The vibrant East Bay city of Hayward was named for William Hayward, a 49er and American squatter who endeared himself to Mexican landowner Guillermo Castro by making him a good pair of boots. With Castro’s permission, William stayed to open Hayward’s Hotel on what is now Main and A Streets. That fortuitous location, near the convergence of the eight tributaries forming San Lorenzo Creek, made the region a natural transportation hub between the bay and the fertile Livermore Valley. Stagecoach lines, a narrow-gauge railroad, and later modern transportation links encouraged more immigrants to settle. Today Hayward is a diverse city of almost 150,000 people, and home to a campus of the California State University.

About the Author
Author Robert Phelps, associate professor of history at Cal State Hayward, has selected the finest images from the extensive archives of the Hayward Area Historical Society to map this visual journey through Hayward’s past, from prehistoric ti (more…)

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