My time on the street where HP started

Growing up in Palo Alto in the 1970s and 1980s, I spent a lot of time exploring my neighborhood and the surrounding areas. I used to visit my stepbrother’s house on Addison Avenue regularly, never realizing that it was the birthplace of one of the most iconic companies in Silicon Valley history: Hewlett-Packard.

William Hewlett and David Packard started HP in that very same garage on Addison Avenue in 1939. Little did they know that their humble beginnings would eventually lead to the creation of one of the most successful and influential technology companies of all time.

The garage, located at 367 Addison Avenue, is now recognized as a California Historical Landmark and is open to the public for tours. Visitors can see the garage and the surrounding area, and learn about the history of HP and the birth of Silicon Valley.

Walking around Palo Alto as a child, I never would have guessed that such an important piece of technology history was right in my own backyard. The garage on Addison Avenue was just another unassuming house on a quiet residential street, and I never thought to ask about its history. To be honest, I didn’t know about its history when I was young.

But as I grew older and learned more about the history of the tech industry, I started to appreciate the significance of that garage and the impact that HP had on the world of technology. Today, I look back on my childhood memories of walking around Palo Alto with a newfound appreciation for the city’s rich history and contributions to the tech industry.

The story of HP’s beginnings in a garage on Addison Avenue is a reminder that innovation and creativity can come from anywhere, and that even the most humble beginnings can lead to great success. It’s a testament to the spirit of entrepreneurship that is still alive and well in Silicon Valley today and a reminder that we should never underestimate the power of a great idea and the determination to make it a reality.