As World War II began, the San Jose economy shifted from agriculture to industrial manufacturing when the United States War Department contracted the Food Machinery Corporation to build 1,000 Landing Vehicle Tracked. In 1943, IBM established its first West Coast branch in San Jose with a downtown punch card plant, and in 1952 opened an IBM Research facility.
San Jose experienced tumultuous times during the Great Depression and the Second World War. Several black, Mexican and Japanese Americans were affected by the racial tension in the neighborhood. Japanese Americans were put into internment during the war, while anti-Mexican violence erupted in 1943 after riots over zoot suits in Los Angeles.
Here are some historical photos that show San Jose, California, during the 1940s.
#1 San Jose, looking North, 1940
#2 Hotel De Anza, San Jose, 1949
#3 Modern Creamery at 855 North Thirteenth Street, San Jose, 1940
#4 Exterior of A.D.M. Cooper’s Egyptian-inspired studio, located near 21st and San Antonio Streets, San Jose, 1940
#5 San Jose Municipal Rose Garden, 1947
#6 Lou’s Village Restaurant exterior, 1947
#7 Montgomery Hotel at First and San Antonio Streets, San Jose, 1947.
The Montgomery Hotel opened at the corner of First and Paseo de San Antonio in 1911. It was designed by San Jose architect and designer, William Binder. It was considered San Jose's first class downtown hotel and in the 1920s, a single room went for approximately $1.50 per night. A private bathroom cost an additional dollar. The Montgomery Hotel suffered damage from the Loma Prieta earthquake in 1989 and in January 2000, the building was relocated 186 feet south of its original location to First and San Carlos streets.
#8 Old San Jose Public Library, formerly the post office, currently San Jose Museum of Art, 1944
#9 San Jose Civic Auditorium, 1949
#10 Aerial view of Willow Glen, San Jose, 1940
#11 San Jose, looking southwest, 1940
#12 The San Jose Municipal Band often played Sunday concerts at Alum Rock Park, 1940
#13 San Jose Police Department, Market Street Plaza, 1948
#14 YWCA Building, San Jose, California, 1940
#15 Large oak tree at Alum Rock Park, San Jose, 1940
#16 San Jose State College Quad, 1942
#17 Home Economic Building, Dwight Bentel Hall, San Jose State, 1942
#18 San Jose State Quad from above with students in area, 1947
#19 Looking south on First Street towards the Bank of America building, 1949
#20 San Jose Civic Auditorium and Mission Taxicabs, 1947
#21 Former city hall location at West San Antonio and South Market Street, 1949
#22 Bedroom at De Anza Hotel, 1947
#23 Sodality Meat Market (596 Auzerais Avenue), 1946
#24 USO House, San Jose, 1943
#25 National Food Market, 598 S. 1st St, San Jose, interior showing the employees behind the counter, 1947
#26 Murphy Sabatino’s Grocery, Red and White Food Store at 705 North Thirteenth Street, San Jose, 1940s
#27 Santa Clara County Vegetable Growers Association Display, 1945
#28 Hotel De Anza Tap Room, 1947
#29 Polhemus House being moved, 1945
#30 Bank of America building, South First Street, 1944
#31 Victorian house at 795 Schiele Avenue, 1945
#32 Polhemus St. (now Taylor St.), San Jose, 1940
#33 Ng Shing Gung Temple, 1940
The Ng Shing Gung Temple was a Taoist temple dedicated to the Five Deities. Located in "Heinlenville," San Jose's Chinatown, it was completed in 1888 at a cost of $2000. It was demolished in 1949. The altar and statues of the Five Deities were salvaged and installed in a replica building on the grounds of History San Jose.
#34 San Jose Civic Auditorium, 1945
#35 San Jose Water Works softball team of 1940
#36 Men’s Gymnasium, San Jose State College, 1942
#37 Dwight Bentel Hall, San Jose State, 1942
#38 San Jose State College Tower and Bentel Hall, 1940s
#39 Polhemus St. Overpass, San Jose, 1940
#40 Arches in front of tower at Dwight Bentel Hall, San Jose State, 1940s
#41 Looking north on First street at San Carlos Street Museum, 1940
#42 Santa Clara Street, looking east, 1940
#43 Window display featuring Cohama fabrics and McCalls patterns at Norris’, 268 South First Street, San Jose, 1948
#44 San Jose State College Tower and Bentel Hall, 1940s
#45 U. S. Post Office, North First Street and St. John, 1944
#46 Aerial view of San Jose, looking south from First Street and Julian Street, 1940
#47 Santa Clara County Hall of Records, 1949
#48 Santa Clara Library & Assessors Feb, 1949
#49 Willow Glen Grammar School, Spring, 1948
#50 San Jose State College Tower Hall, 1944
#51 Residence, woman walking on sidewalk, San Jose, 1947
#52 San Jose Airport dedication in 1949
#53 San Jose hard ball team of 1940 The Missions Jack Davis team, 1940
#54 A diner restaurant in San Jose, California, 1940
#55 5 men sitting on Harley-Davidson motorcycles in front of courthouse, San Jose, 1940
#56 City Hall and Library, San Jose, 1940
#57 Sun sweet Campbell Co-operative drier, 1945
#58 City Hall Plaza, 1940s
Looking down at the old City Hall in Market Street Plaza (now Plaza de Cesar Chavez), with St. Joseph's Cathedral in the far background, the old library (now San Jose Museum of Art) in the center background. Automobiles line the street. The Standard Garage and Trocadero Club can be seen in the lower foreground.
#59 South First Street, looking north from San Carlos, 1944
#60 First Street, Looking North, San Jose, 1944
#61 San Jose skyline, 1940
#62 Airport Committee Ground Breaking, 1948
#63 Hotel De Anza, San Jose, California, 1949
#64 Breaking Ground – Municipal Airport, 1948
#65 Stevens Creek Boulevard looking east, 1945
#66 Looking east from 2nd floor Willow Street, San Jose, 1949
#67 Nectarine Tree in Bloom Spring, San Jose, 1949
#68 L. W. Prouse & Co. Poultry and Dairy Feeds building, car parked in front, at 1290 East Santa Clara Street, San Jose, May 18, 1947.
#69 8 mile house in Coyote CA, was 8 miles from downtown San Jose; and was a stopping point for carriages and wagons, 1940
#70 Grace Evelyn Hodges Wahrer the Wahrer home pictured was at 1086 Hazelwood Ave. San Jose, 1940s
#71 Entrance to Food Machinery and Chemical Corporation building, San Jose,1940
#72 The Statehouse Replica at Market Street Plaza, San Jose., 1949
#73 Spring Time, Municipal Rose Garden, San Jose, 1940s
#74 Robinson and Sons Co., 500-510 South First Street, San Jose, 1942
#75 Dr. Reverand Clarence Sands, First Baptist Church in San Jose in front of a group of people sitting on park benches, 1945
#76 Statue of President McKinley in St. James Park, San Jose, 1940
#77 Church located at 60 North Third. George D. Lannin Company real estate and insurance is next to it at 34 North Third, 1949
#78 Peter Lassen Monument, 1940
#79 Church located at 60 North Third. George D. Lannin Company real estate and insurance is next to it at 34 North Third, 1949
#80 San Tomas School, Campbell, 1949
#81 Saratoga Saloon at San Carlos Street and Meridian Avenue, 1940s
#82 First St., looking south from Santa Clara, 1940
#83 First Street businesses, 1941
Looking down First Street, with the Bank of America (Bank of Italy) building in the background on the right-hand side and the American Trust Company on the left. Automobiles are parked along the street. The State Theatre is in the foreground on the left, showing "Virginia" (released 1941). The Mission Theatre is in the right center.
#84 San Jose Street Department workers during California’s Admission Day parade, 1949
#85 San Jose Looking south with Cahill railroad station, 1940
View of San Jose looking south with Southern Pacific's Cahill railroad station centered in the frame. To the right of the large Cahill complex, the small frieght depot of the Western Pacific Railroad can be viewed. In 1922 to break the railroad monopoly held by SP in Santa Clara Valley, the WP built a branch line into San Jose terminating at this small freight depot on Santa Clara Street. Also in the photo, left, are natural gas storage tanks. museum has 3 copies
#86 Stanford Art Gallery & Memorial Hall, 1943
#87 The Student Union at Stanford University, 1943
#88 Eberhardt Tannery Building in Santa Clara, 1947.
#89 Neighborhood War Garden, 1943
#90 Funeral for Juan in San Jose, 1940s
#91 Hall of Justice, North Market Street and St. James, 1944
#92 Bonn’s Candy Factory, 1949
#93 University Library and Hoover Library, 1943
#94 O’Connor Sanitarium, 1946
#95 Alum Rock Pagoda, 1945
#96 Back view of wooden house, 1940
#97 Polhemus house and Neighborhood War Garden, 1940s
#98 Horses coming around the last bend at Sheriff’s Posse Grounds, 1947
#99 Front of Edwin Markham House, 1942
#100 Side view of wooden house, 1940
#101 Santa Clara County Courthouse, 1944
#102 The Merry Mart interior, 1731 Park Avenue, 1947
#103 Economy Cleaners in the Tyler Beech Building, Second and Santa Clara Streets, 1940s
#104 California Packing Corporation, Plant No. 35, 1940
#105 Dr. Benjamin Cory House, 435 South Second Street, 1947
#106 Normandin’s sold DeSoto and Plymouth cars and trucks, 1947
#107 Alum Rock Park Picnic Participants, 1940s
#108 Abandoned Trolley Car 105., 1940s
#109 F.H. Dutra Farm Equipment Company at 21 South River Street, 1940s
#110 First and Santa Clara Streets, 1940s
#111 John Bean Manufacturing Co. building. Fleet of trucks parked along street, 1940s
#112 Murphy Avenue, Sunnyvale, 1945
#113 West Santa Clara Street USO building, 1940s
#114 Guadalupe Mines, Mine Head and Hoist, 1940
#115 Normandins DeSoto/Plymouth dealer 405 West Santa Clara Street, 1945
#116 Trays of Drying Prunes, 1946
#117 Guadalupe Mine, Miner’s Cabin, 1940
#118 Whisman Elementary (Stierling Road and Charleston Road), 1948
#119 St. Joseph’s Roman Catholic Church 1941
#120 Normandin’s sold DeSoto and Plymouth cars and trucks, 1940s
#121 Hayes Mansion front entrance with automobile parked in front, 1940s
#122 Mounted Unit in Admission Day Parade, 1949
#123 Cleaning the library clock tower, 1944
#124 Children and adult prune pickers posing with full buckets, 1940
#125 Anglo California Bank, Market and Santa Clara Streets, San Jose, 1949
#126 View of San Jose from North First Street Looking South, 1940
#127 The Edwin Markham House, 1947
#128 Masonic Temple, Feb 1949
#129 Bank of San Jose / Beans Building, 1946
#130 Lincoln at Minnesota Spring 1949
#131 Looking north on First Street, 1949
#132 Campbell Bros. Sunland service station, 1940s
#133 Tree on The Alameda, 1947
#134 Key to San Jose Presentation at train station, 1943
#135 Mixing Explosives Fatal to Two, 1946
#136 Paul’s Willow Glen Fall, 1949
#137 Norris’ luncheon/fashion show, 1946
#138 Gee Bee Aero hangar and airplane, 1946
#139 15 South Market Street, 1949
#140 Los Gatos Creek flood damage in San Jose, 1941
#141 Gilroy Cooperative Dryer with Boxes being unloaded, 1946
#142 Looking northwest over Rosicrucian Press building and St Augustine Street, 1940
#143 Shell Gas Station, 21st and Santa Clara Streets, 1949
#144 Edwin Markham house, 1940s
#145 Entering Los Gatos from Santa Cruz Highway, 1940
#146 Scottish Rite Temple, 1940
#147 San Jose City Hall, 1945
#148 Ng Shing Gung Temple, 1940
#149 First Street businesses, 1941
#150 Peralta Adobe, 1947
#151 Varian Associates, San Carlos, 1949
#152 Peralta Adobe, 1947
The Peralta Adobe is the oldest surviving structure in San Jose and its only surviving adobe. It was restored in 1976 as part of the Bicentennial celebration. In this 1947 photograph it is unrestored with a tin roof and serving as a storehouse for plumbing supplies. The Peralta Adobe is a San Jose Historic Landmark, a California Historical Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
#153 William Lewis Manly House, 1940
#154 Two-story home with porch, 1940
#155 Split-level home in urban neighborhood, 1940s
#156 Split level home with cars in front, 1940
#157 The old mansion house of John Schnatterly, 1945
#158 Large two-story home with car parked in front, 1940
#159 Small building surrounded by vegetation, 1940
#160 Single-story home with car parked in front, 1940
#161 Two-story home surrounded by vegetation, 1940
#162 Post Printing Company, formerly Peter H. Burnett’s house, 1947
Peter Burnett, California's first Governor lived in this house built in Alviso in 1850. It was moved to 441 North First Street, San Jose in 1854. Occupied by the Post Printing Company and later the California Printing Company, the building was razed in 1955. There is a typed note on the verso about the history of this house.
