David Blockhus
CRS, GRI, MBA
A Brief History of
Cupertino
Cupertino gets its name from an expedition in 1776 led
by Spaniard Don Juan Bautista de Anza. While encamped in what is now Cupertino, de
Anza's cartographer Petrus Font named the creek next to the encampment the Arroyo
San Joseph Cupertino in honor of his patron, San Guiseppe (San Joseph) of Cupertino,
Italy. This same Arroyo is now called Stevens Creek.
The name Cupertino did not become commonly used until after a San Franciscan lawyer and historian, by the name of John T. Doyle, named his winery Cupertino in recognition of the name bestowed on the nearby creek. Not long after, the name was applied to the Crossroads and to the post office when the Home Union Store incorporated under the name, The Cupertino Stores, Inc.
1906 brought a glut of Orchards in this lush and fertile landscape. Orchards became plentiful and so did the vineyards for the wineries.
In the 1940's Cupertino began to feel the pains of the population explosion that engulfed the Santa Clara Valley's postwar expansions. The community leaders began a drive in 1954 to incorporate the city before population growth got out of their control. The city was incorporated on October 10, 1955, after approval in a September 27, 1955 election. Cupertino officially became Santa Clara County's 13th city.
Today
Cupertino is located at the heart of Silicon Valley. Today, it is a thriving community
with plenty to see and do. It covers 10.4 square miles and has approximately .96
square miles of unincorporated areas within its boundaries.
The largest manufacturing firms currently in Cupertino are, Hewlett-Packard, Apple Computer, Tandem Computers, Honeywell-Measurex, Symantec, Rational Software Corporation, Behring Diagnostics and Siemens. It is a part of Silicon Valley which is the well-known center for technology in the United States.
Education
The community is very proud of its educational excellence. Two public school systems
serve Cupertino: The Cupertino Union School District (CUSD) for K-8 grades, and the
Fremont union High school District (FUHSD) for 9-12 grades. These public schools
have won countless state and national awards for being leaders of education and their use
of technology in education.
The community also has many fine private schools:The Harker School for K- 8 grades, The Chinese Achievement School for K-8 grades, the Vallco Children's Development Center for pre-school children, and the Sierra School for K-12 grades.
Higher education can be found at four local institutions: De Anza College, the University of San Francisco, National University, and the UCSC Extension. Cupertino's location also lends easy access to other fine institutions: Stanford University, Santa Clara University, and San Jose State University.
Recreation
Cupertino has many cultural and outdoor activities available for the community's
enjoyment. Whether you love the idea of the Cherry Blossom Festival or the
Oktoberfest at Memorial Park or a round of golf is right up your alley at the Deep Cliff
Golf Course or a nice walk or picnic in one of the city's many parks is more your speed,
there is plenty to do for everyone.
For more information on Cupertine, visit the city of Cupertino's web site.
110 First St., Los Altos, CA 94022
(650) 917-4250 - Phone
(650) 948-3749 - Fax
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