San Jose Historical Timeline

This is a basic timeline of important events in San Jose.  I am compiling information from broad internet searches and sites such as wikipedia.  It is just to help you have an idea of what was happening in the San Jose, during the lives of your ancestors.

Click (here) for San Jose historical documents / images etc. 

Ohlone Tribes occupy the area

1777 San Jose founded as a town

1797 - San Jose Mission Founded

1850 - San Jose is now part of the United States, and is first Captial of California

1851 - San Jose Weekly Visitor pubication begins

1855 - San Jose Telegraph newspaper publication begins

1861 - San Jose Daily Mercury publication begins

1864 - San Fransico and San Jose connected by railway 

1870 - Chinatown fire

1884 - Work on Winchester House begins

1889 - City Hall built

1895 - Post Office built

1906 - San Fransico earthquake

1909 - KQW Radio begins broadcasting

1933 - Spartan Stadium Opens

1937 - San Jose Civic Orchestra Opens

1949 - San Jose Municple Aiport opens

Useful Sites for Local Research

History San Jose - A historical organization

http://historysanjose.org/wp/

SFGenealogy.com  This is a great site I stumbled across, that has links to databases and more.  It has resources for many counties surrounding San Francisco