The 1920s was a time of booming economic growth in San Jose. Old industries expanded, and new ones were founded. However, the prosperity of the 1920s was not evenly distributed. Too much wealth was derived from profits and not enough from wages. Many workers could not afford to buy the products they produced because their incomes were so low. In other words, businesses had more goods than they could consume. The surplus of unsold goods hurt the economy.
For nearly two centuries, San Jose has been a farming community that produced fruits and vegetables. Prunes, grapes, and apricots are among the crops that were grown here. The Santa Clara Valley was so full of orchards in the 1920s, which released a delicious scent of ripening fruit that nicknamed The Valley of Heart’s Delight. In 1922, brothers Stephano and Andrea D’Arrigo established the first commercial broccoli farm in the United States in San Jose.
#1 Confiscated stills in front of the San Jose courthouse, 1925
#2 San Jose Street scene with electric light tower, 1920
#3 Bank of San Jose Building, 1920
#4 Tree-planting ceremony on the grounds of San Jose State Teachers College, San Jose, 1925
#5 Burrell Building, Standard Furniture Company, San Jose, California, 1925
#6 The Completed San Jose Hospital, 1923
#7 Hotel Vendome, San Jose, 1922
#8 San Jose Rubber Works 51 South Third Street, 1920s
#9 San Jose Nursing Department Members, Superintendents and Staff, 1925
#10 Columbia Hospital in downtown San Jose at Market Street and Auzerias Avenue, 1920
#11 San Jose Hospital Nursing School, Class of 1929
#12 Freight train on Fourth Street in downtown San Jose, 1920s
#13 Porter Building, 1920s
#14 Group portrait of cyclists, San Jose Bicycle Day, May 5 ,1923
#15 San Jose Hospital, 1928
#16 Post Office on North First Street, San Jose, 1927
#17 Automobile, tractor, and hay-filled cart in a field in Evergreen, near San Jose, California, 1920
#18 Threshing activity seen from a distance in an expansive field in Evergreen, near San Jose, California, 1920s
#19 Commercial card titled “Winchester Mystery House, Near San Jose, California, 1920s
#20 Porter Building, on the Northeast Corner of Second and Santa Clara Streets, San Jose, 1925
#21 Back of Winchester Mystery House, 1920s
#22 Radio antenna on top of building, San Jose, 1925
#23 Woman pulling car with teeth, San Jose, California, 1926
#24 Downtown Campbell, California. 1925
#25 Red Star Laundry, 360 Park Avenue, 1926
#26 R. M. Lipe, Machine Shop, San Jose, 1926
#27 Henry M. Bland, Edith Daley, Edwin Markham, 1927
#28 Men working canning machines at Hunt Brothers Packing Company. Cannery was located at 361 North Fourth Street, San Jose, 1925
#29 LAPL Central Library construction site, 1924
#30 Walsh-Col Co., Wholesale Grocers, 1925
#31 Boy Scout Parade, South First Street, 1924
#32 Butcher Electric modernized the electrtical fixtures in the Red Star Laundry, 1928
#33 Knights of Columbus Building, 40 North First Street; built in 1926 Had swimming pool on fourth floor, 1926
#34 Compton City Hall, 1926
Compton was originally part of the territory known as Rancho San Pedro, which had been granted to Juan Jose Dominguez by the Spanish Crown. The territory was settled in 1867 by a band of 30 pioneering families that were led to the area by Griffith Dickenson Compton, and it was soon developed into a farming village.
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#35 Olmstead Band playing at San Jose, 1929
#36 Bernard Panella Hauling Co. truck and trailer loaded with fruit boxes. In the background is the Artana building located at 349 West Santa Clara Street, 1922
#37 Exterior of the Biceglia Building, also showing exterior of Frisco Furniture Store, 1928
#38 Downtown San Jose from Wyckoff’s offices, including St. James, the old Post Office (later library and San Jose Museum of Art), as well as the City Hall, 1920s
#39 Exterior view of the Casa de Pedrorena, the first frame house built in Old Town, 1920
#40 Charles Herrold in radio lab booth, 1925
#41 Man posing with two confiscated stills, 1925
#42 Eagle Brewery with gas station, 1920
#43 The Shaw Warehouse & Forwarding Company and E. H. Renzel Wholesale Grocers, 1920s
#44 Two railroad cars, 1920s
#45 Peach Pitter, 1926
#46 Pathfinders sitting on hillside overlooking valley, 1920s
#47 Naptime for the Pathfinders after their hike at Inverness, 1920s
#48 Dirt drive, lined with rocks, leading to Schuhardt’s at La Honda, 1920s
#49 Riverlure, overlooking the Hudson, 1924
#50 Bicycle Race in Paris, France, 1926
#51 Muirson Label Company employees standing in front of the Muirson building located at 435 Stockton Avenue, 1923
#52 Holy City, 1928
#53 Mare Island Naval Shipyard equipment, 1920s
#54 Parade in San Jose, 1920s
#55 Benson & Weaver, Studebaker Trucks, 1923
#56 FMC Equipment Cooker, 1927
#57 Building under construction, 1926
#58 Brace Avenue, Willow Glen, 1922
#59 Muirson Label Company Pressroom, 1926
#60 Bean Tire & Rubber Works, 1925
#61 Associated Oil Company Service Station, 1922
#62 FMC Equipment Preheater, Sterilizer, and Cooler, 1927
#63 Pathfinders at the Beach, 1928
#64 A family standing in front of a building, 1921
#65 Race of the Cyclists, 1925
#66 Irvington Grammar School, 1928
#67 Kolster Radio Compass and Position Finder, 1921
#68 Golden Gate Packing company, 1920
#69 United States Products Corporation exterior, 1926
#70 O’Brien’s Ice Cream Store and Candy Factory, 1928
#71 Eddie Rickenbacker with biplane and automobile, 1925
#72 FMC Equipment – Conveyor, 1922
#73 Race in Veledome, 1925
#74 Coyote Creek Bridge on Berryessa Road, 1920
#75 Truax & Drew’s Garage on North side of Franklin Street between Main and Franklin, Santa Clara, 1920
#76 Northern California Members 1929 California Legislature, 1929
#77 City Truck and Transfer Company about 1925
#78 A large piece of equipment is being manoeuvred out of building onto railway car below, 1924
#79 Peninsular Railway Car No. 108 speed eastbound along Stevens Creek Road, 1920s
#80 Post Office on N. First Street, 1920s
#81 College of the Pacific building, women strolling in front of building, 1925
#82 The wooden frame building on the right is the old Renzel house, 1920s
#83 Looking down hill, from print shop to restaurant, 1928
#84 Meadow and Trees, Big Basin, California, 1920s
#85 Sunnyvale Garage, William Cockrell & N. Nielsen, 1922
#86 FMC Equipment Preheater, Sterilizer and Cooler, 1927
#87 Parachutist landing, 1920s
A parachutist lands at an air field. Stunt flyers were attracted to Phelan Field, a large tract of open land extending from First Street to the Southern Pacific Railroad's Fourth Street tracks. To make the event even more spectacular, parachutists such as the one in this picture were added.
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#88 Exterior of multi-story factory, 1924.
#89 FMC Equipment, 1924
#90 Canello Hayes Canello Ford Lincoln Dealership, 1923
#91 FMC Equipment Pressure Cooker, 1927
#92 Pajaro District School, 1925
#93 California Cured Fruit Association, 1920s
#94 Booker School, 1920s
#95 Lick eclipse expedition camp near Ensenada, Mexico, 1923
#96 Small house nestled up against wooded hillside. Two cars are parked alongside the dirt roads, 1920s
#97 Pathfinders at Vill-del -Leau – beach area with rock outcropping in background, 1926
#98 Sargent’s Frozen Foods/Ice Sickle Zero Storage, 1920s
#99 47th California Legislature, 1927
#100 Front of large estate with gate, possibly one of Sarah Winchester homes, 1922
#101 Joe and Frank Madeiros, 1925
#102 Benson & Weaver Automobile Business, 1920
#103 Henrietta Escobar (Bernal) playing the Guitar in New Almaden Parade, 1920s
#104 Peninsular Railway Car Co., 1920s
#105 FMC Equipment, 1924
#106 Penitencia Creek Bridge on King or Capitol, 1920
#107 FMC Equipment Dryer, 1927
#108 Markham House Cottage, 1926
#109 Calkins Ranch (line of automobiles and people in field), 1925
#110 Transporting fruit for canning by open truck, 1925
#111 San Jose, Market Street and West Santa Clara Street, 1925
#112 Car in front of the Market Street Post Office, 1921
#113 Main Office of Richmond Chase Company, Plant Number 7, San Jose, 1920s
#114 Hotel Sainte Claire viewed from the grounds of the Municipal Auditorium, 1920s
#115 Mission San Jose, 1920
#116 Flower Lover’s Club group portrait, 1923
#117 Western Well Works Company, 1925
#118 Hunt Brothers Packing Company, 1920
#119 San Jose High School, 1920
View of San Jose High school looking south from San Fernando Street. A path lined with flowers and lawns lead to the main entrance. A man stands on the left by the front gate. A large flag flies from the flagpole in front of the school. The entrance in the center leads to administrative offices and an auditorium. The school is built in the Mission Revival style with flanking bell towers. The wings on either side hold classrooms. This school was built on the site of the old high school destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The school was moved in 1952 when adjacent San Jose State College needed space to expand.
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#120 High frequency transmitter, built by Heintz and Kaufman, 1923
#121 Elks Building, 1921
View of San Jose High school looking south from San Fernando Street. A path lined with flowers and lawns lead to the main entrance. A man stands on the left by the front gate. A large flag flies from the flagpole in front of the school. The entrance in the center leads to administrative offices and an auditorium. The school is built in the Mission Revival style with flanking bell towers. The wings on either side hold classrooms. This school was built on the site of the old high school destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. The school was moved in 1952 when adjacent San Jose State College needed space to expand.
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#122 Peter Andreucetti in front of the Purity Baking Company building, 1925
#123 Linda Vista Country Club, 1925
#124 Mission San Jose, 1920
#125 Businesses on the East side of South First Street, 1925
#126 Saint Joseph’s Church, 1925
#127 Kuwabara Hospital under construction in 1920
#128 The Triangle Service garage located at East Williams Street, 1925
#129 Residence of Mr. L. T. Lenox, 1928
#130 Lester Apartments, 1920
#131 Alice Smothers in front of trolley car, 1920
#132 Blase Bros. & Company, delivery truck, 1925
#133 First full length (de Forest) newsreel with sound on film, 1927
#134 Three men next to De Forest Phonofilm matinee sign, 1925
#135 The Salvation Army truck at 211 South Market Street, 1925
#136 Sainte Claire Hotel, 1926
#137 North First Street looking south, 1928
This view looking south from the 100 block on North First street in San Jose shows a section of the business district. From the left are the Knights of Columbus building, Commercial Building, Bank of San Jose and the towering Bank of Italy. The street is crowded with several pedestrians on the sidewalk and cars parked on either side of the street.
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#138 Paso Robles Hotel, 1925
#139 Kinghts of Columbus Building, 1928
#140 Administration Building, U.S. Naval Air Station, Moffett Field, 1929
#141 School Buses at Live Oak High School in Morgan Hill, 1924
#142 First Unitarian Church in San Jose, 1920
#143 San Jose High School float, 1926
#144 Looking east from Market to San Carlos, 1928
#145 Holiday shoppers, 1924
#146 Opening of the California Theatre, 1927
#147 Louise A. F. Kelley House, 1929
This residence was designed by Charles Greene for Louise A. F. Kelley, built on land originally owned by her father Judge Lawrence Archer, prominent San Jose attorney, mayor, state legislator, judge and fruit grower. Louise called the estate "Ar-Kel Villa" and it remained part of Kelley Park until it sustained severe fire damage in 2012.
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#148 Bank of San Jose, 1922
Electric streetcar traveling on First and Santa Clara Streets. The Beans Building on the right was home of the Bank of San José, built after the old structure was damaged beyond repair in the 1906 earthquake. It was acquired by the Bank of Italy in 1927, and demolished in 1947.
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#149 South First Street at Fernando, 1927
#150 Plaza along the northeast side, 1920
#151 Holy City, San Jose, 1929
From left, the town's restaurant, movie house and printing press. Holy City was founded as a religious colony by William E. Riker - a man for whom scandal followed. It survived as a tourist attraction for motorists driving to San Jose the Old Santa Cruz Highway before the construction of State Route 17.
