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Friends of BAREC Dedicated to Preserving Santa Clara's 'Mission City' Heritage
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This information was taken from an article written by Mary Gottschalk for the Rose Garden Resident on October 20th, 2005 All rights or credits should therefore be assigned to Ms. Gottschalk The BAREC (Bay Area Research and Extension Center) property is composed of 17 acres and is located on Winchester Boulevard, across the street from the Westfield Valley Fair Shopping Center. Its storied history dates back at least two centuries. The land was undoubtedly used first as farmland according to research performed by Sharon McCray. However, during the latter stages of the 19th century BAREC's real history begins with the establishment of the California Home for the Care and Training of the Feeble Minded in 1886. In those days mental health issues were not particularly understood, and persons exhibiting characteristics of autism, mental retardation, or being deaf or blind were generally assigned to the same institution. What is important to recognize here however, is that the property was being used to serve the well being of people. In truth, the principal person behind the use of the property was the owner, Dr. Antrim Edgar Osborne who served as the superintendent of the Care Facility. Dr. Osborne was well known for using innovative techniques such as using music while working with children with developmental disabilities. He would eventually establish a hospital on the property that accommodated up to 200 patients including the elderly and children as well. In 1920 Dr. Osborne offered to sell his hospital and land to the state after a fire destroyed the home of women refugees from the Civil War. The state paid $55,000 for the hall and 18 acres (The California Veterans Building occupies 5.5 acres today) and moved the women into the facility in 1921. From 1921, the University of California at Berkeley operated an agricultural station on 13 acres of the property, performing extensive research on the development of fruits, vegetables, trees and flowers. BAREC's rich agricultural research contributed to, the development of strawberries found extensively in Central California, the study of plant fungi diseases, and the nationally recognized Green Waste program implemented by the city of San Jose. In January of 2003, BAREC officially closed its doors as an agricultural research station. It storied history of aiding the mentally handicapped and providing vital agricultural research for Santa Clara County is now being threatened by a housing plan that lacks creativity, imagination and is generally insensitive to its history. The BAREC property deserves a chance; a chance to continue to provide for the well being of the people |
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