Primary Sources

This assignment was to identify primary sources regarding the research topic. As I shared in previous posts, I visited the Alameda Free Library and found a plethora of resources - both primary and secondary.

There were so many primary sources available that it was difficult for me to choose which to post. I chose to post these brief descriptions of the island that were located at the bottom of a large, birds-eye view map of the island. The descriptions discuss topics such as transportation and various other topics that prospective residents would find interesting. A photo of the entire map is posted at the bottom of the photos.














In Alameda; Geographical History, Merlin shares that, "Chipman toyed with the idea of calling Alameda either Peralta, Leandro City, or Elizabethtown. The reference to Peralta is a reference to the Peralta Land granted by the Spanish government. Interestingly, the Town of Alameda did not encompass all parts of the main island. At this point in the island's history, parts of the main island were named Encinal.



This 1867 advertisement for property on the island of Alameda boasts the island's close proximity to San Francisco, which is referred to as being positioned to take it's rightful place as the first city in assuming her position as one of the first cities on the American Continent. References to this fact also were also made about the prospective increase in value of the property as the last chance for men of moderate means to acquire the property.