The blanket is one of the historical society's many endeavors to raise money to support its various projects, including documentaries and hands-on historical projects for children.

On the 50-inch-by-65-inch cotton blanket, 12 icons representing Cupertino's past and present surround a picture of Anza and his soldiers in their snail-shaped helmets (the helmet is called a "morion" and has since become the city symbol), marching on the lush plateau of what is now the western boundary of Monta Vista High School. The blanket's border features cherry and apricot blossoms.

The historical society started designing the blanket last October after one of its members, Mike Mansch, got the idea from his involvement with the Los Altos Sun Rotary Club.

"The Los Altos Sunset did a fundraising three years ago," said Mansch, a Rotarian. "We picked up things that were representative of the community and made a blanket. The club sold 200 blankets, each for $65. I thought the Cupertino Historical Society could do something similar for its fundraising."

Christine Jeffers, executive director of the Cupertino Historical Society, thought it was a great idea and succeeded in having Intero Real Estate Services sponsor the project. In return, Intero real estate agents have exclusive rights to give their customers a blanket as a gift to welcome them to Cupertino.

The project may sound easy, but picking images representative of Cupertino out of its 228 years of recorded history was not easy. After looking at hundreds of pictures, a five-member committee decided what to put on the blanket.

Some of the icons survive the vicissitudes of time and have different historical meanings as time passes. For example, the McClellan Ranch was first settled in 1844 when Elisha Stephens bought 160 acres along Cupertino Creek, which is now Stevens Creek. For 20 years, he planted grapes, blueberries and fruit trees before he sold his land to William McClellan. The McClellans farmed the property for a few years, but in 1975, the city officially designated the area as a nature preserve.

Some icons such as the Rifredi Market and the R. Celi & Bros. Mill no longer exist but are remembered dearly by the area's old-timers. Italian immigrant Charlie Rifredi opened his store in 1931 and ran it with his wife, Adrana, until his son Bob and brother-in-law Angelo Quinterno took over as co-partners. "Rifredi's Market was a small neighborhood store," Mansch said. "I used to bike there to buy candy."

In 1986, the property was sold to the U.S. Postal Service and the Stevens Creek Boulevard Post Office was built where the store used to stand.

The blanket not only shows the city's rich history but also depicts its ethnic diversity. One of the icons is a picture of flower growers.

The beginning of the flower industry here can be traced back to Italian farmers in the 1880s. But then Chinese and Japanese families took up the business around the turn of the century, and by 1924 the Chinese Flower Growers Association had 26 corporate memberships. Chrysanthemums became the big crop after World War II and many more Chinese got into the industry.

"As the community is changing, it is very important that we reach out to different ethnic groups and bring Cupertino's history to them," Mansch said.

People interested in buying a blanket or donating to the Cupertino Historical Society can call 408.973.1495.