“I was born here. I’ve spent my entire life here. It would be nice for kids in future generations to know what it was like before it all changed.” - Walter Cottle Lester to the San Jose Mercury, 2013.

The Santa Clara Valley became an immensely successful farming location throughout the late 1800s and the early 1900s. The region became known worldwide for its abundant fruit production and massive cannery operations. Rich soil and good climate allowed for the agriculture economy to dominate. In 1915, the valley boasted it had 7.8 million fruit trees. This earned the Santa Clara Valley the nickname "The Valley of the Heart's Delight" and the city of San Jose "The Garden City."

Martial Cottle Park today stands as a remnant of the old way of life in the Santa Clara Valley. From 1856-2014, this 287-acre ranch was farmed by the Martial Cottle family. The ranch was used to grow grain and row crops, as well as raise cattle. Following WWII, the city limits and sprawl of San Jose spread around the ranch with the population boom and the growth of the new computer industry. Seeing this change around her, Walter Cottle Lester's mother, Ethel Lester (Cottle), wanted the park to be preserved to carry on the legacy of farming in the Santa Clara Valley. In 2003, Walter Cottle Lester deeded the land to Santa Clara County Parks. Walter Cottle Lester was able to live in the home area as a life estate until his death in 2014, one day before the first section of the park opened to the public.