Pleasanton, California

The Amador Valley was a part of a permanent settlement of Indians who came to the area approximately 4,000 years ago. The advent of the Spanish in 1772 brought enormous changes to the People and the Valley. Mission San Jose, the fourteenth California mission, was founded on June 11, 1797, by Father Lausen.  The Valley became the mission's pasture lands. The huge influx of Yankee gold seekers, squatters and settlers, and the admission of California to the United States on September 9, 1850, quickly brought an end to the Spanish Mexican period of California's history. Alisal, as Pleasanton was known at the time, was located on one of the main routes to the gold fields and quickly became a mercantile stopover for miners seeking their fortune in the Mother Lode.

Blessed with rich soil, Pleasanton soon became the agricultural center for the Amador Valley and home to the oldest horse racing track in the nation. Even today, famous horses from around the country continue to be sent here to showcase their speed because of the excellent soil and facilities. The hops grown here were sought by many of the largest beer producers in the United States and Europe, making Pleasanton internationally famous.

After being chosen as the background for the movie, "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm", starring Mary Pickford, our town served as the location for many films because of its historic downtown and rural environs, eventually becoming known as the "Hollywood of the North".

Pleasanton's rural character was maintained through the late 1950's while other cities in the Bay Area grew rapidly, often routinely bulldozing blocks of historic buildings in the name of "progress." It was only a matter of time until developers made their move on Pleasanton and the 1960s and '70s brought drastic increases in both our boundaries and population. Located at the intersection of I-580/I680, Pleasanton became a magnet for retail/commercial developers. Several business parks were constructed including Hacienda, which is the largest in northern California. Jobs multiplied rapidly. By the mid 80s, Pleasanton was the third fastest growing city in California based on economic indicators.

As the housing boom continued and prices skyrocketed some of our young adults, senior citizens, and less advantaged residents were forced to look elsewhere for a place to live. Concerned, the community and City addressed the problem and continued to work toward its full resolution. So far, we have achieved our goal of "positive growth", the ability to grow in population while retaining the spirit and personal interrelationships that constitute a small town. However as the outlying neighborhoods and commercial centers grew and prospered, many of the downtown core businesses moved or were forced to close. Thus began a period of stagnation and deterioration in our historic downtown. Through the efforts of our citizens and municipal programs, downtown is once again buzzing with activity around new restaurants and retail businesses that have moved back to Main Street.

Our city now has the largest active sports park in northern California, a public swimming complex with three pools, a regional park with facilities for boating, fishing and swimming, a City-owned theater for live performances, state-of-the-art basketball facilities built by the joint efforts of the City and School District at both middle schools, vast open space parks connected throughout with miles of trail for horseback riding, walking, or bicycling . . . and even a skateboard park.

As we move through the nineties, Pleasanton remains a welcoming family town and continues to emerge as a major job center with many corporate businesses moving their headquarters here, Over 3,000 businesses and industries employing over 32,000 people are presently located in Pleasanton, Our resident population now exceeds 57,000 and is still growing. And as Pleasanton grows, its population is diversifying. 

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Links

City of Pleasanton
Pleasanton Chamber of Commerce
Pleasanton School District
Pleasanton  Demographics