About Livermore, CA

The initial inhabitants of what is currently known as Livermore were once part of the largest populations of Native Indians on the continent. Indian tribes known as the Costanoans or the Ohlone go back some four thousand years These Indians flourished in the Amador valleys, San Ramon, and in Livermore. The area had an abundance of food and water, in addition to many species of birds, coyotes, cougars, fish, grizzly bears, and elk. There were also many types of vegetation that was nourishing, buckeye, Sycamore, and Oak trees.

In 1722, when the Spanish arrived in the region, they brought some massive changes. In 1797, the Catholic padres established the Mission San Jose, which resulted in the rather aggressive indoctrination of the Ohlone Indians into the way of mission life. The local valleys became cattle pastures, which were primarily used for the profitable tallow business. The first to plant wine grapes in the Livermore Valley, were the missionaries, which is the oldest wine area in California. In 1821, The mission’s property was divided into ranchos, after Mexico had won its independence from Spain.

Two men named Jose Noriega and Robert Livermore obtained a land grant, in 1839, for the Rancho Las Positas, which translates into little watering holes. In 1822, Mr. Livermore jumped from a British merchant sailing ship in Monterey, and was a British citizen and, one year later, became a naturalized citizen of Mexico. For several years, he worked as a ranch foreman, who married a widow, in 1838, named Maria Josefa de Jesus Higuera.
The Rancho Las Positas having been secured, in 1840, Mr. Livermore and Ms. Higuera lived in the Livermore Valley, in an adobe along Positas Creek. Mr. Livermore used his property for grazing horses and cattle much the same as the padres before him. However, he also became interested in horticulture and viticulture. He was the first person to plant commercial vineyards, in 1846, as well as orchards of olives and pears.

With the historic 1848 gold discovery the Sierra Foothills, Robert Livermore and the Livermore Valley were in a fortuitous and unique position. Numerous people from all around world wanted to become wealthy were arriving San Francisco right through the valley and over the Altamont Pass, which is the gateway to the Central Valley, in order to get to the gold fields that were located to the eastThe rancho the Mr. Livermore owned was about a day’s worth of travel from both San Jose and San Francisco, which made it a popular rest stop for business people and prospectors on their way to the Sierras and Sacramento. Mr. Livermore played host and capitalized on the frequent guests by offering them longhorn cattle.

In 1858, Mr. Livermore passed away. However, his legacy as a friendly host continues to live on. In 1846, the California Battalion, which was led by a soldier named John Fremont was greeted by a man named William Mendenhall, returned to the bucolic valley and, in 1869, established the settlement of Livermore. That same year, a post office opened in the new settlement, and the Western Pacific Railroad constructed a connection between Sacramento and Oakland, with a stop in Livermore.

The railroad brought rapid growth to the small ranch community of Livermore. By 1876, a new police department, a fire company, a library, a bank, hotels churches, and schools had been established. The year 1876 also brought the incorporation of Livermore as a town.

The Shelby Electric Company produced hand blown light bulb, which was installed, in 1901, at one of the firehouses in Livermore and was still being used in 2013, at some 112 years old. The Guinness Book of World records certified the Centennial Bulb, and became known as the oldest light bulb, and was featured in many different television shows, books, and articles that included the popular Mythbusters.