Our History
Early Days at San Jose Day Nursery
It’s
difficult for anyone today, seeing the smoothly operating program and
comfortable facilities, to imagine what it must have been like to begin
such an organization. The Nursery’s founders literally began with
nothing: no electricity, and no hot water. Even so, they immediately
began caring for children day and night, seven days a week.
When
Mrs. C.R. Dodge came to San Jose in 1916, she found what she called a
“pressing need” for child care, and only one day care home in
operation, Sisters of the Holy Family. She enlisted the help of Mrs.
Andrew Franzen, Miss Agnes Howe, the Mercury Herald, and others in the
community to organize a two-week bazaar to generate enough funds to
begin care for children. The city Board of Education loaned a building
at 252 North Second Street, and while this building was made habitable,
Mrs. Della Gallahorn took six children into her home and began caring
for them day and night. Others in the group scoured the city for
donations of equipment and funds, which were generously provided.
The
Nursery moved into the building on North Second Street in September
1916. Children of all ages were accepted: infants, toddlers, and others
up to twelve years old. The charge was 10 cents per day, or 25 cents
for both day and night. In the first five months the Nursery managed
118 children, 36 of them “night children.”
Gifts of coal and
kindling, kitchen chairs, quilts, clothing, and all the miscellany of a
household were gratefully acknowledged at this time. For a while there
was no electricity. Laundry trays and a bathtub were months away, and
hours were spent washing children, clothing, and bedding in
old-fashioned tubs.
The San Jose Day Nursery has certainly
come a long way since these early days, but the organization has
survived primarily because of the steadfast dedication and support of
everyone involved: staff, parents, board, volunteers, donors, and our
many friends in the community. Comparing the difficulty of the
Nursery’s origins, and all the success stories nurtured through the
years, we can attest that the hard work was definitely worthwhile. We
are still benefitting from the hard work of our founders.
You can see the glowing results in every child’s smile.