Located in front of the City of Milpitas City Hall are three flagpoles, each representing the City of Milpitas municipal flag, the United States Flag and the State of California Flag. The following verbiage is taken from the City of Milpitas
Milpitas - In the Beginning
As one of the oldest settlements in Santa Clara Valley, Milpitas existed prior to incorporation as a community with a history. This community named Milpitas, which in Spanish means 'little cornfields,' has experienced remarkable growth since the first settlers began living here in 1852. In the early years, Milpitas became a stopping place for travelers between San Jose and Oakland. For the next 100, Milpitas was primarily a farming and livestock community. Crops included sugar beets, spinach, prunes, peas, strawberries, asparagus, potatoes, wheat, barley, flax, and of course corn. Dairying was also a large production in Milpitas. Small businesses grew in the community and Milpita' Main Street was a part of the main road traveled between San Jose and Stockton. In the 1950s Milpitas had 2,700 acres of orchards, 2,471 acres of truck farming, 311 acres of dairying, and 4,500 acress of dry farming. Milpitas' population in 1950 was 800, but served more than 4,200 people, mostly living on surrounding farms.
Today, the majority of the population in Milpitas is Asian descent and Milpitas is one of the fastest-growing and wealthiest cities in Silicon Valley.