Source: The City of Vallejo website
The City of Vallejo was founded as California’s first state capitol in 1850 and named for one of the state’s preeminent native sons, a Mexican military officer named General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, whose land much of the original city was built upon. Legend has it that Mare Island got its name after General Vallejo drove a herd of horses across the Carquinez Strait.
Vallejo’s multicultural diversity began earlier than other California cities. The Navy’s presence at Mare Island attracted military and civilian personnel from all over who eventually settled in Vallejo. Their families and descendants remain a rich and vibrant part of the fabric of Vallejo, making the city one of the most culturally diverse in all of Northern California.
