Eden Township is a former township of

Alameda County, California Alameda County ( ) is a county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and 21st most populous nationally. The county seat is Oakland. Al ...

in the San Francisco Bay Area region, which includes the present-day cities of Hayward and

San Leandro San Leandro (Spanish for " St. Leander") is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located in the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area; between Oakland to the northwest, and Ashland, Castro Valley, and Hayward to the sout ...

, as well as the unincorporated census-designated areas of Ashland,

Castro Valley Castro Valley is a census-designated place (CDP) in Alameda County, California, United States. At the 2010 census, it was the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California and the twenty-third most populous in the United States. The popula ...

, Cherryland, Fairview, and

San Lorenzo San Lorenzo is the Italian and Spanish name for Lawrence of Rome, Saint Lawrence, the 3rd-century Christian martyr, and may refer to: Places Argentina * San Lorenzo, Santa Fe * San Lorenzo Department, Chaco * Monte San Lorenzo, a mountain on t ...

. It was created from a group of Mexican land grants that were added to Alameda County when the county was established in 1853. Today there are several public and private agencies serving the region.

History

The area of Eden Township comprises five land grants given by the Mexican government: Sobrante Rancho,

Rancho San Leandro Rancho San Leandro was a Mexican land grant in present-day Alameda County, California given in 1842 by Governor Juan Alvarado to José Joaquín Estudillo. The grant extended along the east San Francisco Bay from San Leandro Creek south to San Lor ...

(given to José Joaquín Estudillo),

Rancho San Lorenzo Rancho San Lorenzo was a Mexican land grant given in 1841 by Governor Juan Alvarado to Guillermo Castro a career soldier posted to the Pueblo of San José. The land grant included present day Hayward, San Lorenzo, and Castro Valley, including ...

, (given to Guillermo Castro), Rancho San Lorenzito (given to Francisco and Barbara Soto), and

Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda was a Ranchos of California, Mexican land grant in present day Alameda County, California. It was given in 1842 by Governor Juan B. Alvarado to José de Jesús Vallejo. The grant extended along Alameda Creek and enco ...

(given to José de Jesús Vallejo). In 1850, when California became a state, Eden was within Contra Costa County. In 1853, Alameda County was established from five townships of Contra Costa County, as well as Washington Township from Santa Clara county. In 1856, Eden Township was given one seat on the Alameda County board of supervisors. Eden Township was known as a major poultry producing area from the late 19th to the early 20th century.

Geographic features

The region stretches from the marshes of

San Francisco Bay San Francisco Bay is a large tidal estuary in the U.S. state of California, and gives its name to the San Francisco Bay Area. It is dominated by the big cities of San Francisco, San Jose, and Oakland. San Francisco Bay drains water from a ...

on the west to the borders of Contra Costa County and Murray Township to the east. The eastern side is hilly, surrounding Castro Valley and the flatlands of Hayward.

and

creeks traverse Eden Township from east to west. San Leandro Creek flows through Lake Chabot, an artificial reservoir that was formerly used for drinking water.

Services

Although the township is no longer run by a single governmental body, several services still operate using this area as an administrative district. The Eden Health District was founded in 1948 to operate Eden Hospital in Castro Valley. It is run by a board of directors elected by residents of the district. After 1998, the district no longer operates Eden Hospital, but operates to provide grants to medical organizations. It is funded entirely by leasing the office buildings it owns. Eden Township Substation is a division of Alameda County Sheriff's office that includes the unincorporated areas of Eden Township, as well as other unincorporated areas, such as Sunol and Livermore Valley. Its office is located on Foothill Blvd in San Leandro. Castro Valley/Eden Area Chamber of Commerce is a private association of businesses located in Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, Ashland, and Cherryland. Besides promoting local businesses, it also hosts and participates in local community events. Eden Area Regional Occupational Program provides career technical training for both high school students and adults in the area. It is offered through a partnership with

Chabot College Chabot College (Chabot or CC) is a public community college in Hayward, California. It is part of the Chabot-Las Positas Community College District. History Chabot College was the first college opened by the Chabot- Las Positas Community Colle ...

Castro Valley Unified School District The Castro Valley Unified School District (CVUSD) is located in Castro Valley, California, United States. It is a public preschool through adult school district. Overall, the district contains almost 9,000 students. It was created in 1965. The C ...

, and

San Lorenzo Unified School District San Lorenzo Unified School District is a school district in Alameda County, California, serving the CDP of San Lorenzo and portions of the cities of Hayward and San Leandro and the CDPs of Ashland, Castro Valley and Cherryland. It was establis ...

History

Geographic features

Services

References

Further reading