History Blog: Alvarado, 1850-1870

Alvarado (then comprised of Union City and New Haven) was founded in 1850 by John Horner (Union City) and Henry Smith (New Haven). Each town started off as just a small collection of buildings. Union City had Horner's Landing and New Haven had the store of Church and Smith.

When reading local history books, the firsts in Alvarado are documented, but the history books do not give any feel for what Alvarado was like in its early days.

The paper “Alvarado: 1850 – 1870” uses letters, business paperwork, maps, business directories and newspapers, all from the time, along with different published sources to create a more in-depth look at Alvarado. This paper is the most detailed look at the events and people of early Alvarado.

It can be found on the Museum of Local History website at the following link: http://www.museumoflocalhistory.org/documents/alv1850.pdf