Mission San Ramon?

Did you know that the San Ramon Valley was once a part of the land grant to Mission San Jose in Fremont?

Back then, the mission comprised land reaching from the southern boundary of what is now Alameda County, through the San Ramon Valley to the Sacramento River in the north, and from San Francisco Bay to a summit of the Coast Range.

In fact, the San Ramon Valley was the first building site considered for the Mission by Franciscan Father Juan Crespi, who led a 1772 Spanish expedition through the region. But because the explorers encountered hostile indigenous people living in the valley, the decision was made to build the mission farther south.

The Missions of San Jose and Santa Clara were expected to provide a regular food supply. The brunt of the work fell on local Native Americans. The Spaniards, believing the life they offered the local inhabitants to be superior to their current life, included in their colonization plans education and Christianization of the native population. 

Among the tributes to the legacy of the Native Americans in the region is the valley's name, which was inspired by a Native sheep herder named Ramon. 

José María Amador (1781-1883), Major Domo (Administrator) at Mission San Jose, spent his early years as a soldier and explorer, serving in the Nueva España army. 

In the early 1800's, Amador received a large land grant, Rancho San Ramon. Approximately 20,000 acres, the Rancho stretched north to south across the valley from what is now Crow Canyon Road to the border of Dublin, and east to west between the two ranges of hills. Amador built the first adobe houses at Rancho San Ramon, farmed the land, and grazed 24,000 cattle, sheep and pigs.

Soon shops to produce cloth, shoes, soap, saddles, furniture, farm tools, and harnesses dotted the landscape. The Rancho's vineyard held 1,500 vines and the orchard contained 50 trees.

Amador gradually sold off the Rancho land. In 1851, Leo and Mary Jane Norris purchased one square league of land (approx. 7,600 acres) on the northwest corner of the Rancho. James Witt Dougherty bought 10,000 acres in 1852.

In his later years, penniless and laden with debt, Amador lived with his daughter in Watsonville, until his death in 1883 at the age of 89. The simple wooden cross that originally marked his grave in Gilroy was replaced in 1976 with a granite headstone.

In 1895, twelve years after Amador's death, Thomas Benton Bishop, a prominent San Francisco attorney, acquired 3,000 acres of  Norris land (after a divorce case in which Bishop's law firm represented a Norris family member).

The San Ramon Bishop Ranch raised cattle and sheep and was planted in hay, grain, walnuts, and a variety of fruit crops. Bishop's Shropshire purebred sheep earned numerous awards. The Ranch was partially irrigated from an underground aquifer and at one point possessed the world's largest single orchard of Bartlett pears.

We now add to the rich history of our community a connection to the chain of California Missions.  We learn also the beginnings of the Norris, Dougherty and Bishop families who were among those influential in shaping our city.

Acknowledgements – San Ramon Historic Foundation, Sue Yura, Doris Kinsley

Visit http://sanramonhistoricfoundation.org/ to learn how you can become a member of the San Ramon Historic Foundation and support preservation of the City's historic properties.