Washington Township Museum of Local History (Fremont, California) facts for kids
The Washington Township Museum of Local History is a special place in Fremont, California. It's a museum that helps people learn about the history of the local area. This area is known as Washington Township.
Two groups, the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation (MPHF) and the Washington Township Historical Society (WTHS), worked together to create this museum. They wanted to teach people, save old records, and protect historical items from Washington Township.
Contents
What is Washington Township?
Washington Township was formed in 1853. It was created from the southwestern part of Alameda County. For many years, this area was mostly farms. It had eight small towns.
Today, many of these towns are part of Fremont. The eight towns included Newark. Two towns, Alvarado and Decoto, later became Union City. The five towns that became Fremont were Centerville, Niles (also called Vallejo Mills), Mission San Jose, Irvington, and Warm Springs.
How the Museum Started
Many people helped make the museum a reality. Cecilia Weed was one of the main leaders who worked to create it. Philip Holmes became the museum's first president.
The museum is also home to a large collection of historical items. This collection belonged to Dr. Robert Fisher. It includes old record books, important documents, and about 7,500 photographs. These items help us understand the past.
The Museum's Building
The museum is located in an old fire station. This building was constructed in 1954. It was originally built for the Mission San Jose Fire District.
Volunteer firefighters worked at this station for many years. Later, the City of Fremont took over the fire services. The building stopped being a fire station in 1994. After that, it was updated and given to the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation and the Washington Township Historical Society. They turned it into the museum we see today. Volunteers have also helped make the garden around the museum beautiful.
Exploring Local History
The Washington Township Museum of Local History offers fun ways to learn. They give tours for school classes and other groups. You can visit the museum itself or the Higuera Adobe Historical Park.
They also offer walking tours. These tours explore the history of the area. You can learn about how Washington Township was settled. You'll also discover how the "Tri-cities" developed. These cities are Fremont, Newark, and Union City.
See also
- Washington Township, Alameda County, California
- Alameda County, California
