Photo provided by : Joey Flores Many people know Sonny Madrid as the founder of Lowrider magazine, but that’s just a small part of the story.

We seldom mention them or even really notice them much, but I've always liked those old buildings with angled entrances on the very corner of the building. They're usually corner grocery stores or former corner grocery stores, and I suppose the intention was for ease of access. I didn't realize how many there were around San Jose until I started looking for them to photograph. Maybe you'll recognize some of the examples below:  

Photo Credit: Suzanne Lopez (in blog image) and Maria Herrera (blog icon image)  

The Keystone Company traces its origins back to 1867, though it's a trail filled with acquisitions, divisions, name and ownership changes. The company began as a wholesale grocery firm founded by Conrad Renzel in 1885.  Conrad's son Ernest Renzel Sr. took over operations in 1898, incorporating as Keystone Company in 1905.  In 1915, Keystone absorbed a coffee and spice company that had been founded as Barrett, Caswell, & Hunt in 1867 (later known as Eagle Coffee & Spice Mills).

The California Room is a Special Collection archive located on the 5th floor of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Library It is the repository for various books, maps, scrapbooks, periodicals, and other materials related to California history. Below are highlights of some spooky-themed finds you can locate in the room which are focused around local urban legends and true crime.