Star. The Santa Rita rancho was cut into small tracts and sold at this time. Mr. Hatch paid $300 per acre for one hundred and twenty acres of this ranch; he planted a large almond orchard.

In November, 1885, the races near Pleasanton attracted large crowds, but the trotting speed did not go below three minutes. Count Valensin secured 140 acres of the Santa Rita ranch, converted the track into a stock farm and built a race track. In 1889 an overflowing artesian well was dug by Mr. Kottinger and abundant water was found at the depth of sixty-four feet. In 1890 the citizens subscribed $1,350 towards developing the artesian wells and erecting windmills on Tassajara road. In 1891 a stallion bred in this vicinity by J. C. Simpson was sold at Lexington, Kentucky, for $55,000. At this time fine studs were owned by Giulio Valensin, Senator George Hearst, H. Wilmeek, Gilbert Tompkins and J. C. Simpson. Natural gas was struck in a well in Odd Fellows cemetery. Druid Hall Association was organized in 1891. In 1894 the remainder of Santa Rita ranch was offered for sale by Laymance & Co., of Oakland. In May, 1894, on the vote to incorporate Pleasanton the result stood-for incorporation 123, against incorporation 46. The village was duly made a town, the first board of trustees being H. P. Chadbourne, William H. Martin, William Napier, John B. Hortenstine and Joseph Nevis. The petition for incorporation stated that within the proposed town boundaries were over 500 inhabitants. In 1895 Pleasanton shipped to the sugar mill at Alvarado 8,506 tons of sugar beets against 10,074 tons in 1894.

The famous valleys in the eastern part of the county are known as Livermore, Amador, Sunol, Alamo, Vallecitos and parts of San Ramon and Tassajara, Livermore being the largest. In 1890 Senator George Hearst bought 440 acres on Laguna creek a mile and a half below town and converted the tract into a blooded horse breeding farm. The old Hearst homestead known as Hacienda del Poso da Verona, is still one of the most beautiful in the county. From this home have come the liberal benefactions of Mrs. Phoebe A. Hearst, mother of William Randolph Hearst.

In 1897, Dr. W. H. Cope discovered a fine flow of artesian water within about half a mile of the center of Pleasanton. The town trustees promptly secured three acres of land which embraced the well and found upon examination that the well had a flow of 42,000 gallons every twenty-four hours. A 50,000-gallon reservoir was at once built to catch the overflow and a pumping plant was installed to force the water 128 feet to the top of the hill where a 200,000-gallon reservoir was constructed, giving the town a hydrant pressure of 60 pounds. It was so arranged that the hydrant pressure could be increased to 90 pounds. Soon plans were perfected to double the reservoir capacity.

In March, 1898, the old Farmers Hotel at Pleasanton was destroyed by fire; it was about thirty-five years old and had been kept many years by Henry Reimer. In August, 1899, Pleasanton voted on the question of issuing $15,000 in bonds to develop the water supply. As yet the town had no water works, but had depended wholly on wells. Now a change was demanded.

The celebration of the Fourth of July, 1900, at Pleasanton was highly creditable to the town. Thousands from surrounding towns were present. Livermore joined in the celebration and assisted in making it enjoyable and successful. Perhaps it should be set down as a joint celebration of the two towns so unitedly

and harmoniously did they work for the pleasure of the crowd and the glorification of the day. The principal oration was delivered by W. H. Donahue. There were parades, music, games, fancy riding and beautifully decorated buildings. The county board appropriated $200 towards this celebration.

At the present time Pleasanton is a prosperous center of industry with a population of about one thousand five hundred. It has excellent public schools, churches, lodges, clubs and benevolent and social organizations. It is famed for its hops, hay, sugar beets, brick, and winter racing track. It has two hotels, three stores and is a great grain center. Its Chamber of Commerce is doing good work. The fair held at Pleasanton in 1912 was the best ever given by the association. There are two incorporated towns in the valley-Pleasanton and Livermore.

Sunol village and Sunol valley, were named for the Spanish family which, with others, secured the vast grant of land in that vicinity before the American settlement. The first store was opened there by George Foscolini about the year of 1860. Two years later the Argenti Hotel was opened by a Frenchman named Bertrand. In 1865 a school was taught by Mrs. Samuel Brown. In the early '70s coal and gold were found near Sunol. J. A. Johnson became a large land owner here in the early '80s; he bought 1,400 acres of T. J. Batchelder and Charles Hodsell. In October, 1884, A. Bozzi and his wife were murdered in their hotel-Cosmopolitan-by Giuseppe Argenti; he claimed self defense. The Vallecitos schoolhouse was conducted here in the Scott store building, but in 1885 the Sunol Glen school district was established. The Batchelder canyon at Sunol was greatly improved in 1885: people just began to realize what beautiful residence sites were there. Schools, churches, stores, shops, etc., came rapidly. Olive orchards thrived in this splendid climate. Mr. Batchelder built a large hotel at this time. Many camping parties came here seeking health and recreation. The Grand Army of the Republic camps came here in 1886. Speculators endeavored to secure the prized camping and residence sites. The glen was free from fog and frost and the vine, fig and olive flourished. As a summer resort the Glen was unsurpassed. There were fine bathing and an abundance of fish, and the woods and creek were alive with game. The Methodists and Congregationalists had congregations. In recent years the town has lost none of its beauties and other attractions.

Dougherty and Dublin are two small villages in the northern part of Pleasanton township. The former has two hotels, two stores, shops, schools, churches, etc. The first schoolhouse in the county over which the flag was formally raised was at Dublin in 1869. The Murray school was the first in the eastern part of the county. It was taught by Charles Crane, brother of Judge A. M. Crane, in the old Alviso adobe building in 1854. J. W. Dougherty, after whom the station was named, was very prominent in early times: he imported Clydesdale horses from Scotland. Dublin and Dougherty are surrounded with fine. ranches. It was at Dublin that Don Jose Maria Amador built his adobe residence long before the American settlement. From him Mr. Dougherty obtained immense tracts of land. Here it was also that Michael Murray after whom the township was named pitched his tent. John Green opened a store in 1860 on the site of the Amador valley hotel and here the stages changed horses. Marsh's Hotel was opened the same year. The Catholics built their church in 1859.

Other villages in the eastern part of the county are Midway where Frank Heare built the Zinc House about 1855; Mountain House near which the early bandits made their rendezvous; Altamont which is 749 feet above the sea and was started in 1869 by Edward Hobler. John Campbell, E. Cockerton, Nicholas Shearer, William H. Wright located in that vicinity, Gayle, Greenville, Ulmar, etc.

The towns of Washington township, lying within a comparatively few miles. of one another, form what might almost be termed a "Greater Washington Township," or simply "Washington." There are the following leading towns with estimated population including the suburbs: Niles, 1,500; Centerville, 1,425; Newark, 1,200; Alvarado, 1,100; Irvington, 1,050; Decoto, 850; Mission San • Jose, 800; Warm Springs, 600; total, 8,525. They form almost a single community and are closely related by social and commercial ties. In the early '50s Niles was called Gophertown. In 1862 J. J. Vallejo built the flour mill on Alameda creek—the second in the county. A little village grew and was called Vallejo Mills. Late in the '50s there were a few fences about Niles. The young men rode everywhere on their mustangs. The Niles bridge was built early by the county board.

Niles town site in 1877 was in a triangle of about fourteen acres bounded on two sides by railroads and on the other by the creek. This site was owned mainly by the railroad company and the Spring Valley Water Company. North of the railroad was part of a ranch of 10,000 acres owned by J. T. Clark. Several fine mineral springs were near the town and a large hotel to utilize the water was contemplated in 1877. The railroad company bought 200 acres of the Clark ranch and had the trac. surveyed as a town, but the lots did not sell and the land was leased to A. J. Scott who put it in grain. In July, 1877, the town had two hotels, two blacksmith shops, an express and telegraph office, a large warehouse and gristmill, the latter owned by the Spring Valley Water Company and leased to Mr. Laumeister. The mill was built early by J. J. Vallejo who at one time owned about fifty thousand acres in that vicinity. W. B. King conducted the Depot House. The new Niles was laid out west of the old town and the old name Vallejo Mills fell into disuse. At Niles in recent years are a state bank; Trinity church; Washington Press; Niles Woman's Club; Township Register; three hotels; several lodges and clubs; fine public schools; the Washington township high school; California nursery; California Pressed Brick Company; Ames Manufacturing Company; California Building Material Company; warehouses; box factories; lumber yards; planing mills; Citizens' Water Company; two churches; Public Improvement Club; Ladies' Guild, etc. Niles is the center of fruit industry-apricot, cherry, orange, lemon and grapes. Shipments are very large.

Centerville was called Hardscrabble at an early date and was on the old Mission road. A small store was established there in the '50s and by 1870 there was a population of about one hundred and fifty and two stores and a few shops. Among the first residents of that vicinity were Captain Moore, William Moore, Ab. Harris, Joseph Schwitzer, Joseph Mason, Captain Mayhew, Mr. Beard, Doctor Bucknell, Richard Threlfahl, Mr. Breyfogle and others. By 1877 the population was about three hundred and there were three stores. Now there is a population of nearly one thousand, with banks, churches, schools, merchants, lodges, societies. Near are grown large quantities of grain, vege

Vol. I-29