Collection Summary
Access
Publication Rights
Preferred Citation
Acquisition Information
Processing Information
Biographical History
Bibliography
Scope and Content
Arrangement of the Collection
Indexing Terms
Collection Summary
Title:
Clyde
Arbuckle
California History Research Collection
Date (inclusive): 1840-1996
Collection number: CR-2010-04-15
Collector:
Arbuckle,
Clyde
, 1903-1998
Collection Size:
143 boxes,
101 linear feet
Repository:
San José Public Library, California Room
Abstract: 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.
Physical location:
California Room's Vault 4
Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English
Spanish
Access
Collection is open for research.
Publication Rights
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.
Preferred Citation
[Identification of item],
Clyde
Arbuckle
California History Research Collection 1840-1996, CR-2010-04-15, California Room, San José Public Library.
Acquisition Information
Clyde
Arbuckle
was the official City Historian for San Jose, CA for over 50 years. Given the relevance of the collection to Santa Clara
County history, a recommendation by the San Jose Historic Landmarks Commission was made to the San Jose City Council to purchase
it. On May 13, 1998 the Rules Committee agreed to appropriate funds in the 1999-2000 city budget. The collection was acquired
by San Jose Public Library in May, 1999.
Processing Information
Processing and guide prepared by Diana Kohnke. Guide encoded by Diana Kohnke, 2010.
Biographical History
In 1929 Arbuckle joined the Masonic Lodge in Santa Clara and became a member of their history committee. He not only wrote
a history of the lodge, but contributed and edited the Centennial History of the Masonic Lodges for the State of California
in 1950. In 1945
Clyde
Arbuckle
became the official City Historian for San Jose, CA and in that capacity served as the director of the San Jose Historical
Museum. He was City Historian for over 50 years, as well as the secretary of the Historic Landmarks Commission until 1970.
Clyde
Arbuckle
died in January 1998 and the collection was subsequently acquired by San Jose Public Library's California Room in 1999.
Bibliography
Hall, Frederic.
The History of San Jose and Surroundings: With Biographical Sketches of Early Settlers. San Francisco, CA: A L Bancroft and Co., 1871.
McKay, Leonard.
Clyde
Arbuckle
: A 90 Year Biography.
San Jose, CA: Memorabilia of San Jose, 1993.
Sawyer, Eugene T.
History of Santa Clara County California.Los Angeles, CA: Historic Record Co., 1922.
Scope and Content
The
Clyde
Arbuckle
California History Research Collection primarily represents the regional history of San Jose and Santa Clara County, California.
This artificial collection was assembled by
Clyde
Arbuckle
throughout his lifetime. It contains rare books, scrapbooks, news clippings, photographs, historic newspapers, correspondence,
various pamphlets and other 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 1852 overland diary of a Milpitas
woman named Marion Battey. The collectoin contains documents relating to a wide variety of specific subjects ranging from
the Donner Party to San Jose's Police Department to Santa Clara County ranchos. Additional subjects represented in this collection
are materials on viticulture, local women's organizations, railroads, historic maps, surveys, the 1915 San Francisco World
Fair, images relating to the San Jose Police Department 1849 through 1983, and a 1924 San Francisco Chamber of Commerce pamphlet.
Arrangement of the Collection
This collection is arranged into 10 series: Series I. Subject Files, 1860-1996; Series II. Correspondence, 1847-1996; Series
III. Yearbooks, 1905-1930; Series IV. Miscellaneous Items, 1852-1967; Series V. Ephemera, undated; Series VI. Masonic Materials,
1931-1963; Series VII. Abstract of Titles in Santa Clara county, California, 1871-1925, 1955; Series VIII. Scrapbooks, 1920s-1980s;
Series IX. Historic Newspapers and Journals, 1892, 1903, 1906-1936; and Series X. Postcards, undated.
Indexing Terms
The following terms have been used to index similar items in the Library of Congress.
Subjects
California--History.
California--History--19th century.
California--History--20th century.
California--History--1850-1950--Sources.
Land title--California--San Jose.
Overland journeys to the Pacific.
San Jose (Calif.)--History.
Removed or Separated Material
The following collections have been processed separately: The Pueblo Papers,
Clyde
Arbuckle
Postcard Collection, Historic Photograph Collection, SJPL California Room,
Clyde
Arbuckle
Historic maps, and Townsend Family Papers, 1826-1914.