The First People
The area now know as Sunol was originally settled by the Ohlone tribe about 5000 years ago.
The Ohlone lived in small villages with well defined territorial boundaries. There were about 50 different "nations or tribes" with about 50 to 500 members in each tribe. The houses were woven from bundled mats of tules. They also build boats out of tules.
The people cared for the land. They were hunters and gatherers. Acorns from oak trees were one of the main sources of food for the Ohlone. They also ate grass seeds, berries, fish and other animals that lived near the creeks and streams. In Sunol Regional Park we can see reminders of San Ramon Valley's first inhabitants. At the park there are rocks that the Ohlone people used to pound acorns.
The people were known for their basket-weaving skills and for their seasonal ceremonial dancing.
The Ohlone people passed on legends and folk tales about the clever, and greedy coyote and the small hummingbird. In their stories, usually the hummingbird would outwit the coyote. Mount Diablo was a sacred site to the Ohlone people.
After the Spanish established Mission San Jose, the Ohlone population fell from about 10,000 to 2,000 in 60 years. After 1797, the areas was used by Mission San Jose for cattle grazing.
Today, the Ohlone people are working together to:
For more information on the Ohlone people, you can visit these sites:
http://www.bayview.santacruz.k12.ca.us/ohlone/main.html
http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/is290-2/f98/oaklandkids/sites/ohlone/
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/indian1.html
- Help preserve sacred sites.
- Help protect the environment
- Help teach and preserve the art, music and dance of the Ohlone people.
- Hold community gatherings to pray, sing and dance.
- Help teach the park rangers and other educators about the Ohlone tribe.
- Help preserve and teach the Ohlone language.
For more information on the Ohlone people, you can visit these sites:
http://www.bayview.santacruz.k12.ca.us/ohlone/main.html
http://www2.sims.berkeley.edu/courses/is290-2/f98/oaklandkids/sites/ohlone/
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/indian1.html
A Town Forms
American settlers first came to San Ramon in 1850 when Leo and Mary Jane Norris purchased 4,450 acres of land. Early landowners were William Lynch, James Dougherty, and Major Samuel Russell.
The railroad came to San Ramon in 1864. The train went through San Ramon to Oakland.
The railroad came to San Ramon in 1864. The train went through San Ramon to Oakland.
The first store was built in 1863.
The first school was built in 1863. The school was named "San Ramon Grammar School".
The first post office was built in 1873.
The town had several names.
1. Brevensville after the name of the local blacksmith
2. Lynchville after pioneer William Lynch
3. Limerick because there were so many Irish settlers
4. By 1891, the name of the area changed to San Ramon after the name of a creek.
Although there were some homes, stores, schools and churches, the majority of the land was used to farm or raise cattle and sheep. For awhile, the land also had the world's largest orchard of Bartlett pears. Two historic buildings from this time have been preserved:
School age children visit both of these sites to learn what it was like for early pioneer settlers and farmers in San Ramon.
The first post office was built in 1873.
The town had several names.
1. Brevensville after the name of the local blacksmith
2. Lynchville after pioneer William Lynch
3. Limerick because there were so many Irish settlers
4. By 1891, the name of the area changed to San Ramon after the name of a creek.
Although there were some homes, stores, schools and churches, the majority of the land was used to farm or raise cattle and sheep. For awhile, the land also had the world's largest orchard of Bartlett pears. Two historic buildings from this time have been preserved:
- Forest Home Farms
- David Glass House
School age children visit both of these sites to learn what it was like for early pioneer settlers and farmers in San Ramon.
For more information about the early times of San Ramon village, visit these websites:
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/srfacts.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/history.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/history2.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/srfacts.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/history.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/history2.htm
San Ramon Today
In the 1970's, office buildings were built on the farm land and pear orchards that made San Ramon famous.
Now, many companies have offices in San Ramon.
In 1983, the people in the area decided to form an official city so they could have their own library, police and control new building development.
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By 2012, there were 74,000 people living in San Ramon. You can click on this link to see the demographics of San Ramon:http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/econdev/demog.html People from all over the world are moving to San Ramon and making it their home. The diverse culture of the area is celebrated through school festivals and other community activities.
There is a Street Smarts program for students to learn about traffic safety. http://www.street-smarts.com/
San Ramon is known for its parks, the Art and Wind Festival, the Bah Humbug Run and the excellent schools.
For additional information about San Ramon, click on the following links:
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/profile.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/finance/documents/city.pdf
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/Parks/parks_facilities/parks.htm
http://www.srvusd.net/district/overview
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/srhistory/profile.htm
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/finance/documents/city.pdf
http://www.ci.san-ramon.ca.us/Parks/parks_facilities/parks.htm
http://www.srvusd.net/district/overview
Early Finishers
Research Juan Cabrillo and add information about his explorations to the west coast of North America to your Google Presentation. If you still have extra time, create a timeline in Google Drawing showing the different people that have lived in San Ramon and the contributions they made to the area.
http://www.nps.gov/cabr/historyculture/juan-rodriguez-cabrillo.htm
http://www.landofthebrave.info/juan-rodriguez-cabrillo-facts.htm
http://www.nps.gov/cabr/historyculture/juan-rodriguez-cabrillo.htm
http://www.landofthebrave.info/juan-rodriguez-cabrillo-facts.htm