The Cupertino Courier

Letters & Opinions

History buff investigates origins of Palm Avenue fan palms

By Dana Stern

After reading Carol Bogart's column about the origins of Cupertino, I felt compelled to share some history I learned about my neighborhood here. My home borders Palm Avenue, which is lined with majestic California fan palms. Always interested in local history, I investigated the origins of these palms shortly after moving into my house in 1989.

The area bounded by McClellan Road, Foothill and Stevens Creek boulevards, and Stevens Creek was once a winery founded by John Doyle. In the 1870s, this area was Las Palmas Rancho (part of the original 1839 Mexican land grant named San Antonio Rancho). Mr. Doyle has contributed significantly to the development of Cupertino, particularly in the west side, having been involved with the naming of Cupertino and establishing its first post office.

The double row of palm trees on Palm Avenue was planted by seed under the direction of John Doyle in 1882 and once marked the entrance to Las Palmas Winery. The wines that Mr. Doyle produced were among the best in the state at that time, and won medals internationally. These wines represented the United States at the Paris Exposition in 1900. He also bottled wines under the name of Cupertino Wine Company. The 1906 earthquake destroyed the winery buildings. Mr. Doyle died and his family sold the property to developers in 1912.

A section of one of the rows of palm trees was removed, presumably when Monta Vista was being developed in the 1950s. I learned the palm trees were not protected under Cupertino's Heritage Tree Protection Plan when I witnessed a beautiful pepper tree across the street being cut down. I submitted an application, which was passed in 1996, and the stately palm trees are now protected. Every time I walk out of my house and see the palm trees, it reminds me of what this area once was. I think many people in Cupertino are not aware of its rich history.

There is a wealth of information about local history at the California History Center (www.calhistory.com) located in the Trianon Building at De Anza College. My search about the palm trees began in the Stocklmeir library there, where I found past issues of a column published in the Courier by Pete Emig called "The Human Touch." Mr. Emig recorded many interesting details about the history of Cupertino and its residents. There is also a very thorough collection of Cupertino history in Robert Levy's "The West Side and How We Grew" published in1991. I encourage all residents of Cupertino to investigate any interesting or unusual things in their neighborhood. You will be surprised at what you find out!