Los Altos Hills - Historical Scrapbook Digital  Archive 
Album "History of Los Altos Hills" 
These are images from a set of 8 ½  by 11 inch sheets of paper copied from a photo album using a Xerox (or similar) copier. These pages were in the possession of a resident but he did not know who created or owned the original album from which the images were copied. So these digital images are second generation - i.e. the result of scanning a copy of the original photos. On top of that, the original photos date from an era when amateur cameras and commercial black-and-white processing did not provide the quality of images we expect today. 
Nevertheless these images provide a fascinating window into the history of the area we now know  as the Town of Los Altos Hills. There are references within the text to "current residence of" and similar - from the context of other captions this would appear to refer to 1973 or thereabouts - one caption mentions the Bicentennial celebrations of 1975 which is the latest date referred to in the album thus giving some idea about when it was compiled, although clearly a lot of the photos are much older.
Subsequent (August 2013) research has located the original of this album. It is part of the Florence Fava Collection and is archived at the Los Altos History Museum.  We can assume she created the album, possibly together with  her son Lawrence.
Link Keywords or Digest
Page_001.jpg Title Page - History of the Town of Los Altos Hills
Page_002.jpg Primitive Ohlone hand-hewn rock bench
Page_003.jpg Pictures of Ohlone and map of Ohlone-Costanoan territory
Page_004.jpg Text - Prehistory and account of settlement found along Adobe Creek between Creekside Oaks and El Retiro
Page_005.jpg Artifacts found at Ohlone site
Page_006.jpg Sketch-map of land grants of El Corte Madera, La Purisima Concepcion and San Antonio
Page_007.jpg Sketch-map of lots in La Purisima Concepcion - Ann Lacey Matadero - J. Miranda, J.S. Spalding, A Miranda, T. Garcia, Martin Murphy -> Elizabeth Yuba and William Taaffe, and Blanco Rancho
Page_008.jpg Text about Dona Juana Briones who sold to Martin Murphy Jr and 5 lots to 5 members of Miranda family and R.M. Mesa
Page_009.jpg Map of Taaffe partition in the Rancho Purissima Concepcion showing Ohlone village site and Mesa Knoll
Page_010.jpg Text about Martin Taaffe son of Elizabeth Yuba Murphy Taaffe married Rosemary Hoffman 1888 live on 2800 acre ranch
Page_011.jpg Marie Louise Koenig home, Barn at Hidden Villa and Half-Way House at Hidden Villa
Page_012.jpg Sketch-map of Moody Road 1868 running from Mountain View station on the railroad across Hidden Villa to Page Mill
Page_013.jpg Limbach's Red Barn, Side view of barn, Gardener Bullis Residence (lower level 1870's), Tower at Gardner Bullis
Page_014.jpg Residence of Capt. Merx now the Dobrov home, "Fruit House" now part of Dale Briggs property, Old Barn (Bradley Evans) 
Page_015.jpg Chapel in The Hills, Back View, One room Purissima School on Duval built 1902
Page_016.jpg Willard Griffin residence now Foothill College, Carriage House, Guest House, Henry Dana - John Lohman Home
Page_017.jpg William P. Huth house, Side View, Myrtle Baardness Tower, the C. West Tower
Page_018.jpg Rev. Thomas Atkinson "Arroyo Vista Fruit Ranch", Eucalyptus planted 1905, Burkhart Home 1905, McKee House 1905
Page_019.jpg Francis Avidard Home now Arthur Atherton, The W.K.H Panofsky Residence (Wolfgang Panofsky - Famous physicist, National Medal of Science, Stanford and Linear Accelerator)
Page_020.jpg Thomas E. Shumate Ranch - Archway leading to home, Residence, Barn, Tower (Martha Lynn 1906)
Page_021.jpg Dr. Harold Beaver residence (Former Geo and Daisy Whitney, Col. Nipert and Mrs Wolf), Built by Dr. Crane 1926, now the H.D. Winbigler's Home, Tower
Page_022.jpg Marker indicating La Purisima Concepcion Boundary on one side and the Blanco Rancho on the other side
Page_023.jpg Canyon Inn on Moody Road, neighborhood grocery store, tavern etc. Fred Gerdes and Martha Minnick residence early 1900's
Page_024.jpg Sketch-map of Byrne Park corridor settled by Col. Byrne whose grandson Albert and Granddaughter Betty (DeZahara) were responsible for acquisition by the town
Page_025.jpg The P.H. McCarthy House on the Austin acreage destroyed by fire 1929 now home of Thomas P. McReynolds (councilman and mayor of LAH) and "the ruins".
Page_026.jpg The Gerald Ferrari house (built by Col. Howard as his residence early 1900 - front and side views, swimming pool and tank
Page_027.jpg La Esperanza (meaning "hope") Martin Taaffe grading the road 1926, entrance 1927 and 1932 with vehicle and power poles
Page_028.jpg Arthur E. Fowle Honorary Mayor of LAH, now the Pender residence, Entrance to "La Esperanza", residence 1927, 1932, 1973
Page_029.jpg W.H. Miller residence, (Galli) Oak tree (second oldest in the area) Frank Taylor
Page_030.jpg Adobe Creek Lodge - Milton Haas English Country Estate 1935, Later Waxman then Martinelli, Main House and Tally Ho, now Dave Bellucci
Page_031.jpg Sydney W Treat residence - first Mayor of Los Altos Hill, LAH Town Hall 1970 (i.e.before Chambers wing was added) built 1956 by residents, Plaque on original Town Hall
Page_032.jpg Text - History of Foothill College starts in 1927 when Junior College Dept of Palo Alto High School failed - two pictures of hilltop building
Page_033.jpg Los Altos Hills Schools 1960 - Fremont Hills, Bullis, Purissima, St. Nicholas
Page_034.jpg Text - History of Fremont Hills Country Club started 1956 with  subdivision of Shumate Ranch and picture of main building
Page_035.jpg The Louis Corbetta's "Parasol" house 1960 - first part built as "Party House" and man-made lake
Page_036.jpg Town Hall addition 1975 (wing on left is new "chambers" - "Our Flag is flying" Bicentennial 1975
Page_037.jpg Laura Bergener home, she married Col John Howard, Howard Gate Post, old Tower house 1975
Page_038.jpg An early 20th century water tank and towers, Miranda Ave, Moody Rd, Campo Vista
Page_039.jpg Water towers  Buena Vista, Campo Vista, Purissima Avenue,  Elena Ave.
Page_040.jpg Water Towers of the 1900's, D. Packard, M. Bardness, J. Snell, Les Newman
Page_041.jpg Sketch-map of San Antonio area (from Adobe Creek to Stevens Creek) including the (Juan Prado) Mesa land and William A. & Henry F. Dana land - text about Juan Prado Mesa died 1845 leaving children orphaned and in debt.
Page_042.jpg Sketch-map of San Antonio area (from Adobe Creek to Stevens Creek) including Donald McLea and J.P. Hale and George Chase and Snyder properties text about Chase, Hale, and Snyder
Page_043.jpg Sketch-map of San Antonio area (from Adobe Creek to Stevens Creek) showing Moody Road, Stone & Sandburn properties, and Hale and Snyder properties
Page_044.jpg Text about  Stone and Sandborn & Joseph P. Hale
Page_045.jpg 1893 Map of The Hale Ranch sub-division, near Mountain View,  being a part of Santa Clara with accompanying text
Page_046.jpg Aerial view of Mesa Hill (Eventually part of Foothill College Campus?) and view looking over El Monte Avenue
Page_047.jpg Thomas Wright residence (J.P. Hale Foreman) now W.D. Frampton, Front and side views and "Carriage House" now the Ellis Cotton residence
Page_048.jpg Cosmo George Morgan home "Little Gables" built 1910 by Percy Morgan for his parents. Later home of William Simrell founder of Town of Los Altos Hills, now the Gillman Murray Residence.
Page_049.jpg English Castle built by Percy Morgan 1914 (now the Ford Country Day School) later also known as Morgan Manor
Page_050.jpg Horace Hill Ranch 1915 (now Francis Lawlor residence) Guest House (now the Harry Cooke residence)
Page_051.jpg George Keith estate, now the St. Michaels Church caretakers Cottage
Page_052.jpg Text about C. Earl Dawson who purchased 130 acres on Magdalena - Picture of entrance and aerial view of residence.
Page_053.jpg Text about John Snyder Ranch purched from William and Henry Dana - two pictures, only the barns are left
Page_054.jpg St Joseph Seminary (also St. Patrick)  Maryknoll Seminary
Page_055.jpg W.T. Grant Ranch (now George Perham) Original Grant home (1864), Front view of barn, Back view of barn, The "oldest" barn.
Page_056.jpg Text about T.F. & G.H. Grant Ranch - presently the George Perham Ranch
Page_057.jpg John Sabin home (1902) on Prospect Ave, currently (1973?) Herb Dwight residence (Dwight led the project at Varian to build the first Helium-Neon laser and went on to found Spectra Physics, famous for developing the laser scanner) Later the home of councilman and mayor Steve Finn
Page_058.jpg More pictures of Sabin home on Prospect Ave including one of the guest cottage
Page_059.jpg R.W. Hills (early 1900's) The Hills Brothers Coffee Home, Garden and Greenhouse (Manuella Road)