History San Leandro, California

1 history

1.1 pre-history
1.2 pre-american era
1.3 american era

history
pre-history

the first inhabitants of geographic region become san leandro ancestors of ohlone people, arrived sometime between 3500 , 2500 bc.

pre-american era

the spanish settlers called these natives costeños or coast people , english-speaking settlers called them costanoans. san leandro first visited europeans on march 20, 1772 spanish soldier captain pedro fages , spanish catholic priest father crespi.

san leandro located on rancho san leandro , rancho san antonio mexican land grants. both located along el camino viejo, modern 14th street / state route 185.

the smaller, rancho san leandro, approximately 9,000 acres (3,600 ha), given josé joaquín estudillo in 1842. larger, rancho san antonio, approximately 44,000 acres (18,000 ha) given spanish soldier don luis maria peralta in 1820. beginning in 1855, 2 of estudillo s sons-in-law, john b. ward , william heath davis, laid out town site become san leandro, bounded san leandro creek on north, watkins street on east, castro street on south, & on west longitude lying block west of alvarado street. city has historic portuguese population dating when immigrants azores , laborers hawaii began settling in city in 1880s , established farms , businesses. 1910 census, had accounted two-thirds of san leandro s population.

american era

in 1856 san leandro became county seat of alameda county, county courthouse destroyed there devastating 1868 quake on hayward fault. county seat re-established in town of brooklyn (now part of oakland), california in 1872.

during civil war san leandro , neighbor, brooklyn, fielded california militia company, brooklyn guard.

san leandro 1 of number of suburban cities built in post-world war ii era of california had restrictive covenants, barred property owners in city selling properties african americans , other minorities. result of covenant, in 1960, city entirely white (99.3%), while neighbor city of oakland had large african american population. united states supreme court, in shelley v. kraemer, later declared such covenants unenforceable state. san leandro 86.4% white-non hispanic community according in 1970 census. city s demographics began diversify in 1980s. 2010, asian americans had become plurality population in san leandro, approximately 1 third of population, non-hispanic whites accounting 27.1% of population.