He Came For Gold, Hunted Game, Founded Mulford Gardens

(This bit of San Leandro history is compiled from two sources. The story and cutlines come from Cynthia Vrilakas Simons' book, "Images of America, San Leandro." The pictures come from the database of historical photographs maintained by San Leandro librarian Mary Lee Barr.)

Today Mulford Gardens is a neighborhood but over a century ago Thomas Mulford, the man, made his mark on San Leandro.

According to Simons, Mulford was barely 20 when he left New York to join the Gold Rush of 1849.

But instead of hunting for riches, Mulford rowed a whaleboat across the bay to hunt wildlife in Rancho San Leandro to sell in hungry San Francisco.

It was the choice that made him a lasting part of the city's history.

Mulford continued to make his fortune by growing, transporting and selling food stuffs, building up substantial landholdings including a farm that bore his name.

The picture above shows a schooner that Mulford used to ship food between San Leandro and San Lorenzo and the busy wharves of San Francisco.

In this photo taken around 1900, Mulford stands with his hand on his hip just to the right of the aft mast, Simons says.

Browse through the gallery of images for closeups of the man, his farm and family, whose history is entwined with that of our city.

(Cindy Vrilakas Simons' "Images of America San Leandro," can be found at Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble.com. If you know of local stores where it is available please leave a comment and they will be added.)

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