Washington Township Museum of Local History is a historical museum located in
Fremont, California
Fremont is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Located in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, Bay Area, Fremont has a population of 230,504 as of 2020, making it the fourth List of cities and towns in the San Fra ...
. The two historical organizations, the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (MPHF) and Washington Township Historical Society (WTHS), formed the Museum of Local History Guild to focus on education, archival research and preservation of the historical resources of
Washington Township. The Washington Township was created in 1853 from the southwestern part of
Alameda County
Alameda County ( ) is a List of counties in California, county located in the U.S. state of California. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 1,682,353, making it the 7th-most populous county in the state and List ...
. For many decades, Washington Township consisted of agricultural fields dotted with eight towns, many now part of Fremont and some with local historians publishing their stories. The eight towns were the town of
Newark
Newark most commonly refers to:
* Newark, New Jersey, city in the United States
* Newark Liberty International Airport, New Jersey; a major air hub in the New York metropolitan area
Newark may also refer to:
Places Canada
* Niagara-on-the ...
, the two towns that became
Union City, viz., Alvarado and
Decoto
Decoto is a neighborhood of Union City, California originally established as a separate community. It is located north-northwest of downtown Newark, along California State Route 238.
History
In 1867, Ezra Decoto, a local landowner sold land to ...
, and the five towns that became
Fremont, viz., Centerville, Niles (Vallejo Mills), Mission San Jose, Irvington, and Warm Springs.
Cecilia Weed was one of the people who led the effort to create the museum. Philip Holmes was the museum's first president.
The historical collection of Dr. Robert Fisher found a home here, which includes local record books, documents and 7500 photographs.
The museum is located in a historic fire station building which was built in 1954 for the Mission San Jose Fire District. Volunteer fire-fighters operated the fire station until the City of Fremont took over. It served as a fire station until 1994, then was remodeled and was leased to the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation and The Washington Township Historical Society for use as a museum. Volunteers have landscaped the garden around the museum.
The Washington Township Museum of Local History offers tours for classes and other groups at museum and at the Higuera Adobe Historical Park. Walking tours explore local history from the settlement of Washington Township through the development of the Tri-cities: Fremont, Newark and Union City.
See also
*
Washington Township, Alameda County, California
Washington Township is a former township of Alameda County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area region, which includes the present day cities of Union City, Fremont, and Newark. The first permanent settlement in the area was Mission San Jo ...
*
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 ...
References
External links
Official websiteArchive.org collectionMission Peak Heritage FoundationWashington Township Historical Society
{{coord, 37.53007, -121.92033, format=dms, type:landmark_region:US-CA, display=title
Museums in Alameda County, California
History museums in California
Fire stations in California