San Ramon celebrated its 150 year anniversary on Sept. 9,  and boy has the city changed in the past century and a half.

In 1867, the current intersection of San Ramon Valley Boulevard and Deerwood Road featured the city’s first  schoolhouse.

It had two roofs and was only13 feet high.  At the time Andrew Johnson was president, the Civil War had only ended two years prior, and the car wouldn’t be invented for another 18 years.

San Ramon was known by several different names back thenb, including Brevinsville and Lynchville, named after two of San Ramon’s earliest residents, and Limerick, named after the large number of Irish immigrants who lived in the area.

In order to honor this special occasion, the city decided to throw itself a birthday bash at City Hall. The party featured several exhibits on the history of San Ramon and its earliest families.

Some of the partygoers earlier this month were dressed in the latest fashions and styles of the 1860s. The event was accompanied by a brass band performing tunes, and there was plenty of cake for all the people in attendance.

The San Ramon police department was there with one of its cruisers along with a model of a driverless vehicle that could possibly be used in the future to get around Bishop Ranch.

This celebration wasn’t just about San Ramon’s past. It was also about its future.

A model was displayed featuring what the future San Ramon downtown would look like. The downtown is currently being built at the intersection of Camino Ramon and Bollinger Canyon and will contain several restaurants and stores when it opens in 2018.

There were several speakers at the party, including State Senator Steve Glazer and State Assemblywoman Catharine Baker. The main speaker was San Ramon Mayor Bill Clarkson who gave a rousing speech.

Clarkson, who has served as mayor since 2005, said that the primary focus of the ceremony was to let people know that although San Ramon seems like a very new city, it’s one of the oldest cities in the Bay Area.

Teachers who’ve been at Cal High for a long time and students who have lived in San Ramon most of their lives have certainly seen the city change. 

Physics teacher Deborah Sater, who has taught at Cal for 20 years, said the city was different when she started teaching.

“There use to be a lot more orchards and cattle ranches,” said Sater. “Central Park used to be much more park, and lots of housing has been built since.”

San Ramon now boasts a population of 75,639, more than double the 35,523 people who lived here in 1990.

Senior Tyler Martin’s family has seen the city change over generations as his grandma lived in San Ramon for over 70 years.

“The city’s gotten more modern,” said Martin. “It used to be more like a small town.” 

Junior Caitlin Willard, who has lived in the city for 13 years, said that  San Ramon has gotten more diverse and  is now representative of a lot more cultures.

There is no doubt that 150 years of community is a huge milestone and that the city has changed for the better over the years.

When asked if he thought the city would make it to another 150 years, Clarkson said, “We’re already planning for it.”