History of Dublin and Surrounding Area

By Steven S. Minniear, Historian, City of Dublin 

For centuries, Native Americans lived in the area that would become Dublin, California. By 1835, the Mexican government granted Jose Maria Amador 16,500 acres for his service as a soldier and former administrator of Mission San Jose, including land in the Amador and San Ramon Valleys.  His ranch house was located near the intersection of Dublin Boulevard and San Ramon Road, which is now the site of the intersection. In the 1850s, after making money during the Gold Rush, Michael Murray and Jeremiah Fallon, former residents of Ireland, bought 982 acres from Amador near the current Dublin Heritage Park & Museums. 

The ranches of Amador, Murray, and Fallon were near the heavily traveled crossroads that led west to the San Francisco Bay, south to Mission San Jose, east to Livermore, and north to Martinez. A general store, church, barns, and even hotels clustered around the crossroads by 1860. Old St. Raymond Church (built 1859) and the Pioneer Cemetery are at the Dublin Heritage Park. 

After the Gold Rush, James Witt Dougherty purchased 10,000 acres from Jose Maria Amador.  He became the largest landowner and most prominent rancher in the area. His lands included property in Tassajara Valley, Dougherty Valley, and Amador Valley.  Additionally, he owned a hotel and managed the post office at the Dublin crossroads. As postmaster, he named the small town Dougherty Station.  He helped form Alameda County in 1853 and was a supervisor during the mid-1860s. 

Dublin continued as a local crossroads throughout the 19th century. Small family-run farms remained the primary business until the advent of cars and trucks in the early 20th century. 

World War II changed the face of Dublin and Amador Valley. In 1942, the U.S. Navy began construction of the Naval Construction Battalion Rest and Recuperation Center (better known as Camp Parks). It opened in 1943 and housed 30,000 Seabees. Next to it was the Naval Training and Distribution Center, which was just as large. The final complex along Tassajara Road was the Shoemaker Naval Hospital, which had 3,000 beds. Altogether, during World War II, the three bases housed over 70,000 sailors and Marines. 

While the Navy bases closed in 1946, Dublin’s military connections were not over. During the 1950s, Camp Parks became Parks Air Force Base, which served as a basic training facility for thousands of new recruits. Later, the U.S. Army took over possession of the old Camp Parks and now operates the property as Parks Reserve Forces Training Area. 

Alameda County took possession of the old Navy property east of Camp Parks. From 1947 through 1989, it operated the county jail near the intersection of Tassajara Creek and Highway 50 (later Interstate 580). A newer, larger jail on Broder Road opened in 1989. 

Real estate developers saw opportunities in Dublin and southern San Ramon in the early 1960s.  Kenneth Volk and Robert McLain constructed a large housing and commercial development.  The new community was named San Ramon Village. Soon, more developers were building homes and businesses in the quickly growing community. In the early 1960s, Dublin had approximately 200 people. By the end of the year, there were more than 1,296 residents. 

Local business owners and residents founded the Chamber of Commerce in 1968. They became unwavering advocates for the creation of the City of Dublin. Dublin became a city on February 1, 1982. Before then, Dublin had been an unincorporated part of Alameda County. 

Dublin now has over 70,000 residents and continues to grow. It remains one of the fastest-growing cities in California. Dublin is considered business-friendly with a forward-thinking approach that has served it well throughout its history.