The Clyde Arbuckle California History Research Collection represents the regional history of San Jose and Santa Clara County, California. This collection contains rare books, scrapbooks, news clippings, photographs, historic newspapers, correspondence, various pamphlets and printed matter, facsimiles of original documents relating to the early history of San Jose, California, and abstracts of title for property in and around San Jose, California. Notable among the documents in this collection are handwritten letters by J. B. Randol, manager of the Quicksilver Mining Company as well as the overland diary of a Milpitas woman named Marion W. Battey. This collection has been minimally processed. The collection contains documents relating to a wide variety of subjects, ranging from the Donner Party to San Jose's Police Department to Santa Clara County Ranchos. There is an alphabetical index for Series I. Subject Files.

Clyde Arbuckle was the descendent of one of the earliest Anglo families in Santa Clara County, California. His father was the owner of the Santa Clara Hotel and his half brother was the silent film actor Fatty Arbuckle. Clyde Arbuckle attended he California School of Fine Arts in San Francisco, CA, and shortly after began writing free-lance for the Pony Express magazine. Clyde Arbuckle also was an accomplished road bicycle racer and on April 3, 1921 broke the United States record by biking 60 miles, from Gilroy, CA to San Jose, in two hours and 45 minutes.

143 boxes, 101 linear feet

Although San José Public Library's California Room does physcially own all archival materials in its possession, it does not necessarily own the intellectual property rights (copyright) associated with all items (Title 17, Chapter 2, Section 202, "Ownership of copyright as distinct from ownership of material object). Publishing materials from our holdings requires written permission from the San José Public Library, along with proper credit given to our institution. For permission to publish or reproduce, please contact the Lead Librarian of the California Room. Users may reproduce materials for teaching, research, and private study in accordance with fair use on the condition that they give proper credit to the California Room, San José Public Library.

Collection is open for research.