History of San Jose, California many orchards in the Santa Clara Valley, which emitted a delightful smell of ripening fruit, that a common nickname for the Santa Clara Valley was "The Valley of Heart's Delight". Food Machinery Corporation (FMC) was founded in nearby Los Gatos as the "Bean Spray Pump Company" in 1884 and moved to San Jose in 1903. In 1941 the company received an order from the United States War Department for one thousand LVTs, bringing defense contracts to San Jose for the first time. After World War II, FMC continued as a defense contractor, with the San Jose facilities designing and manufacturing
San Jose Hills Hills and Puente Hills to the south. Mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians are very diverse in both the San Jose Hills and surrounding San Gabriel Valley. Mammals in the San Jose Hills include bobcats, gray fox, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and other rodents. The bird diversity is exceptional, and notable species include California quail, least Bell's vireo, coastal California gnatcatcher, grasshopper sparrow, southwest willow flycatcher, and red-tailed hawk. Reptiles and amphibians include various lizards and snakes, the California red-legged frog, southwestern arroyo toad, southwestern pond turtle, and other frogs and salamanders. On the most northeastern border, Fairplex (Los Angeles County Fairgrounds)