Alameda County 



WILBBR WALiKBR 

 Secretary Oakland Merohants' BxchanKe 



ALAMEDA COUNTY occupies the eastern shore of San Francisco Bay, 

 extending about fifty miles in length, embracing many varieties of 

 soil and climate. At its southeastern extremity is the home of the 

 lemon, the vine, and the olive. The wine of Livermore, Alameda 

 County, received the high award of excellence at the Paris Exposition. 

 The hops of Pleasanton received the gold medal at the Louisiana Purchase 

 Exposition in 1904, and the fruits and vegetables of Alameda County 

 received the grand prize at the same St. Louis Exposition. 



The central portion of the county is the home of the sugar-beet, and 

 large quantities of garden vegetables are raised to supply the markets of 

 Oakland and San Francisco. Carloads of tomatoes and cucumbers are 

 exported and immense quantities of peas and beans are produced. This 

 is probably the only county in the world which ships scores of carloads of 

 rhubarb annually two thousand miles and more to the markets of Eastern 

 States and Europe. ^ ^-i-- rf f ihr??- 



Alameda County is the especial home of the cherry and apricot, and in 

 no other locality do these fruits attain such size and flavor as here. The 

 hay of this county is noted for quality; so much so that many owners of 

 racing stock have their hay shipped across the continent, believing the 

 extra expense is well justified. 



Alameda County contains the first mill ever erected west of the 

 Rocky Mountains to produce sugar from beets. The mill is still in success- 

 ful operation at Alvarado, and its product received a gold medal at the St. 

 Louis Exposition. Many thousands of tons of salt are produced annually 

 from the waters of San Francisco Bay. The process is simple but interest- 

 ing and furnishes employment to many hundred men throughout the year. 

 Manufacturing is carried on extensively in Alameda County, and some 

 of the largest factories in the State are in successful operation. The Judson 

 Iron Works employ hundreds of men throughout the year, while cotton-mills, 

 flax-mills, foundries, machine-shops, and numberless factories of other kinds 

 swell the output of useful and necessary articles. 



The city of Oakland is the principal business and financial center of 

 Alameda County. Its population at the present time is in the vicinity of 

 130,000 people. Joining it on either side are Berkeley, with about 35,000 

 people, and Alameda, with about 30,000 residents — a total of nearly or quite 

 200,000 people. These three communities are practically one city with 

 similar aims and efforts, and must in the near future become one united 

 municipality. 



Oakland Harbor is rapidly becoming what it was planned to be — 

 namely, a place where ship and car may meet with as little delay and ex- 

 pense as possible. The channel is rapidly being deepened, and when the 

 present contract is completed the possibilities of its use will be largely 

 increased. The northern side of the city is soon to be utilized for deep-sea 

 vessels, and works of large magnitude are now under way in that direction. 

 Berkeley will share in the benefit of this work, while Alameda will profit 

 by the deepening of Oakland Harbor, as the dividing line (largely imaginary) 

 between Alameda and Oakland is the center of the channel of Oakland 

 Harbor. 



Alameda County is rapidly increasing in population and influence. It 

 possesses great natural advantages of soil and situation. The soil is so 

 rich that fifty-six years of continuous cultivation has not impaired its fer- 

 tility. The climate is superior to the much-vaunted Italian climate. Sta- 

 tistics will and do demonstrate that we have more sunny days in Livermore 

 than are seen in Naples or Florence, and the range of temperature through- 

 out the year is remarkably even. 



The situation of Alameda County is unsurpassed. Occupying a fertile 

 level valley bordered on one side by the imperial bay of San Francisco and 



