Origins of Fruitvale

You may already know how Fruitvale got its name from the fruit orchards owned by entrepreneurs like Henderson Luelling and Frederick Rhoda. But why did they pick here to plant those fruit trees? Fruitvale sits atop an alluvial plain: a flat land formed by many streams meandering slowly across an area and evenly depositing sediment. This sediment and organic material flowing downstream created a lush meadow when the Ohlone tribe lived here. After colonization, this area was prime, fertile farmland: it was flat, abundant with groundwater, full of untapped organic deposits.

As of 1998, you could still see one of Luelling's apple trees at 2125 Woodbine Avenue. It has since succumbed to old age — apple trees usually live between 50-100 years, if carefully tended.