Walking Tour of Historic Dublin
Plaques
1. Old St. Raymond’s Church and Cemetery
Dublin Blvd
San Ramon Valley Blvd
X
2. Amador Valley Hotel
Petco
3. Green’s Store
Donlon
4. Dougherty Station Hotel
5. Alamilla Spring, and site of
Jose Maria Amador’s house
5
4
1
2
1
3
1
1
1
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Plaques donated by Joaquin Murietta, E. Clampus Vitus, Chapter 13
Amador Valley Hotel, Dougherty Station Hotel, Green’s Store, and Jose Maria Amador in Dublin, CA
Walking Tour of Historical Plaques Near
the Dublin Heritage Center
Materials to bring
Dublin History class ‘textbook’ –map of old Dublin (T)
Dublin Reflection book (R)
old photos of the area
2 small rocks to use at the spring
plastic bag in case there are black walnuts near the spring to pick
up for Ohlone Days
**Have Students Read All Plaques**
1. Show students maps of the Bay Area and map of Dublin with buildings
B: beginning of booklet
2. Go to Plaque #1: Old St. Raymond’s Church.
Review old Dublin map to see where the other building were located down this street.
Also, see attached church information.
B: beginning of booklet
3. Walk down the street. Before you get to Plaque #2, talk about what Dublin would
have looked like back then.
- What do you see now, that wasn’t around back then?
- What do you see now that WAS around back then?
Look at the hills, and look up and down too.
B: Downtown Dublin 1913. Looking east down Dublin Blvd. Green Store visible.
pg. 78
4. Go to Plaque #2: Amador Valley Hotel
John Green built 1860. Transfer to this spot. On routes for
Oakland/Stockton/Sacramento, and Martinez/San Jose
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Tell how this was at the cross roads of two major stagecoach lines. It was a one-day’s
journey to Oakland. Most people would walk, ride a horse, or ride in a wagon for this
trip. The stagecoaches were more expensive. They had no glass windows and were
dusty and bumpy. You’d be squeezed together with people you didn’t know.
If you drive in your car for 5 hours, what do you do when you stop for gas? Often
you eat, go to the bathroom, shop, or stay overnight in a hotel. They did these same
things when they stopped of in Dublin. There were hotels with restaurants, a stable to
feed the horses, and a general store across the street to buy things such as clothes, a
brush, or even candy!
R: also known as the Dublin Hotel. pg. 31
5. Cross to the other side of the street on Donlon Way.
6. Go to Plaque #3: Green Store.
1860. In constant use since beginning. Used as general store,
pub, restaurant, part library
This is now a church. Please be respectful, there might be meetings inside.
Look at the pictures of the Green Store in the past. What is the same about it?
What is different?
If there is time, walk around the building. In back, you may be able to see a bit of the
basement area and old construction. A ‘general store,’ means just that, it had
‘general’ items in it – everyday things that people needed. This was like an oldfashion ‘Target.’ You could get food, lamps, clothes washing supplies, and things for
your house and farm.
R: 1906. pg 76. 1914. pg. 173
In addition, this store sometimes had a post office in it. Point out the porch. If there
is no meeting happening, let students quietly walk on the porch. They can pretend
they are going to their stagecoach.
There was also a tiny public library here. Look at the picture of where the library
was. The door isn’t there now, but you can still see where they patched it.
R: In operation from 1914 – 1948. pg. 41, 42. The man in foreground of the library
on page 42 was Donna Kob’s father. During a docent tour on June 1997 she told us
that her father had to come home and changed into his suit to take this photo. 1914.
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pg. 173 – Note library door on far left. Today, you can still see where they patched
the wall where the door used to be – Look for it!
7. Go across Dublin Blvd., then cross the street to Donlon.
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8. Go to Plaque #4: Dougherty Station Hotel
1862 built by Dougherty.
Alternated with Green’s store as Post Office
Why would they build hotels right across the street from each other? Do businesses
who sell similar things do that today? Yes - gas stations grouped together, fast food
places, car dealerships. Why would they do that? (What business or economic sense
does that make?) Example: Is there only one hotel by Disneyland? Why?
(In economics, when people come to buy things, they like to compare and have
choice. Having similar businesses in the same area draws more people to the area
because people figure they don’t have to go far to compare items.) The same thing
applied here - there was a demand for rooms, because of the stagecoach lines, and
people like to have choices.
R: pg 70
9. Cross the street to the other side of Donlon and walk down Dublin Blvd toward the
Petsmart on the corner of Dublin Blvd. and San Ramon Valley Rd. Petsmart is near
the location of Jose Maria Amador’s ranch house.
10. Continue down the street, turning left onto San Ramon Valley Rd. Just before the
apartments, there is a marker.
11. Go to Plaque #5: Don Jose Maria Amador
Soldier, explorer, pioneer, rancher. Born 1794. Administrator of Mission San Jose.
Owned land from crest of western ridge, to the crest of the eastern ridge. Raised
grapes. Died 1883. Only man in California history to have county, valley, city and
school named after him. Discuss information from our readings in the booklet.
R: pg. drawing of Amador
T: Section on Jose Amador
12. Before going to Alamilla Spring discuss the following:
What is a spring? What do you think a spring looks like? What do you imagine it
would look like around the springs? If you want, explain what an underground
aquifer is. Draw a picture. For a quick explanation, you can say it is like a deep
underground ‘river’ with clean water.
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13. Just to the right of the Amador plaque, walk behind the carport toward the
apartments. You will see a watery area. Walk toward the rear toward the apartments.
Make sure the students stand back from the edge. This is Alamilla Spring. Discuss
the information below from our text about the importance of this spring to Amador’s
property.
In this valley there were hills for protection and fertile land good for farming. Jose
knew it was important to have a good water supply, so he later had the Mexican
government add Alamilla Springs to his property. (One spring is located at Dublin
Blvd. and San Ramon Valley Road where the Springs Apartments are today.)
What do you see around the spring now?
What do you think people would have seen back then?
This is an active spring that still is fed with fresh water.
Note: If the spring is covered with green so it looks like a flat mat of green, this is
duckweed. Duckweed is a very tiny green plant with a root hanging below that floats
on the surface. Its flowers are one of the world’s smallest! You probably can’t see
the flowers, they are extremely small and only bloom at certain times. Duckweed
grows in still or slow moving water. It is very high in protein (even more than
soybeans) and is eaten by animals. Duckweed can help purify water by removing
excess minerals, such as nitrogen and phosphates. Some scientists are trying to find
ways to use duckweed to clean up polluted water.
If there are tules growing, have them remember that this is what the Ohlone people
used for their homes and clothing.
Have students imagine what this place would have looked like during the Settler’s
days. This area was part of a large marsh covering much of downtown Dublin (past
Casa Arrozco, where Mervyns was, and out to Michaels craft store). Much of Dublin
had springs around it. Imagine all the deer, fox, ducks, and bear that came by this
area to drink.
Why is the spring here? The Calaveras Fault runs near this location. When there is a
crack in the earth, it allows the underground water supply (aquifer,) to leak up to the
surface. This is what a spring is, a crack in the earth that lets water ‘spring’ up.
Think about how lava comes up through the crust in weak spots in the earth’s crust.
Water does something similar, but usually isn’t as deep as lava.
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Have students note that this water isn’t all muddy and gooey. If students can’t see
any open area of water, do the following: Have student watch carefully as YOU
throw a small rock into the spring. Have them observe that when the rock hits the
water, the water that is thrown up is clear and really watery. Remind them that
ONLY YOU will do this. Although it is fresh spring water, you wouldn’t want to
drink it because it is polluted from the fertilizers and buildings nearby.
NOTE: If there are black walnuts on the ground, pick some up to use for future Ohlone Days.
14. Walking back on San Ramon Valley Blvd, cross Dublin Blvd. to the gas station.
15. Continue down Dublin Blvd, past “Frankie, Johnnie, and Luigi’s” restaurant and
return to Heritage Center.
NOTES: MURRAY SCHOOL photographs
R: pg. 6 – students on steps of Murray School
pg. 180, 181 – students on steps of Murray School
pg. 185 – Murray School being moved across the freeway
Plaques donated by Joaquin Murietta, E. Clampus Vitus, Chapter 13
Amador Valley Hotel, Dougherty Station Hotel, Green’s Store, and Jose Maria Amador in Dublin, CA
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Old St. Raymond’s Church
St. Raymond’s Church was built in 1859 with redwood lumber hauled from Joaquin
Miller Park area in Oakland Hills (around what is now Chabot Space and Science Center).
The church is in the exact location where it was built, unlike Murray School, which was
moved to this location. If the church were moved, it would lose its historical status. Old St.
Raymond’s is the oldest standing wooden church in California. It has always been a
Catholic Church. The church was originally a mission church served by a priest who rode
out from Oakland on horse back. People of other Christian religions had their own church.
The church has ‘gothic arches’, arches that come to a point on top. In Ireland during
that time, this architectural style was popular. Since many of the recent settlers were from
Ireland, they brought this style with them. Tom Donlon’s headstone also has this gothic
arch style. Note: Roman arches are rounded and popular during the Spanish Mission time.
A belfry (bell tower) was added in 1880.
Look at the windows. Glass was expensive, so to protect them, shutters were used.
Shutters helped stop animals from coming inside and also helped to keep it cooler in the
summer, and warmer in the winter. Bars were sometimes put on the windows to prevent
animals from coming in.
Historians can investigate St. Raymond’s Church to see how it was built and to figure
out what it originally looked like. They use their knowledge of other old churches and how
the Catholic churches were used at the time it was built. Clues, such as marks of where old
rails and posts were, as well as old paint, and nail holes. help historians infer what used to
be there.
For example, inside the church at the front, there is a short raised platform. From what
we know about older Catholic Churches, we know that they often had a railing (short fence)
that separated the area where the priest spoke from the rest of the people. If you look
closely at the edge of the platform in St. Raymond’s Church, floor you can see dark square
sections on the floor. These show where the posts for the railings used to be! In the middle
of this platform there would have been a gate. They have also discovered that benches used
to go across the room. They think that the ends of the benches were nailed to the walls. The
church was built with lumber of different lengths and widths. This is another clue that lets
us know the church is old.
If you look closely toward a hook on the ceiling near the rear, you can see the faint
image of a bird or angle that has been painted over.
The Green and Mason families lived across from the church.
Information gathered from books and from 15 years of docent talks, including Donna Kolb. – L. Butsuda
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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bennett, Virginia Smith. Dublin Reflections and Bits of Valley History. Dublin,
CA: Dublin Historical Preservation Association. 1992.
Dublin Heritage Center. Our Valley Ancestors curriculum guide. Developed by Jim
Gahl, ___________ and the Dublin Heritage Center.
Dublin Heritage Center field trip docents from 1996 – 2009 for L. Butsuda’s 3rd grade
classes from Frederiksen School. Docents include Donna Kolb and members of
the Dublin Heritage Society.
Frederiksen Schoo, Dublin Unified School District teachers, Gail Soldavini, Regina
Paulus, Vy Steager, and Denise Nathanson, from 1996 – 2000.
Jacobus, Patricia. “Dublin’s rich history spans more than two centuries.”
Tri-Valley Herald, May 199_ (?)
Joaquin Murietta, E.Clampus Vitus, Chapter 13. Historical plaques for Amador
Valley Hotel, Dougherty Station Hotel, Green’s Store, and Jose Maria Amador all
in Dublin, California. Dublin, CA.
Kolb, H. W. “Dublin’s Early History, January 7, 1965” [photocopy]. Dublin, CA.
Museum of the San Ramon Valley. The Sword and The Cross. Danville, CA:
Museum of the San Ramon Valley, 1993.
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