Appendix D - Cultural and Tribal Cultural Resources Supporting Information PUBLIC

5 The town of Pleasanton, 3 miles southeast of the project site, was laid out in 1869, also as a direct result of the arrival of the transcontinental railroad 1. The building of the railroad grew trade away from Dublin, leaving it “naught but its departed glories” (Wood 1883:468). The precursor to Pleasanton was a small settlement named Alisal founded in 1857 when Duerr & Nusbaumer opened a store in John Kottinger’s house. Kottinger, who immigrated from Austria in 1851, married into the Bernal family and operated a livestock ranch on a portion of the Bernal rancho (Wood 1883:478). In addition to the general store operated in Kottinger’s house, by 1864, Alisal also had a hotel and school (McCann & Hinkel 1937:195). The center of town moved south to the train station when the railroad arrived. The original town plat near the station was on land owned by Kottinger and Joshua Neal, who had also married into the Bernal family and had been the majordomo for Robert Livermore’s nearby Rancho Los Positas (Halley 1876:502). Kottinger’s plat for Pleasanton was filed on September 20, 1869. By 1876, the town of Pleasanton had a couple of hotels, “some good stores”, post-office, express-office, and grain warehouses (Halley 1876:502). By the late 1870s, Pleasanton’s population had grown to between 500 to 600, while Murray Township’s total population was then about 4,000 (Thompson & West 1878:25). The American Period – 20th Century Dublin and Pleasanton continued to be small farm towns until the mid-20th century. Pleasanton incorporated in 1896, and in 1904, Pleasanton Township was created from the western section of Murray Township. Pleasanton’s population of about 1,200 in the early 20th century did not increase significantly until after World War II. During the period before World War II, the population of the surrounding agricultural area increased as a greater variety of products was produced. Pleasanton became an important area for growing tomatoes, hops and sugar beets (Anonymous 1910:1). In 1932, the packing houses in Pleasanton shipped grapes, tomatoes, cauliflower, squash and other vegetables; hay and grains were still important products in the area which had the only grain elevator in Alameda County (Davis 1932:165). Dairying became increasingly important by the 1920s, and a number of the largest dairies in Alameda County (eg. Hansen & Orloff and Meadowlark) were in the Dublin/Pleasanton area (Amaral 1944:134). By the early twentieth century, a number of changes affected the viability of agriculture in the Amador Valley. Grain production, especially wheat, was more economically produced in the Midwest than in California. Meat production was largely concentrated now in the Midwest, making small regional producers less competitive. The automobile replaced the horse as a means of transportation creating less demand for hay. Production of vegetables, poultry and dairy products grew in importance to serve the local market. In 1930, the Stockton to Dublin segment of Lincoln Highway 50 was completed. The Lincoln Highway, following what is now Dublin Boulevard, was rapidly lined on both sides with new auto related businesses. During World War II, the Dublin/Livermore area became a center for the war effort. Camp Shoemaker east of Dublin was activated by the War Department and the 1 The town was named for a General Pleasanton who served with General J. C. Fremont in his Missouri campaign (Wood 1883:478). Pleasanton was reportedly on the first train to arrive in Pleasanton in 1869.