Alvarado (formerly, New Haven) is a former settlement in and former county seat of Alameda County, California, now part of Union City.[1] It was located 5 miles (8 km) north-northwest of downtown Newark.[1]
In 1851, Henry C. Smith founded the town of New Haven, named after his father's home town of New Haven, Connecticut.[1] In 1853, the town amalgamated with a nearby town called Alvarado, and became the county seat of the newly formed Alameda County.[1] Alvarado was named for Juan Alvarado, Mexican Governor of California from 1836 to 1842.[1] The first post office opened in 1853.[1]
On January 13, 1959, Alvarado and Decoto voted to incorporate as Union City, California.[1]
Though New Haven and Alvarado are both now part of Union City, the name of New Haven lives on in the New Haven Unified School District.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Durham, David L. (1998). California's Geographic Names: A Gazetteer of Historic and Modern Names of the State. Clovis, Calif.: Word Dancer Press. p. 594. ISBN 1-884995-14-4.
Further reading
37°35′48″N 122°04′40″W / 37.5966°N 122.0777°W / 37.5966; -122.0777
