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Campbell () is a city in Santa Clara County, California, part of Silicon Valley, in the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 38,138. Although not a major high-tech city like many of its neighbors, Campbell is the original home of eBay and of its creator, Pierre Omidyar.
Campbell is home to the Pruneyard Shopping Center, a sprawling open-air retail complex that currently houses a Barnes and Noble Booksellers, Hollywood Video, Trader Joe's, Coldstone Creamery, Buca di Beppo's, Tandoori Oven, Outback Steakhouse, Bank of America, and Rock Bottom Brewery, and a slew of other restaurants, retail stores, and small offices. Pruneyard was involved in a famous U.S. Supreme Court case that established the extent of the right to free speech in California. The associated Pruneyard Towers, built in 1970, was for many years the tallest building between San Francisco and Los Angeles.
Geography
Campbell is located at (37.283909, -121.955026). It is bordered on the east and north by San Jose and on the south by Los Gatos. A narrow strip of San Jose separates Campbell on the west from Saratoga.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 14.8 km² (5.7 mi²). 14.5 km² (5.6 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water.
Of the total area, 1.75% is water, consisting of percolation ponds in Los Gatos Creek Park and in other locations; San Tomas Aquino creek, which flows north on the west side of the city and is completely enclosed with fences and runs through concrete culverts; and Los Gatos Creek, which flows north-north-east on the east side of the city and has paths along both banks for hikers and joggers (locally called the "Parkhorse").
California State Route 17 runs roughly parallel to Los Gatos Creek on its eastern side; California State Route 85 runs roughly east-west through Los Gatos just south of Campbell and cuts through the southwest corner of the city.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 38,138 people, 15,920 households, and 9,122 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,624.8/km² (6,802.8/mi²). There were 16,286 housing units at an average density of 1,120.9/km² (2,905.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 72.78% White, 2.53% African American, 0.65% Native American, 14.16% Asian, 0.23% Pacific Islander, 4.87% from other races, and 4.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 13.33% of the population.
There were 15,920 households out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.6% were married couples living together, 10.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 42.7% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.02.
In the city the population was spread out with 21.6% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 40.2% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 9.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.7 males.
About 48% of the adult population has at least one college-level degree.
The median income for a household in the city was $67,214, and the median income for a family was $78,663. Males had a median income of $52,454 versus $43,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $34,441. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3% of those age 65 or over.
History
Campbell was founded by Benjamin Campbell, after whom the city was named. He came to California in 1846 with his father, William Campbell. William started a sawmill in Saratoga and surveyed the cities of San Jose and Santa Clara. In 1851, Benjamin bought 160 acres in southern Santa Clara Valley and cultivated hay and grain on it. This area later became Campbell's historical downtown core.
In 1878, Campbell sold his land for $5 an acre to a railroad company. By 1887, the first subdivision was recorded west of the railroad from Campbell Avenue to the spot where the Water Tower Plaza now stands. The area became the center for shipping fruit grown in the surrounding area, and within a short time, the drying grounds and canneries made Campbell an important rail center. The Campbell Fruit Growers' Union became a well-known cooperative with its 17 acre drying yard. J.C. Ainsley Packing Company, Hyde Cannery, and Payne Cannery were the main fruit packing companies. The Bank of Campbell was founded in 1895.
Campbell was officially incorporated as a city in 1952. The city then grew rapidly as orchard lands disappeared tract by tract. Today, Campbell is a quiet suburban residential neighborhood in the southern part of the Santa Clara Valley.
Layout
Campbell is situated in the southern portion of the Santa Clara Valley, with Highway 17 passing through eastern Campbell and Highway 85 to its south. The historic downtown section sits just west of the railroad in the central area. The southwestern area of Campbell is known as the San Tomas neighborhood and varies somewhat from most of Campbell in the size of its lots and styles of housing. Hamilton Avenue is one the northernmost roads in Campbell.
The largest park in Campbell is Los Gatos Creek Park near Highway 17, and the second largest is John D. Morgan Park.
Transportation
Campbell is served by several major roads, including California State Highway 17, California State Route 85 and Santa Clara County Route G4, better known as the San Tomas Expressway. Major local arterial roads include Winchester Boulevard and Bascom Avenue.
Public transport in Campbell is operated by the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority and includes several local and express bus lines that link the community to nearby towns, including Cupertino, Los Gatos, Palo Alto San Jose, Santa Clara and Saratoga. Additionally, the town is served by three light rail stations on the Mountain View - Winchester line, including Hamilton Station, Downtown Campbell Station, and the line's terminus at Winchester Station. These stations were opened as part of the first phase of the Vasona Light Rail project; the line will be extended past Winchester to Vasona Junction in Los Gatos once funding is secured. *
The extension was the subject of a minor dispute with the Federal Railroad Administration over the sounding of train horns late at night. This dispute delayed the opening of most of the extension for two months before the grand opening on October 1, 2005.
Housing and businesses
There are few large shopping centers or business complexes in the city, as Campbell is primarily a suburban residential area. Fry's Electronics and The Home Depot each have stores within the city limits and are two of the city's largest employers.
Most residences are single-family homes, although there are some areas with condominiums, duplexes, and apartments. Single-family homes typically have one or two bathrooms and three or four bedrooms, and are between 1100 and 1600 square feet (100 and 150 m²) on lots typically measuring about 6,000 square feet (560 m²). The vast majority were built in the 1950s through 1970s. There are pockets of older homes, mostly near downtown, often in demand for their architectural styles, and pockets of newer, much larger homes (often called "monster houses" by existing residents) of 3000 to 4000 square feet (280 to 370 m²) on lots that seem small in comparison to the size of the homes, mostly built in the 1990s on subdivided lots previously occupied by homes dating from the first half of the 20th century.
Most of Campbell's apartments are located in northern Campbell on Hamilton and Campbell Avenues. As a result, most of the housing there is for rent and has a lower median household income than southern Campbell, which has primarily owner-occupied detached single-family homes.
Campbell's downtown is located near where Campbell Avenue intersects with the railroad. The downtown has many shops, bars, and restaurants.
The oldest commercial building in the city is that used for the Bank of Campbell (founded in 1895), which is a branch of the Mercantile Trust of California; the building was erected in 1920 originally for the Grower's Bank, which eventually merged with Mercantile Trust. The bank was converted to a movie theater in 1938, which closed in 1953 and remained closed with a few exceptions until 1968, when The Gaslighter Theater company purchased and refurbished the building with a small stage and bar. The Gaslighter has produced melodramas and Vaudeville-style shows there ever since.
As of September 2004, the median price of single-family homes and condos was $580,000, up 10% from the previous September, and averaging $414 per square foot ($4,456/m²) according to the San Jose Mercury News; the average single-family home price, excluding condos, was $645,000 in January, 2004 (according to the Santa Clara County Association of Realtors). The price is based largely on the land value; the replacement cost for homes is about $150 to $200 per square foot ($1,600 to $2,200/m²).
Like many other cities in the Santa Clara Valley, Campbell was originally orchard land that was later developed into housing tracts. A few small orchards remain, though their numbers continue to dwindle rapidly as they are converted to housing and shopping.
Points of interest
In the early 1990s, the Ainsley House, a unique craftsman home built in the 1930s, was moved from its original site at the corner of Hamilton and Bascom Avenues (the current site of Ebay's headquarters) to the downtown quad and furnished with many of the Ainsley family's original furnishings. It has become the centerpiece for the Campbell Historical Museum, which houses additional exhibits in the nearby old firehouse. The Ainsley House was built in the style of English country cottages for John Colpitts Ainsley, a canning pioneer in Santa Clara County, which was at the time known for its vast spreads of fruit orchards.
Campbell was also the site of the 1896 spree-killing by James Dunham.
In 1975, Mayor Rusty Hammer, at 21, became the youngest ever mayor in the United States.
The Gaslighter Theater was a small theater that produced melodramas and Vaudeville-style shows with local residents acting, singing, and dancing. It waxed and waned in popularity over the years, and according to its website* it has closed its doors for good and will be replaced by an "ultra lounge with Las Vegas type acts." However, it also hints that they are looking for a new location.
The fruit cocktail was invented in Campbell.
Lars Frederiksen, singer and guitarist for the punk band Rancid, grew up in Campbell and frequently mentions the town in songs by both Rancid and his side project Lars Frederiksen & The Bastards.
Sister cities
Keelung City, Taiwan
External links
"Campbell, California"