containing records
from the Santa Clara Valley, host exhibits and provide
history themed school programs and tours for children.
* The Portuguese Historical Museum is located in History Park.
- Market Street Chinatown
Archaeological Project
A program to catalog, analyze, and curate San Jose's first
Chinatown, once located where the Fairmont Hotel is built.
- Japantown San Jose Did you know that San
Jose's Japantown is one of only three Japantowns in the United States? Read
about the history of this still vibrant community.
- Santa Clara County: California's
Historic Silicon Valley Features a suggested itenerary for visiting historic sites in Santa Clara
County with historic background and pictures of each site. Includes a
comprehensive history of the Santa Clara Valley.
- German American Heritage has information
about German immigrants' contributions to the Santa Clara Valley.
- Historic Buildings of Santa Clara
County Pictures and
history of many local landmarks.
- John's Silicon Valley History
page Read
about how places and streets in Santa Clara Valley got their names. Also some
info on the Irish in California history.
- Soft Underbelly of San
Jose Photos and musings on San Jose landmarks, environs and
lifestyle. The discriminating links page is worth a visit.
- Local photographer Gabriel Ibarra's website contains local history and pictures of
landmarks -- lots of great links.
- Go State! seeks to increase the visibility and integrity of the
oldest public institution of higher learning in California (SJSU) by promoting
its history.
- Terry Thompson is an SJSU graduate whose realistic paintings focus on "googy" style
business signs, many in San Jose. He has painted signs of the Jose Theatre, De
Anza Hotel, Andy's Pet Shop, Mexico Theatre and many other local
landmarks. His painting of the Stephen's Meat Products sign is part of
the San Jose Museum of Art's permanent collection.
- SVModern.com Celebrating Silicon Valley's Mid-Century past. Full of
pictures and background on local modern architecture.
California
- Learn California A wonderful resource for California
History. See their selection of maps.
- California Historical
Society An online
guide to over three hundred years of California history. Download historic
graphics and images, send e-cards, find research materials and more.
- Online Archive of California An excellent searchable
database for manuscripts, photographs, and works of art held in libraries,
museums, archives, and other institutions across California . Try a search on
San Jose, California
- State of California Homepage Click on History and
Culture of California on the left to find numerous interesting links. Culture
has links to historic photos, museums, libraries, music, recipes and more.
History has links arranged along a timeline from Native Peoples to Statehood
and beyond.
- Library of Congress - National Digital
Library has maps of San Jose from 1869 to 1901 that
you can pan and zoom around.
- The David Rumsey Digital Map
Collection Over 8,000
online historic maps with navigation tools.
- California State Historical
Landmarks Don is
attempting to visit and photograph each of California's nearly 1100 sites.
- The California Gold Country Lodes
(get it?) of interesting stuff on 49er life. The map of mining camps along Hwy 49 has history and some pictures of remaining buildings for each camp. Fun!
- Remembering Frontier Village Long time San Joseans remember
this amusement park before it was replaced by condos in 1980. A great site!
- MotelAmericana.com The motel is an
American phenomenon that reflects an important part of our history and
culture, says Professor Andy Wood, author of the award winning website and the
new book ROADTRIP AMERICA: A State by State Tour Guide of Offbeat
Destinations.
- SearsModernHomes.com More than 100,000 Sears
ready-made houses were sold from 1908–1940 . Read the history of the Modern
Homes program, browse photos and catalog advertisements, or register as a
Modern Home owner and contact other owners.
- Firato's
Delicatessen Ever pondered the history behind that
wonderful "RAVIOLI" sign next to the Bank of America building?
It once advertised Firato's Delicatessen -- a family run business from
1922 to 1977. The Firato family wants to reopen the deli in the
original location, restoring the 1880 brick building at 28 E. Santa
Clara.
Books on Local History
- The Gem of Edenvale:
the Historic Hayes Mansion of San Jose, California
by Nancy L. Newlin
- The Willow Glen
Neighborhood: Then and Now (San Jose Neighborhoods Series)
by April H.
Halberstadt
- San Jose and Its
Cathedral
by Marjorie Pierce
- the Restless
Valley
- a two hour documentary aired on PBS (1964) with
Clyde Arbuckle
- Clyde
Arbuckle's History of San José - 540 pages
(1986, out-of-print but now downloadable as an ebook from
SJLibrary.org)
- San Jose's Women: Colonial Days to the
1970's - pioneering women and their achievements
(2002) by Helen Arbuckle
- San Jose,
California's First City (The American Portrait Series)
by Edwin A. and
Demers, Donald O., Jr. Beilharz
- San Jose reflections
: an illustrated history of San Jose, California and some of surrounding
area
by Edith Brockway
- Mission San Jose
(The Missions of California)
by Amy Margaret (Library Binding - May 1999)
- San Jose: City With a Past by Kathleen
Muller
- The architecture of
San Jose, California : a selected bibliography
by Anthony G. White
- Life Along the
Guadalupe River - an Archaeological and Historical Journey
The story of the Woolen
Mills Chinatown site that existed at Taylor Street and the Guadalupe River
between 1888-1902 and the excavation work done for the widening of Highway 87.
Available through Friends of the Guadalupe River Park Gardens.
- The Alameda - The Beautiful
Way Shannon Clark. Purchase from
the Alameda Business Association.