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Thanks for this. Even if you have kids that don't appreciate family history, I love hearing about the Valley of Heart's Delight.
I arrived there in the late 1980's -- late, indeed -- but there were still orchards.
Before he died, Steve Jobs decreed that apricot trees, reminiscent of his childhood in Santa Clara County, be planted on the grounds of the new Apple campus. In the late 90s he bought the house behind his Waverly home in Palo Alto and planted apricots there.
I'm trying to imagine Lawrence as a two-lane road.
We had a picture taken in the 40s hanging in our bank of Union Ave south of Camden. It was totally rural, just a dirt road, some trees and fences. Unbelievable.
My then manager used to drive out from Curtner in the early 60s to get to her job. She said she rarely met another car. There are still people living there who remember the area before 280 was built.
I remember when Camden didn't go through out by Almaden. At that time, you had to turn at the bottom of the hill on Coleman and take Redmond to hook up with Camden again. I remember the night I had to go out there - seems like it was the 10th time in ten days. I drove to the top of the hill and there were no barriers there that night and I feel like I was one of the first to drive over the new section of Camden Ave that finally connected it all up.
Even when I was there (came out in 1975), there were still orchards around Camden Vet Hospital and along Bascom Ave. I remember when they were finally connecting 101 up on the East Side. While they were building that stretch of freeway, we went out one Sunday and just walked along it. And I still miss the old empty lots that are now 85 going through South San Jose.
Where Blossom Hill and Almaden Rd met, there was a huge farm space. I don't know if it's still there or not. I do remember driving into Almaden. As soon as Almaden crossed Via Valente (and angled right to turn into Almaden Rd, which it doesn't do now after they angled it to go left), it was rural and beautiful. You could see horses grazing in the pastures there. Now that's all housing.
One lady I dog sat for came out in the 40s and bought several acres with her husband in East San Jose, just past Eastridge Mall. She told me then it was the boonies. Now, of course, it's surrounded by hundreds of tiny little houses on tiny little lots and keeping the trespassers off her back acre was a major concern. She sold an acre off the side of her property and it was developed into little duplexes that all looked the same. She would tell me that if someone came home drunk one night, he'd never know which house was his.
Things have changed.
Last edited by rodentraiser; 12-22-2018 at 05:12 PM..
Younger folks are just not interested in their family trees / heritage. Be honest, when you were in your 20s-30s did you care who aunt Carol or who uncle Joe was or did. Now that I have the leisure time I have unofficially become the family historian. I grab all the photo albums or boxes of pictures when older relatives are downsizing or have passed. My goal is to have nice family history album to pass on to our grandkids. Lots of pictures and connections to historical events and places.
She sold an acre off the side of her property and it was developed into little duplexes that all looked the same. She would tell me that if someone came home drunk one night, he'd never know which house was his.
Things have changed.
What's the problem with houses that look alike? Having a roof over ones head is a blessing. The neighbors having the same model as me is none of my concern.
Reminds me of a skit I once heard on a radio program. (What's a radio program, Grandma?)
The kid said he was tired of driving Grandpa places because wherever they went the old man would spread his arm wide and point at the city, "See over there? All of that over there just used to be nothing. For as far as you could see - nothing there."
I know why old people repeat themselves. You only have a limited number of stories to tell and then you have to start over again. It doesn't help if you try to avoid conversation about people, places and things. The realm of ideas can become limited too when you age if you lack information to build them upon.
Sometimes I think the safe road is just being a reflective wall they can shine their selfies on and nodding, "Oh yeah, that's a good one."
They pulled a fast one on our generation. Raised with, "Children are to be seen and not heard." Then they changed the rules mid-stream. LOL
Younger folks are just not interested in their family trees / heritage. Be honest, when you were in your 20s-30s did you care who aunt Carol or who uncle Joe was or did. Now that I have the leisure time I have unofficially become the family historian. I grab all the photo albums or boxes of pictures when older relatives are downsizing or have passed. My goal is to have nice family history album to pass on to our grandkids. Lots of pictures and connections to historical events and places.
They say there's one in every family--that one person who cares about the family history and researches it, collects the artifacts. I hope someday the young people appreciate it
<sigh> Well, some of us OF's are compassionately attempting to keep the bar as low as possible. Cuz the next generation of OF's is going to be carrying their a-holes in one hand and pawing their hemorrhoids with the other, and they could take some terrible falls.
What's the problem with houses that look alike? Having a roof over ones head is a blessing. The neighbors having the same model as me is none of my concern.
I only went to southern California once but that's when I saw if for the first time. Just like the old song--Little boxes on the hillside, little boxes made of ticky tacky. ...and they all look just the same.
Coming from New England where we cherish the antique homes and at that time we still built pleasant looking new homes (not so much anymore though), I was in shock to see all the houses lined up in close together rows, identical houses. No yards, no flowers, few trees. I guess we should be happy to have a roof over our heads but I still appreciate the build quality, the design, the pleasant outward appearance of houses that are in harmony with each other but not exactly alike.
Thank goodness there are some neighborhoods here that are preserved and can't be torn down and made ugly. It's probably the artist in me, but I do appreciate beautiful houses. I don't have to live in one, couldn't afford to anyway, but I like to look at them and to know they will remain for future generations to enjoy.
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