Greater San Jose (1951)

This film was produced for the San Jose Chamber of Commerce in the early 1950s as a promotional tool. San Jose was the focal point of the Santa Clara Valley, and it's all here in its heyday. Follow two beauties from place to place as they show off the glamor of San Jose! New suburban homes were rising, including Cambrian Park, and San Jose's old City Hall was still standing. Valley landmarks such as Santa Clara University and San Jose State College are featured, as are businesses like O'Brien's Candies, Bettencourt's Market, the Farmers' Union, and Normandin's Plymouth De Soto. Film made by Raycliff Pictures.
If you have old films of San Jose or the Bay Area, the Pioneers Film Archive wants to hear from you! We offer a free DVD copy if you allow us to preserve and share your historical films and photographs. The California Pioneers of Santa Clara County are a non-profit historical organization who aims to preserve & promote history and encourage research & scholarship. Visit us at www.CaliforniaPioneers.com and feel free to email us at [e-mail]
Transferred & Edited by William Foley
A Part of the Pioneers Film Archive.
©2011 California Pioneers of Santa Clara County

[@chrisphariss3075]

I grew up in San Jose in the Willow Glen area I watched my dad pour cement for the J C Pennys building couldn't have been more then 3-4 years old My grandfather owned a prune and apricot orchard on Chenoweth Ave near the Hays estate during the summer I cut cots and picked pruns for a couple of hours. I took swimming lessons at Willow Glen High school. The fifties were a great time to be a teenager. A few minutes out of town you were in the country my great uncles had a cattle ranch in the Little Uvas my aunts ranch was in Paradise Valley. I am not much for progress for me it is sad to see the way the valley has grown.

[@finestplanet1353]

Glad to see, San Jose has consistently improved its living conditions and quality of life two steps forward and ten backwards.

[@charlietian4023]

By this do you genuinely believe life was better back then in every way?

[@jacktran7024]

@@charlietian4023 Don't get triggered by @finestplanet1's comment. Life was less scarier especially downtown san jose back then.

[@bigbubba7753]

@@charlietian4023 It was better in most ways lets just say that.

[@charlietian4023]

@@bigbubba7753 I mean that's just objectively false if you're not white

[@charlietian4023]

@@bigbubba7753 It's also false if you look at objective measurements like relative spending power and average quality of life

[@dorothypettijohn6228]

I too have great memories of growing up in San Jo! My parents are stilll in the same house 55 years later! Cambrisn park.was my stomping ground. Cosentinos the prune yard, Tower records! Captol drive in! We rode bikes to Vasona, Perk ponds even Lexington Res. I remember driving 17 to the beach , no seat belts, no cement divider between north and south!!! Camden High School,Ida Price Bagby. Then SJCC. Leff in 1989.to the sucky valley go buy a house. It's a.differnt town now. Culture shock! Great place to grow up😀

[@stevenchavez4808]

God Dorothy, were we neighbors? My older sister attended Camden hs, I went to bagby and helped make the tile mural in front, then IDA price, then Branham hs..graduated 1973...17 to Santa Cruz, no dividers....fishing at the perk ponds, swimming vasona.....picking fresh cherries at various vacant lots.....lived near doerr park, Leigh and rochelle......so many memories.....it's kinda ruined these days.....so very sad.....

[@elizahhoward3923]

dude i reminiced with you it really is aa great place to grow up but jesus does this city evolve

[@fmcg5364]

Hi Dorothy

[@raysousa955]

I feel the same. I grew up in the rose garden district and my parents are still there. I miss my home town

[@uncledamfee2347]

@@stevenchavez4808 Born in 89 near Doerr on Lexford Ave right off Potrero/Leigh. small world

[@fob1xxl]

I grew up there from 1954 until 1964 when I moved to L.A. I went to Belden and Walter L Bachrodt elementary school. Attended Peter H. Burnett Jr High and graduated from San Jose High School. My Mom grew up in San Jose. We moved to Santa Clara in 1961 when my parents bought their first new home. We lived on Stevenson St. All of my mom's family grew up and lived there their whole lives. My Uncle's practically ran "Del Monte" on Jackson Street. Very few of us around now. I'll always remember growing up in San Jose and playing with the neighborhood kids . Always waiting for my mom to call out my name in the evening, "Guy ! Time to come in now ! It's time for dinner !" I have two cousins that were COACHES at San Jose State University, The "PIARO BROTHERS". Sure proud of them ! loved my childhood. It was a great time to grow up.

[@acmc82]

My mom was right, just like in Cuba, I noticed the women were dressed up just to go shopping, either for groceries or for clothes and things! I'm a San Jose native, now 30 and I dress up to go to the mall. I'm still looking for more videos of San Jose's past!

[@cargo2206]

Check out (San Jose Lights) 1969 and (Snow in San Jose) January 21, 1962

[@celticfiddle7605]

@@cargo2206 I remember the snow of '62!!!!!

[@stogiechomper]

My family moved to San Jose six years after this film was made.

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

Lol👍

[@5Neeny]

We did too! I was 6. We lived in the area of Saratoga Rd. And Prospect Ave. orchards all around our track of homes! Beautiful place to grow up!

[@GarySinghSJ]

TWO senior high schools. Good god...

[@acerockollaa]

Now those very tract houses in Cambrian Park go for northwards of $1.25 million dollars.

[@pen64]

The Cambrian Park house I grew up in my parents bought in 1958 for $35K. I just checked and it’s estimated worth is between $1.18M and $1.37M. For a 3 Br, 1 1/2 bath! I would not pay that much for that house if I could...

[@dgarton28]

I was there. I had just finished College and had one year of teaching completed. I came back to SJSC several summers to work on a graduate degree and lived in some of the original tract homes in West San Jose. These are great clips. Thanks so much.

[@Molly_Belle]

My family has been here for over a hundred year’s. It’s changed so much even in the past 20 years.I love how all the people used to look so nice.

[@FeaJackie]

wow, its strange seeing so many familiar places from the past and comparing them to the present.

[@bryanace761]

Ikr

[@someniam8021]

Same!

[@scasey1960]

Great to see how the dollar store has replaced “selling nothing but the best”.

[@royaltyJkash]

Damn it’s crazy to see the place you were born and raised 30 years before you touched down. Reminds me of the story’s my grandma use to tell me about when she first came. 🖤🖤

[@marthaanderson2346]

I graduated from James Lick High School at the San Jose Civic Auditorium in June 1970. Had graduation dinner at Original Joe's just across the street from the auditorium.

[@michaelterry1000]

My Grandparents / great grandfather grew apricots and prunes from the early 1930s - Mid 1950s in San Jose. I admit it, I watched the video in hopes of getting a peek at them. No such luck.

[@moryan6447]

I moved there in the mid-60’s to go to SJS. Still small town in many ways and orchards all over the valley. My parents had a small restaurant in Los Gatos around 1950. By 1952 we moved back to the L.A. area. Always knew I wanted to move north where I’ve remained.

[@silvermica]

I've lived in San Jose since 2010 (and Silicon Valley since 1997). It's so strange to see recognizable buildings in this 1950s video of downtown San Jose. I pass by these buildings every day .

[@hyderulez94]

Hell ya bay area

[@Socialmediawack]

San Jose baby

[@mattmurphy24]

We've raised our daughter in San Jose Berryessa area. She was born in 2005. She played in the front yard unattended, walked to school, biked the area and rode her bike to friends houses. The sad thing is very few families do this. They bunker in their houses and their kids don't go out and play. They get shuttled to school, activities and a large set of parents I interact with see the boogie man around every corner. Like most of the nostalgic comments here I grew up in Alameda in the 60's and 70's. Complete independence as a child and lots of kids to play with. My daughter takes the bus all over santa clara county, for free, no problem. We have enjoyed alum rock park, quick silver park, the rose gardens, downtown san jose, etc. There is still a lot of beauty in san jose and santa clara county. The population has increased 4x since the 1950's. For sure, It was probably better in 1951 with fewer people and less angst.

[@silkoakranchpitchforkranch1205]

Your kid was born in 05 And you let her play unattended in the yard in San Jose? Is she still with us? I was born in San jo. That’s reckless.

[@mattmurphy24]

@@silkoakranchpitchforkranch1205 Ha Ha Yes she is still with us and flourishing. She rides the VTA and BART up to SF and Oakland by herself. She has never had 1 problem. What's sad with Covid people in the neighborhood finally got onto the streets with their kids. I never knew there were so many kids in the neighborhood. Stranger abduction is extremely rare! My daughter is half Finnish and spent many summers in Finland. Kids there as young as 6 or 7 walk to schools , go skating, etc alone. What exactly do you think is reckless about letting kids play in the front yard unattended?

[@blainegabbertgabonemhofgoa6602]

I was born in 2000 and had a similar upbringing in central Fremont a bit up north, close to the Fremont Bart station. Got to walk/bike to school, shopping centers, restaurants, friends houses, parks, and the library. Took AC transit to other parts of Fremont and Bart to other cities. When I was growing up, Fremont was the last Bart stop but now it goes to barryessa. When I was going to San Jose State it would’ve been nice if it went all the way to downtown San Jose. But I guess that won’t be complete until the 2030’s.

[@geebee380]

​@@silkoakranchpitchforkranch1205 she's strapped she good😆

[@acmc82]

Are there clips of Hoover Middle School? How about the RoseGarden on Naglee Ave? Oh yeah, and The Alameda back then? I've only seen pictures!

[@FeedingPetsoftheHomeless]

SJ has come a long way. Do you know the way?

[@DarbyMessa]

Graduated from Mt. Pleasant high in 1977. I remember as a kid picking apricots .50 cents a bucket then spending it on red barn hamburger’s.

[@joycewild9572]

I see shopping carts have gotton allot bigger. She looks like she pushing a childs cart.

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

Yeah everything in the old days were bigger better and better looking like the cars

[@625Colleen]

WOW this is awesome .... My uncle was here then & the first time I ever remember visiting was in about 1959 thank you for sharing this

[@taniamagana559]

I read it looked better before we built a whole bunch of shit and polluted the creeks.,

[@Steve95401]

San Jose and Lincoln were the only public high schools at that time. San Jose High was still located at 7th & San Fernando, which is now part of SJSU.

[@stevenchavez4808]

Did you go to the traditional big bone game every thanksgiving between sj high and Lincoln? We went every year when I was a kid....my parents are alumni sjhs.....

[@yosemite2405]

I lived on Kirby Way from 1969 -1973. I went to (sp) Fairmount school not far from Cambell. Moved to the Central Valley

[@joyousegamer116]

I Liv in Lincoln avenue pretty much were this video takes place on damn looks so wierd back then IAM 13

[@JAG312]

I lived on Willow Glen Way. The old Willow Glen houses are being torn down to be replaced by McMansions for the Silicon Valley multimillionaires. You are in Willow Glen High School. Rams Rule. I own part of the football field when it was grass and dirt. I bought it with my blood and sweat.

[@gracegarcia4468]

Thank you MR Stevens for selling my grandparents our home on Golf dr. Mckee & white.

[@sfgiantpoet]

i wonder what the cops in this shot would think of todays police problems here.

[@nemass26]

Thats an interesting question provided if they are still alive

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

It's very bad I'm scared of San Jose police they are not nice but that depends too but it's currupt

[@billyregalado]

I came on here to say this. Damn u said this 6yrs ago, imagine today lol

[@jonathanree4524]

well this comment didn't age too well

[@awesomewhiteness1]

@@billyregalado I think you meant to say it did in light of recent events. Unless you approve of Jared Yuen and Garcia's willfull ignorance

[@acmc82]

I went to Lincoln 1996-2000!

[@AliciaDominguez1987]

I always wonder how many sacred burial grounds they defiled. And other sacred areas.

[@wiscgaloot]

Excellent point. The entire Bay Area had many hundreds of villages, with several right in the SJ area. Instead of buying up land for "open space preserves" that land should be deeded over to the local tribes.

[@franciscogonzales5928]

6:40 ...and stoners from the local High School.

[@ThePadillaFilms]

Man I wish the narrators script included more names and facts about the places and people he was talking about.

[@seotopbros]

Does anyone have a delorian. Take me back to the future. I love watching these old clips.

[@emmgeevideo]

That was pretty corny…. They don’t make narrators like anymore.

[@bluetickfreddy101]

Family moved there mid sixties What a wonderful town Great memories Thank you

[@SCCPioneers]

Thank you! We're always on the lookout for more films to share, and appreciate any leads or donations. We hope you enjoy the rest of our channel!

[@manuelnavarro1139]

5:30 where's that location now, What streets we're made When all that Land was bought?

[@seanp2k617]

now all those houses cost $1.5m but all the people who bought them in the 70s and 80s pay property tax less than $1k per year while their new neighbors pay $20k. Thanks Prop 13 and Reagan!

[@miked7304]

And what do you think would have happened to those people when their property taxes skyrocketed? They would have been forced out of their homes.

[@theophilusthistle1988]

Back when the city was civilized. There was a blue collar middle class who could afford to buy homes. And yes, I grew up here. You could actually drive more than 5 miles without running into a traffic jam. You could walk up Santa Cara St. without being accosted by a drunk or homeless person. Yeah folks, that's what "progress" has done to San Jose!

[@oscargarciajr4440]

Jesus was homeless.

[@yosemite2405]

By his choice and only at certain times in his life. He wasn't a drunk, druggie or mentally ill either. Not the same at all.

[@theilluminedone7896]

Yeah but he would empathize with them and heal them. Not mock them and look down on them. The historicity of the biblical jesus is of not dispute to me. His divinity is debatable but he was a better man by all accounts than the best of us. Greed and arrogance are nothing to aspire to.

[@emilioesquivel5089]

homeless people deserve respect too. Too many people work like sheep now because people have not forced goverment under control google is going to destroy what is left of san jose

[@MC10046]

I am so blessed to have been born and raised here ❤such a great childhood, love my city 🌃

[@brianholihan5497]

Hart's Department Store was a major retailing institution in DTSJ before it was torn down in the early '70s. I wonder if there are any videos of its interior.

[@SCCPioneers]

Brian Holihan we’ll see if we can find any! If anyone has old film or photos, let us know!

[@as-pz9ck]

In 1933, Brooke Hart, son of the owner, was kidnapped and murdered. His killers were found and then thrown into the local jail across the street from St James Park. The community was in such an uproar over the crime that thousands descended upon the jail and pulled the two killers out and strung them up on a tree in the park. Where it was quite a spectacle to see the men hanging and people came from all over the county to observe. Jackie Coogan was said to be a friend of Brooke's at Santa Clara University and was one of the men who helped make the nooses. No one was charged with breaking out and lynching the two men.

[@pauletheridge2412]

@@as-pz9ck My grandfather had taken a photo of them hanging. He was not proud of having taken it and when my grandmother realized that my brother and I were looking at it and wondering what the story was, she made it mysteriously disappear.

[@muradtravels]

“Progress never stops. This is an investment of the future as growth is..” Us in 2023: 😮

[@1940limited]

How nice. Everyone clean cut and respectable looking. I wonder what it's like today? Filled with homeless encampments welcomed by Gavin Newsom?

[@jons.6216]

When my parents got married in 1956 they rented a house owned by the Ploch family that ran a ranch where Roy M Butcher Park now is just a few blocks away on Ross Ave. When the Plochs wanted to retire and sold off the land to housing developers they moved out of it. But not four years later they bought one of the new 1959 tract houses and that was my home all of my childhood and where both of my parents lived out the rest of their lives. The little house on Ross is still there too and it actually took the city forever to even build an actual concrete l sidewalk around it!

[@johnevoice]

What a great video!!! What a gem!!!! Thanks for sharing!

[@moomoopuppy5810]

Is that Santa Clara st @ 1:09?

[@JAG312]

Yes. Looking East.

[@randyrichards8952]

Yes

[@xChromerSatanasx]

It's 3rd and Santa Clara St. A block away from the Chevron. There is a furniture store on that corner

[@ericschmock2872]

Old San Jose

[@MattieCooper10000]

WOW!

[@joeroberts2481]

I would love to know where exactly those newly built "homes of the future" are. Want to see them today.

[@donaldbush1182]

Those ranch homes of the future are in the unincorporated area of Cambrian Park. Behind the Cambrian Park Plaza at Union Av and Camden Ave. Drive Wyrick Av from Cambrian Park plaza to Leigh Av and you’ll see that neighborhood. Much of it is still intact, and it still has an open leafy street vibe, but I don’t think it can last much longer. Cambrian Park plaza has got to be just barely hanging on with its 1950s style, and developers salivating at that large property.

[@tomc642]

@@donaldbush1182I heard that Cambrian Park Plaza will be torn down. I loved San Jose, but it has become too crowded and expensive.

[@jeffreykalb8810]

San Jose? Democracy? Huh?

[@ulitalivaa6047]

What was color day

[@SCCPioneers]

@IceScreamBaby That's an awfully good start! Got any photos or movies to share with us? You can email us and we can digitize any pictures, negatives, or home movies for you! We convert historic material for free. Shoot us an email at [e-mail]

[@cccycling5835]

At least Cambrian Park is still a very nice neighborhood.

[@uncledamfee2347]

went from the most affordable part of town to small cozy homes being sold for $1.2 million only to be demolished, and built over into a big of a house as possible...

[@legend_of_louie649]

My father was gonna buy Virginia ave vine all that was trees and my uncle told him it’s never gonna be anything.. look now

[@drlovin2032]

HAHAHa 9:24 Queen of Color Day is a White Girl xD

[@AliciaDominguez1987]

Yep. But those where apparently the great days for all these people lol 😳

[@theophilusthistle1988]

Can anyone tell me why Santa Clara St. looks twice as wide in 1951 as it does today?Don't say they moved the buildings.

[@candleice891]

57beachboy Maybe this was filmed with a wide angle lens? Like the difference between watching tv on a wide screen or regular tv set. Just guessing. This could create an illusion of being wider...or they moved the buildings (lol).

[@larptroll69er22]

57beachboy They moved the buildings.

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

No but less building s maybe it was just starting it was small City back then

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

@@larptroll69er22 yes they moved the building s the building s walked away they have legs you know!..lol

[@SCCPioneers]

We have plenty here on our youtube channel, and are always uploading more. Glad you enjoy them! As a reminder to anyone out there, we will digitize home movies of San Jose, whether 8mm, 16mm, or vhs! If historic, we can do so free of charge and provide you with a DVD. Contact us for more info!

[@michaelsolomon6594]

What happened? 😢

[@nancyschwalen8750]

The Santa Clara Mission got better coverage that the Cathedral, which got only the equivalent of a drive-by.

[@692ALBANNACH]

Lived there 94 95 96 west of first street was an area of streets planned out but no houses has anything been built up on them ?

[@SANxJONERO]

I Love Baingan I'm sure something was done.

[@devinracelis8392]

+I Love Baingan west of first street is now a city called Santa Clara. At 2:30 in, you see the intersection of Santa Clara + Second Street. Just west of that intersection is the HP pavilion (now called the SAP pavilion) and if you travel westbound along Santa Clara (which turns into El Camino Real), you hit Santa Clara University and the city of Santa Clara.

[@devinracelis8392]

+I Love Baingan fyi the area you mentioned is housing now but stops as soon as you hit SCU. After SCU along El Camino you hit the SC police station and city hall and then several shopping districts.

[@MultiSinos]

Black Baingan 94 95 96? West of first no houses?

[@fcinternetmarketing]

Love this old clips.

[@mk3a]

5:50 LOL those houses will suffer the same fate the Cypress structure did. Wanna bet

[@JAG312]

I lived in one of those houses until I was 12. It is still standing today.

[@mk3a]

JAG312 San Jose got lucky in the 1989 earthquake since it didn’t do much damage in that city and most of the buildings were newer unlike Santa Cruz and Oakland

[@JAG312]

@@mk3a I got lucky. During the 1989 earthquake, the house I was living in was one of the old Willow Glen houses built in 1926. However, what saved it was a new foundation we installed in 1986 with the house bolted to the foundation and other upgrades. It still had $85,000 in damage which was all repairable. The house I lived in on Herring Ave. in the Cambrian Park area when I was a small child is still standing. I don't know if there was any interior damage. The house next to my Willow Glen house was a total loss.

[@mk3a]

JAG312 nice to hear. What are your thoughts about A.P. “Dutch” Hamann (infamous city manager who nearly turned San Jose into a mini Los Angeles and died in the Tenerife disaster)

[@JAG312]

@@mk3a : How much profanity do you want to hear? I grew up in the Santa Clara Valley. I saw it destroyed, thanks to Dutch Hamann. His policies spread beyond San Jose to include other areas in the Santa Clara Valley. As I said, I saw the Santa Clara Valley destroyed. I'm in Nevada, and I'm planting a lot of fruit trees on my property, just to see a little of what I remember when I was a kid.

[@uncledamfee2347]

Cambrian Park in the house woot woot!!

[@chrishuston4445]

Do you know the way to …. Um what was the name again…

[@KayleeArafinwiel]

William Foley? My mom's cousin is named William Foley...I wonder if that's him? O.o

[@rosemarywaldie4958]

Wonderful video ❤️👏

[@NickB1967]

@GarySinghSJ: In 1940, yes.

[@NickB1967]

@chrisjusti: School colors. Lighten up.

[@douglasalbert2535]

1:47

[@matthewchang5701]

Meh

[@LoveLove-mb1sc]

What they did they cant talk about it or people will loose their minds an move

[@chrisjusti]

Color Day?????? and what color were they celebrating?

[@branon6565]

Chris Justi ....hopefully they were celebrating folks who are WHITE, aka Caucasian, you got a problem with that you racist piece of garbage?!

[@notisac3149]

1:07 Well that aged poorly...

[@MrJest2]

Amazing how much of this is still here... From Normadin's to the Cambrian development to the Hotel DeAnza. A lot of this still survives to this day, as vibrant as ever. Downtown and the East Side has some "big city" problems, but for a city of over a million people it's still a pretty good place to live.

[@oscargarciajr4440]

It's number 1 in the big city category. Pretty good is not good enough for number 1 on FBI stats.

[@Melody-g5c]

Wow JFK phucked everything up

[@philips7634]

What a bunch of crap

[@oscargarciajr4440]

Propaganda. Lol. Still nice to look at the pictures. Was there no colored people back then?

[@JAG312]

@@oscargarciajr4440 : If you are referring to African Americans, then yes. Not many.

[@MultiSinos]

JAG312 everyone has a different view or perception of old San Jose, depending on what side of the city you lived.

[@389383]

@@oscargarciajr4440 A few, look at 9:24.

[@alisaforesthillscb3brigade816]

It's not the skin of color that makes the place it's the attitude of the person..