Our History
The mission of the Cupertino Historical Society and Museum is to preserve and share Cupertino’s past, strengthen the sense of community and make Cupertino history available for all.
Our purpose is to "Create a Passion for history". We do this by collecting the artifacts and ephemera that represent the past and present of Cupertino. There are over 5,000 artifacts spanning over 100 years of Cupertino’s history in our collection – including settlement, agriculture, education, home life, and business.
On May 2, 1966, the Cupertino Historical Society was founded as a non-profit organization by Louis Stocklmeir, the city's historian, and a group of 177 longtime residents concerned about the rapid growth in the area and vanishing heritage. To that end, early society members began collecting artifacts that would become the foundation of the collection on display in our museum at the Quinlan Center.
Opened in 1990, the Cupertino Historical Museum, housed in the Quinlan Community Center, is a growing repository of artifacts, documents, photographs, and oral histories of city residents, industries, and businesses past and present. Through revolving exhibits, the Museum attempts to develop and expand the learning opportunities that it offers to the culturally diverse community of the City of Cupertino and its surrounding areas.
Comments
I just found out about your organization. How wonderful! I write biographies for hire and can always use help filling in the gaps when people have trouble remembering details from long ago.
Join me in Apricot Heaven with this new blog post!
Come join the Blenheim fun at B&R Farms U-Pick July 13 from 9-3, Andy's Orchards Farm Tour & Tasting July 20 from 10-2, and a Book Talk August 1st at Books Inc. Campbell at 6 pm.
With stunning pictures and lovely Chinese string music, this slideshow presents excerpts of a book available at the Cupertino Historical Soceity & Museum, A Poetic Portal to Chinese Culture:
https://youtu.be/lCYaqFREHTo
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Spring blossoms lift up our spirits, brighten the world around us, and send our thoughts forward to the summer fruits they will bear. Festivals celebrating our favorite fruit are about to begin!
Here are some thoughts about my love of apricots and orchard history in a new blog post that springs from my recent TV interview.
I hope you will join us in a day of celebration with Lisa's new blog post, National Apricot Day! There are so many ways to enjoy California’s most wonderful fruit, even in January.
The Saratoga IOOF and Saratoga Historical Foundation are co-sponsoring a free lecture Nov. 10 by Lisa Prince Newman based on her new book, “For the Love of Apricots: Recipes and Memories of the Santa Clara Valley.”
The lecture and the book cover the region’s orchard heritage, when it was known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight, with a focus on the apricot. Lisa Prince Newman’s book combines history, personal memories from a childhood in Saratoga surrounded by orchards and recipes using apricots.
The lecture starts at 5 p.m. at the Saratoga IOOF, 14414-A Oak Street, Saratoga.
Best wishes to new CHSM Director, Jennifer E. Furlong.
Sharing the Joy of Apricots with you in this new blog post!
Years ago I went to an estate sale in Cupertino and bought part of the negative archive of a photographer that was active in the area in the 50's and 60's. I have just started sorting through the 4X5 negatives and it looks like there so much local history there... Here is a rough scan of one of the negatives I randomly pulled out of the hundreds from that collection. I scanned this on a regular flatbed scanner using my cell phone light to back light it.. Guess it is time to save up for a good negative scanner for this and all mine from the past as well...
Lisa added a new article on apricots:
The apricot harvest is in full swing and this year’s crop is outstanding. I have a new blog post about apricot festivals, farm tours, and book signing events that I hope you enjoy!
Apricots are ripening and arriving soon and so is my cookbook with recipes and memories of the Valley of Heart's Delight!
