I just learned about an interesting resource on San Jose history, found at the city planning department website. The Historical Overview and Context, written in 1992, is meant to guide the planning department in historical preservation, but its also a basic introduction to San Jose history for anyone who’s interested.

The document begins with a summary of San Jose history, beginning with Native American times, and covering Spanish, Mexican, and American colonization periods, followed by development of the area from a supply point for California mining, to a fruitgrowing area, into the high technology center we know today. Important San Jose “firsts” are also mentioned such as the first automotive repair garage in the western U.S., and California’s first radio transmission.

Following the historical summary is a review of the geographical development of the city, including notes on the history of several smaller communities, such as Willow Glen and Evergreen, that were later annexed to San Jose.

Finally, the document terminates abruptly after discussing some California state guidelines for assessing historical land use patterns, and presenting the historical context of brick buildings in San Jose. Presumably the city had hoped to follow up this document with additional surveys covering other building types or city regions. I’m not sure if these follow-up surveys were completed or if they’re available on-line.

The PDF file also contains the “City of San Jose Historic Resource Inventory Survey Phase II”. This survey is more focussed on city planning concerns, and has a section on the historical development of transportation and communication in San Jose, followed by a section on industry and manufacturing. This part of the document covers some important historical developments, but emphasizes the locations and buildings where they occurred for the benefit of city planners responsible for preserving these historically significant sites.

If you’re interested in San Jose history you should have a look at this document. If you’re interested in how we can preserve the city’s memories and maintain a city landscape with links to the past, you should have not only read this document, but consider getting involved with planning decisions that can either preserve or obliterate our history.