The History of Dublin, California

Dublin (formerly Amador and Dougherty Station) is a suburban town in the East (San Francisco) Bay and Tri-Valley regions of Alameda County , California , United States. It is located on the north side of Interstate 580 at the intersection of Interstate 680, approximately 35 miles (56 km) east of downtown San Francisco, 23 miles (37 km) east of downtown Oakland, and 31 miles (50 km) north of downtown San Jose.

It was referred to as “Dublin” in reference to the city of Dublin , Ireland, due to the large number of Irish living there. The name was formally adopted by the post office in the 1890s. The population was 46,063 (2010) and the 2019 estimate was 64,826. Dublin was the second fastest-growing city in the state of California in 2013, behind Santa Clarita alone. Census data showed Dublin as one of the fastest growing cities in the country in 2019. Dublin was formerly home to the headquarters of Sybase, Inc. and is currently home to CallidusCloud, Patelco Credit Union, Ross Stores, TriNet, Medley Health, Challenge Dairy and Arlen Ness.

History

It wasn’t until about 1835 that the construction began in the area. Jose Maria Amador was paid in land for his years of service as a Mexican soldier and as a San Jose Mission Administrator. He was granted a land grant of 16,517 acres in the Amador-Livermore Valley. He built several adobe houses and many small buildings that were used as shops where his Indian workers made soap, blankets, shoes, farm tools, etc. for use on his ranch.

Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon came from Ireland to this area in 1850. They bought 1,000 acres of land from Jose Amador and built homes for their families. The area has begun to grow as many have settled in the area.

In 1853, the county of Alameda was formed from parts of the counties of Contra Costa and Santa Clara. Both Murray and Fallon served on the Alameda County Supervisory Board. The townships were established the following year and Murray ‘s name was chosen for this area.

The first schoolhouse in the Amador-Livermore Valley was built in Dublin by 1877, along with a church, two hotels, the Green’s Store, a wagon and a blacksmith shop, and a shoemaker ‘s shop. The Murray Schoolhouse, the Green’s Store, the St. Raymond Church and the historic cemetery (where members of the Donner Party Expedition are buried) have been preserved and are now located on the Donlan Way. Mail was sent to the Dougherty Station Hotel. Thus, the area became known as the Dougherty Station. Subsequently, the area was known as Dublin.

Dublin voted against incorporation several times in the 1960s and 1970s, but by the early 1980s, the population of Dublin had increased to a point where county administration was no longer feasible. After almost 150 years as an unincorporated village, Dublin became the 14th town in Alameda County as a town with a population of 15,000 on 1 February 1982. Peter W. Snyder, the successful owner of the auto parts store, was elected the first mayor of the City.

Over the last 20 years, the rapidly expanding Tri-Valley area has become renowned as a place of prosperity, a center for internationally acclaimed business parks, and home to some of the world’s largest corporations.

Dublin, California has some amazing landmarks you don’t want to miss:

  • Emerald Glen Park
  • Dublin Hills Regional Park
  • Hacienda Crossings Shopping Center
  • The Shops at Waterford
  • Fallon Sports Park
  • Green’s Store 
  • Old St. Raymond’s Church  
  • Wallis Ranch
  • Tassajara Hills
  • Tralee Village

All of these wonderful landmarks are located just a short distance from our location located at 6400 Village Pkwy #101 in Dublin, California! Stop by for a visit anytime!