An Oral History Archive for the City of Santa Clara, California - Beryl Hoskin/Freelove Eberhard
Date Created
June 18th, 1974
Description
(SIDE 1) HOSKIN, Beryl. 2266 Cherrystone Drive, San Jose, 296-3605.
Miss Hoskin moved to Santa Clara in 1924, became the first professional librarian to work in the Santa Clara Public Library in 1938, and has been reference librarian at the university since 1940.
June 18, 1974.
SC County Library Project (1938): city library board, condition of city library, state of book collection, size of library, book budget, literary societies, end of county project. St. Claire’s school in 1924. public schools in Twenties and Thirties: educational methods, scholastic standing of high school, outstanding teachers, community attitudes towards education. Bond issues: public attitude, post-World War II population influx and resultant changing in attitudes, a fruitless voting canvass (Thirties). Small town atmosphere. The Depression: breadlines, needy families, social life in the Depression. Clubs and lodges. The business district (1940): size, variety of stores, big businesses, employment of big businesses. End of Depression: the draft (1940), WPA, government employment services. Prohibition: Portuguese wine, prominent bootleggers, popular attitudes towards bootleggers. City government. Social barriers in small town. World War II: the home guard, “army town – elgible bachelors”, soldiers and postwar growth. Urban renewal: popular attitudes, the old business district in 1960, the business districts on the outskirts of the city
public attitudes towards growth. Portuguese first generation attitudes towards progress. Growth of Protestant population. College town: importance of the university presidents in city life, the Jesuits, plays and concerts at the “Ship”, SCU football games. Well-known clergymen. Neighborhoods: the Spanish. Ethnic prejudice: some against Portuguese, none against land-grant Spanish, roots of prejudice in degrees of education. Housing: high quality neighborhoods, middle class neighborhoods. Length—47 minutes.
(SIDE 2) EBERHARD, Freelove. 1193 Highland Street, Santa Clara, 296-4778.
Mrs. Eberhard came to Santa Clara in 1934 as the wife of a member of a prominent Santa Clara family, the owners of the Eberhard Tannery.
June 24, 1974.
Prominence of family (1934). Tannery business: as a family concern, the presidents, decline of the tannery, functions of the tannery, unusual jobs, employees, effects of the Depression, other fluctuations in business, sale of property to the university. The property: the Tanner House Company, headquarters building, the old homestead, the chimney. Popular attitudes towards the tannery: its role in city’s history, the odor. The property: a fire set by gypsies, a farm, family’s residential land in city, university’s early desire for the tannery property. Other relations with the university. Other big industries in city. The family and employees: degrees of relationship, length of employment, absence of employer-employee animosity. Children’s education: its quality. Interest of teachers in their students, facilities. Cultural opportunities: small town atmosphere, shift away from this (post World War II). College town: “what the college wants the college gets”. Social life: in the home, the Turn Verein, other clubs and lodges. Family involvement in local politics. Local government spending (1934 on). Length—53 minutes.
Case description: track 1 – Beryl Hoskin 6/18/74. Track 2 – Freelove Eberhard 6/24/74.
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