Palo Alto Historical Association

New Year's dinner for the Palo Alto City employees in the mid 30's. I wonder if they are having soft drinks here?

The Palo Alto Historical Association Archives at Cubberley Community Center, K-7 will be closed starting the week of March 15 due to COVID-19 Santa Clara County mandates. Please send any research requests to [email protected] or call us at (650) 329-2353. We will be answering email and phone requests.

Sundial out at Foothills Park.

Picture in front of Big Al's Gashouse in San Mateo. They had a location in Palo Alto as well on El Camino. This photo was probably taken in 1958 and the man with the tall chef hat is Palo Alto's own Bill Larson, founder of Round Table Pizza. He made pizza at Big Al's until 1959 and then decided to open his own business. The name Round Table came from the large round redwood tables Bill and his father made for his first pizza parlor in Menlo Park.

Duncan Williams, founder of the Winter Club in 1956 which later became Winter Lodge in 1983. Duncan experimented with a way to keep ice cold in our California climate. It worked and today it's still a true treasure of Palo Alto.

In front of the New Varsity Theater in 1982. The Lutge family and Tami Jefferson.

Old photos of The Village Cheese House in Town & Country Village. Opened in 1959 by the Staehnke family. What was your favorite sandwich there?

Lou Rapp cutting the ribbon for Palo Alto Bowl's opening.

Palo Alto firemen repairing these wonderful toys in 1933.

Christmas decor in front of the Civic Center in 1971.

Cardinal Hotel lobby in the 1920's. Still has that old charm today.

Event today! Join us at 2 p.m. at Zoom Webinar link https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82374510029 -- in a Palo Alto Historical Association conversation with Richard Johnson and Frank Ford, the founding fathers of the Peninsula’s famed Gryphon Stringed Instruments. We ask: What’s the most special instrument that you've ever appraised? The most challenging repair job? What was the SF Peninsula's acoustic music scene like 50 years ago? Is there a future for small businesses & craftsmanship? And more. Videos will be featured. Bring your own questions!

A very different looking Alma St. in 1900.