Lost Bay Area Stories

An Exploration into Obscure Bay Area History

Sep 21, 2022
4 min

Nuclear Fallout Shelters in San Jose

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Feb 18, 2022
2 min

Ma Chuck, the Mathematician/Inventor

As mentioned in earlier posts, Ma Chuck was the first Chinese American male to register to vote in Santa Clara County. He also paid a...

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Feb 8, 2022
1 min

The Battery of Ma Chuck

As mentioned in a previous post, San Jose resident and Chinese American, Ma Chuck, became the first man of Chinese decent to register to...

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Feb 8, 2022
2 min

First Chinese Man to Vote in Santa Clara County

An American born Chinese man named Ma Chuck was the first man of Chinese decent to register to vote in Santa Clara County on September...

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Feb 2, 2022
3 min

Chinese New Year, Heinlenville, 1896

Heinlenville was one of the original Chinatowns in San Jose. It was located near 6th and Jackson St (currently Japantown). It is...

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Nov 9, 2021
5 min

Spanish Flu? COVID? Discourse is the Same

In 1918, letters to the editor were the equivalent of social media today, a mixed bag of opinions many times anchored in counter factual...

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Nov 8, 2021
1 min

Google Earth Historic Downtown San Jose

To Use: Download and install Google Earth Pro Download one of the historic overlay files (ends with *.kmz). See below links. Double...

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Oct 5, 2021
1 min

Now and Then, St James and 2nd Street

It's fascinating to take a look back at an 1850's era photo of San Jose looking north east from St, James park. Nothing seems to have...

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Sep 15, 2021
1 min

San Jose Masking During Spanish Flu

An excerpt from early San Jose Historian, Clyde Arbuckle, on the Spanish Flu era and the wearing of masks. The statistics are a little...

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Aug 12, 2021
1 min

"Big George" and San Joses' first "safety" bike

"Big George" Osen, from the Edenvale neighborhood in San Jose, was the first cyclist with a "safety" styled bicycle. He drew so much...

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Aug 10, 2021
2 min

"Dusty" Lamkin, San Jose Bicycle Pioneer

This photo of A.G Col was part of a accumulation of photographs that were found when cycling was just starting in San Jose around 1884. ...

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Aug 8, 2021
2 min

"Al" on the Steed, San Jose Bicycle Pioneer

This photo of A.G Col was part of a accumulation of photographs that were found when cycling was just starting in San Jose around 1884. ...

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Jul 25, 2021
1 min

Marcian Rossi - The Author (Part 2)

I've already posted about San Jose resident Marcian Rossi's collection of Marco Polo era maps and their noteworthiness. I've also posted...

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Jun 15, 2021
1 min

San Jose Roads Never Change

Somethings never change in a century. Here's an article complaining about San Jose having the worst roads in the state. Source: San Jose...

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Jun 12, 2021
1 min

San Jose's One Armed Chauffer

R.B Barrett was quite a celebrity in San Jose during the early 1900's. He was the only one armed chauffer to drive a deliver car in the...

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Jun 11, 2021
2 min

"Jim" in the Days of the "Cheese-Cutter"

Starting in the late 1800's, San Jose became infatuated with cycling and bicycle racing. In 1908, the San Jose Mercury decided to...

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Jun 8, 2021
2 min

San Jose Pioneers of the Bicycle, Part 1

Starting in the late 1800's, San Jose became infatuated with cycling and bicycle racing. In 1908, the San Jose Mercury decided to...

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Jun 7, 2021
2 min

The End of Sodality Park

As I've mentioned in a previous post, Sodality Park was a forgotten baseball park in downtown San Jose that hosted many legends of early...

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Jun 5, 2021
2 min

Forgotten Downtown Sodality Baseball Park

As I've mentioned in other posts, Sodality Park hosted a few legends of baseball such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb. There are a...

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May 14, 2021
1 min

San Josean's bike pump invention

In 1908, H.C Brooks, a native of San Jose, invented a new way of integrating a bike pump into the frame. Pretty clever idea although the...

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