Lost Wineries and Vineyards of Fremont, California (PDF) — At one time southern Alameda County was a premier wine region of California with thousands of acres of vineyards and scores of wineries.
Historic Context of Glenmoor Gardens and Mission Ranch Subdivisions and Ranch House Architecture, Woodruff Minor. Thomas Rex Hardy, AIA Historical Architect, May 12, 2009. (90-page report)
Fong Family History — Recollections by Joshua Fong, O.D., 1999
Ghosts of Drawbridge by Bruce MacGregor – From the July/August 2020 edition of The Hotbox, a newsletter from SPCRR and the Railroad Museum at Ardenwood.
Centerville
Centerville Walking Tour (PDF) — A self-guided tour of Fremont’s historic Centerville district, by Timothy Swenson
Back issues of The Hatchet, the student-run newspaper of Washington High School
View issues from 1924 – 2019 in full (Web PDFs)
Irvington
Clark’s Hall, The Big Brick Building at the Bend in the Road in Irvington (PDF) — As Fremont Boulevard traverses the length of Fremont it makes a bend in the Irvington District. Joined there by Bay Street, Washington Boulevard and Union Street, the bend is known as the Five Corners. Called that because of the joining of the streets, it also reflects the early names of the area: Washington Corners and The Corners. Prominent at the corner, at 4000 Bay Street, is a large brick building, the oldest documented commercial building in Fremont.
Irvington Memorial Cemetery Walking Tour (PDF) — A tour and background of the cemetery and some of its pioneer burials.
Mission San Jose
Driscoll Road – It’s the Berries (PDF) — Driscoll Road was named for the Driscoll brothers of strawberry fame. Donald and Richard Driscoll came to California from County Cork, Ireland, in the 1890s. They started raising strawberries in the Watsonville area and soon expanded into Washington Township. Conditions were ideal in both areas because of a long growing season.
Galindo-Higuera Adobe (PDF) — A history of the Galindo-Higuera Adobe prepared as a joint project by the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation, the Washington Township Historical Society and the Museum of Local History.
History in the Vines: Fremont’s Wine Legacy— A history of winemaking in Mission San Jose — “There is no more important vineyard district in California, all things considered, than that which lies around the old Mission San Jose. …The best wine vineyards are around the Mission and Warm Springs, and on the roads to Irvington and Niles — in other words — on the spurs of the great mountain that rises above the district.” –Charles Howard Shinn, 1889
Niles
California Nursery Company — The story of John Rock and the California Nursery Company by Newark student Nick Kirk.
California Nursery Company History (PDF) — The site of the California Nursery originally formed part of the vast grazing lands of Mission San Jose.
The Garden of Allah Music Hall (PDF) — A Rock and Roll and Country and Western Music Hall that was built in 1929.
The Poppy Nymph (PDF) — Sculpture by Jo Mora.
Shinn Family Contributions to the Community (PDF) — Pioneer agriculturalists and nursery owners, in 1856 James and Lucy Shinn were at the forefront of Alameda County early settlement after California statehood.
Stroll & Roll Through History: Brief history of Niles Canyon (PDF) — Read about and view the history of Niles Canyon as you stroll or roll through Niles Canyon. Some of the historical locations are demarcated by how many miles they are from the start of Niles Canyon Road at Mission Blvd.
Veterans Memorial Building (PDF) — A Museum sponsored page about the building of the Veterans Memorial Building in the Niles District of Fremont.
The Story of the Shinn Ranch, by Kathryn Kasch (PDF) — The story of the Shinn Ranch presents an interesting mixture of ordinary and extraordinary history. In many ways it was a typical early farm in Alameda County and yet this ranch made original contributions to the development of horticulture in the region and it also “produced” family members whose achievements were significant. The ranch was continuously farmed for 110 years by three generations of a family who had a keen interest in their own history and the history of their community. As a result, this history is well documented and the family decided to donate the houses and four and a half acres of land to the City of Fremont so that some of the common and uncommon history of this place would be preserved for future generations.
