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Welcome to the 1st Post to San Leandro's past.

San Leandro is nestled in the hills of the east bay was a cradle to the beginning of a distinct and significant western town in the 1870's but before that home to the Costanoan Indians. The dialect of the local tribes was Chochenyo. They lived at two camp sites: 3 miles northwest and 2 miles southwest of city.  Both of these sites are now shell-mounds near the San Leandro southern border in the area now known as Coyote Hills.  You can still see the shell mounds if you stand on the small hill in the Oyster Point Dog Park by the San Leandro Bay.  PS.  Great off leash dog park!

Each week I will post some anecdotal information about street names and neighborhoods but first a little history about these names.

As of 1971 there were about 584 street names.  With so much to be told about each street, I will begin with the first known which was the Mission Trail, part of the great El Camino Real which became Oakland Road (north of Davis St) and Hayward Road (south of Davis St), now known as East 14th St.  Still known as Mission Blvd in Hayward, it may have been an Indian trail before it was a mission trail. Watkins St, later known as San Lorenzo Ave and now Washington Ave may have been an original Indian Trail as well.



Stay tuned for new weekly posts about the layout and lowdown on San Leandro.  I promise you it will be exciting.


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