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A celebratory extravaganza is planned for the city of San Ramon’s 150th birthday this weekend.
The sesquicentennial party, set for 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at City Hall, includes events and activities that will commemorate the past century and a half of San Ramon history.
“This will be a very special day for San Ramon as it symbolizes a major milestone — 150 years of strong community,” said Heidi Kenniston-Lee, co-chair for the San Ramon 150 Planning Committee. “We invite the entire community to celebrate with us and show their San Ramon pride.”
The Sept. 9 date harks back to a major community milestone — on that date in 1867, San Ramon’s first permanent, two-room schoolhouse opened, located where Morgan’s Masonry currently stands, near the intersection of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Deerwood Road.
The school closed in 1950 and was demolished in ’61, but the owners of the masonry shop saved the chalkboard from the old schoolhouse, which now resides at the front counter.
According to Mayor Bill Clarkson, San Ramon is steeped in California history, with links to the mission system, the gold rush and even the third and final rescue expedition for the Donner Party.
“San Ramon is this suburb city that most people feel just grew up out of the empty fields,” Clarkson said. But in reality, he added, it’s one of the oldest villages in California.
Early on, the area was home to Ohlone Native Americans. Around the turn of the 19th century, it became grazing land for Mission San José, located in what is now Fremont.
By 1834, most of the land was part of the 22,000-acre Rancho San Ramon owned by José Maria Amador. He was forced to start selling off his land, however, as newly arrived American settlers — many of whom were brought to California by the gold rush — began squatting on his property and refused to leave.
His first sale was in 1851 to Leo and Mary Jane Norris, bought 4450 acres from Amador and built the first frame house on the now-San Ramon land.
As more and more made the trek, the village grew, with a stage line established in 1864 and a permanent post office opening in 1873.
Some early settlers’ names should be still-familiar to San Ramonians. For some time, James Witt Dougherty owned the most land in the Tri-Valley, having bought a cumulative 17,000 acres from Amador and another ranchero named Francisco Alviso, also names that have lingered on in street names and schools to this day.
And by 1895, attorney Thomas Bishop had bought 1-1/2 square miles for a ranch, which grew to 2,000 acres after his death — at one point, the ranch was home to the world’s largest Bartlett pear orchard.
Now, Bishop Ranch houses a business park and soon will be home to the new city center.
The 20th century saw a transition from a rural, agricultural landscape to a more suburban, developed one, and with that rapid growth — in 1960, San Ramon had an estimated population of 300 while in 2014, the count was near 80,000.
San Ramon voted to incorporate as a new city in 1983, giving residents control of development, police, parks and city services.
The birthday celebration this year is officially scheduled to last from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the San Ramon City Hall at 7000 Bollinger Canyon Road. It will include birthday refreshments, party favors, music, historic displays, balloons and activities for children, a commemorative poem by San Ramon poet laureate Kathy Moore and a panel discussion on how San Ramon became a city.
“It really is a chance for San Ramon to take a breath and fully appreciate the breadth of history that encompasses the city,” Clarkson said.
However, the San Ramon 150 celebration is more expansive than that, with other commemorative events having taken place the entire year of 2017. Upcoming events include the following:
* Iron Horse Trail Walk — Saturday, Sept. 9 starting 9:45 a.m. at both the Crow Canyon trail crossing and the California High School trail entrance. The flat, paved, 1.5-mile walk is guided and will lead participants to the San Ramon City Hall for the birthday bash. The trail walk is free but requires pre-registration.
* San Ramon 150 “Culture in the Community” Celebration — Sunday, Oct. 15 from 12 p.m. – 5 p.m., San Ramon Community Center. The event will feature multicultural performances, booths, food, activities and fashion from across the globe.
The celebration has moved to the online realm as well, with its own Twitter account and hashtag (#SanRamon150). A five-part video series about the city’s history, local business and schools is in the process and accessible on the San Ramon 150 website.
Residents are also invited to share their own personal tribute to San Ramon, by posting a “Why I Love San Ramon” online video story via YouTube or Vimeo.
Community members can RSVP for the birthday party online.
“A sesquicentennial of any community is exciting,” said Contra Costa County Supervisor Candace Andersen, who will attend the event and make a few remarks. “It’s an opportunity to reflect with gratitude upon those who came before us, who had a vision for the potential of this area. They made decisions that helped San Ramon become the vibrant diverse, safe and outstanding community that it is today.”
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San Ramon 150 celebration logo. -
The city of San Ramon’s two-room schoolhouse opened in 1867, where Morgan’s Masonry currently stands. (Photo courtesy of the Museum of the San Ramon Valley) -
San Ramon’s birthday celebration will be held on Sept. 9, exactly 150 years after the first grammar school opened. (Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County Historical Society) -
One of San Ramon’s early settlers, Leo Norris, hauls grain down the San Ramon streets in 1868. According to Mayor Bill Clarkson, it would take Norris a full day to travel to what is now San Leandro in order to unload the grain at the pier. (Photo courtesy of Contra Costa County Historical Society)
