Dover
Dover is a name synonymous with the city of San Pablo with namesakes given to a street and school. However, the name Dover doesn't come from a pioneer but rather from a young lady, Elizabeth Dover, whose family eventually settled in San Pablo in the late 1890s. Miss Dover was the Elizabeth Taylor of her day having married several times. Her most profitable marriage was the first to Henry Emeric, son of Joseph who owned a large amount of Rancho San Pablo. When Joseph died, Henry inherited a large fortune. So, when Henry died, Elizabeth inherited the Emeric estate.
Born in Kern County in 1874, the daughter of Jesse Bean Dover, native of Tennessee [1939-1906] and Elizabeth Keitter Dover Dodson, native of Canada [1848–1917]. Elizabeth's mother had married again in 1890 to Nevada McCalmus Dodson. When Elizabeth's family came to California, they originally settled in Santa Clara County, then moved to Bakersfield in Kern County where Elizabeth was born. They eventually arrived and settled in San Pablo at the end of the 1890s.
This 1921 map of Richmond showing a portion of San Pablo, shows the street names as they existed then. Note many street names are different from what we have today. Extreme left is Kearney Road, which became 13th street, and is Rumrill Blvd. today. Alvarado Street, shown upper right, is today's San Pablo Avenue. The streets left of 23rd were numbered differently, and 23rd ended at Market street; and continued as Stockton Street. The property of "J. J. Dooling" at bottom center, later became the site of Richmond Union High School. The lot to the upper right (which is unmarked) was owned by the Moitoza family, and later became the site of Salesian High School. The Moitoza tract property at bottom left became Downer Jr. High, later an Elementary School. Dover Avenue runs from Kearney Road (now Rumrill) to Church Lane. Within this area are streets named after family members; Tyler, Elizabeth, Freeman and Emeric.
The numbered streets above, starting at left from Kearney Road to Stockton (23rd street) were renumbered consecutively. The only street that has retained its name today is Tyler Street. The double lines at bottom left, between Bush and Emeric and Emeric and California, are back alleys that ran between the properties. There are some seen at left from Bush to Market. They still exist in some places and in others have been sold to adjacent property owners but are now fenced off.
Note: Kearny Road as shown on the map should be spelled "Kearney" and the two streets between Tyler and 5th Street, (Elizabeth and Freeman streets) are in reference to Elizabeth Dover and her husband Freeman.
This later map from the Sanborn Map Company, dated June 1928 shows a portion of the area of Dover Avenue at Church Lane. The large yellow rectangle at top is the Holy Ghost I.D.E.S. Hall which later became Maple Hall. Willow Street was later changed to Dodson a family related to the Dovers by marriage.
1911 map of San Pablo from a Richmond directory on Ancestry.
Note the tract names for each section; Richmond/Pullman, Dover and Pueblo Villas. At that time, Dover was a street before it was later considered an Avenue. Below Dover is County Road No. 11; Market Street, which also became an Avenue.