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Archival Collections A-Z

A

Aerial Photography

The aerial collection includes oblique and flyover aerials. About the Collection These photographs cover central Santa Clara County from Alviso south to Los Gatos, east to the Calero Reservoir, north to Milpitas and the Alameda County Line, and west along the bay to Alviso. The collection includes oblique aerial photographs from the City of San Jose Planning Division, and five sets of vertical images by Fairchild Aerial Photography and the U.S. Geological Survey covering the years 1931, 1948, 1960, 1968, and 1981. More aerial photography is available from History San Jose and UC Santa Barbara. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of the aerial photographs from the California Room. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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B

Building Permits

San Jose building permits in print, digitized, and on microfilm. About the Collection The California Room has the following San José building permits:
  • 1895-1900: Index
  • 1910-1922: Index (Note: the index transcription for this period is incomplete. Further information, including permit application number, architect, contractor, building type and status, and the number of stories and rooms, can be found in the original ledger. See California Room staff for access.)
  • 1920-1929: Index. Originals held by the Sourisseau Academy, located next door in the Special Collections area.
  • 1926-1943: Index
  • 1940-1986 Images of originals on microfilm.
Building permits from the 1950s to the present can be found at City of San José Online Building Permits.

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C

Caltrans Right of Way Assessments 1960 - 1970

This collection includes Right of Way Assessments for the County of Santa Clara from 1938 through 1979. About the Collection This collection includes Right of Way Assessments for the County of Santa Clara from 1938 through 1979, with the bulk of materials being from the 1960s and 1970s. The assessments include descriptions of property, maps and photographs. Right of Way is the division of Caltrans that administers the acquisition of property required for Caltrans projects, oversees the relocation of affected families, businesses and utility facilities, and clears properties prior to construction. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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D

Directories, City of San Jose and Vicinity

This collection includes city directories for San José, San Francisco, and other cities in print, on microfilm, or online as well as Haines Criss Cross directories and phone books. About the Collection San José City Directories The San José Public Library holds all known published San José City directories from 1870-1970. However, the year ranges for each city directory on this page may include missing years. Please contact the California Room to verify that the directories you seek are available.
  • 1870-1979 in print
  • 1870-1960 on microfilm
  • 1870 online
  • 1887 online
  • 1920 online
  • Covering San José Suburban for 1968-1974
Important note: The earlier San José City Directories often list other Santa Clara County cities. For exact city coverage in these directories, please see our City Directories Index. The Digital Collection The digital directories collection currently includes the San Jose City Business Sections for the years 1870-1918 as well as the complete 1870, 1887, and 1920 City Directories. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room. For more information about using our city directories, please visit our House and Property Research Guide. San Francisco City Directories We have San Francisco City Directories in print and/or microfilm:
  • 1882-1982 (missing some years)
San Francisco Directories online: Other City Directories We provide the following city directories in print. The year ranges for each city directory may include missing years. Please contact the California Room to verify that the directories you seek are available.
  • Gilroy: 1964-1983
  • Los Gatos: 1956-1967
  • Menlo Park: 1978-1980
  • Morgan Hill: 1968-1983
  • Mountain View: 1962-1968
  • Palo Alto: 1938-1978
  • San Martin: 1970-1983
  • Santa Cruz: 1963-1985
  • Sunnyvale: 1964-1968
  • Watsonville: 1981-1988
City Directory Research Tips A City Directory lists the names of individuals living within a city along with their place of residence and occupation. To be listed, a person or property must have been located within city limits when the directory was issued (Large parts of present-day San José are not included in early city directories.) Before 1911 only property owners were included in directories. Beginning with the 1911 edition, the names of spouses and children over 18 were also included. Directories prior to 1913 were by surname only. In 1913, a street index was added. This feature is helpful to those researching houses, since one can look up a specific address to find all its residents. Note that street names have changed over time; for example, in 1913, 14th St. in San Jose became 17th St. A list of street name changes is available in the California Room. House numbers and parcels may change as well. Early San Jose directories include other cities in the area; the City Directories Index will help you determine coverage. A key at the front of each directory aids in deciphering symbols and abbreviations. In some of the older directories, occupation and ownership of property is listed. About Haines Criss-Cross Directories and Pacific Bell Reverse Directories These directories date from the mid-1960s. They are useful for finding out who lived in your house after 1979 when the City Directories cease publication. They can also be used for cities and unincorporated areas outside San Jose.

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E

Edith Harvey Heron

This collection includes watercolors by local artist and art therapist, Edith Harvey Heron. Artist Biography Edith was born on January 2, 1895, the daughter of William S. and Ada Heron of Hostetter Road in the Berryessa community of San José. Edith graduated from San José High School in 1914. She then attended the all-girls San José Normal School (now known as San José State University), graduating in 1918. Following a short-term teaching career in art therapy she attended the California School of Arts and Crafts in Berkley until 1921. In the 1920s, Edith taught art therapy through pottery and basketry at the Stockton State Hospital. She also taught weaving and furniture design at the Livermore Sanatorium. In the 1930s, Edith became a well-known, award winning watercolor artist. In the summer of 1932, while painting the Carmel Mission, there was some confusion about Edith’s permission to be on Mission grounds. Refusing to leave voluntarily, Edith was escorted from the premises by police. As a result of this incident, all artists were banned from Mission grounds. In 1935, Edith sent a watercolor painting to Eleanor Roosevelt in appreciation of the First Lady’s social work. The painting depicted one of the Carmel Mission towers. Mrs. Roosevelt sent her a thank you letter. When her father, William, passed in 1935, Heron became the head of the household living with her younger brother Colin, a life insurance agent. Between 1932-1942, Edith held 12 exhibitions of her watercolor paintings, many in the Bay Area. Throughout her life Edith traveled extensively (to Mexico, Central America, Canada, and Europe) while maintaining her residence in California; over the years she resided in San Mateo, Pacific Grove, San Francisco, Monterey and San José. Among the accolades Edith received for her work are the 1937 First National Award in Watercolor from the National League of American Pen Women, Cleveland (for her painting, “Old Tom, Monterey”), the 1939 First National Award in Watercolor of the National League of American Pen Women, San Francisco (for her painting “Gloucester Fishwharf, Massachusetts” ) and Water Color Medal of the National Society for Sanity in Art in San Francisco, California Palace of the Legion of Honor (for her painting “Gloucester Fishwharf, Massachusetts”). In 1942, she won the First Award In Watercolor from the Southside Art Assembly. In 1942, Edith continued her art therapy by teaching arts and crafts to Japanese-Americans in the Poston War Relocation Center, and internment camp in Arizona. By 1968 she was no longer producing paintings, but is rumored to have been working on writing and illustrating a children’s book based on Monterey. That year she donated 12 of her watercolor paintings to the San José Public Library at the suggestion of her friend, David McDaniel, a former Commissioner of the San José Library Board. In 1974, she donated 6 paintings to her alma mater, San José State University. To date, the university has acquired 20 pieces from her watercolor collection, one of which mysteriously disappeared. In 1976, Edith suffered a stroke and was placed in a convalescent home. Four years later, on March 6, 1980, she passed away at the age of 85. Though she never married, she always remained close to her brother, Colin, who passed away 3 years later. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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Edmonia Lewis

The California Room features three marble sculptures created by Edmonia Lewis: Asleep, Awake and a bust of Abraham Lincoln. About the Collection The California Room features three sculptures created by Edmonia Lewis: Asleep (marble, 1871), Awake (marble, 1872), and a bust of Abraham Lincoln (marble, 1871). An earlier version of Asleep, called Night (marble, 1870), is held at the Baltimore Museum of Art. Artist Biography Mary Edmonia Lewis was born in 1845 or 1846 to a Haitian father and a mother of Native American (possibly Mississauga or Ojibwa) and African descent. Both parents passed away early in her life, her father in 1847 and her mother in 1849. Following their deaths, she stayed with her mother’s tribe near Niagara Falls until the age of eight. Her brother, Samuel “Sunrise” W. Lewis, provided her financial support throughout her life, funding her early schooling near Albany and her attendance at Oberlin College in Ohio. In her third year at Oberlin she was accused of poisoning two white female classmates with cantharides. Though acquitted of the charge, she endured a highly publicized trial and a severe beating by white vigilantes. Subsequently accused of stealing art supplies, she was not allowed to register for classes in 1863. She moved to Boston in 1864, where she studied under sculptor Edward A. Brackett. Her brother provided her with room and board and a small studio space. Following her studies with Brackett, she travelled abroad and eventually settled in Rome, where the joined a group of American female sculptors led by Harriet Hosmer. Italy was a popular destination for neoclassical sculptors in the mid-19th century, due to the availability of fine white marble and the many stone carvers who were adept at transferring sculptors’ plaster models into finished marble products. Lewis rarely employed workmen, however, completing most of her marblework without assistance. In 1872, Lewis returned to the United States to exhibit five marble sculptures at the gallery of the San Francisco Art Association. In 1873, the city of San Jose invited her to display her three remaining unsold works at City Market Hall. They were later shown at the San Jose Catholic Fair. In December of 1873, a fundraiser was held to purchase Lincoln as a gift to the San Jose Public Library. Sarah Knox-Goodrich, the organizer of San Jose's first Women's Suffrage Association, bought Awake and Asleep. They were donated to the library some time prior to 1914. Lewis moved to Rome in 1875, and then London in 1901. She passed away September 17, 1907 of Bright’s disease (inflammation of the kidneys) at the Hammersmith Borough Infirmary in London. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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Ephemera

This collection includes printed paper materials including brochures, handbills, memorabilia, pamphlets, tickets, and timetables. About the Collection Printed ephemera documents events that are often recorded nowhere else, making them a valuable resource to researchers. Our collection of ephemera concerns people, places, and events in the Santa Clara Valley, and dates back to the late 19th century. The Digital Collection The Ephemera Collection currently includes a representative selection of ephemera from the California Room. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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F

Fiesta de las Rosas Collection

This collection consists of correspondence, fiesta guidelines, entry forms, tickets, pamphlets, and more. About the Collection This collection was compiled by the Fiesta de las Rosas Committee, and consists of correspondence, fiesta guidelines, entry forms, tickets, pamphlets, and more. The Fiesta de las Rosas was an annual festival and parade designed to highlight San Jose as a “garden city” and attract tourists. Fiesta de las Rosas began in 1896 as the Rose Carnival. In 1895, thirty acres of flowers were donated and $10,000 in subscriptions collected in preparation for the carnival. The name was changed to Fiesta de las Rosas in 1920. Noteworthy items in this collection include photographs of floats, the grand parade, and the fiesta princess and her court, as well as entries for the cutest baby contest, and material from the unsuccessful attempt to revive the Fiesta in 1969. The Digital Collection The King Library Digital Collection currently includes a representative selection of photographs and ephemera from the Fiesta de las Rosas Collection. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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Frontier Village Collection

The collection comprises administrative records, photos and ephemera from San Jose's local theme park, Frontier Village. About the Collection The collection comprises administrative records, employee manuals, photographs, clippings, various printed matter, plans and drawings, and scrapbooks. The majority of the photographs are of costumed characters, amusement rides, stunt shows, mock gunfights, and promotional activities. About the Park Frontier Village was a western-themed amusement park which opened in 1961 and closed in 1980. The park was located on approximately thirty acres of what had previously been part of the Hayes' estate on Monterey Highway in San Jose. It was founded by Joseph Zukin Jr., a Palo Alto entrepreneur and small businessman inspired by a family trip to Disneyland in 1959. The look and design of Frontier Village is owed to Laurence (Laurie) Hollings, an experienced Hollywood set and amusement ride designer. After the park's closure, part of the property was made into Edenvale Garden Park. The Digital Collection This collection currently includes a representative selection of material from the Frontier Village Collection. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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H

L

M

Map and Atlas Collection

This collection includes over 1,000 maps of various kinds from the 1860s - 1980s for San Jose, Santa Clara County and other areas throughout California. About the Collection This collection comprises over 1,000 maps from the 1860s - 1980s, including Sanborn Fire Insurance maps, geological surveys, street maps, planning and land use maps for San Jose, Santa Clara County and other cities and counties throughout California. Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps for 1932, 1939, 1950, 1958, and 1962 (some years also available on microfilm). These maps show in great detail lots, houses, and businesses located in central San José. Some years are digitally available:  City of San José Block Books from 1909, and 1924 multi volume set updated to the 1940s. These maps show the boundaries of all the lots in the City of San Jose along with the names of the property owners. A copy of the 1909 City Block Book as well as a 1924 multi volume set updated to the 1940s are available on site in the California Room. History San Jose has San Jose Block Books circa 1925-1965. Digital block books are available for 1871 and 1882-1886 1876 Historical Atlas of Santa Clara County: The first comprehensive atlas of Santa Clara County, this resource gives the names of large property owners in the area. This atlas is available on site in the California Room and digitally. City, street, state, county, and subdivision maps: The California Room has a large collection of old maps for San José and Santa Clara County. While these maps may not show structures or land owners, they can help locate streets whose names have changed or streets which no longer exist. Maps can be searched using the California Room Index and in our Digital Collections Brainard Atlas of Santa Clara County: This is a very useful series of maps published in the mid to late 1880s. Unlike other maps, this atlas shows only the agricultural, nonurban areas of Santa Clara County. As well as showing property owners, it often gives a brief description about each property explaining what was being grown there.

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N

Newspapers and Clippings

This collection includes clipping files, scrapbooks and microfilm of area newspapers. About the Collection San Jose Mercury News The San Jose Mercury News varied in titles over the years. It began as the Weekly Visitor, changed to the Daily Mercury, Times Mercury, San Jose Daily Mercury, San Jose Mercury Herald, then merged with the Evening News to become the San Jose Mercury, which in turn became the San Jose Mercury News. For more information about the Mercury News and its antecedents, please refer to: Historical Directory of Santa Clara County Newspapers- 1850-1972, by Jean French Wheeler, available in the California Room under REF CAL 016.0719 Wheeler Digitized Newspapers Digitized San Jose Newspapers from 1861-1922 can be found in the California Digital Newspaper Collection. The San Jose Mercury News from 1900-1985 is accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via Newsbank. The San Jose Mercury News from 1985 to present is accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via NewsBank. The complete run of El Excentrico, a local English/Spanish magazine published from 1949-1981, is available via our Internet Archive page. Additional historical newspapers from outside Santa Clara are accessible to San Jose Public Library card holders via Newspapers.com. Additional historical newspapers from Santa Clara county can be found in print and on microfilm at the California State Library. Newspapers on Microfilm in the California Room
  • California Star (1847 - 1848)
  • Santa Clara Register (1853 - 1853)
  • San Jose Daily Mercury (1861 - 1899)
  • San Jose Weekly Mercury (1864 - 1881)
  • Daily Argus (1876 - 1877)
  • San Jose Daily Herald (1876 - 1900)
  • Daily Morning Times (1879 - 1884)
  • Daily City Item (1884 - 1885)
  • San Jose News Evening Edition (1887 - 1947)
  • San Jose Mercury Herald (1900 - 1985)
  • Morning Times (1906 - 1909)
  • San Jose News (1973 - 1983)
SJSU holds additional area newspapers on microfilm, located on the basement level of the King Library.

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P

Photographs

The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 historical images focused on San Jose and Santa Clara County. About the Collection The Historic Photograph Collection includes over 2,500 contact prints, negatives, transparencies, and 35mm slides comprising diverse subjects including schools, churches, businesses, parades, valley views, theaters, street scenes, hotels, the 1906 earthquake, the Winchester House, and residents. Clyde Arbuckle The majority of the images come from two photographic collections within the California Room. The first is a general collection acquired through various donors . The second is the Clyde Arbuckle Research Collection, purchased from the heirs City Historian, Clyde Arbuckle after his death in 1998. The bulk of the Historic Photograph Collection focuses on the history of the Bay Area, particularly San José and the Santa Clara Valley from 1870 - 1970s. The Digital Collection The digital collection currently includes a representative selection of historic photographs from the California Room. New images are added as they are digitized. Do you recognize a person, place or thing in the photographs that has not been identified in the description? If you have information about any of the images in the collection, or seek information about using these images, please contact the California Room.

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Postcards

The collection includes approximately 3500 California postcards from 1900 to the 1960s. About the Collection The collection includes approximately 3500 pictorial and photographic postcards of California. Of these, 600 are of San Jose. The collection spans from the year 1900 to the 1960s. Subjects include historic landmarks, attractions, schools, churches, businesses, parades, valley views, theaters, street scenes, hotels, and industry. The Digital Collection The digital collection is a representative selection of historic postcards from the California Room. New images are added to the collection as they are digitized.  For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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Pueblo of San Jose 1841 - 1850

This collection includes documents pertaining to the Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe and its adjacent mission, Santa Clara de Asis, 1841 - 1850. About the Collection Much of the material documents business transactions such as bills of sale for goods and services, and contracts for the sale or lease of property. Also represented are proclamations by local authorities or petitions to local alcades or judges to resolve disputes. The documents in this collection are related to a larger collection found in the archival holdings at History San José. We are working to provide transcription of documents in both Spanish and English. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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S

San José City Records, 1850-1950

This collection includes City of San José Council Minutes, Ordinance and Resolution Records, the bulk of which are from 1850-1950, and photographs and records from the Office of the City Clerk. About the Collection This collection includes City of San José Council Minutes, Ordinance and Resolution Records, the bulk of which are from 1850-1950, and photographs and records from the Office of the City Clerk. The City of San José was officially incorporated on March 27, 1850 by Legislative Act through Chapter 47 of the Statutes of California. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room. The San Jose City Clerk's office holds additional records for viewing online, including archived recordings of city council and planning meetings from 2005 to present. 

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San José Planning Division & Code Enforcement

This collection includes records from the City of San José's Planning Division and Code Enforcement Departments (PCBE). About the Collection This collection includes records from the City of San José's Planning Division and Code Enforcement Departments (PCBE) from 1931 - 1975. Subjects include maps, plans, and photographs of historic structures, aerials views, and documents. Please let us know if you can identify any unknown locations, people and or dates. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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San José Public Library

This collection chronicles more than a century of San José library history beginning in 1880. About the Collection The one-room “free” library opened in 1880 in the Murphy building near what is now the intersection of Post and Market streets. Between 1882 and 1970, the library occupied five different locations. The branch system had its origins in the establishment of the Grant School Library in 1909, and quickly expanded in the post-World War II boom. By the time the San Jose Public Library moved to West San Carlos Street in 1970, the library managed nine branches throughout the expanding city, with plans for seven additional branches. In 2013, there were twenty-two branches in addition to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Library at 150 East San Fernando Street. Do you recognize someone in a photograph? Do you know about one of the locations? Can you identify a piece of equipment? If you have information that you would like to share about any of the images in the San Jose Public Library Collection, or questions about using images from this collection, please contact the California Room.

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San José Redevelopment Agency Photograph Collection

This collection includes research materials and photographs from sundry projects undertaken by the San José Redevelopment Agency (SJRA). About the Collection The SJRA was a government agency created in 1956 to improve the quality of life by creating jobs, affordable housing, neighborhood cohesion, and better public facilities. With the San José City Council serving as its governing body, the Redevelopment Agency partnered with businesses and community organizations to revitalize San José’s economy. The SJRA was one of the largest tax increment producing redevelopment agencies in California. It was active in twenty-one project areas which together represented approximately sixteen percent of the city's area and providing approximately thirty-three percent of the city’s jobs. Effective February 1, 2012, all redevelopment agencies in California were dissolved pursuant to AB 1X 26. Do you recognize someone in a photograph? Do you know about one of the locations? Can you identify a piece of equipment? If you have information that you would like to share about any of the images in the Redevelopment Agency Collection, or questions about using images from this collection, please contact the California Room.

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School Yearbooks

This collection includes yearbooks from high schools, middle schools and universities within Santa Clara County. About the Collection High School Yearbooks We have the following high school yearbooks:
  • Andrew Hill HS 1974, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1986, 2002
  • Bellarmine: 1951, 1994, 2000 - 2017
  • Blackford HS: 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970
  • Branham HS: 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980
  • Buchser HS: 1960-1970, 1971-73, 1981
  • Camden HS: 1957-1959, 1970, 1973-1976, 1978-1980
  • Campbell HS: 1933, 1942, 1944, 1946-1948, 1950, 1956, 1957, 1963-1980
  • Del Mar HS: 1963-1965, 1975-1978
  • Gunderson HS: 1992
  • Independence HS: 1981-1986, 1987 - 2003
  • James Lick HS: 1955, 1960, 1961, 1966 - 1969, 1983, 1988, 1996-2004
  • Leigh HS: 1983-1987
  • Leland HS: 1994
  • Lincoln HS: 1943-1969, 1972, 1987, 1994, 2005, 2006
  • Los Gatos HS: 1939, 1974-1980
  • Lynbrook HS: 2001-2004
  • Mitty: 1982 - 1985
  • Mt. Pleasant: 1967, 1968, 1973, 1975, 1978, 1981-1986
  • Oak Grove HS: 1973, 1975, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1995, 1996
  • Overfelt HS: 1963-1965, 1967, 1982
  • Palo Alto HS: 1931-1933
  • Piedmont Hills HS: 1967-1970, 1978, 1979, 1983-1986, 1988
  • Pine Hill: 2004
  • Pioneer HS: 1965, 1994
  • Presentation HS: 1994
  • Prospect: 1981, 1982
  • San José HS: 1902, 1905-1922, 1924-1930, 1932-1937, 1939-1943, 1945-1952, 1954-1965, 1966, 1969-1977, 1980-1986, 1988, 1990, 1992, 1994-1996, 1999, 2003-2009, 2012, 2013
  • Santa Clara HS 1908, 1914, 1923 - 1933, 1935 - 1940, 1943 - 1951, 1955-1957, 1959-1963, 1983, 1988 - 1992, 1994, 1998, 2002 - 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2013
  • Santa Teresa HS: 1978-1981, 1986 - 1989
  • Saratoga HS: 1978-1981, 1994, 2001
  • Silver Creek HS: 1971 - 1974, 1977, 1978, 1983, 1985, 1987, 2002, 2004, 2012
  • Westmont HS: 1993
  • Wilcox HS: 1964-1967, 1969, 1971-1973, 1977-1981, 1984, 1985, 1992-1995, 2001, 2004
  • Willow Glen HS: 1951-1994, 1996-2010, 2014, 2015, 2017
  • Yerba Buena HS: 1981-1987
Middle School Yearbooks We have the following middle school yearbooks:
  • Bernal MS: 1984, 1985
  • Buchser MS: 1992
  • Castro MS: 1965, 1966, 1986, 1987
  • Curtis MS: 1961
  • Fisher MS: 1970, 1971, 1976
  • Jefferson MS: 1964-1975
  • Juan Cabrillo MS: 1976, 1977, 1980, 1981
  • Markham MS: 1987, 1989
  • Martin Murphy MS: 2002
  • Miller MS: 1999, 2000
  • Morrill MS: 1984
  • Piedmont MS: 1985, 1986
  • Rolling Hills MS: 2009
  • Sierramont MS: 1985
  • St. Andrews MS: 1976, 1977
  • Steinbeck MS: 1977, 1978, 1988 - 1996, 1998 - 2000
  • Sylvendale: 1991, 1992 
  • Willow Glen MS: 1992
Elementary School Yearbooks
  • Seven Trees: 1987 - 1989 
University Yearbooks We have the following university yearbooks:
  • San José State University: 1910-1965, 1978, 1979
  • Santa Clara University: 1903, 1927-1930, 1947, 1951, 1959, 1965, 1968, 1975, 1976, 1978, 1979, 1983, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990
  • Stanford University: 1904, 1907, 1908, 1915-1918, 1927, 1937-1939, 1941, 1942, 1944-1949, 1952-1955
  • University of California, Berkeley: 1886-1889, 1892, 1894, 1901, 1904, 1912, 1921, 1928, 1930-1933, 1935, 1938, 1962, 1967
  • University of the Pacific: 1888-1890, 1892, 1912, 1917, 1919, 1920, 1930
Donate Your Yearbooks! We receive frequent requests to view school yearbooks, but we are missing many volumes. We welcome donations of any Santa Clara County yearbooks missing from our collection. If you have a yearbook not listed above, please contact the California Room. You may also leave yearbook donations at any San José Branch Library with a request that they be sent to the California Room. Thank you! The Digital Collection This collection currently includes a representative selection of yearbooks from the California Room’s Collection. These were digitized using Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software, so the text within the documents can be searched. New yearbooks will be added to the collection as they are digitized. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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Silicon Valley Company Archive (1986-1993)

This collection comprises over 700 boxes of materials donated by over 600 early Silicon Valley tech companies, documenting the evolution of the Silicon Valley’s tech industry from 1986 through 1993. About the Collection Company boxes may include any of the following: advertising proofs, annual meeting notices, annual and quarterly reports, backgrounders, brochures, flyers, catalogs, company histories, employment information, executive biographies and speeches, financial analyst reports, legal statements and opinions, newsletters, press releases and reprints, photographs, price lists, product literature, prospectuses, SEC-required forms, shareholder letters, technical papers and white papers. These materials were originally held in the Silicon Valley Information Center (SVIC), a separate collection space within the San Jose Public Library, which operated from 1986 to 1992. Created in response to ever increasing demands on the public library for information concerning Silicon Valley related issues, SVIC was the first centralized public facility to chronicle the birth, development and impact of the high technology industries of Silicon Valley. It contained historical archives and information resources (current at the time) on many of the valley’s high tech companies which were not indexed elsewhere. Local companies contributed material to develop a corporate archival collection of annual reports, newsletters, product brochures, and other material. The SVIC provided resources for historical and environmental research, technological study, product marketing, and employment searches. In 1988 nearly 9,000 patrons (mostly job-seekers and individuals in the service industry researching potential clients) visited SVIC. The collection was funded by a series of grants written by Mike Ferrero and Virginia Carpio, of the San Jose Public Library. The grants provided funding for three years including the original needs assessment surveys as well as services and materials provided by the center. Following the departure of Mike Ferrero and Virginia Carpio, Patricia Curia and Wynne Dobyns managed the SVIC until budget limitations forced its closure in 1992. SVIC collection items were moved to the main library reference unit, the California Room, and the SJPL circulating book collection. Corporate ephemera that had been donated by Apple, Inc. were moved to the Stanford Silicon Valley Archives (established in 1983). For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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T

Townsend Family Papers (1826-1914)

This collection contains the personal and professional documents of Dr. John Townsend, his wife Elizabeth Townsend, and their son John Henry Moses Townsend. About the Collection The items in this collection offer a glimpse into the Townsends' lives, including their travels with the Murphy party, their real estate investments, and their roles as settlers of Northern California during the mid to late 1800s. Dr. John Townsend was born in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. His parents, John F. Townsend and Sarah McNamee, were among the first settlers of Fayette County, arriving in America from England in the late eighteenth century. John had six siblings, Sarah, Nancy, Hannah, Matilda, William and Thomas. Dr. Townsend received his medical degree from Lexington Medical College and later set up successful practices in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and Missouri. In 1832, he married Elizabeth Louise Schallenberger in Stark County, Ohio. Dr. Townsend, his wife Elizabeth and her brother Moses Schallenberger were part of the Murphy-Townsend-Stevens party which brought the first wagons to California over the Truckee River route in 1844. Townsend and his wife died on December 8, 1850 in San Jose, California, during the cholera epidemic. They were survived by their only son, John Henry Moses Townsend, born in 1849. For information about using images from this collection, contact the California Room.

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W

Weather Records

This collection includes United States Weather Bureau weather logs for 1906-1962, with entries recorded by hand. About the Collection The United States Weather Bureau opened an office in San José on October 1, 1905 in the Dougherty Building on South 2nd Street near San Fernando. The building, as well as all instruments and records, were destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The Bureau opened a new office in the old Post Office Building at Market and San Fernando on July 1, 1906.

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Willow Glen Annexation

This collection includes documents pertaining to the annexation of Willow Glen. About the Collection The Willow Glen neighborhood developed within the Willow Glen School district, established in the 1860’s. When the Southern Pacific Railroad made a bid to run a track through the area, the residents took action to prevent it, and the independent incorporated city of Willow Glen was born. The city lasted for only nine years, from 1927 until 1936, when it was annexed by San José in order to benefit from city services. Today it is considered one of San José’s heritage neighborhoods.

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Willows Reading and Study Club Records

This collection includes membership rosters, agendas, and other materials pertaining to the Willows Reading and Study Club. About the Collection Established in 1896, the club is one of the oldest organizations in the Santa Clara Valley. Initially organized as a neighborhood improvement club, it transformed into a reading and study club. "Willows" refers to the Willows neighborhood, also known as Willow Glen.

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Women on Wheels

This collection contains photographs, documents, awards and ephemera from the Bay Area chapter of Women on Wheels. The materials span the mid 1980s to the mid 2000s.

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