Greetings family, friends and neighbors! Today's snapshot from the Ralph Family Photo Album is brief chronicle of local history. When we moved to the Mission Valley neighborhood of Fremont more than 50 years ago I knew that Mission San Jose had been established in the late 1700's but I didn't fully realize the rich history of the area that also once included world renowned wineries, lush agricultural land, an amusement park, and the first co-educational college in the region.....Bill
Embedded Files
Before there was Cal State Hayward, Chabot College or Ohlone College,150 years ago on a bluff overlooking the intersection of San Jose Road, Centerville Road, Mission Road and Union Street in Washington Township, referred to by locals as “ The Corners”, stood the regions first private college. The Washington College of Science of Industry was founded in 1871 by Rev. W.F.B. Lynch on land donated by Elias Beard and financially supported by the local community. Washington College was modeled after European polytechnical schools that embraced “The idea is that young women should enjoy equal intellectual advantages with young men, and that they should be educated together” and within a few years more than 130 students from all over California were enrolled at Washington College. In 1883 the school was rededicated as a coeducational Disciples of Christ Christian College but when the State of California created the free public high school system in 1894, and with shrinking enrollments, the institution was forced to close. With ever present local support, the attractive hillside campus with it’s imposing main building, men and women’s dormitories and gymnasium reopened as the Curtner Seminary for Young Ladies. Unfortunately a fire destroyed the girls dormitory in 1899 and the groundbreaking institution was forced to close. The Anderson Academy military school for young men took over the campus in 1900 and survived the 1906 San Francisco earthquake that reduced the neighboring Gallegos Winery to rubble. Educating young people came to an end at the historic location in 1915 when the aging schoolmaster decided that he could no longer handle the day’s “rambunctious youth”! By the 1960’s the historic main building had been a private residence for decades when we moved to Fremont, just a stones throw from the historic site. The ball field, gymnasium and the signature canary island palms were still evident when we attended an estate sale that signaled Washington College’s final demise. A housing development, Timber Creek Terrace, now occupies the historic site while across Driscoll Road and Washington Blvd. the ruins of the Gallegos winery awaits it’s future as the location of a proposed Irvington BART Station. Only the signature palm trees remain as a reminder of where regional equal education became a reality. -Bill Ralph
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse