Santa Clara County History Digest

A proposal to bulldoze the historic Burbank Theater on South Bascom Avenue in San Jose to build 62 units of housing is causing concern among preservationists.

Increases in construction costs for the renovation of the Palo Alto Museum have it turning to the City for help.

Some residents fear development could destroy parts of the historic land.

Homeowner protest results in Palo Alto dropping plans to expand "historic" structure designations.

An ongoing project researching the history of Los Altos' street names is featured in the "What's in a Name?" exhibition at the Los Altos History Museum, on view through April 7.

The Mountain View-based company, which supplies building materials to contractors and homeowners, got its start when Harry Jr. Morey established a supply yard, stocking road base that paved the way for the automobile era.

Members of the board gathered to put forward a resolution that takes responsibility for the history of discrimination against Black San Franciscans.

She toured the world wowing audiences, and she captured the public’s imagination for decades. No, not Taylor Swift; Ellen Beach Yaw, also known as Lark Ellen.

An extinct species of walrus was unearthed in Santa Cruz County, evoking a time when California was teeming with odd creatures that feel closer to fantasy than reality, researchers said.

James Dean’s last stop before he died in a car crash was at Blackwell’s Corner, a gas station in rural Kern County. His memory isn’t the draw it once was.

Lawmakers introduced a package of bills designed to tackle some forms of reparations. The measures may face budget constraints and opposition.

The California Legislative Black Caucus released a list of 14 bills as a first set of reparations for the descendants of African Americans who were enslaved.

In a packed room of Apple enthusiasts, the original makers of the Macintosh celebrated the 40-year history of the desktop computer that launched a new way of interacting with the digital world.

Months after work crews removed tattered tarps and worn wraps from a languishing, historic former church in downtown San Jose, preservationists are worried city officials have lost urgency around protecting the building for the long term.

Los Altos residents will soon be seeing firsthand the progress of Los Altos leaders’ efforts to restore a landmark heritage apricot orchard at the city’s civic center.

In celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy, the African American Community Service Agency in San Jose aims to connect residents with educational and supportive services.

Responding to growing concerns from homeowners, Palo Alto's Historic Resources Board assured residents that it will not support adding their homes to the city's historic inventory without explicit consent.

Pea Soup Andersen’s, a Buellton, Calif., restaurant just shy of its 100th birthday, closed suddenly. The restaurant's other location, near Interstate 5 in Santa Nella, remains open.

As Palo Alto officials prepare to expand the city's inventory of historic buildings, they are confronting a stark reality: About half of the property owners whose homes would be added to the list aren't happy about it.

The year started with an onslaught of unexpected challenges, from extreme weather conditions to a housing plan that was not on track to win state approval, ending in some difficult negotiations with a local school district.

Reporters take one last walk down memory lane.

Santa Clara had a busy year, from committing to the construction of hundreds of homes, to accusations and legal troubles among officials, to millions of dollars flowing into the city from headliner events at Levi’s Stadium.

Under new state laws, five cities will test cameras to catch speeding drivers and cruising bans will be lifted statewide. The first is supposed to improve road safety, but critics of the second say it will endanger the public.

State audits of the University of California and the California State University found both systems have failed to comply with decades-old state and federal laws mandating the return of Native ancestral remains and cultural artifacts. Only UCLA and Cal State Long Beach have returned a majority of their collections.

Frank Ford, the co-founder of Gryphon Stringed Instruments and a beloved member of the Palo Alto musicians’ community, died after a brief illness at age 79.

The Hoopa Valley Tribe announced it is acquiring about 10,000 acres of land in Northern California for $14.1 million. As part of this, the tribe will remove dams along the Klamath River and restore salmon runs.

The Bay Area said farewell to many restaurants, brewers and bakeries in 2023. The ones listed here had been favorites for years, even generations.

Water fights have shaped California since its infancy as a state, when its abundance seemed limitless. Now, Californians are being forced to confront limitations, and the state that prides itself on creating the future is now reckoning with its past.

The Mountain View City Council is taking steps to update its Historic Preservation Ordinance and potentially create a downtown preservation district, something that could add costs for owners unless some incentives are added.

Frank Fiscalini, a devoted family man and a San Jose community leader who served in many roles from school districts to City Hall, died at 101 years old.

The Fort Independence Indian Community is getting the Mount Whitney Fish Hatchery from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife at no cost in 2024. Native Americans had lived on this land for centuries before the hatchery’s construction.

Political wonks in California, Florida and maybe a few states in between, will be glued to their screens Thursday night to watch Gov. Gavin Newsom and Gov. Ron Desantis square off in a highly-anticipated Blue vs. Red State debate that’s been brewing since the summer.