Reso 2001-021 RDA 2001-003 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Early Days Before European settlement, central California and the San Francisco Bay area had the densest population of native Americans anywhere north of Mexico, with approximately ten thousand people living between Point Sur and northern San Francisco Bay. The area now known as San Leandro was inhabited by small, independent, tribal groups forming a larger affiliation of cultures commonly known as Ohlone or Costanoan. During early coloniza- tion, the area was populated by Spanish immigrants who developed ranchos, agriculture and stockfarming. The Spaniards generally coexisted and inter- married with the native American population, though ultimately European culture and population displaced the indigenous ones. In 1837, Jose Joaquin Estudillo, a retired Spanish soldier, was granted 7,000 acres of east bay land in exchange for his services to the Spanish Army. These acres formed the nucleus of the current City of San Leandro. The site of Estudillo's original house, currently occupied by Saint Leander's Church, contains a plaque commemorating this history. After the gold rush, many Europeans and Mexicans immigrated to Cali- fornia. San Leandro incorporated in 1872 with a population of 500. Its cen- tral location on the eastern coast of the San Francisco Bay, access to water, and proximity to the San Joaquin Valley, positioned San Leandro to take a leading role in agriculture and industry. Orchards, particularly cherries, were important to the early growth and development of the city. The bay created opportunities for the fishing and boating industries as well. With service from the Stockton Railroad Company along Davis Street, agriculture and industry had access to raw materials and distant markets. This central location and infrastructure made early San Leandro a political center. From 1856 to 1873, the Alameda County seat was located on Davis Street at the Estudillo house, now the site of Saint Leander's Church. Many of the city's early immigrants came from Portugal. This Portu- guese community gave early San Leandro a unique cultural composition, and provided many of the city's early political, social and business leaders. San Leandro Downtown Plan & Urban Design Guidelines October 2000 page 27