San
Jose became California's first state capital in 1849, after the Constitutional
Convention in Monterey; it would only retain this distinction for two years. Unfortunately,
the capitol building (a 40 by 60 foot two-story adobe house) was not yet
complete when the members of the State Legislature arrived in December of 1849 to
a muddy, flooded San Jose with inadequate hotel accommodations [1; 3]. The
Assembly met in a finished room on the second story of the capitol, but the
Senate had to meet elsewhere, at Isaac Branham's house at the corner of the modern-day
Plaza de Cesar E. Chavez [1; 2; 3]. Possibly because of the weather and the
accommodations, because of the lack of other entertainment in San Jose at the
time, or even because flooding had contaminated the local drinking water, the
1849 Assembly and Senate went down in history as the "Legislature of a
Thousand Drinks," a term attributed to Senator Thomas Jefferson Green of
Sacramento, who ended each session with, "Let's have a drink! Let's have a
thousand drinks!" Swayed by drier conditions and monetary offers, the
State Legislature offered to move the capital to Vallejo in 1851, moving again
in 1854 to Sacramento [1; 3].

An 1899 replica of California's first state capitol building (image from the city of San Jose)

Historic marker along South Market Street (image from Historical Marker Database)

Engraving of the original Capitol Building (image from California State Library)

National Park Service essay on early Santa Clara and San Jose history

More Info

The Valley of Santa Clara: Historic Buildings, 1792-1920
by Phyllis F. Butler, Junior League of San Jose 

Book

From 1849-1851, San Jose was California's first state capital. The first Assembly met in an unassuming two-story adobe house which was unfinished in December of 1849, requiring the Senate to meet elsewhere, at Isaac Branham's house at the corner of the modern-day Plaza de Cesar E. Chavez [1; 2; 3]. Two historical markers, one in the Plaza and one across Market Street from the Plaza, are dedicated to the site of the capitol building [2; 3]. The adobe statehouse itself was located between the present-day San Jose Museum of Art and the Fairmont Hotel [1].

First State Capitol Building of California

This walking tour begins at Hotel De Anza and the historic Luis Maria Peralta Adobe. The tour includes stops at nearly two dozen historical buildings and landmarks, including cathedrals and monuments and the first state capitol of California. The tour also incorporates a host of historical markers and buildings such as Hotel Sainte Claire which opened in 1926. The tour concludes at the Tech Museum of Innovation. 

As the Santa Clara Valley began to change from an agricultural area in the 1920s, local business owners collaborated to form the West Santa Clara Development Association. This association sought to improve the business climate in the area and, to that end, realized there were few hotels in the area for visitors and they fronted the money to build the Hotel De Anza to solve that problem. Initially called the San Jose Hotel, the name was changed to honor Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza. De Anza travelled up the coast of California from present day Tucson, Arizona in 1776, while the American colonists fought for their independence 3,000 miles to the east. He is credited with blazing an inland route to San Francisco Bay and locating the original sites for the Mission Santa Clara de Asis and San Jose de Guadalupe or modern day San Jose.The architect, William Meeks, opted to design a 10-story, 144-room art deco structure with Spanish colonial accents within the interior. The first two floors are occupied by its lobby and mezzanine that feature wrought iron balconies, a matching grand chandelier, solid wooden beams, double arch doorways, and a massive fireplace with a canopy that reaches the ceiling. Its Tap Room became a popular local nightclub that featured a live orchestra and its top floor became the home to radio station KEEN. It was also a popular spot for national celebrities and was visited by Eleanor Roosevelt, boxer Jack Dempsey and jazz great Cab Calloway.The hotel’s zigzag, or stepped parapet is still topped by what is now considered a local landmark, a massive “Hotel De Anza” rose-colored neon sign. And the “Diving Diva,” a painting of a white-clad woman in the act of diving, still graces the side of the building. She was added in 1951 to promote the hotel’s heated outdoor pool. More recently, a massive mural was painted by local artist, Jim Miner, on the hotel’s west side. Entitled “Life Abundant in the Face of Death Imminent,” or simply “Life Abundant,” the mural features a flapper-style woman surrounded by an overflowing cornucopia of fruits and vegetables on a bright purple background.By the 1970s, the hotel had fallen into a state of disrepair and talk of its demolition swirled. However, it was saved by the San Jose Redevelopment Agency and a new owner invested $10 million for its renovation in 1991. It rooms, common areas, and meeting spaces were updated in 2015 to more reflect the hotel’s Jazz Age origins. Today, the hotel is also home to the renowned La Pastaia restaurant, the Hedley Club, a cocktail lounge that features live jazz music, and a fountain courtyard that is perfect for wedding receptions and other gatherings.

One of the few art deco designed structures in San Jose, the Hotel De Anza first opened its doors in February of 1931. It was built by an organization comprised of local businesses who hoped to attract tourists and convention goers to the area and planning began in the late 1920s. It was designed by Canadian born architect William H. Meeks and construction was overseen by Carl Swenson. The hotel underwent major renovations in the early 1990s and again in 2015. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.

Hotel De Anza

The College of Notre Dame traces its history back to 1844 in Oregon, when sisters of Notre Dame de Namur established a mission for children of the Chinook tribe and early settlers. Operating a school was difficult on the formidable Oregon frontier, and the sisters eventually accepted an offer to establish a mission in California, where the population was increasing rapidly. Their school, the College of Notre Dame, opened on August 4, 1851, and was located on Santa Clara Street. The nuns operated both a day school and a college. The school was open to both Catholic and non-Catholic students, and they accepted children from both Native American and European American families. The college became California's first chartered female college in 1868. It remains the oldest all-girl high school west of the Mississippi.&nbsp;

This marker indicates the location of California's first chartered women's college: the College of Notre Dame. It was founded in 1851 as a boarding school for young women and grew to become the college in 1868, earning an excellent academic reputation. In terms of size, it eventually encompassed the area between Almaden Blvd., Santa Clara Street, and St. Teresa Street. Commercial development began to encroach by the 1920s and as a result, the school was forced moved to Belmont in 1923.

Historical Marker: College of Notre Dame

Manual Gonzales, an Apache Indian, and his family, traveled to California with the Anza party in 1776. Led by Lt. Colonel Juan Bautista de Anza, the group created a settlement, El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, on the frontier of New Spain. Gonzales also participated in founding the first municipal government in California at El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, and he served as its second mayor. Gonzales' family home, which is called the Peralta Adobe (named for a later resident) is the only remaining structure from the original settlement. Constructed in 1797, Gonzales and his family lived in the adobe until his death in 1804. In 1807, the property went to Luís María Peralta, the most famous resident of the adobe, after whom the site was later named. Peralta was a sergeant in the military of the King of Spain and the owner of one of the largest ranchos (land grants) within the territory. He was appointed comisionado (commissioner) of Pueblo San José. He kept this position until 1822, the year after Mexico was officially independent from Spain. After his death in 1851, his two daughters inherited the property.  Constructed with adobe blocks and plaster, the structure is a traditional Pueblo-style dwelling, with earthen floors and clay walls measuring two feet thick. The natural materials that comprise the walls of the adobe helped to keep the dwelling cooler in summer and warmer in winter. The structure reflects the Pueblo style between the years 1790-1810, and it is one of the few remaining examples of what was once a common type of architecture in San José. Of particular interest is the adobe's horno, or outdoor working oven, which sits adjacent to the exterior of the dwelling. Constructed of clay and shaped like a beehive, this wood-burning oven once served a useful role in the preparation of food. Historic tours of the property include the exterior, as well as the single-story interior, featuring two rooms. The tour is offered in conjunction with a Victorian mansion across the street, the Fallon House. This separate property was built in 1855 for Thomas Fallon, one of the early mayors of San José, and it offers an architectural counterpoint to the simple vernacular style of the Peralta Adobe.The public tour lasts approximately 1.5 hours and features a narrative history of the Gonzales, Peralta, and Fallon families, which resided in these properties at different times during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

The Luís María Peralta Adobe is the oldest surviving structure from El Pueblo de San José de Guadalupe, City of San José, the first municipal Spanish settlement in California. The single story, two bedroom building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and it became a California Historical Landmark in 1974. History San José maintains and operates the site, which has been restored to resemble its original appearance. Located in the heart of downtown San José, tours of the Peralta Adobe are available every weekend in conjunction with a Victorian property located across the street, the Fallon House Historic Site, home to one of San José's early mayors. The two properties are often referred to jointly as the Peralta Adobe -- Fallon House Historic Site. 


Luís María Peralta Adobe 

The family that funded and commissioned the statue hoped to place it in&nbsp;Cesar Chavez Park, this location offended the sensibilities of many residents given the intention of that park to honor a Mexican-American&nbsp;civil rights icon. Chicano groups protested the placement of the statue in 1990, resulting in the statue being located on St. James Street after ten years of debate. During that time, the statue was placed in storage and the city agreed to create four works celebrating Hispanic history and culture before the Fallon monument would be installed. One of the four statues, the&nbsp;Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl which was installed in Cesar Chavez park, has been criticized for resembling "a snake coiled like excrement."&nbsp; Although protests were made in 2000, when the statue was placed on St. James Street, but Mayor Tom McEnery and other San Jose leaders felt that the statue presented an important piece of the city's history.

This statue of Captain Thomas Fallon raising the American flag in San Jose in 1846 during the early period of the Mexican-American War (1846-1848) caused a significant amount of controversy for many years. Artist Robert Glen was commissioned in 1988 to create the statue and it was scheduled to be installed in 1990. However, the Mexican-American community objected to it, arguing that it symbolized oppression of Mexicans and celebrated the United State's annexation of California just two months after the government declared war on Mexico. In response, a historic art committee was formed, which eventually concluded that city art should represent all of the city's history, including the statue. It also called for four other artworks that would depict other aspects of San Jose's history. All of these statues are today on display. It is significant to note that the statue was placed in storage for ten years before being installed during the debate about the propriety of the statue. In 2016, the city moved the statue about ninety feet Pellier Park to allow for the realignment of Julian Street. 

Captain Thomas Fallon Statue, San Jose

This beautiful church was constructed in 1892 and has been the home of the city's first Unitarian Universalist congregation ever since. Architect George Page designed it in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and it features domes, cupolas, square towers, and stained glass windows on the front facade. Restoration efforts began in the 1990s and not completed until 2001 due to devastating fire in October 1995. The congregation itself formed in 1865. The church was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

First Unitarian Church of San Jose

St. James Park has long been an important focal point for the city of San Jose. It is surrounded by churches, the post office, the county courthouse, and, for a time, clubs and lodges. Although it was the center of the Spanish and later Mexican settlements, it wasn't platted until 1848 and not formally landscaped until 1868. Beginning around this time the park came to its own, becoming the important civic and religious center it is today. As such, it is where many civic functions have taken place including rallies and speeches, including those by President McKinley and Senator Robert Kennedy. In 1955, the city built Second Street through the park. As of mid-2017, plans are in place to redesign the park. &nbsp; &nbsp; Tragically, California's last lynching took place at the park in 1933. An angry mob broke into the jail across the street, grabbed two men accused of kidnapping and murdering Brooke Hart—the son of the&nbsp;president of a local department store—and hanged them in the park. This entry includes two videos about that tragic event.&nbsp;

A monument to Henry Morris Naglee (1815-1886) is located on the southeastern corner of St. Jamese Park. Naglee served in the U.S. Army as Brigadier General and Lieutenant Colonel and was a veteran of the Mexican-American War and also served the Union in the Civil War. Outside of the military, he worked in banking, civil engineering, and grape farming. He owned over fifty acres of vineyards in San Jose and used the grapes to make brandy.

Henry Morris Naglee Monument, St. James Park

This marker indicates the location of a building called the Labor Temple, which, from the early 1900s to 1948, was once the heart of San Jose's labor movement. Sometime between 1901-1903, Harry Ryan, the local labor leader, and author Jack London, founded the Labor Temple. It was an informal organization at first but it became official in 1911. London finished his novel the "Call of the Wild" and wrote parts of another book, "Sea Horse," here (in Harry's office). The building was demolished in the 1950s. 

Historical Marker: Labor Temple

Now known as the San Jose Improv, the Jose Theater was built in 1904 by a Monterey landowner, David Jacks, who was also the namesake of Monterey Jack cheese. The theater hosted numerous Vaudeville acts and once hosted an appearance by Harry Houdini.&nbsp; The Jose changed hands numerous times over the years. Since it was built,
the theater has changed ownership no less than seven times. In the 1920s, James Battey, the
second owner of the theater, bought the Jose and began to include silent films that were accompanied by live music; this was standard for films at the time. In the 1930s, the Jose began its tradition of
showing second-run films(which
means a film that has already been taken out of theaters). In 1949, the theater was purchased by James B. Lima's
General Theatrical Company. Barry
Swenson and Jim Fox purchased the theater from Lima but they were forced to close
the theater In 1989 after it was damaged in the Loma Prieta earthquake and the owners believed that it would cost too much money to perform a seismic retrofit to the theater in order to keep it operating. In 1990, the theater was named a San Jose Historical Landmark and the San Jose City Council agreed to invest $5.1 million to refurbish the theater. The San Jose Redevelopment Agency purchased the Jose
Theater in 2000 and completed upgrades to bring the theater up to code in October 2001. The beautifully restored theater has 450 seats and workers were able to partially salvage the pressed-tin
ceiling which is now adorned with new gold leaf along the edges. The restoration of the Jose involved façade
restoration, which involved replacing missing terracotta cresting, cleaning and restoring the masonry, and the repairing and lighting of the Art Deco marquee. The restoration was so successful that the project received the Gold Nugget Award for “best rehabilitation of a commercial
or special use building”. 

Today it is home to the San Jose branch of the Improv comedy
club franchise. The city had signed a ten year contract with them and the San Jose Improv opened to the public in 2002.&nbsp;

The oldest theater in San Jose, the Jose Theater (now known as the San Jose Improv) was built in 1904. The theater was declared a San Jose Historical Landmark in 1990.

Jose Theater (San Jose Improv)

The Letitia Building, built in 1889, is considered by many preservationists to be one of San Jose's best examples of turn-of-the-century urban architecture because much of the building is unaltered from its original state. It was built by architect C.T. Ryland, and named for his wife, Letitia Burnett Ryland, the daughter of Peter Burnett, California's first governor.&nbsp; The building served as a rooming house until 1922, when it was remodeled and transformed into office and commercial space. Remarkably, the building's upper floors were vacant from the late 1920s and remained largely as the last tenants left them. The Letitia Building was commissioned by Ryland, who was both aide and son-in-law to Peter Burnett, and was built by the German immigrant family of Jacob and Theodore Lenzen. It was one of two "sister" buildings, the other being the Security Building which is just to the south of the Letitia.&nbsp; The Letitia Building underwent a major renovation in the 1990s and has housed the Hopkins and Carley Law Firm since 2000. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

Built in 1889, the Letitia Building was named for Letitia Burnett Ryland, the daughter of California's first governor. The building has served numerous functions over its long life and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 

Letitia Building 

The Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph, or St. Joseph's
Church, can trace its history back to 1803, when an adobe building on the site
was erected for the first permanent, non-mission Catholic congregation in the
state of California. The parish was initially administered by Franciscans
(1803-1851). At that time, the church site, on land donated by Antonio Sunol,
stood near the town plaza of the Spanish civilian settlement Pueblo de San Jose
de Guadalupe (of which today's Plaza de Cesar Chavez was a part) [1; 2; 3]. In
1845, a new adobe church replaced the first, which had been damaged in earthquakes
in 1818 and 1822. The second adobe, which saw the shift from Franciscan to
Jesuit administration (1851-1992), suffered the same fate as the first building
in the 1868 Hayward earthquake, and was replaced the following year with a
wooden church which burned down only six years later. For two years, the
congregation met in a temporary building off-site, while architect Bryan J.
Clinch designed the fourth and current St. Joseph's and construction began [2;
3]. On March 19, 1876, the feast day of St. Joseph, the cornerstone was laid,
and in April of the following year the church opened in a dedication ceremony
performed by Joseph Alemany, Archbishop of San Francisco [2].



Nine years later, with the addition of the portico and
completion of the dome, the General Grant Classical style St. Joseph's
Cathedral was finished [1; 2]. In 1886, the Odell Tracker pipe organ was added
to the church, where it is still in use today--only one of four in the United
States and the only Odell in working condition on the West Coast. Thirty-six of
the cathedral's stained glass windows were installed between its opening and
1920, the earliest two having been made in Italy and sixteen more crafted in
Bavaria [2]. The 1906 earthquake caused damage to the architectural detailing
and interior furnishings, and the 1920s saw refurbishing and an art enhancement
program at St. Joseph's, including the aluminizing of the copper domes, which
now appear silver. Further restoration was required when, in 1952, structural
issues were discovered, and again in the 1980s after the Diocese of San Jose
was established; by the end of the decade, St. Joseph's was its designated
cathedral [1; 2]. Due to these renovations and its historical and architectural
significance, the cathedral was elevated in 1997 to a minor basilica by Pope
John Paul II, as well as receiving status on the California Historical Landmark
an the National Register of Historic Places [2].

Listed on both the National Register of Historic Places and as a California Historic Landmark, the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph began as a humble Franciscan adobe church in a Spanish civilian settlement, Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe. Due to earthquakes and fires, a total of four St. Joseph's buildings have stood on the site, including the present cathedral, which dates to 1875 [1; 2; 3].

Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph

Housed in San Jose's first federal building, a U.S. Post
Office built of local sandstone in 1892, the San Jose Museum of Art fuses a
National Register of Historic Places site with award-winning modern and
contemporary art exhibits [1; 2]. With over 2,500 works in its permanent
collection and nine to twelve temporary exhibits annually, the museum also
offers arts education to over 40,000 school children annually in the Santa
Clara Valley [2].&nbsp;

History of the Site
and Building

The Romanesque building with its original clock tower was
designed by Willoughby Edbrooke and built in 1892 on the site of the A.M. Pico
Adobe associated with the plaza of the Spanish Pueblo, later part of San Jose's
Chinatown until the area was destroyed in the 1887 fire. The sandstone for its
construction was quarried from the local Goodrich mines [1; 3]. Unfortunately,
the 1906 earthquake destroyed the steeple of the original clock tower, which
was rebuilt under the guidance of architect James Knox Taylor in 1908-1909,
with a new three-faced, gravity-powered clock designed by "Century
Clock" creator Nels Johnson. The building's status on the National
Register of Historic Places is due to the significance of both its architecture
and the clock (only five Nels Johnson clocks exist). After the post office closed
in 1933, the building was vacant until 1935, when it was remodeled and added to
by architect Ralph Wycoff for use as the City of San Jose Library [3].



A citizen-led grassroots effort began in 1969 to transform
the building (in disuse by that time, and proposed for demolition) into an art
gallery, and in 1971, the dream became a reality [2; 3]. The museum added a new
wing in 1991 to house its overflowing permanent collection and to host
international exhibits, in keeping with its home city's growth from a small
agricultural community to a vital part of high-tech Silicon Valley [2].&nbsp;

The San Jose Museum
of Art TodayFocusing on modern to contemporary art, architecture, and
design, the San Jose Museum of Art hosts exhibitions from traditional painting
to new-media installations, with subject matter reflecting diversity and community
issues, in particular. The permanent collection has been acquired almost
entirely by donation and features American Scene prints, Mid-20th Century Bay
Area Abstraction, Figurative Painting and Sculpture by Bay Area Artists
including the Davis School, Representational Painting, New Media Works, and
Socially Engaged Art categories. Among these are paintings and drawings, prints
and artist's books, sculpture, new media and installations, and photography,
with many promised donations to come in future years. The museum is also Santa
Clara County's largest provider of arts education through school programs and
outreach such as Let's Look at Art Program, gallery activity stations, tours,
and lectures [3].

Housed in San Jose's first federal building, a U.S. Post Office built of local sandstone in 1892, the San Jose Museum of Art fuses a National Register of Historic Places site with award-winning modern and contemporary art exhibits [1; 2]. With over 2,500 works in its permanent collection and nine to twelve temporary exhibits annually, the museum also offers arts education to over 40,000 school children annually in the Santa Clara Valley [2].

San Jose Museum of Art

The History of San Jose's Plaza As Russian explorers began scouting northern California in
the late 18th century, the New Spanish (Mexican) government received permission
from Spanish crown to expand into the area. The Ohlone people (who had settled
the Santa Clara Valley region by as early as 8000 B.C.E.) initially welcomed
the Spanish and the priests who established twenty-one Franciscan missions in
the area [4]. The first European civilian, non-mission settlement in California
was El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, chartered by the King of Spain [1; 4].
Officially founded on November 29th, 1777, San Jose's initial population
consisted of nine soldiers, five settlers and their families, and one cowboy
[4]. The original town site (at present-day First and Mission Streets, the site
of today's City Hall) was abandoned due to flooding in favor of the higher
ground around where the Plaza de Cesar E. Chavez stands today [1; 2]. The
Plaza, in fact, was the heart of the original relocated Pueblo de San Jose,
making it "the oldest continuously used public open space in the city,"
[5]. The original <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=29265">St.
Joseph's</a> church and the Juzgado (court) stood at the edge of the plaza,
which functioned as a market square, parade ground, racetrack, and court for
the rather brutal game of correr el gallo [2; 5]. Mexico broke away from Spain in 1821, but San Jose refused
to accept Mexican rule for another four years [2; 4]. On July 14, 1846, during
the Mexican-American War, Captain Thomas Fallon raised the United States flag
over the town hall of San Jose, then a small town populated by Spanish Californians,
Mexicans, Peruvians, Chileans, and Indians [4]. In the following two years, the
town was surveyed by Thomas Campbell, then Chester Lyman, who followed the
existing grid street pattern still in place today, as well as establishing the elliptical
park containing the Plaza [1; 5]. The first <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=29673">State Capitol</a> bordered
the expanded plaza, as the California gold rush of 1848-1849 expanded the
population and commercial development of the city, and the functions of the
plaza grew to include public hangings [4; 5]. By the 1860s, San Jose had a
significant <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=29266">Chinatown</a>
along Market Street bordering the plaza which so-called "Nativist" Euro-Americans
found objectionable and which "mysteriously" burned to the ground in
1887, just in time for the erection of City Hall on the plaza [2; 4; 5].&nbsp;

The City Hall building, designed by Theodore Lenzen, was built
between 1887 and 1889, with the stipulation that no Chinese labor would be used
in its construction. The building met with heavy criticism from the American
Institute of Architects, its style described as "bastard Baroque."
Its ground floor housed the city jail, with Council meetings held upstairs. A
cast-iron drinking fountain and statue of prohibitionist Henry D. Cogswell (donated
by Cogswell himself) stood in City Hall Park (the plaza) until 1944, when it
was melted for scrap metal for the war effort. Also during the Second World
War, a U.S.O. Hospitality House was constructed by volunteers in a single day
at the south end of Plaza Park for service men and women passing through San
Jose [2]. The objectionable-looking City Hall was demolished in 1958 and a new
City Hall built on the original 1777 site of the Pueblo de San Jose [2; 5].



Plaza Park was renamed in 1993 to honor resident César E.
Chávez (1927–1993), who served in the Navy in World War II before settling in
eastern San Jose. Having survived the Great Depression as a migrant worker, Chávez
founded the United Farm Workers Union, worked for civil, labor, and consumer
rights; Latino rights; nonviolence; and environmentalism [3; 5].

The city of San Jose was established in 1777 as El Pueblo de San Jose de Guadalupe, the first civil settlement chartered in California by the King of Spain [1; 4]. When the town moved to higher ground due to flooding in 1797, the Pueblo de San José centered around the plaza which, in 1993, was renamed in honor of civil rights, Latino, and farm labor leader Cesar E. Chavez, who also championed environmental conservation and consumer rights [3; 5]. The Plaza was also the site of San Jose's City Hall from 1887-1958 and a U.S.O. Hospitality House during the Second World War [2].

Plaza de César E. Chávez

Five different locations housed San Jose's Chinatown between
the 1860s and 1931. One of these locations was Market Street Chinatown,
established in the 1860s and destroyed by an arson fire in 1887 [2; 4]. Prior
to its destruction, it was the largest Chinatown south of San Francisco, in
spite of intense anti-Chinese sentiment and violence [1; 3]. Stanford
University's ongoing &nbsp;Market Street
Chinatown Archaeology Project has revealed the neighborhood to have been a
highly adaptive, diverse ethnic community (also see entry for the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=27053" title="Link: https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=27053">Chinese American Historical
Museum</a> at History Park, San Jose) [1; 2]. San Jose's Early
ChinatownDuring the 19th century, so-called "Nativist" European
American prejudices were rampant in California, and Chinatowns of the West were
often safe, economically stable communities not only for Chinese Americans, but
Japanese and other Asian Americans, Native Americans, African Americans,
European immigrants, and white social outcasts such as prostitutes [1].
Analysis of artifacts from San Jose's Market Street Chinatown has revealed a
combination of pan-Asian, British, and American household goods were used in
the community, suggesting a diverse, mobile (not isolated) population who were
an important part of the county's economic development [1; 2; 3]. University of
Delaware professor Jean Pfaelzer writes that San Jose's Chinatown was "the
economic and social center for three thousand farmworkers, for domestic
servants...and for local Chinese merchants and laborers," [quoted in 4].



Anti-Chinese sentiment rose in part from European American ignorance
of Chinese goods, culture, and tradition, but also from the more mundane issue
of business interests [1; 3]. Despite beatings, murders, and arson from
European Americans, Market Street Chinatown managed to thrive. The residents
even organized their own fire department in 1883 [3]. As downtown San Jose grew
in the 1880s, businessmen eyed the properties of Chinatown as sites of future
expansion, and Mayor C.W. Breyfogle and the town council declared the community
a "public nuisance," voting to remove it in March of 1887 [1; 3]. After
two months without success, an arson fire set on May 4, 1887 destroyed the
densely-packed brick and wooden buildings of Chinatown within hours [3; 4]. The
fire was set in an alley during the afternoon, when most of the community were
gathering to hear the announcement of the lottery winner, and although the
Chinese fire brigade responded to the blaze, their water tank proved to have
been drained. Nearby white business owners had spent the previous two weeks
investing in fire insurance, according to Pfaelzer [quoted in 3].



The tragedy left San Jose's Chinatown residents homeless and
destitute, though the fire helped to preserve their community's archaeological
record, which was excavated in the 1980s during urban redevelopment of the
downtown area [1; 2; 3]. Over 50,000 artifacts were recovered; analysis began
in 2001 and is still ongoing [1; 2]. For more of the history of San Jose's
Chinatown community following the destruction at Market Street, see the entry
on the <a target="_blank" rel="nofollow" href="https://www.theclio.com/web/entry?id=27053">Chinese American
Historical Museum</a>.

Five different locations housed San Jose's Chinatown between the 1860s and 1931. One of these locations was Market Street Chinatown, established in the 1860s and destroyed by an arson fire in 1887 [2; 4]. Prior to its destruction, it was the largest Chinatown south of San Francisco, in spite of intense anti-Chinese sentiment and violence [1; 3]. Stanford University's ongoing  Market Street Chinatown Archaeology Project has revealed the neighborhood to have been a highly adaptive, diverse ethnic community [1; 2].

Market Street Chinatown Historic Marker

The Dohrman Building was built in 1926 as part of plan by T. S. Montgomery to develop the city of San Jose. Montgomery was director of two railroads and one of the leading developers in San Jose at the turn of the twentieth century and is widely considered to be one of the most influential figures in the history of the city. Montgomery planned to turn San Carlos Street into the commercial center of the city. There was a fierce rivalry between Montgomery and his competitors, who owned property in the vicinity of Santa Clara Street. To ensure the development of San Carlos, Montgomery donated land along the street to the city and loaned the city the money for construction along the thoroughfare.&nbsp; Montgomery planned to have a hotel, retail space, office space, and a theater along San Carlos. The Dohrman Building was the first to be completed, in 1926, and was the home of the Dohrman Hotel Supply Company. The business primarily supplied the Saint Claire Hotel, which opened later that year. The business was in operation until the 1960s. The Dohrman Building underwent an extensive restoration in 1986, the same year that it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.&nbsp;

The Dohrman Building was built in 1926 and is one only three buildings remaining in San Jose with a terra cotta-clad facade. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is also a San Jose City Landmark.

Dohrman Building 

Hotel Sainte Claire was built in 1926. It was designed by the San Francisco architecture firm Weeks and Day, and its original owner was T. S. Montgomery. The hotel's architecture includes numerous references to French, Spanish, and Mediterranean Revival styling.At the time of its construction, Hotel Sainte Claire was considered one of the grandest hotels in the state of California. The hotel was famous for its elegant decor and hosted numerous celebrities such as Clark Gable and Carole Lombard, Joe DiMaggio, and Bob Hope. Eventually, the hotel's fortunes declined, similar to other ornate downtown hotels as travelers arrived via highways and interstates instead of downtown train stations. The hotel changed owners (and names) several times in the second half of the 20th century. For a time, the structure was home to a transient hotel. The property was sold at a courthouse auction at least twice.Preservationists worked to add the building to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 as part of an effort to prevent the building from suffering the fate of many other historic buildings in the city. The hotel was completely unoccupied from 1988 to 1992, and many in San Jose feared it was a lost cause. With a greater interest in downtown revitalization and entertainment venues in the 1990s and with tax credits for historic preservation, the once-grand hotel was restored and is once again a premier hotel.

Hotel Sainte Claire opened in 1926 as was the premiere hotel in San Jose and one of the city's most recognizable landmarks for many years. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the hotel is now part of the Westin hotel chain.

Hotel Sainte Claire (Westin San Jose)

The museum and its directors believe that&nbsp;every young person should have the opportunity to explore science and technology with hands-on learning experiences. In addition to its wide array of galleries, workshops, and other local programming, the museum sponsors server national and international awards for those who promote technology and education. Please check the links below for more information about these programs and opportunities within and beyond the San Diego area.The inspiration for the museum began in 1978 when members of the local Junior League dedicated themselves to the creation of a museum of science and technology. Their vision became a reality in 1990 when the museum opened in the city's former convention center. After eight years and with the generous support of the museum's benefactors, the museum opened in its current location.

The Tech Museum of Innovation features 132,000 square feet of interactive galleries and workshops that reflect 'the Spirit of Silicon Valley" and blend fun with education in science and technology. Guests can tour the galleries, participate in workshops, and enjoy educational films in the museum's IMAX theater. The Museum sponsors a number of day-long and multi-day workshops were young adults can explore technology and design their own inventions and innovations. 

Downtown San Jose Walking Tour

First State Capitol Building of California

Introduction

Images

Backstory and Context

Sources

Additional Information