California Pioneers of Santa Clara County

10/26/2025

Starting soon: Come help us plant native and support pollinators at our historic museum! We need volunteers to help prepare our garden for the winter and plant species that will educate, help the environment, and provide homes and food for native species.

This museum garden project will focus on installing mostly Santa Clara Valley native plants to support pollinators and showcase ethnobotany.

03/18/2024

Can't beat Blossomtime in Santa Clara Valley! This photo postcard in our archive would be tough to duplicate today after 60+ years of development, but you can still find plenty of pockets of the Valley of Heart's Delight left if you know where to look!

08/31/2022

It’s good to remember the history beneath our feet - or beneath the water!

It’s said that once in a while, when the water level drops here, the ruins of the city...

08/05/2021

After decades of research, Jim Zetterquist has completed his much-anticipated book, Californio Connections, which distilled his family’s experience through centuries of California history, from early explorers to the present. All proceeds from these books benefit the Pioneers, and they are available to order now on our website!

After decades of research, Jim Zetterquist has completed his much-anticipated book, Californio Connections. This fascinating tale chronicles how the history of his ancestors in the San Francisco and Monterey Bay areas from 1796 to 1896 has woven its way into his own life, and tells remarkable storie...

07/16/2021

We’re incredibly proud to unveil this monument to Secundino Robles, whose accomplishments continue to resonate in the restless valley he explored.

Secundino Robles owned more than 8,400 acres of present-day Palo Alto but was so poor when he died in 1890 his wife couldn’t afford a headstone.

05/25/2021

First in Flight - in Santa Clara Valley! Learn about John J Montgomery and the Bay Area's pioneers of the sky with author Craig Harwood. Our presentation with the Saratoga Historical Foundation begins soon! Join free here: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81285601473
Meeting ID: 812 8560 1473
Passcode: 566642

Zoom is the leader in modern enterprise video communications, with an easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, chat, and webinars across mobile, desktop, and room systems. Zoom Rooms is the original software-based conference room solution used around the world in board, confer...

05/14/2021

If you were at the Santa Clara County Hospital in 1964, you would have known the “Candy Stripers!” Take a rare look behind the scenes in this recently rediscovered film from San Jose. Thanks to the generosity of Martin Ucovich, who donated this one-of-a-kind time capsule to the Pioneers Film Archive.

A black and white promotional/training film from 1964 supporting the volunteer Auxiliary Staff (Candy Stripers) at our own Santa Clara County Hospital on Bas...

05/13/2021

Happy Fruit Cocktail Day! Enjoy a can of the Santa Clara Valley's famous delicacy, and learn a bit of its history from our President, Jim Zetterquist!

What’s the truth behind fruit cocktail, a school-lunch staple that traces its history to the Valley of Heart’s Delight?

05/13/2021

We're less than a month from the conclusion of our annual essay contest! There's still time to write (or at least edit) your masterpiece and win prizes!

SUBJECT: Any person, place or event concerning Santa Clara County from prehistory to the recent past. Check www.californiapioneers.com or the California Room at the Martin Luther King Library, San Jose, for past topics.

03/10/2021

Snow in San Jose? Oh, yes! The storm in ‘62 brought more than hail and rain - it blanketed the valley and created some amazing memories.

There have been few times that San Jose has met with a white winter, and 1962 was one of the most memorable. In this film, the Machado family revels in the ...