TractTales | Neighborhood history of the Tri-Valley

Today, most people know this part of Dublin simply as "old Dublin." The neighborhood names that once filled newspaper advertisements and sales brochures—San Ramon Village, Brighton Circle, Glenoaks, Barkley Square, Villa de San Ramon, and Ecco Park—have largely faded from memory. Realtor listings occasionally revive them, but few residents think of these areas as separate neighborhoods. Yet long before Dublin developed its own identity, these streets were part of something much larger. Beginning in 1960, developer Volk-McLain transformed former ranchland into San Ramon Village, an ambitious master-planned community that stretched across what are now both Dublin and San Ramon. Schools, shopping centers, parks, utilities, and thousands of homes were planned as part of a single vision for the valley's future. The neighborhoods on Dublin's west side tell the story of how that vision evolved. What began as a carefully coordinated community built around a handful of flo...

Nestled among the rolling hills of west Dublin, Silvergate is more than just another mid-century subdivision. Built between 1962 and 1968, this landmark neighborhood played a major role in shaping modern Dublin, California—and helped revive the city’s very name. Developed by Tom Gentry during a period of explosive Tri-Valley growth, Silvergate introduced hundreds of ranch-style homes, sweeping valley views, modern conveniences, and a stronger local identity at a time when much of the region was still being marketed under the San Ramon name. Today, Silvergate remains one of Dublin’s most historically significant and recognizable mid-century neighborhoods. From an August 1964 Oakland Tribune ad—the sun had never been so excited to see the name "Dublin" used in print. Where is Silvergate in Dublin? Silvergate is located in west Dublin, California, tucked into the hills west of San Ramon Village and near the Interstate 580 corridor. Annotated aerial map of the Silvergate  neig...

The birth of modern Dublin and San Ramon Before there were bustling freeways, shopping centers, or city limits, there were just fields—miles of open ranchland and quiet orchards stretching across the San Ramon Valley. Up until 1960, the areas we now call Dublin and San Ramon were rural and unincorporated, dotted with cattle, orchards, and little else. That all changed when a pair of Los Angeles developers—Kenneth Q. Volk and Robert B. McLain—arrived with bold blueprints and an even bolder vision: to transform this pastoral valley into a $300 million master-planned community called San Ramon Village. From ranches to a model city The name “San Ramon Village” wasn’t chosen at random—it honored the area’s deep roots, particularly Rancho San Ramon, a 20,000-acre Mexican land grant awarded to José María Amador in 1834. Over time, Amador sold pieces of his land, including large portions to Leo Norris and James Witt Dougherty. These sprawling ranches, along with adjoining land from Rancho S...