Davis 1917-2017: Celebrating 100 Years of Community
Jan 7 - Jun 14, 2017
Shields Library Lobby - Special Collections
2017 marks the centennial of the incorporation of Davis, California as a city. In this exhibition, 100 years of Davis history come to life through photographs, newspaper clippings and other archival materials from Special Collections.
Archives and Special Collections
Sara Gunasekara
Public Services Specialist
Celebrating 100 Years of Community
You’ll learn about some of the people and stories that shaped the city of Davis, including:
- Jerome C. Davis, a stock farm owner for whose family the city is named.
- The disastrous fire that destroyed the downtown business district and brought attention to the need for city services.
- The evolution of Davis real estate, from when you could buy a $9,250 home in Oeste Manor in 1950 to a community site map for the Cannery, which is still being built today.
The display draws from more than 15 separate collections, ranging from professional and personal photographs to the institutional archives of the Sacramento Union newspaper and UC Davis.
The collections include:
- Alfred F. Smith Papers – Materials related to the 300-acre Stonegate development, designed and developed by Alfred Smith.
- California Collection – Contains nearly 3,000 pamphlets, brochures, and flyers from various California cities and counties documenting events which played a role in the formation of the West.
- City of Davis Collection – Records describing local politics, city administration, business activity, and more.
- Davis Boy Scout Troop No. 1 Photographs – Featuring the troop during scout meetings, events, and construction of the Boy Scout cabin circa 1922-1927.
- Davis Food Co-op Collection – This small collection includes brochures, fliers, and materials related to cooperatives and small farms.
- Eastman’s Originals Collections – Photographs, negatives, and postcards of Northern California events such as dam construction, logging, mining, food processing, and community activities.
- Harry Hazen Papers on the University Farm – Photographs and memorabilia collected by Harry Hazen, a student who studied at the University Farm (now UC Davis) from 1916-1918.
- Institute of Government Affairs Collection – Clippings about Davis/Yolo County, Sacramento City/County, and the California State Government.
- John Lofland Papers – Research materials on demonstrations in or near the California State Capitol building in 1977 for two of his books. Also included are materials relating to the formation of the sister city relationship between the City of Davis and the Ukrainian city of Uman.
- Julie Partansky Papers – Reports, memos, clippings, and correspondence created during Partansky’s terms as Davis City Council member and Mayor.
- Map Collection, Aerial photographs – Extensive collection of aerial photography for the Central Valley of California with special emphasis on the immediate area, i.e. Yolo, Solano, Sacramento, and San Joaquin Counties, California.
- Norman Riley Photographs – Negatives and silver gelatin prints of scenes in the Davis and Sacramento areas.
- Pierce Family Papers – George Pierce Jr. was the foremost advocate of Davis as the location for the University Farm (now UC Davis). Items include diaries, photographs, business records, travel guides, and more.
- Robert Laben Papers – Materials related to the campus dairy herd and dairy operations as well as Laben’s personal photographs of the local area.
- Sacramento Union Records – Archives of the Sacramento Union newspaper, which was the oldest daily newspaper west of the Mississippi until it closed its doors in 1994.
- University Archives Photographs – A visual record of the history of UC Davis, including images of campus grounds, staff, annual events, classrooms, student clubs, and sporting events.
To access materials in these or other collections in Special Collections, or if you have materials related to the history of Davis that you would like to donate to the UC Davis Library, contact SpecColl@ucdavis.edu.
Visitors are welcome to take home a free postcard that shows what downtown Davis looked like in 1945 as a souvenir.

Additional images in the exhibit, Davis 1917-2017: Celebrating 100 Years of Community
Selections from Eastman’s Originals Collection
- Southern Pacific Depot, 1944
- Southern Pacific Depot, 1944
- Fire Dept. and City Hall, 1944. The Building is now Bistro 33
- First Street, looking west, 1944
- Sweems Davis “Y” café, 1944
- Boy Scout Cabin, 1944
- G street at Second Street, looking north, 1944
- Davis High School (now City Hall) 1944
- B Street at Third Street, looking north, 1944. The building on the left is now Sam’s Mediterranean Cuisine
- Davis High School, 1944. The building is now Davis City Hall.
- G Street at Second Street, looking north, 1945
- At the Davis “Y,” 1945. This is the current intersection of Russell Blvd. and Route 113
- Aerial view of Davis, 1946
- Aerial view of Davis, 1946. Note the railroad depot in the bottom right
- Aerial view of Davis, 1946
- Aerial view of Davis, 1946
- G street at Second Street, looking north, 1951
- G Street, looking south, 1951
- Second Street at F Street, looking northwest, 1951
- Varsity Theater, 1951
- Second Street at F Street, looking northwest, 1951
- Second Street at G Street, looking west, 1951
- Post Office, Second Street, 1951
- Davis City Hall, 1953. The building is now Bistro 33
- Second Street at G Street, looking west, 1953
- Aerial view of Davis, looking north, 1953
- Aerial view of Davis, looking north, 1953
- Aerial view of Davis, looking east, 1953
- G Street at Second Street, looking north, 1957
- Second Street between E and F Streets, looking east, 1957
- Second and D streets, looking northwest, 1957
- G Street at Second Street, looking north, 1960
- Second Street at G street, looking west, 1960
- F Street between Second and Third Streets, looking northwest, 1957
Selections from the Paul K. Stumpf Slides
- Downtown Davis, looking northeast on G Street, 1963
- Downtown Davis, looking northeast on G Street, circa 1970s
- Downtown Davis, looking northwest on G street plaza, circa 1964
- Downtown Davis, looking northwest on G street plaza, circa 1970s
- The corner of G and Third Streets, looking southwest, 1963
- The corner of G and Third Streets, looking southwest, circa 1970s
- A view of Second Street looking east, 1963
- A view of Second Street looking east, circa 1970s
- The corner of E and Second Streets, 1963
- The corner of E and Second Streets, circa 1970
- The corner of Russell Boulevard and Anderson Road, circa 1960-1965
- The corner of Russell Boulevard and Anderson Road, circa 1980s
- University Mall construction, circa 1960-1965
- University Mall, circa 1980s
- Russell Boulevard, looking east, circa 1960-1965
- Russell Boulevard, looking east, circa 1970s
- Russell Boulevard, reconstructed, circa 1960-1965
- Russell Boulevard, reconstructed, circa 1970s
Selections from the Robert Laben Slides
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1955
- Cub Scout pack meeting, September 1959
- Cub Scout pack meeting, September 1959
- Cub Scout pack meeting, September 1959
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1961
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1958
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1958
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1958
- Davis Fourth of July Parade and Picnic, July 4, 1958
- Davis Little League, July 1959
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1959
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1959
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1959
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1959
- Davis Seventh-Eighth Grade Dance, March 1962
- Davis Seventh-Eighth Grade Dance, March 1962
- Davis Seventh-Eighth Grade Dance, March 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Davis Fourth of July Parade, July 4, 1962
- Football, Davis High School, November 1963
- Football, Davis High School, November 1963
- Davis High School Graduation, June 1970
- Davis High School Graduation, June 1970
- Davis High School Graduation, June 1970
- Davis High School Graduation, June 1970
- E Street, September 1970
- Snow in Davis at the corner of Oak Ave and Russell Blvd., January 1974
Selections from the Norman Riley Photographs Collection
- Davis Criterium Bicycle Race, July 4, 1984
- Davis Community Pool, July 4, 1983
- Make-A-Circus, Davis Central Park, August 6, 1983
- George’s Mobil gas station at the intersection of eighth and chestnut streets, July 25, 1992
- Varsity Theatre, circa 1982
- Fireflies T-ball team, July 1999