Category: History
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San Jose’s Worst Kept Secret
San Jose has been the cultural, financial, and political center of Silicon Valley since before Silicon Valley existed. Founded in 1777, it is the largest city in northern California, both in area and population, and it boasts the headquarters of some major world tech companies like PayPal and Zoom. San Jose makes history every day,…
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5 Carnegie Libraries in Northern California
February is National Library Month. What better way to celebrate than to showcase Carnegie libraries near me? As a teen, Andrew Carnegie borrowed books from the personal library of Colonel James Anderson, who opened his collection to his workers every Saturday. By doing so, he provided immigrants like Carnegie the opportunity to better themselves in…
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Guest Author: Nancy Oswald
When researching for my historical fiction book, Nothing Here but Stones based on the Jewish Colony at Cotopaxi, I searched hard for research materials about the Jewish experience in the west. I found two very special books that helped me to better understand the experiences of Jewish women who immigrated to remote areas of the…
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Local History: The Peralta Adobe
San Jose is the oldest city settlement in California. It was founded in 1777 when 66 settlers were sent there from San Francisco by the Juan Bautista de Anza expedition. The Luis Maria Peralta adobe is the oldest building in San Jose. Nestled amongst high rises and trendy marketplaces in repurposed old buildings, the adobe…
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The First Self-Publisher
Recently I visited the book bindery in Colonial Williamsburg. The bookbinder creates beautiful hand made books, both paperback and with leather covers. As an author who has self-published four of my own books, I appreciate an excellent product. As a leatherworker, I appreciate a properly bound leather book. Having said that, no one would ever…