Way Back When: Castro Valley in 1958

I came across this article that is all about Castro Valley ... from 1958. But when you read it, it's interesting how much Castro Valley sounds the same. Enjoy!

The Daily Review

March 17, 1958

Castro Valley Offers ‘Living’ Space to Area

CASTRO VALLEY – This community’s role in the industrial expansion of Southern Alameda County is to provide residences for Bay Area working classes. When asked what was Castro Valley’s most outstanding industry, its answered, “Homes!”

Most of its present population, some 37,000, obtains its income from outside “The Valley.” Breadwinners who draw pay checks from Hayward, San Leandro, Oakland and points as distant as San Francisco and the Peninsula, call Castro Valley home.

Since the opening of the U.S. 50 Freeway, the valley has been no more than 15 minutes from most Southern Alameda County locations. Its largest, most prominent facility is on Lake Chabot Rd. The huge $5 million building, with its 225 beds is publicly owned by the Eden Township Hospital Dist.

One of the outstanding shopping centers in Southern Alameda County is $1.5 million Castro Village. Designed to serve primarily Valley residents, the center features parking space for 450 cars, 43 stores, occupies eight buildings and provides 95,000 square feet of floor space. Another shopping center, designed along the same lines, is currently being planned for the Valley.

In 1945, according to the Chamber of Commerce, the Valley population was 5,000. By 1980 it is expected to swell to 80,000. Chamber officials estimate some 10,000 homes are located within the Valley, which would probably double in number if the expected population increase holds true.

Because of its physical nature, the Valley has easily adopted a residential character, leaving the race for industry to its neighboring communities. The cost range of a Valley home is $14,000 to $30,000, with the more expensive homes located on the community’s graceful hills.

Its business district, geared to service the homeowner, is primarily made up of grocery, clothing, or other utility stores, with an occasional light industry. The business district is concentrated on both sides of Castro Valley Blvd. which, at the cost of $240,000, was widened, resurfaced, lined with new sidewalks and opened to the public Oct. 1.

Boundaries of the unincorporated community are made up of a composite of , Fire Protection and School Dists. Within those boundaries are some 20 or more schools of the Castro Valley and Hayward School districts, a parochial school and the recently constructed Castro Valley High School, a part of the Hayward Union High School Dist.

Among its annual events are the Miss Castro Valley beauty pageant, in which the winner is sent to Santa Cruz to represent Southern Alameda County, with the ultimate goal of going on to the Miss America contest. Another annual event is the Castro Valley picnic in which the entire community participates.

The community is located on a part of some 26,000 acres of land granted by the Mexican government to Don Guillermo Castro in 1843. In 1859 John William Jamieson established a 125-acre ranch near the present location of Castro Valley Blvd. and Redwood Rd. By this time Castro began selling parts of his property to pay off gambling debts.

Castro Valley Blvd. (then known as Mattox Rd.) was a main route linking Livermore Valley with the rest of Alameda County.

At the turn of the century Castro Valley experienced its first boom – chicken ranches began making their appearance, to become a Valley “major industry” until recent years. The first stores, hailing the start of the present business district, appeared shortly after the chicken ranches.

Yet the residential character of Castro Valley failed to appear, even during the 1920’s and 30’s when the only sign of construction was found off Redwood and Lake Chabot Rds.

In 1943 the first bank appeared in Castro Valley, and in 1950 construction on the first unit in Castro Village started. That was the start of a residential building boom, the death knell of the chicken ranches and the beginning of an influx of home buyers seeking rural living.