| 150 Years Of Democracy, Diversity, & Distinction
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It is easy to get caught up in day-to-day
tasks of the 21st century and to forget the history and heritage
of the City in which many live and work. Santa Clara is 150
years old and the community is looking forward to a year-long
celebration of its Sesquicentennial in 2002.
Santa Clara is a special place - an All-America City. This
year will be an opportunity to celebrate its past, its present,
and its future. A brochure listing the Sesquicentennial events
and describing a little bit of Santa Clara's colorful history,
was distributed in the January, 2002 municipal utility bills.
Below is an excerpt from the brochure. |
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| Santa Clara Sesquicentennial ... in the beginning
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| Mission, miners and merchants - Santa Clara's
history starts long before it was incorporated as a city. Archaeological
discoveries date Ohlone Indian settlements in the Valley as
early as 4000 BC. While people in the East Coast colonies were
defining democracy and fighting for American independence, the
area that was to become Santa Clara was explored by Spanish
expeditions and Franciscan padres who established Mission Santa
Clara. |
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| Wide open spaces and the waterways of the Guadalupe
River and San Francisco Bay drew ranchers and orchardists from
Europe, fledgling American states, and Mexico. The discovery
of gold sent thousands into the foothills in search of quick
fortunes. Most were not successful and many returned to the
area known as Santa Clara to farm and open small mercantile
stores. By 1900, the population in Santa Clara reached 3,650.
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- 1850 California admitted as 31st state
- 1852 Santa Clara incorporated
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| Middle Years . . . World wars and housing
soars |
. . . The early 1900s were as tumultuous in
Santa Clara as in the rest of the world. The San Francisco
Earthquake of 1906 damaged Santa Clara as well, including
the collapse of several buildings at Agnews State Hospital
where 112 patients died. Men and women from Santa Clara served
in both World War I and World War II, and many distinguished
themselves and their community with their brave, selfless
actions.
Veterans and their families flocked to Santa Clara after
the war to settle into new jobs in fast-growing manufacturing
industries such as Owens-Corning Fiberglas Corporation that
made insulation. Acres of apricot, pear, peach, cherry and
plum orchards and flower seed fields were converted into new
suburban neighborhoods built to provide them with the opportunity
for living "the American dream." Between 1952 and
1960, Santa Clara's population soared from 15,178 to 58,880.
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- 1896 Santa Clara's electric utility department started
- 1924 First traffic officer hired in Santa Clara
- 1949 Volunteer firefighters are replaced with paid professionals
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| "High tech, human touch" |
| . . .Just as explorers found their way to the
Valley 100 years ago, so have people from all corners of the
world made a beeline to Santa Clara during the past few decades.
From its world-class Olympic athletes to its position as the
geographic center of the high tech revolution, Santa Clara shines
in an international spotlight. Many major corporations have
located their global headquarters in Santa Clara.
But for all of its success in technological innovation and
invention, Santa Clara residents are proud to have kept the
human touch that has always made this community an inviting,
special place to live, work and play. Parks, museums, cultural
arts groups, special interest clubs, neighborhood organizations,
and annual community-wide events add to the small town feel
of a municipality that - with population now past 100,000
- is a big city by the numbers.
The Sister City program, its International Swim Center, the
corporate headquarters of several major global companies,
and its multicultural history and appreciation are just some
of the ways in which the City of Santa Clara continues celebrates
its diversity in the 21st century.
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- 1971 Santa Clara float wins a top prize in the Tournament
of Roses Parade
- 2001 Santa Clara named All-America City
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| Sesquicentennial |
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