History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 40

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928

USA > California > Santa Clara County > History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 40

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One of the important departments of the Normal School is the library, which for the most part was the work of Miss Ruth Royce, who for thirty-five years was the librarian, leaving office in 1918. In her hands the library

grew from a small number of books to a col- lection of over 18,000. She was succeeded by Helen Evans, whose competency was quickly recognized. The arrangement of books in the library is known as classification. There are many kinds, but here the decimal classification of Melvil Dewey is used. This classification divides all knowledge into ten parts-general work, philosophy, religion, sociology, includ- ing economics, education, etc. ; philology, nat- ural science, useful arts, including agriculture, domestic science, etc. ; fine arts, literature, history, including geography, travel and biog- raphy. All books of the history of San Jose are found together on the shelves. There is a collection of standard books for children and also a department for the Training school.

Another noteworthy department is the kin- dergarten, directed by Miss Isbel O. Macken- zie. It prepares teachers for the kindergarten and first grade. The rooms are located in the extreme south end of the main building, af- fording a southeasterly exposure. Plenty of light, air and sunshine make an attractive and wholesome setting for the fifty or more little ones who spend three and a half hours of their day here, to afford the would-be teachers an opportunity for practice teaching. The furni- ture and decorations conform to sanitary standards. Growing plants and flowers ar- ranged and cared for by the children give a standard to the students which is worthy of being emulated by the kindergartens of the state. The magnificent school grounds, planned in 1870, seemed to have been designed by men of vision for the future generations of children. The kindergarten teachers, as well as the students, gather under the trees for recreation and work. Another kindergarten is an experimental school of the most approved type and is conducted in a building of its own. Gas stoves and dining room equipment in one of the rooms give opportunity for the re-living of home activities. Social instincts are stressed through self-organized groups in the arrangement of the luncheon and through the cooperative work done in the various com- munity problems. The large materials afford opportunity for the physical and social devel- opment of the child. Individuality is expressed in the choice of materials. The Stanford- Binet tests are given to obtain the mental age of the child, and daily charts are kept on file for each child. Concentration and initiative are emphasized at all times. In Miss Mac- kenzie, a teacher of long experience and broad sympathy and understanding the kindergarten has as director one of the ablest in the State of California.

The state branch school has as president Dr. William West Kemp, who assumed of-

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fice on July 1. 1920. He succeeded Dr. Mor- ris Elmer Daily, who died July 5. 1919, after having served as president for nineteen years. Between July, 1919, and July, 1920, L. B. Wilson, the vice-president, acted as president pro tem. A temporary assembly and gym- nasium and a cafeteria are among the latest improvements. The course of study embraces everything necessary for the instruction of students who desire to be teachers. It em- braces, art, mathematics, music, English. physical training, history, bookkeeping, house- hold arts. kindergarten, drawing, agriculture. geography, zoology, physiology. industrial arts, expression, psychology, civics, pottery and manual arts. The teaching force numbers sixty-six. The average attendance of students for the year 1919 and 1920 was 500.

The conversion of the Normal School into a State Teachers' College took place in 1921. The first term in October showed an attend- ance of 800, the largest of any similar institu- tion in the state. The institution having at- tained college status offers in addition to the regular courses, junior college courses. Plans for a new building have been adopted and the conditions for the home economics and manual arts departments will soon be bettered. The last named department will have courses in auto construction and repair, electrical wiring, plumbing, tinning, machine shop practice, foundry work, pattern making, cabinet mak- ing, carpentering, printing and mechanical drawing. The new building will face Seventh Street.

College of Notre Dame

The massive buildings and beautiful grounds of the College of Notre Dame, standing in the heart of San Jose, in no way indicates the small beginning from which they sprung. In 1844 a band of devout Sisters established a mission school in the Willamette Valley, Ore- gon. In 1851 other Sisters of the order start- ed from Cincinnati to join in the work on the Willamette. They were to come by way of the Isthmus and Sister Loyola of Nouvain and Sister Mary of Nismes, came down from Oregon to San Francisco to meet them. Find- ing they would be compelled to wait some time for the arrival of the vessel from Panama, these Sisters accepted the hospitality of Mar- tin Murphy, of Mountain View. They looked through the valley of Santa Clara and were charmed with its natural beauties and ad- vantages. At this time Father Nobili was lay- ing the foundations of Santa Clara College. He suggested that the Sisters establish an edu- cational institution in San Jose and the sug- gestion was supplemented by the urgent en- treaty of Martin Murphy and other citizens. The Sisters were easily persuaded. They

chose the present site for their building, pur- chasing at first a tract of ground 10134 by 13716 feet. There was no Santa Clara Street then and no improvements near the tract. San Jose had but twenty-six houses and they were nearly all on Market Street or further east. The ground was grown up with mustard and weeds, through which an acequia, or water ditch, flowed sluggishly. Having made their choice of location the Sisters did not delay their work. Levi Goodrich, the architect, was employed, and in August, 1851, the school was in operation. From this small beginning has arisen one of the great Catholic educational in- stitutions in the United States. The founda- tions for the present main building were laid in 1854. Mr. Kerwin was the architect, but hav- ing buildings under his direction in course of construction in other places, was not able to give proper attention to the San Jose build- ing. In consequence the chapel wing of the structure would have been a failure, had not Sister Loyola come to the rescue. and as archi- tect and overseer, calculated all the details. In 1855 the college was incorporated by the State Legislature and subsequently the same body so extended the original charter as to confer all the rights and privileges of col- legiate institutions in the United States. In 1862-63 the main building and the eastern wing were completed. The latter runs back to a depth of 250 fect. The west wing is 103 feet deep.

In 1866 Levi Goodrich erected the select school. In 1869 Theodore Lenzen continued the building and in 1876 Mr. Readney made the last addition and erected the day school. In 1900 the secondary department was accred- ited to the University of California, which privilege entitles its certified graduates to ad- mission without matriculation examinations, to the State and Stanford Universities, to any Western college and to the State Normal schools.

The grounds of the college are spacious, artistically laid out and ornamented by choice shade trees, shrubbery, flowers and lawns. It is generally conceded that the college offers ideal conditions to the earnest student and is a paradise of opportunities for the lover of nature. The calm atmosphere in which the students dwell, in the midst of beautiful en- vironment, the harmony of regularly recurring duties, the beauty and sublimity of the liturg- ical year, all are potent factors in deepening. rounding and refining character.

The aim of the college is that of Christian education, as understood by the Catholic Church, not only in intellectual but in moral development. While maintaining a high stand- ard of study, the formation of character is the main object of the teaching given.

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The college has a farm house and orchard on the Los Gatos road. Thus supplies of eggs, vegetables and fruit, are daily avail- able. Notre Dame Villa, a charming estate, comprising 100 acres on the picturesque hills of Saratoga, adds a delightful recreation re- sort, health factor and natural botanical gar- den, to the resources of the college.

The health of the students is an object of constant solicitude. Plain and wholesome fare, beautiful and extensive grounds, which af- ford opportunity for frequent exercise, fre- quent walks and excursions to points of inter- est-all conduce to develop and preserve health and strength. The students are also provided with out-door games, including ten- nis, basketball, volleyball and other athletic amusements. Daily open air drills in physical culture are given, and no student is relieved from physical training unless by written re- quest from her physician. In case of sickness the students are given the best medical at- tendance and care in well-kept infirmaries.

To well-equipped buildings, laboratories, li- braries, etc., the college adds the advantages accruing from opportunities to hear lectures in literary and scientific subjects by notable lecturers, as well as season concerts by world- famous artists. For class instruction and reci- tation the stereopticon and the balopticon are employed with most satisfactory results. As before noted the estate at Saratoga offers in- valuable opportunities for field work in the natural sciences. Excursions of this nature are likewise made to points of scientific in- tercst in the valley.

The government is mild but firm, as the happiness and mental development of the students are closely connected with good or- der. As the Catholic religion is professed by the members of the college, the exercises of religious worship are Catholic, but students of any denomination are admitted, provid- ed they are willing to conform to the general regulations of the school.

The institution embraces the following de- partments: The Collegiate, consisting of the College of Letters and Social Science and the College of Music; the Secondary, including four years of work preparatory to the Col- legiate course. Graduating honors are award- ed to students completing the work of this department; the Preparatory, including the work of the grades. Students completing this department receive certificates; the Commer- cial department includes thorough courses in bookkeeping, commercial law, commercial arithmetic and correspondence, typewriting, stenography and stenotypy; diplomas are awarded.

The Notre Dame College of Music-a de-

partment of the college-has, from its com- mencement up to the present time, maintained the highest standard of effort in this special educational field. The most distinguished art- ists of the season for concerts in the commo- dious Notre Dame Hall, are secured yearly.

College of the Pacific

The College of the Pacific is the oldest in- corporated educational institution in Califor- nia. It was granted a charter by the Supreme Court July 10, 1851, under the name of the "California Wesleyan College." The board of trustees at its first meeting, August 15, 1851, voted to change the name to "The Uni- versity of the Pacific," and the Legislature sanctioned the change in a new charter granted March 29, 1852. The institution was known by this name until July 24, 1911, when, in ac- cordance with the changes in its plans and pur- poses, the name was again changed by court proceedings to the College of the Pacific. Until 1871, when it was removed to its pres- ent site, the University of the Pacific was lo- cated in Santa Clara.

In the late '50s the University founded the first medical school in the state. This was afterwards incorporated as the Cooper Med- ical School of San Francisco. The school. was later acquired by the trustees of the Le- land Stanford Jr. University and now forms its medical department. In 1896 Napa Col- lege, situated at Napa, Cal., was consolidated with the University of the Pacific and its grad- tates are now enrolled among the alumini of the College of the Pacific.

The college was founded upon coeduca- tional principles and women are admitted on precisely the same footing as men. In equip- ment and teaching force the college is pre- pared to give thorough instruction of colle- giate grade, to maintain high standards of scholarship, and in every way to carry out its aim to be a college of first rank, limited in its attendance to 500 students. It is located at College Park, a suburb of San Jose, on the main line of the Southern Pacific Railway and about ten minutes' ride by electric car from either San Jose or Santa Clara. The campus is two blocks from the old Mission road, the Alameda, now a part of the State Highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, one of the most beautiful residence avenues in the state.

The beauty and fertility of the famous Santa Clara Valley, with its invigorating climate, give the surroundings of the college a pleas- ing and attractive aspect. The campus com- mands a view of both the Santa Cruz and Mt. Diablo ranges, which lie on ether side of the valley. Twenty-eight miles away is Mt. Ham-

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ilton, on the summit of which, reached by one of the finest and most picturesque drives in the state, stands Lick Observatory.

In the spring of 1910 the college trustees purchased a tract of seven acres on the Ala- meda, two blocks distant from the old campus. Additional land, adjacent to this property, was later acquired. The president's home is now located on the new campus. Plans have been made to erect additional buildings there as need may require.

There are seven buildings on the college grounds. East Hall is a three-story brick building. The east wing of the third floor is used as a dormitory for men. The remainder of the building contains class rooms, labora- tories and library. South Hall was once used entirely as a dormitory for women. Owing to the growing needs of the conservatory, it is now partially adapted for the use of conserva- tory teachers and students. The Conservatory of Music is a large and well-appointed build- ing erected in 1891. It contains an auditorium with a seating capacity of 1,000. the offices of administration, teaching and practice rooms, and also the well-situated and pleas- ingly furnished rooms of the two of the wom- en's literary societies, Emendia and Sopho- lectia. Helen Guth Hall is a beautiful dormi- tory for women. The building is modern, well equipped and furnished, and provides a com- fortable home for the women living on the campus. The gymnasium is constructed in the same style of architecture as the dormitory for women. It is situated in a eucalyptus grove and has a floor of standard size for athletic contests. It has well-appointed rooms and shower baths and is fully equipped for phys- ical training work. It also has an excellent stage for student productions. The Jackson- Goostall Observatory houses the astronomical instruments, the college safety vault and the office of the Pacific Weekly. Seaton Hall is a new building erected in 1915 to replace Cen- tral Hall, which was destroyed by fire. It con- tains the kitchen, an attractive dining room, and a spacious and beautiful social room for the use of all the students. The president's house is a fine structure on the Alameda at Emory Street.

The equipment is up-to-date and extensive. The burning of West Hall in June, 1914, de- stroyed practically the entire library of the college. But the insurance funds, supplemented by additional appropriations and generous gifts from many friends, have furnished the college with a new and up-to-date library. It contains over 9,000 volumes and valuable ac- cessions are being constantly received. It is now housed in the second floor of East Hall.

The entire ground floor of East Hall is oc- cupied by the science departments. The phys- ies laboratory occupies a well-lighted room fitted with necessary tables, and furnished with gas and electricity. There is a good equipment in mechanics, heat, electricity, light, and sound for the general course in ex- perimental physics. The chemical laborato- ries have been rearranged and considerably enlarged. The fume hoods have been re- placed by a commodious outdoor laboratory having long tables furnished with gas and water. There are three laboratories, a balance room, a store room and a dark room. The biological laboratories are provided with the most modern student equipment to be ob- tained and are particularly well located for ready access to fresh and living material in great variety and abundance. The geological laboratories are well equipped. They offer for study a collection of fossils, a complete set of the Ward series of casts, and a good supply of minerals, rocks, topographic maps, and lan- tern slides.

The Observatory is furnished with a six- inch equatorial telescope, a four-inch portable telescope with altitude and asimuth mounting. a transit and zenith telescope, sextants, and other necessary equipment. The six-inch tele- scope was manufactured by Alvan Clark & Sons, and is furnished with all necessary ac- cessories, such as a driving clock, finely di- vided circles, filar micrometer. The transit and zenith telescope, manufactured by Messrs. Fauth & Company, is of the pattern exten- sively used on the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. These instruments afford ample fa- cilities for the study of practical astronomy.

During the summer of 1910, a new pipe or- gan of exceptionally fine concert type, of three manuals, with all the latest improved mechan- ical attachments and combinations, was built for the Conservatory of Music by the W. W. Kimball Company of Chicago. It is the larg- est pipe organ in any Conservatory of Music west of Chicago and one of the largest pipe organs in California. To meet the needs of the increasing pipe organ classes, a two man- ual pipe organ, formerly belonging to the First Methodist Church in San Jose, and given to the college by that church, was entirely re- built, and is installed in the College Park Church adjacent to the campus.

The college stands for moral culture and the growth of character. Its government rests upon the principle that self-control is the cen- tral power in a highly developed life. Rules are few and simple and are designed to protect and assist the students in making the most of their college life. The social life of the col- lege is pleasant and helpful. Friendship is

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fostered between the faculty and the students. In general the students are given such free- dom as will not interfere with their class work or allow them to lose sight of the fact that the primary object of attending college is study.

Students are admitted to the college with- out condition as to religious belief or church membership. But all patrons, whatever their views concerning religious doctrines and social usages, are expected to recognize the spirit and purpose of the college as indicated in its history, and to cooperate in promoting its en- deavors in the field of education. Unless ex- cused for good reasons, students are required to attend assembly exercises, not only because these exercises consider the spiritual needs of the college community, but also because they conserve the unity of student life, and give an opportunity for announcing college events and promoting college interests. Students are ex- pected to attend church at least once each Sunday and to observe the day in a proper manner.

The courses of instruction include ancient languages, philosophy, history, religion, poet- ry, astronomy, biology, zoology, physiology, botany, embryology, neurology, bacteriology, chemistry, assaying, economics, geography. commerce, psychology, pedagogy. engineer- ing and applied mathematics, geometry, Eng- lish, German, French, geology, graphic arts, music, physics, public speaking. Old Testa- ment history, Spanish and lectures.

An adjunct of the college is the College Park Academy, J. William Harris, principal, a preparatory or high school department of the college. It fits for college entrance in the classical, scientific and engineering depart- ments.

The number of students, accredited to the college in 1922 is as follows: College of Lib- eral Arts. 350; Conservatory of Music, 173; School of Art, 41; School of Expression,, 52; Academy, 73; repeated names, 211. Tully Cleon Knoles, A. M., D. D., is the president of the college and under him are forty-five instructors.

In 1921 an offer from Stockton for the re- moval of the College to that city was accepted. It will be some time, however, before the new buildings for the College can be erected.

Other Institutions

Prior to the earthquake of April 18, 1906, St. Joseph's grammar school was maintained in a building at the rear of St. Joseph's Church on the northeast corner of Market and San Fernando Streets. The 'quake did such damage to the building that a removal to an- other place became necessary. A site was pur- chased at the northeast corner of Park Ave- nute and Vine Street, the grounds running to the corner of Locust Street. On the tract two large buildings, one for boys and one for girls, were erected. The school is now conducted by the Brothers of St. Mary and Rev. Father Adam, S. M., is in charge as principal. In ad- dition to the regular high school and gram- mar courses, with their moral and religious influences, there are fine playgrounds, two moving picture outfits, a wireless system of telegraphy and a spacious auditorium. It is the intention to provide in the near future a wireless telephone station. There are fifteen rooms in each school with laboratories, dor- mitories, etc. The pupils of both schools number 700. In the girls' grammar school the eighth grade graduates are entitled to ad- mission to the College of Notre Dame.

The Church of the Holy Family ( Catholic) maintains a convent at 136 Vine Street. Here the Italian contingent find everything neces- sary for religious and scholastic work.

In the matter of private schools San Jose is provided with Heald's Business College, the Garden City Business College, several Con- servatories of Music, the International Corre- spondence School, and many small schools of music, dancing, elocution and dramatic ex- pression. There are ninety-one public schools in the county, outside of San Jose. Miss Agnes Howe is the County Superintendent.

CHAPTER XXII.

The Public Utilities of San Jose-The Early Service of the Gas and Electric Companies-The San Jose Water Company and Its Sure and Steady Pro- gress-The Street Railways In and Out of the City-The Post Office.

In 1860 San Jose was large enough to war- rant the introduction of illuminating gas. On October 6 of that year James K. Prior, Thomas Anderson and James Hagan formed the San Jose Gas Company. This corporation had a capital stock of $21.000 and the period of existence was fixed at forty years from the date of the filing of the certificate. Gas was first lighted in the city on January 21, 1861. It was supplied to eighty-four custom- ers. There were seven street lights. The price of gas was ten dollars per 1000 cubic feet. The sales of gas for the first year amounted to 165,000 cubic feet. Railroad com- munication between San Francisco and San Jose was not established until 1864. Before that date coal was brought to Alviso in sailing vessels or in barges and from Alviso landing to San Jose, a distance of nine miles, over roads which were in bad condition at all seas- ons of the year and during wet weather were impassable owing to the overflow of streams which enter the bay at or near Alviso. Dur- ing the periods of overflow the coal used for gas making was carried from Alviso on pack mules. It is recorded that often these mules with their burden of coal would be swept away by the torrent while fording some stream and both mule and coal lost beyond recovery. So there is probably quite a de- posit of coal and mules somewhere in the Alviso flats.

The first gas holder built in San Jose had a capacity of 8000 cubic feet. The mater- ial used in the construction of its tank was redwood planks three inches thick. This gas holder was in continuons use for twenty-eight years. When torn out in 1888 the redwood tank was found to be in as good condition as when it was built. Some of these very red- wood planks were used in the construction of buildings about the gas works.

In 1865 a special committee of the city council made an investigation of the business and profits of the San Jose Gas Company. The report showed that the original investment in 1860 was $21,000; that during the first five years of its existence the total expenditure for betterments, materials and labor was $53,637 .- 93; that the receipts from gas sales during that period amounted to $75,617; that the founders of the Company had divided in divi-

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History of Santa Clara County, California, with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present, Part 40

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846- Publication date: 1922 Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co. Number of Pages: 1928

Author: Sawyer, Eugene Taylor, 1846-
Publication date: 1922
Publisher: Los Angeles : Historic Record Co.
Number of Pages: 1928