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"Welcome to the great City of Vallejo"
General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
"Our History"
Courtesy of - Dawn Jacobson - Architectural
Historian
Vallejo – our History
Nestled in the rolling foot- hills,
where the Carquinez Straits meet San Pablo Bay, is the City of Vallejo. Vallejo
has a varied and colorful history. First a state capital, then home to railroads
and a major naval installation, Vallejo's growth is reflected in her building
patterns. The following is a brief history of the growth of Vallejo.
Early
Vallejo - View of Mare Island
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"Welcome to the great City of
Vallejo"
General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
"Our History"
Courtesy of - Dawn Jacobson - Architectural Historian
Vallejo – our History
Nestled in the rolling foot- hills,
where the Carquinez Straits meet San Pablo Bay, is the City of Vallejo.
Vallejo has a varied and colorful history. First a state capital, then home
to railroads and a major naval installation, Vallejo's growth is reflected
in her building patterns. The following is a brief history of the growth of
Vallejo.
Early
Vallejo - View of Mare Island
The Ranchero of Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo
In 1775, a party of Spanish explorers crossed San Pablo Bay and found an
excellent harbor at the Carquinez Straits, which they christened "Puerto de
la Asuncion de Nuestra Senora"... Port of Our Heavenly Lady. Although
excellent reviews of the area were received, settlement of the location was
considered some- what premature; no attempts were made to improve the site
until it was deeded as part of Rancho Soscol to General Mariano Guadalupe
Vallejo in 1844. Vallejo was familiar with the area; finding his favorite
horse had survived drowning in the Carquinez Straits by swimming to an
island, he named the spot "Isla de la Yegua (Mare Island) in her honor.
Tenure
As State Capital: 1851-1853
With the onslaught of Americans participating in the California Gold
Rush, General Vallejo saw that the territory was destined to pass from the
hands of the Mexican government to become part of the United States. He made
a strong attempt to become involved in the establishment of a state capital
on his lands. With statehood in 1850, the new California State Legislature
considered Vallejo's offer to move from San Jose. He offered to lay out a
city, to be named "Eureka" or a name the Legislature might suggest, and to
donate to the state 156 acres for the construction of a state capitol,
university, botanical garden, state penitentiary, schools, hospitals, and
asylums. In addition to the free land, General Vallejo also promised to give
$370,000 to pay for construction of the buildings. A state-wide referendum
on the matter was held in late 1850, and General Vallejo's proposal was
accepted, with one change-the city would be called "Vallejo," after its
founder.
In 1851, the State Senate appointed a commission to layout the new state
capital. They reported back that they had placed the capitol, the governor's
house, the university and several other public institutions on an elevated
hill "immediately above the secure and commodious harbor of Napa Bay, from
which, on a clear day might be seen the city and shipping of San Francisco."
The lunatic asylum was to be placed nearby, and the penitentiary on the
nearest prominent hill to the Carquinez Straits, to serve as a warning to
"rascals" on their way to the goldfields. By late 1851, all was in
readiness, and the California Legislature convened in 1852 in Vallejo.
Unfortunately for the legislators,
the State Capitol promised by General Vallejo had not been built, and they
were forced to meet in a leaking old structure, using barrels for seats and
boxes for desks. Motions were immediately introduced to move the state
capital out of Vallejo, and, after meeting for only eleven days, the
Legislature moved to Sacramento for the remainder of the session. The
following year, the Legislature again convened in Vallejo, for the purpose
of moving the capital to Benicia, and on February 4, 1853, exactly two years
after the seat of government came to Vallejo, it was moved to Benicia.
Good-bye Capital, Hello Navy: 1852 - 1865
While the state government was looking for a
permanent capital site, others, including the U.S. Army and the U.S. Navy,
became interested in the fine harbor between Mare Island and the mainland.
In July, 1852, the U.S. Congress purchased Mare Island for use as a naval
shipyard, and on September 16, 1854, Mare Island became the first permanent
U.S. naval installation on the West Coast.
Captain David G. Farragut was assigned as Commandant of the new
shipyard. An experienced naval officer, Farragut oversaw the shipyard's
first formative years, before being assigned to command the West Gulf
Blockading Squadron at the out- break of the Civil War. He would later
distinguish himself during the Battle of Mobile by rallying his men with the
cry "Damn the torpedoes- Full speed ahead!" then successfully leading them
through the mined waters of Mobile Bay. With a stable employment base, the
tiny township of Vallejo was set to begin growing into city hood.
Railroads
and "Boosterism" 1865-1880
By the mid-1860s, Vallejo had grown into a community with its feet in the
rural world of farming and the urban world of ship construction. This
changed with the organization of the California Pacific Railroad in 1867.
The California Pacific was organized for the purpose of building a railroad
from Vallejo to Sacramento, allowing passengers to travel via steamboat from
San Francisco to Vallejo, then by rail to the state capitol and connection
with the transcontinental line. Boasting a climate both warmer and sunnier
than San Francisco, a busy wheat export trade, steady employment at Mare
Island and Starr Mills, regular rail service, and inexpensive land, Vallejo
experienced its first real estate "boom." Incorporated in 1868, the city was
laid out in a grid pat- tern and houses sprang up almost overnight, in
styles ranging from simple "vernacular" cottages to large Italianate homes.
Many neighborhoods began to achieve their distinctive appearance. Wealthy
manufacturers and merchants built comfortable homes east of downtown, while
smaller, "working class" residences and apartments were constructed
overlooking the waterfront north of downtown.
Sustained Growth: 1890 -1930
After a "stabilization" period following the boom of the 1870s, Vallejo
again experienced a period of tremendous growth. This period began with the
Spanish-American War of the 1890s and continued through World War 1, as the
Navy increased the size of the fleet in the Pacific. The well-paid workforce
of Mare Island needed homes, stores, bakeries, dentists, doctors, and many
of the other amenities of life, and Vallejo quickly grew to meet the needs
of its citizens. The city-owned waterworks began operation in 1894. By 1905,
one could board a ferry to San Francisco, or an electric railroad car to
Napa. Many of the city's older neighborhoods grew up during this time,
gaining much of the appearance they have today. Businessman George Wilson
commissioned San Francisco architect Julia Morgan to design a large home for
his lot on Capitol Street (1909), while renowned Vallejo architect William
A. Jones built his home at 403 Alameda Street (1912). Eastern Georgia Street
became the address for Vallejo's professionals as doctors, lawyers, and
businessmen moved into the large, comfortable homes. Western Georgia and the
surrounding streets became the lynchpin for Vallejo's downtown. Large
municipal and commercial buildings were built, including the Vallejo City
Hall (1927), the Empress Theater (1911), the Masonic Temple (1917), and the
Vallejo YMCA (1919). |
728 Capitol Street - Owner George
Wilson Banker and Architect Julia Morgan
As the
older areas close to down- town were built up, development pushed north toward
Tennessee Street in the Washington Park area. Using a variety of styles all
popular at the turn of the century, these homes were not as grand as the large
"mansions" built on "the hill," but were comfortable one and two- story homes
designed to appeal to families moving to Vallejo. For those not wishing to
immediately purchase a home, large duplexes and apartment buildings, frequently
in the popular Mission Revival style, were available for temporary living
arrangements. Vallejo High School was moved to a site on the comer of Ohio and
El Dorado streets in 1912. Rechristened Washington Junior High School in 1921,
it was demolished in the mid-1930s to create Washington Park
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