Downtown San Jose in Santa Clara County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
First State Capitol
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, February 6, 2012
1. First State Capital Marker
Inscription.
First State Capitol. . The first California State Legislature met on this site in 1849. San Jose was designated State Capital at the Constitutional Convention in Monterey after intensive lobbying by local representatives. The town made every effort to accommodate the Legislature, but the statehouse could not be readied on time, hotel facilities were inadequate, and an unusually wet winter caused flooding, making downtown streets impassable. The behavior of the legislators themselves earned the 1849 session the title “The Legislature of 1000 Drinks,” This inauspicious start, and pressure from communities eager to gain the status of capital for themselves, led to the legislators decision to move to Vallejo following their second and final meeting in San Jose in 1851.
The first California State Legislature met on this site in 1849. San Jose was designated State Capital at the Constitutional Convention in Monterey after intensive lobbying by local representatives. The town made every effort to accommodate the Legislature, but the statehouse could not be readied on time, hotel facilities were inadequate, and an unusually wet winter caused flooding, making downtown streets impassable. The behavior of the legislators themselves earned the 1849 session the title “The Legislature of 1000 Drinks,” This inauspicious start, and pressure from communities eager to gain the status of capital for themselves, led to the legislators decision to move to Vallejo following their second and final meeting in San Jose in 1851.
Erected by San Jose History Walk. (Marker Number 3.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Government & Politics. A significant historical year for this entry is 1849.
Location. 37° 19.96′ N, 121° 53.354′ W. Marker is in San Jose, California, in Santa Clara County. It is in Downtown San Jose. It is on South Market Street south of West San Fernando Street, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 172 South Markert Street, San Jose CA 95113, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area, in Silicon Valley, and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexicos Alta California.
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, February 6, 2012
2. First State Capital Marker
Photographed by Barry Swackhamer, January 30, 2012
3. Diagram of the San Jose History Walk
Credits. This page was last revised on February 7, 2023. It was originally submitted on February 14, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. This page has been viewed 1,229 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos:1, 2, 3. submitted on February 14, 2012, by Barry Swackhamer of Brentwood, California. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.
