LIVING IN SAN RAMON

San Ramon was originally occupied by the Seunen Indians, Souyen Indians and Ohlone/Costanoans Indians. The entire San Ramon Valley was granted to Mission San Jose (which is located in Fremont) in 1797. San Ramon was used as grazing land for the Mission. Don Jose Maria Amador was granted a rancho (Ranchos San Ramon) that was approximately 20,000 acres. The land was used the land to graze cattle, sheep and pigs. Jose Maria Amador started selling off his land after the Gold Rush. He sold his land to Leo Norris, Major Samuel Russell, Jeremiah Fallon, Michael Murray, James Witt Doughterty, Joel Harlan and William Glaskins. Other founding families in San Ramon were Lynch, McCamley, Crow, Bollinger, Meese, Glass and Wiedemann.

In 1895, attorney Thomas Bishop acquired land from the Norris family for a ranch. Thomas Bishop expanded his ranch, Bishop Ranch to several thousand acres and raised livestock and grew crops, such as Bartlett Pears. In 1973, Western Electric purchased land from Thomas Bishop's ranch and wanted to build a master planned community with a variety of houses, parks, stores and light industry. New homes and shopping centers were built and in 1978, Sunset Development bought 585 acres and Bishop Ranch Business Park began.

Bishop Ranch has over 10 million square feet of office, retail and hotel space and has become a Premier Corporate Location. In 2016, the new San Ramon City Hall opened in Bishop Ranch. A spectacular high-end shopping center opened in 2018, called City Center Bishop Ranch.