What San Jose looked like in the 1950s Through Vintage Photos

The Sears store in downtown San Jose at 350 South 1st Street, San Jose, California. Sears was located almost directly across from the Fox Theatre.

Campbell Bros. Sunland service station at the corner of East Taylor Street and North Seventh Street, San Jose. Signs advertise Sunland Quality Ethyl Gasoline and HO Gasoline.

The fountain in San Jose's Municipal Rose Garden was created and paid for by the Rotary Club of San Jose in the 1930's.

South First Street at Christmas taken from above at night, showing Christmas decorations strung above the street and cars parked below. National $ Stores (National Dollar Stores), Padre, Kress stores are visible.

Exterior view of the home of Henry Dyer, which stood on Hostetter Road in the Berryessa area. Mr. Dyer had an orchard on the property. He was the son of Ephraim Dyer, who came west from Maine in 1850.

Display of San Jose Police Department equipment, car, motorcycle and various instruments.

Daughters of Charity attending Mass at O'Connor Hospital Chapel, located at 2105 Forest Avenue, San Jose.

Stanley Smock, city emergency housing director, stands in deserted street at Airport Village which once teemed with playing youngsters and was crowded with cars. The wartime development at one time was home to 360 families.

Exterior view of the California Mission San Jose De Guadalupe in San Jose.

Parade showing a marching band in front of the American Trust Company Bank Building, Blooms, Harris & Frank, Dundee, Master Cobbler.

Cheim Lumber Company was located at Lenzen Avenue and The Alameda, San Jose. The fire was started on the afternoon of April 14th by three children playing with matches. It quickly spread to the Pacific Hardware & Steel Company and the Prime Rib Dining Room, located at the back of the Cheim Lumber property.

Native Daughters of the Golden West in a parade down North First Street in San Jose, California. They are dressed in dark long skirts, white long-sleeved blouses and wearing broad brimmed hats with white decoration.

North Market Street in downtown San Jose, California near intersection of West St. John Street. View overlooking street and City of San Jose Public Parking Lot No. 1. Greyhound bus and cars driving past on street in foreground. North San Pedro Street businesses and residences are visible on the other side of the parking lot, as well as the intersection of San Pedro and St. John Street. Stores visible behind the parking lot are American Welding Supply (75 North San Pedro) and C & D Automotive Service (85 North San Pedro).

Exterior shot of the new IBM facility at Monterey and Cottle Roads in San Jose, and speakers at the podium during the dedication. Several shots of the crowd in 1950s fashions, and visitors riding on movable transport around the facility.

Northwest view from City Hall, at Market Street and San Antonio Street. Some businesses along Market Street are visible: Gonzalez Bail Bonds and W. O. Standring Co. The Hotel de Anza is visible in the distance.

South First at San Fernando looking north. Most of the downtown stores were open late for shoppers on Thursday evenings.

The fire began at 1400 The Alameda at Lenzen Avenue on the afternoon of April 14th when three children were playing with matches. It quickly spread to the Pacific Hardware & Steel Company and the Prime Rib Dining Room, located at the back of the Cheim Lumber property. The heat from the fire was so intense that it damaged several hoses and put one engine out of commission. Seventy-seven firemen worked to control the fire.

The corner of Santa Clara and River Streets, San Jose, during the 1958 Guadalupe River flood.

San Jose Mayor Robert Welsh at the ground-breaking for the Community Bank Building at San Pedro and San Augustine Streets, San Jose.

Crowd reflected at dedication of IBM plant at Cottle Road and Monterey Highway. The new plant incorporated four IBM sites previously located in downtown San Jose.

Sandwich board advertising wrestling matches at the San Jose Civic Auditorium, featuring photographs by Shirlie Montgomery

Nurses were trained at O'Connor Hospital under the supervision of the Sisters of Notre Dame of Namur.

Candid view of the crowd at the San Jose Civic Auditorium as they react to the wrestling match in progress.

City Hall as it looked in the 1950s. Designed by the architect Theodore Lenzen, and constructed in 1887, it originally housed the jail on the ground floor, council chambers on the main floor, and public library on the third floor. This City Hall continued in use until it was demolished in 1958.

A railroad man demonstrates how hobos would 'ride the rails' on a freight train in the old days, San Jose, California, 1950. Most cars now have steel beams with no place to ride.