| The Palo Alto History Project |
| About the Palo Alto History Project |
| The Palo Alto History Project is a collection of articles and photographs that attempt to document the history of one of America's most interesting and historic cities. While Palo Alto is a small city of only about 60,000 people, it is undoubtedly one of the best known places in California. Indeed, Palo Alto's history in the 20th and 21st centuries can be seen a microcosm of the history of the United States in those years. Palo Alto has dealt with the increased urbanization and growth of the post-war years as well as the anti-war movement and divided politics of the 1960s and '70s. It was at the heart of the tech boom in '80s and '90s, has grappled with the political problems of the '90s and beyond --- including homelessness, economic downsizing, and historic preservation. Additionally, Palo Alto has had to wrestle with competition among its downtown sector v.s. suburban shopping malls (the Stanford Shopping Center), the environmental movement (protection of the foothills), and the differing visions of growth advocates and Residentialists (such as in the Superblock and Hospital block fights of the early '70s). Like the nation as a whole, Palo Alto has also struggled to desegregate its schools (the Tinsley case of the 1980s) and has dealt with issues of race and poverty in its relationship with East Palo Alto. In short, much can be learned about the history of our nation through the prism of this one small California city. In my articles, I attempt to outline Palo Alto's local history with an eye towards its place in our nation's progression. While some articles strictly local in flavor, many of the political battles that have taken place in Palo Alto have been repeated countless times in other cities across the country. What happened here, is in many cases, what happened in our nation as a whole. My goal for the project is to eventually document all the major events, people and places of Palo Alto. Photographs old and new will play an important part in the project. The "Then and Now" photos that often appear at the end of the articles attempt to visually document how the city has changed through the years. I also attempt to provide geographic perspective on the city's history using Platial map technology. Finally, through the Palo Alto Memory Bank project, I hope to allow visitors to the site to add their own memories, stories, and recollections of the people and places captured here. With that, I hope you enjoy the project. If you have questions, comments, or corrections, please feel to email us at mbowling@pausd.org Thanks for visiting! -Matt Bowling |