A Visit to Pleasanton California

Pleasanton, CA

 Pleasanton California is located in the greater San Francisco Bay Area about 25 miles east of Oakland. Located on the old lands of the Rancho Santa Rita and near the site of an Indian ranchera, the settlement  was originally named "Alisal". Alisal earned the nickname of  "The Most Desperate Town in the West" largely due to it's influx of bandits. This was the time of the California Gold Rush and at the time that the Americans were heading to the gold fields by the thousands.

Bandits in Old Alisal

At the same time some notorious bandits such as Joaquin Carrillo Murrieta were loose in the area and preying on gold miners traveling back and forth to the mines. Murrieta was often referred to as a Mexican Robin Hood although to settlers and miners he was a wanted bandit. Much of the feelings toward Murrieta had to do on how you felt about Alta California being lost to the U.S. as a result of the Mexican American War of the 1840's. The town of Alisal was located along the La Vereda del Monte, “The Mountain Trail”, which ran north-south through the Coast Range. The trail crossed the Livermore Valley and ended at Point of Timber near present day Brentwood to the north.  The trail was used extensively by bandits and, Alisal, located along that trail, had the dubious distinction of being the hide away or temporary domain of bandits such as Murrieta. Criminal activity in this area ranged from armed hold ups to cattle and horse theft. Many contend that some of the thievery of the 1840's and 1850's was abetted by certain Anglo ranchers who served as fences for the stolen livestock.

Downtown Pleasanton

The Founding of Pleasanton California

Today's Pleasanton California is on an old Mexican land grant and was founded by former Alameda County Justice of the Peace, John W. Kottinger. Pleasanton received it's name in honor of Kottinger's good friend, Union Army Major General John Pleasonton. The tale is that due to an error by a U.S. Postal worker, the town's name was misspelled with an "a" rather than an "o". Regardless of the error, the misspelling stuck and the spelling remained. Pleasanton California was incorporated in 1878.

By the start of the 1900's, Pleasanton became the agribusiness center for the entire Amador Valley. 

Today's Pleasanton

Many years ago Pleasanton received attention for being chosen as the location for the movie "Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm", starring Mary Pickford. Since that time, Pleasanton, in particular it's beautiful and historic downtown area, has been the setting for many films. Some know it as "The Hollywood of the West".

Pleasanton Hotel

Pleasanton California attracted a large amount of retail business as well as being a magnet for business parks. The largest in northern California is located there. During the latter 1900's, Pleasanton grew by leaps and bounds. Although the city grew large it has kept it's downtown area active and vibrant and at the same time maintained it's many historical buildings. I found it the kind of downtown where you can spend hours just strolling and explore the unique retail shops, coffee shops and eateries.

Must See Stops in Pleasanton

To walk through downtown Pleasanton is to take a walk back in time, past historic old buildings. All throughout the downtown area you'll be able to see structures dating back to the latter part of the 1800's. One must stop is the Pleasanton Hotel. The hotel was originally constructed in 1864 as the Farmer's Hotel. After a 1919 Victorian renovation, the hotel was renamed the Riverside Hotel. In 1934 the hotel was renamed the Pleasanton Hotel and has kept that name. Today the hotel is not a hotel. The first floor has a unique Victorian era dining room and bar and the second floor contains offices.

Beautiful architecture of downtown Pleasanton, CA

Downtown you'll come across the Gay 90's Pizza Company. This building was constructed in 1864 and was one of the first commercials buildings in Pleasanton. The site also served as a stop for the Wells Fargo stagecoach.

Look for the address 450 main Street. The building at this site was built in 1893 in an Italianate style and first the Arendt Commission House. It was one of Pleasanton's first mercantile stores.

The building at 500 Main was built in 1912 and served as the Post Office, the Bank of Pleasanton and then the Bank of Italy.

The wood frame building at 624 Main was constructed in 1890 and was first a general merchandise store. The building was covered by stucco in 1954 and eventually became Dean's Cafe.

You'll find another building at 728 Main Street that was built in 1911 in the Mission Revival style. The building was first a department store and had the distinction of being Pleasanton's first building with a fire escape.

One of the many unique restaurants in downtown Pleasanton

For a complete guide for your walking tour of downtown Pleasanton California, go to the website   www.pleasantondowntown.net/pdfs/WalkingTourGuide/pdf

Here are links to our Western Trips photo articles about excellent trip sites near Pleasanton. These include a Visit to Danville California and the Museum of the San Ramon Valley and a Visit to the John Muir National Historical Site and Home in Martinez California.

Gateway to the Livermore Valley Wineries

When visiting Pleasanton California you'll want to add a visit to the Wente Vineyards. Wente Vineyards is the country's oldest, continuously operated family-owned winery in business for over 125 years. The vineyard is located at 5050 Arroyo Road, Livermore, CA. This is about 9 miles east of downtown Pleasanton. 

Getting to Pleasanton California 

Pleasanton is located between the San Francisco Bay area and California’s Central Valley. The city is easily accessible by car from Interstates 580 and 680. Pleasanton is also a stop on the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) line. See the map below for Pleasanton California location.

When you're looking for things to do in San Francisco and the surrounding Bay area, a fun day trip to historic Pleasanton is a good addition to your vacation trip planner.

(Photos from author's private collection)


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