Newark, California

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The city of Newark highlighted within Alameda County

Newark is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. Newark is an enclave, completely surrounded by the city of Fremont. The population was 42,471 at the 2000 census.

1 Geography
2 Demographics
3 Economic
4 Social
5 History
6 Education
7 External links

[edit] Geography

Newark is located at 37°32′8″N, 122°2′1″W (37.535586, -122.033629)^GR1.

The southern end of the San Francisco Bay lies near the western edge of the city. California State Highway 84 runs through the city, and continues as the Dumbarton Bridge to cross the San Francisco Bay to reach Menlo Park. Interstate 880 serves as the eastern boundary with Fremont. Fremont, as previously mentioned, completely surrounds Newark

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 36.3 km² (14.0 mi²). 36.2 km² (14.0 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.04 mi²) of it (0.21%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^GR2 of 2000, there were 42,471 people, 12,992 households, and 10,341 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,173.8/km² (3,039.4/mi²). There were 13,150 housing units at an average density of 363.4/km² (941.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city was 52.22% White, 4.01% Black or African American, 0.64% Native American, 21.30% Asian, 1.00% Pacific Islander, 13.75% from other races, and 7.07% from two or more races. 28.60% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 12,992 households out of which 40.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.2% were married couples living together, 11.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.4% were non-families. 14.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.26 and the average family size was 3.59.

In the city the population was spread out with 27.3% under the age of 18, 9.5% from 18 to 24, 34.3% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 33 years. For every 100 females there were 101.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $69,350, and the median income for a family was $71,351. Males had a median income of $46,061 versus $34,959 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,641. About 4.2% of families and 5.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 6.9% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Economic

Cargill Salt, previously known as Leslie Salt, operates a large salt refinery in Newark which cleans solar salt produced in beds in the San Francisco Bay. The salt crystals are first washed in brine, then dissolved and recrystallized to rid them of any last traces of dirt or sea water. This highly processed seasoning is 99.9 percent sodium chloride, as pure as natural salt can get. The salt is temporarily kept in a large pile that can reach over 60 feet high.

Other major employers include electronic component manufacturer Solectron, and the retailers of the Newpark Mall, which opened in 1980. Until 2004, the corporate headquarters of clothing retailer Ross Stores were located in Newark and was another major employer.

Wedgewood manufactured stoves in town from circa 1910 until the 1940. Peterbilt manufactured trucks in Newark from the early 1960s up until the mid 1980s.

[edit] Social

Every September, the city has a weekend dedicated to Newark Days. There are free monthly and weekly activities at the Newark Library, many funded by the Newark Library League.

[edit] History

The roots of Newark's community are 150 years old. By California's statehood in 1850, landings along the Bay in the vicinity of today's City of Newark had already begun to appear. In 1853, Mayhew's Landing included warehouses for wheat, hay, and coal. This activity triggered interest in the surrounding area and by 1856 the Mayhew Ranch included 1,500 acres of farmland extending inland to present-day I-880. Less than 20 years later, the Perrin brothers had acquired the old Mayhews Ranch and extended their holdings to include property stretching from today's Jarvis Avenue on the north to south of Thornton Avenue. The Perrin brothers' "development project," the Green Point Dairy and Transportation Company, although slightly embellished, foretold of things to come for the area. It was the Perrin brothers who first drew up plans to subdivide the Green Point Dairy into a townsite (located in the general vicinity of Thornton and Jarvis Avenues).

A gentleman by the name of E. Beard started the early swamp reclamation project and patented the land in the area. Mr. Beard needed more capital and in 1872 sold 20,000 acres of swampland for $300,000 to Mr. J. Ross Browne. Mr. Browne was an entrepreneur (he was a secret agent for the U.S. government, diplomat to China appointed by Andrew Johnson, and a friend of Mark Twain). Mr. Browne outlined his swamp lands project before the State legislature on February 3, 1872. At this point, Mr. Browne referred to the proposed town site as "Cralvo" or "Cariboo." Mr. Browne created a circular that was distributed around Europe to promote the swamp lands project. An English capitalist bought an interest in the property and hired Mr. J. Barr Robertson (a Scotsman) to oversee his interests. Mr. Robertson was a director of the California Land Investment Co., Ltd., London, England. Mr. Robertson then bought out the interest that Mr. Browne had in the land. The name 'Newark' was chosen by Mr. Robertson, who named it after the castle "Newark" located in Port Glasgow, Scotland (where the River Clyde enters the Atlantic Ocean).

Work actually started on a railroad through the townsite from Dumbarton Point in 1875. That project was under-financed and never progressed beyond initial grading. In 1876, the railroad, together with the Green Point Dairy, were purchased by a San Francisco capitalist, Alfred Davis, and a Comstock millionaire, Jim Fair. They not only completed the South Pacific Coast Railroad, from Dumbarton Point south all the way to Santa Cruz, but also moved the town site to coincide with the curve on the railroad where the tracks turned south toward San Jose. Members of the Graves family who survived the Donner Pass incident moved to Newark during the railroad project and supervised part of the construction. Soon, a railroad station, roundhouse, and railroad shop buildings were being erected in the center of Newark in the area between Thornton Avenue, Sycamore Street, and Carter Avenue. Eventually, the railroad was extended north from Newark to Alameda, providing direct ferry service to San Francisco.

The completion of the railroad precipitated additional development in Newark. Hotels and stores were soon erected, along with some of the first manufacturing industries, including a railroad car building firm operated by Thomas and Martin Carter and a foundry which later manufactured Wedgewood stoves. These enterprises joined the production of salt, which had been underway in the Newark area since the 1850s. Acquisitions and mergers of salt production companies throughout the Bay area ultimately resulted in formation of the Arden Salt Company, predecessor to Leslie Salt Company and today's Cargill Salt.

In the early 1950s, subdivisions began sprouting throughout Southern Alameda County and talk of incorporation was in the air. Leaders in Newark wanted to go it alone. In 1953, a group representing the chambers of commerce of Centerville, Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, Warm Springs, and Newark commissioned a study to incorporate all six communities into one city. However, during hearings on the matter, the Centerville and Niles proponents began pressuring Newark into accepting an industrial zoning for the entire town of Newark. Newark would therefore be the major industrial area for the new Southern Alameda County city. Having already fought and won zoning battles with the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, Newark's Chamber of Commerce was not now ready to roll over and lose its right of self-determination. Therefore, in the face of rapid progress toward the incorporation of all six communities into one, now being called Fremont, the Newark Chamber of Commerce began its own movement toward incorporation of just Newark. In September 1955, this effort paid off with the incorporation of Newark as the first new city in Alameda County in 47 years, and defeating the effort to incorporate Newark as part of the Fremont metropolis.