July 27, 2010 > History: Union City's steamship "The Union"
History: Union City's steamship "The Union" By Myrla Raymundo
Union City and Alvarado came into existence on a portion of the
Rancho Portrero de los Cerritos, in the northwestern portion of
Washington Township in what is today Alameda County. Union City,
the first of the two to be settled, is located on the banks of
Alameda Creek near a point known as the Devil's Elbow. It was in
1851 that Union City first sprang into being, founded by J. M.
Horner. J. M. Horner was also the builder of the first warehouse
on the bank of the creek. This creek poured its waters into an
extensive slough, which stretched far out toward the bay where a
very tortuous channel was formed. In 1846, the creek was
navigable for light craft as far up as Bell Ranch Bridge. In
fact, until 1878, small vessels used this channel from as far as
the sugar refinery, but when the channel was filled, the course
of the water changed entirely. Horner developed a plan for
cutting a canal acr