Poster of Livermore from 1889

Livermore Valley, California
In January 1889, Looking Southwest (the drawing actually states "Southeast")
Published by William Pitt Bartlett, who owned the Livermore Herald at the time.
The bottom photo is a close up of the center of town from the poster.
Areas and buildings are numbered throughout, some of which can be made out at the resolution of the bottom photo.
There is a good copy of this poster on display at the History Center.  It is a valuable source of information.
The numbered key and text are reprinted below.

The old railroad turntable, used to turn around extra engines that were used to climb the altamont pass, can bee seen near the top right, on one of the branches which split off from the main track in front of the engine.  This drawing has trains coming in both directions!!
St. Michaels church (#49) can be seen near the bottom, just to the right of the train approaching from the bottom left.  This building burned in 1916.

The railroad tracks are the old set, run by the Central Pacific (later Southern Pacific).  Railroad Ave. can be seen north of the tracks.  The street to the north (right) of Railroad Ave. is Oak Street (it is labeled).  The WP tracks were built on what used to be Oak Street.  This street no longer exists except for a small portion along the tracks. 
 

This list is copied from the poster
Items in bold are buildings which are still standing (it might be an incomplete list)

#3, Cresta Blanca, may have some structures remaining.
#8, Ruby Hill.  Building demolished in 2002 and replica built nearby.
#67, Morning Star Hotel became the Valley Hotel.  The building in the poster no longer exists, but a later annex remains.

The following descriptions are on the poster

Livermore Valley,
California

Is a saucer-like basin in the heart of the Coast Range of Mountains, 40 miles east of San Francisco.  It is hemmed in by high, rolling hills, and lofty and rugged mountain ridges, on every side.  An altitude of 500 feet above sea level, ensures pure air and freedom from frosts; a location midway between the sea coast and the great valleys of the interior renders it free from the cold and fogs of the one, and the intense summer heat of the other.  There is no irrigation - consequently, no miasma.  The lofty wall-like ridges tot he right of the picture hold back the coast fogs, and on more than a hundred days in each year, then San Francisco is wrapped in chilly damp and mist, Livermore Valley is bathed in charming sunshine.  The air is dry, sparkling and pure, and has won back to health hundreds of invalids, to whom San Francisco's fogs and winds were bringing certain death.

VINEYARD PLANTING begin in Livermore Valley in1882.  The discovery that certain orchard trees succeed was made but two years ago.  There are now 6,000 acres of vineyard, mostly in bearing, and 1,500 of young orchard - mainly almonds, apricots and pears.  But a portion is shown in the above view.  The planting progresses at the rate of 1,000 acres a year.  The wine output in1888 was upwards of 500,000 gallons.  Only the best European varieties have been planted.  Livermore Valley wines have for three years taken high rank in annual competitions at State Viticultural Conventions.

Town of Livermore.

The town of Livermore is situated in the center of the valley.  Its population is 1880, was 855; in 1888, 2500.  Its resources are various - stock and sheep raising, grain and hay growing, orcharding, vine-growing, and coal and chrome-mining, being the most prominent.  It has numerous manufacturers, turning out in 1888, $500,000 worth of perfected products.  Has a rapidly developing tributary country of upwards of 600 square miles of territory.  The town is built on a gravelly loam foundation, making perfect roadways, summer or winter.  There ore many charming mountain canyons, offering inviting drives at all seasons.  The Aqua de Vida Springs, a mountain health and pleasure resort, 10 miles distant, opened last season, became very popular, attracting many of the most prominent people of the State.

Town of Pleasanton.

At the west end of the beautiful Livermore Valley, shown in the distance, at the extreme right of the picture is a tract of rich, deep, moist alluvial land, several thousand acres in extent; contiguous to the town of Pleasanton.  This land, formerly all a willow swamp, is now being drained, cleared and tilled.  The lower marginal view of Pleasanton and the Rose-Black Tracts, shows this rich country and the extent of its reclamation and cultivation.  The range and extend of its product, seem almost without limit.  The sketch of a sample group of vegetables scarcely does justice to the reality and is certainly in no wise exaggerated.  A canal 3 1/2 miles long, is in course of constructions which will not only drain these lands, but protect them from all danger from overflow.  Pleasanton is a charming town embowered in foliage, and the productiveness of its soil is marvelous.

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The Book Early Livermore contains 128 pages of Livermore Historical photos and commentary. It is available for 19.99 plus tax at the Livermore Heritage Guild History Center at the Carnegie Building Click here for more information