About The Archives

Santa Clara County has a rich and vibrant history, from serving as the frontier home of California’s first capital city, to becoming the agricultural hub known as the Valley of Heart’s Delight, to transforming into the beacon of innovation that is Silicon Valley.

As the decision-making body for countywide issues, much of that history has been shaped by the Board of Supervisors. Through their firsthand documents, photos, and recordings, this digital collection provides a unique view into Santa Clara County’s incredible past through the eyes the elected officials chosen to lead the region.

In 2011, County Supervisor Dave Cortese created the County Archives Taskforce comprised of former County Supervisors. The Taskforce created a pilot website.

This interactive digital collection builds on that work, providing an expanded database of thousands of firsthand documents, photos, videos, and other multimedia. A work in constant progress, the size of the collection will continue to grow as more materials are processed. 

We hope you enjoy this peek into the work of former Santa Clara County Supervisors and the notable policies and initiatives they championed.

The contents of this site are intended for educational purposes only. Please contact the Records Unit of the Clerk of the Board of Supervisors for other uses.