East First Street

This page concentrates on the eastern part of 1st St., mostly east of Livermore Ave.  The Hub in the first picture is on the north western corner of 1st and Livermore, but east first street is shown.

The Hub in about 1950, where the fountain at First & Livermore is now.  First Street now cuts the corner through the right side of where the Hub was.  The Hub was built in 1892 and was torn down about 1974-75.
The streets appear to be decorated for Christmas.
Sign on left building:  "Regan's Market", "Sunbeam Bread"
Building to the left of the Hub: "Wilson & Palmer Realty", "..., ..., ...creage, Ranches", "Oakland Tribune", "Federal ..."
On the Hub: Sign sticking out on left: "Broiled Steaks"
Canopy: "Cafe", "Candy"
Windows: "Open" "CocaCola" (logo), "Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner", Candies, Cookies, Cakes, ....ts"
Sign above on right: "... Cafe"
Sign sticking out on right: "The Hub",  "Lunch"
In the background on east 1st: "Richfield"
 

The Hub of Livermore, 1950. First & Livermore. This picture is to the right of the picture above, with some overlap.  They were not taken at the same time.  There are no Christmas decorations in this picture.
On the far left is The Hub sign (NW corner) with only the 2nd story overhang of the building visible.
  Just to its right (and under the sign) is the Bank of Italy building.  The building to the right of it is marked Schenone Grocery with Livermore Hardware (formerly Dutcher's Hardware - see photos) to its right.  These two buildings are now Livermore Cyclery (Update: all buildings to the right (east) of the Bank of Italy Building were torn down in September 2004).  Fireside Thrift Loans is next, advertising a rate of 4%.
Additional signs down east 1st St read "Pontiac", "Tires, Brakes", Richfield"
  The Flagpole is on the far right at it's original location.  It appears to be wrapped with something to help protect it from the cars.
The O'Neil & McCormack Chevron station is where the Livermore Hotel was (it is now a park).

The Livermore Hotel and Flagpole.  A similar angle as above, but older (around 1920).  The Livermore Hotel is present where the gas station is above.  Just to the left of the hotel, well up the street, is Denis Bernal's Diamond Flour Mill with the sloped roof (see enlargement below).  The far left side is the portion of the McLeod building which was not town down (see McLeod building photos).  Presumably the Bank of Italy building is to the left, off of the photo.  Dutcher's Hardware to the right still has the bay windows.  These two buildings are now Livermore Cyclery (Update: These buildings were removed in September 2004).

East 1st St. Looking east from flagpole around 1920.  This is a cropped version of the one above, showing a section of the left side.  The far left is the edge of Dutcher's Hardware (see photos).  The Valley Garage (see photos) is the white building to the right of Dutcher's.  It has a Ford emblem on the roof, and says "Ford Dealers" on the front of the building above the Valley Garage sign.  The Diamond Flour Mill on the right.

East First St, looking west towards Mills Square. McLeod building on right, beyond Dutcher's Hardware (far right). The Sweeney Opera House (additional photos) is on the far left. Taken from end of McLeod St.  The flag pole can be seen coming up from behind a building slightly to the left of center.

East 1st Street.  This picture was taken in 1896 from the McLeod building, (which was being used as the Masonic hall at the time), looking east (the inscription is incorrect). The building on the right is Independence Hall, which was the Bank of Livermore at that time (see photos).  St. Michael's church (original location) is on the left.  It burned down on August 4, 1916.  The SP railroad tracks run at an angle, crossing 1st St in front of the church.  On the south (right) side of 1st on the far side of the tracks is the remainder of Laddsville.  Most of the Laddsville area would be behind the church.  Laddsville burned in 1871, destroying most of the structures.  This is only only known view of Laddsville, other than a few photos of businesses (see photos).  The bottom right corner of the photo (SW corner of McLeod & 1st) is the future (now former) home of the Sweeney Opera House (see photos) which existed from about 1904 to 1945.  At the left near the bottom is the Diamond Flour Mill (see photo), constructed in 1884, with the smoke stack for the power plant behind it.

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Taken from McLeod building, (which was being used as the Masonic hall at the time), looking North on Livermore Ave. Farmer's Union Theater on left at NW corner of Livermore and Railroad.  1896.
The buildings in the foreground on the left and right are labeled "Livermore Warehouse Co. Warehouses" on the 1889 poster.  The V&G Muffler buildings (brick buildings at the SW corner of Livermore & Railroad - now being renovated) occupy the spot on the left, with a tune up shop on the right.  The building on the northern end of the block that the Farmer's Union is on (at Oak Street - now the RR tracks) is labeled "Gardemeyer Block"  The two story to its left, with 3 upstairs windows was the Crest Hotel (see photo).  The two story building with 2 upstairs windows next to the Farmer's Union is the only one still standing today.
See photo of the Farmers Union being torn down

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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