The Evolution of Silicon Valley
Entrepreneurs Napkin
Bob Zeidman created this preprinted template to streamline the process of drawing start-up business plans on barroom napkins.
The Evolution of Silicon Valley
Shockley Semiconductor begat Fairchild Semiconductor. Fairchild employees in turn started new firms, which spun off others. The orchards of the Santa Clara Valley gradually yielded to silicon chip factories and their customers.
The “Silicon Valley” moniker first appeared in print in a 1971 article by Electronic News journalist Don Hoefler.
Original Wheel from Walker’s Wagon Wheel, circa 1965
Employees of Fairchild and its spin-offs retired to Walker’s Wagon Wheel tavern in Mountain View—with its rooftop Conestoga wagon and wagon wheel décor—to celebrate successes, recruit staff, and exchange ideas. Historians credit this open, sharing culture with aiding Silicon Valley’s rise.
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Walkers Wagon Wheel, exterior
In addition to a full-size Conestoga wagon on the roof, the entrance to the famous bar was flanked by Western-themed bric-a-brac: burros, palms, cacti and wagon wheels in advanced stages of decay.
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Section of the Wagon Wheel's bar, circa 1965
A plaque in the bar commemorates members of the Wagon Wheel Hall of Fame. Fairchild’s Tom Branch, one of 12 members honored for dedicated drinking service, rescued this section from the wrecking ball in 2003.
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Walkers Wagon Wheel, interior
Leather upholstered booths lining a smoke-filled bar hosted “staff meetings,” recruiting pitches, start-up planning sessions and TGIF celebrations for industry employees.
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Wagon Wheel poker chips, circa 1970
The Wagon Wheel’s card room came under fire for non-compliance with California's 1997 Gambling Control Act. The bar closed in 2000.
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Silicon Valley, USA, Electronic News
The first published use of the nickname Silicon Valley appeared on January 10, 1971 in the headline of an article by Don Hoefler about the history of the semiconductor industry.
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