Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History

11/07/2021

The Reimagining Big Basin project is beginning to engage with the public and stakeholders to define a renewed vision for Big Basin following the devastating CZU Lightning Complex fires in 2020. One of the first exercises is collecting stories and memories of people's experiences in the park.

Share your experiences here: https://bit.ly/3BjjiG9

10/06/2021

Read about our San Jose folks who helped to save the park!

We're loving this Santa Cruz Sentinel article summarizing the new Big Basin Redwoods State Park history book: "startling original research reveals many previously unknown aspects of the park."

Read more: https://bit.ly/3mxhoMO

The book is available in our ParkStore Online: www.thatsmypark.org/collections

09/06/2021

Proceeds from Big Basin Redwood Forest will benefit the Big Basin recovery efforts. The true story of a conservation victory for the ages. The epic saga of Big […]

07/13/2021

Citywide Survey Underway-- Your Help Needed!

This summer, the City of San Jose Planning Division is undertaking an important effort to update and expand the city's Historic Context Statement and Historic Resources Inventory, and they need your help to ensure that all of San Jose is represented. Past histories often overlooked important aspects of the city's social and economic life, particularly related to underrepresented communities. The Survey San Jose project seeks to highlight these unidentified or underappreciated resources in order to more fully represent-- and to better preserve-- the breadth and depth of San Jose's history.

Two Ways to Participate

This Thursday, July 15th, from 6-8pm, the City is hosting a virtual community meeting to solicit feedback on updating the city's Historic Context Statement, and to collect suggestions for additions to the Historic Resources Inventory. All San Jose residents are encouraged to attend and to share their knowledge! Follow the link in the comments below for more information and for the Zoom link to attend.

You can also submit feedback and recommendations online through the project website SurveySanJose.org. This brand-new online resource includes information about the City's historic preservation policies, past studies, and examples of important historic resources that are not currently listed in the Historic Resources Inventory. Online feedback will be collected through August 30th, 2021.

Questions about the project? Contact project managers Dana Peak at [email protected] or (408) 534-2990,
or Rina Shah at [email protected] or (408) 535-7835.

05/17/2019

Sourisseau News videos have been moved. See
https://vimeo.com/user97480212

It will take a while to get them all uploaded. If you don't see the one you want, contact [email protected]

Sourisseau Academy is a member of Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

03/01/2019

I just stumbled on this...had forgotten all about it. Lots of old friends are talking heads. It was dedicated to my
sister, historian Glory Anne Laffey, who passed away in 1999. She was the Sourisseau Academy Executive
Secretary for 18 years. We both worked on the history of the Montgomery Hotel in 1997.

Video sponsored by The San Jose Redevelopment Agency about the preservation and restoration of the Hotel Montgomery at 211 South First Street, in downtown Sa...

01/04/2018

The Sourisseau Academy for State and Local History is pleased to present Hidden Heritages: San José’s French Pioneer Families 1848–1900. On view in the Tower Lobby of San José City Hall, the exhibition tells the stories of eleven immigrant families, intertwined by marriage and business interests, through the use of historical photographs and documents, personal effects, and artifacts.

San José was settled and developed by immigrants from all over the world, creating the foundation for a town that would continue to find strength in diversity as it grew into a major urban center. The French community in 19th century San José was tight-knit, strong and ambitious. Made up of adventurous individuals, they arrived early and put down deep roots. With a high value on land ownership, they engaged in a variety of business ventures, from agriculture to hospitality. Frequently civic-minded, some participated in local politics and welcomed the opportunity to build institutions that would serve the community for generations to come. Their contributions are embedded in the foundations of the city and its history.

Hidden Heritages: San José’s French Pioneer Families 1848–1900 showcases many assets from the archives of the Sourisseau Academy. The exhibition will be on view through summer 2018.

12/09/2016

https://vimeo.com/191219275

This is "Sourisseau News Willow Glen December" by WMS media Inc. on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

12/09/2016

This is an old one but didn't get posted:

This is "Port SAN-O-SAY" by WMS media Inc. on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.

10/26/2016

https://www.facebook.com/SCCPioneers/posts/10153852500636610
Thanks, Pioneers, for posting!