The Hayward shore of the Bay was developed into extensive salt evaporation ponds, and was one of the most productive areas in the world, with Leslie Salt being one of the largest companies. A rail line between Oakland and San Jose, the South Pacific Coast Railroad, was established but later destroyed in the 1868 earthquake. Chicken and pigeon raising also played important roles in the economy. Important crops were tomatoes, potatoes, peaches, cherries, and apricots. Hayward grew steadily throughout the late 19th century, with an economy based on agriculture and tourism. It remained 'Haywards' until 1910 when the 's' was officially dropped. The name of the post office was then able to change because of the loss of the apostrophe before the 's'. In 1876, a town was chartered by the State of California under the name of 'Haywards'. He was also an Alameda County supervisor. He used his authority to influence the construction of roads in his own favor. William Hayward eventually became the road commissioner for Alameda County. The surrounding area came to be called 'Hayward's' after the hotel. William Hayward's fortunes took a turn for the grander when he constructed a resort hotel, which eventually grew to a hundred rooms.

The ranch was split up and sold to various locals, William Hayward among them. His name survives in the community of Castro Valley, located in the valley next to Hayward, which Castro used to pasture his cattle. Ĭastro emigrated to Chile with most of his family in 1864 after he lost his land in a card game. Regardless of which Hayward the area was named for, the name was changed to 'Haywood' when the post office was first established in 1860. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System states the city was named after Alvinza Hayward, a millionaire from the California Gold Rush.

Most historians believe it was named for William Dutton Hayward, who opened a hotel there in 1852. There is some disagreement as to how it was named. Hayward was originally known as 'Hayward's', then as 'Haywood', later as 'Haywards', and eventually as 'Hayward'. He and his wife ran the hotel, which eventually burned to the ground around 1916. William Hayward built a grand hotel on the property. Castro sold him the area of what was east of Castro Street, now Mission Blvd. William did leave, but went to Guillermo Castro directly and asked to buy a piece of his land. Guillermo Castro's Vaqueros came by one day and told Hayward to get off of Castro's property. William Dutton Hayward arrived during the gold rush and 'squatted' as he began to build a house next to the creek at the site of the old Polamares School. In 1930, that site was chosen for the construction of the City Hall, which served the city until 1969. Most of the city's structures were destroyed in the earthquake, the last major earthquake on the fault. The site of his home was on the former El Camino Viejo, or Castro Street (now Mission Boulevard) between C and D Streets, but the structure was severely damaged in the 1868 Hayward earthquake, with the Hayward Fault running directly under its location. In the 19th century, the land that is now Hayward became part of Rancho San Lorenzo, a Spanish land grant to Guillermo Castro, in 1841. 19th century Don Guillermo Castro, a noted Californio ranchero, owned Rancho San Lorenzo, which made up the modern cities of Hayward, Castro Valley, and San Lorenzo. The most recent pre-European inhabitants of the Hayward area were the Native American Ohlone people. Human habitation of the greater East Bay, including Hayward, dates from at least 4000 BC. From the early 20th century until the beginning of the 1980s, Hayward's economy was dominated by its now defunct food canning and salt production industries. The city was devastated early in its history by the 1868 Hayward earthquake. It is located primarily between Castro Valley, San Leandro and Union City, and lies at the eastern terminus of the San Mateo–Hayward Bridge. It is included in the San Francisco–Oakland–San Jose Metropolitan Statistical Area by the US Census. Hayward was ranked as the 34th most populous municipality in California. With a population of 162,954 as of 2020, Hayward is the sixth largest city in the Bay Area and the third largest in Alameda County. Hayward ( / ˈ h eɪ w ər d/) is a city located in Alameda County, California, United States, in the East Bay subregion of the San Francisco Bay Area.

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