Novato’s Journey to Now

An Overview of the Events and People that Created Novato 

History Helps us to understand the present and to plan for the future.

1839-1899 Land Grants and Farming

Prolog:  Before the area was called Novato, the Miwok Tribe lived here for thousands of years. The Spanish Army first had contact with the Miwok Tribe in 1776.

There were five Mexican Land Grants covering today’s areas of Ignacio, Novato, San Marin and Olompali.  The land was used to raise cattle for meat and their hides.  The owners and workers were Californios. Goods and people were transported by schooner ships that docked on Novato Creek.  

  • 1839

    Fernando Feliz was granted Rancho de Novato which included the area of today’s town of Novato.  

  • 1839

    Rancho de Novato land grant was given to Fernando Feliz by Mexican Governor Alvarado. Today’s downtown Novato is near the center of the original 8,870 acre rancho. In 1844, Feliz sold the Rancho to Jacob Leese.

  • 1840

    Ygnacio Pacheco was granted Rancho San Jose that covered today’s Ignacio area.  The Pacheo family still owns a portion of the Rancho.

  • 1849

    Novato was designated a township by Marin County, one of four townships in the county.  A small settlement was located on Novato Creek at current Nave Shopping Center.

  • 1850

    California became a state

  • 1856

    Joseph Sweetser and Francis DeLong purchased Rancho de Novato, a land grant of 15,000 acres.

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    They planted 44,000 fruit trees, mainly apples. The use of the land changed from cattle to orchards, mainly apples.  Workers came from Italy, Portuguese Azores and China.

  • 1859

    First school built at current DeLong and Redwood on land donated by Sweetser and Delong.

  • 1879

    Northwestern Pacific Railroad built a depot at current Grant and Railroad. The town moved to the area near the depot, new businesses came, creating Grant Avenue. 

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    It was called “New Town” Novato.  Today, it is referred to as “Old Town” Novato.  People from Western Europe, Canada and the United States came to start new businesses.  Transportation changed from schooners to trains.

  • 1890

    A.D. Scott store built on Grant Avenue -oldest building in downtown Novato at the same location. Alexander Dill Scott and his second wife Francis were active in the social and civic life of Novato. 

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    Mr. Scott served on the Community House Board of Directors and was the coach of the Colts, Novato’s semi-pro baseball team. The upstairs of the Scott store was used for community entertainment, social events and club meetings.

  • 1892

    First Catholic Church built on South Novato Boulevard.

  • 1893

    DeLong Ranch went bankrupt, creditors formed the Novato Land Company and divided the land into seven dairy ranches, A, B, C, D, E, F, H. Dairies joined orchards as the economic use of the land.

  • 1896

    Novato Presbyterian Church built, it is now the Novato City Hall

1900-1949 Building a Community

The first half of the twentieth century saw rapid change in use of the land and transportation.  Land use, was still agriculture, but it was divided into smaller parcels bringing new owners to the community.  Which in turn brought new businesses.  Automobiles joined horse and wagons and trains for transportation.  Civic decisions were made by individuals working together for the good of the community. 

Between 1900 -1940 the population of Novato increased from 884 to 1,126.

  • 1908

    Telephone company formed by Cain brothers (Albert and James); followed by electric company in 1911 and the water company in 1916.  This was new technology and the Cain brothers were innovators. 

  • 1908

    IDESI Hall built by the Portuguese community on Sweetser Avenue

  • 1913

    Bank of Novato was formed.  James Black Burdell financed the bank and was the first president. The directors included A.D. Scott, Frank Silva, Judge Rudolff and Robert Trumbull.

  • 1915

    Chamber of Commerce formed. The chamber advocated for the community when there was no city government. One accomplishment was for the businesses to build concrete sidewalks on Grant Avenue in the 1920s.

  • 1916

    Robert Trumbull Sr. bought the Delong Home Ranch from the Novato Land Company.  “Mr. Trumbull’s place of honor in Novato’s history is assured.” (Novato Township by May Ungemach)

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    He served on many civic boards including County Supervisor and the Golden Gate Bridge Board of Directors.  He gave the Township of Novato a voice in the development of Marin County.

  • 1917

    State Hwy 101 built through Novato, now Redwood Boulevard. Businesses catering to travelers opened along the new highway. The highway joined trains for transportation.

  • 1917

    Henry Pini’s General Store and Produce Company opened on Grant Avenue.  Since that time, there has always been a Pini store in Novato. 

  • 1918

    Novato Land Company started subdividing into smaller lots of 10-20 acres which became chicken farms and orchards.  First subdivision was from First Street to Seventh St. 

  • 1920s & 30s

    Chicken farms joined orchards and dairies as the economic use of the land.

  • 1923

    Community House built by the community at Delong Avenue and Machin Street.  It served as the community center until 2005 when it was declared seismically unsafe and closed.

  • 1935

    Dedication of Hamilton Army Air Field.

  • 1937

    Golden Gate Bridge opened. In twenty years, this would have a major impact on Novato’s growth.

1950-1999 Growing as a Town  

After WWII Novato had a population boom with rapid housing development.  One developer described it as the “wild west” of building housing as there was no master plan for development. By the end of the century, the use of the land had changed from agriculture to housing and transportation was the 101 highway.  As finally an incorporated city, civic decisions became the significant events in Novato’s Journey. 

Between 1950-1990 the population of Novato jumped from 3,496 to 47,585.

  • 1953

    Stafford Dam completed 

  • 1957

    Novato High School opened

  • 1958

    Railroad passenger service stopped.  Highway 101 is the main form of transportation.

  • 1960

    Novato incorporated as a city.  City offices were scattered in buildings in Old Town Novato.

  • 1963

    The city purchased the historic Presbyterian Church on Sherman Avenue to be city offices and the City Hall.  Additional offices were in the Community Center and five 1900s bungalows on Sherman Avenue.

  • 1968

    San Marin High School opened.

  • 1974

    Hwy 101 moved from Redwood Boulevard to its present route, bypassing downtown Novato

  • 1975

    Hamilton Field Air Force Base closed

  • 1982

    Fireman’s Fund moved into facilities on San Marin Drive

  • 1992

    Vintage Oaks shopping center developed

  • 1995

    Civilian development of Hamilton Field began

  • 1999

    Buck Institute for Research on Aging opened

 2000-Present

The twenty-first century began with major civic decisions affecting use of the land, transportation and the revitalizing of Old Town Novato.  The city’s offices were still in eight old buildings and two trailers in various locations in Old Town Novato.  Then in the summer of 2005, after a code citation called the buildings “substandard and potentially life-threatening,” the buildings and trailers were shuttered and abandoned.  The city offices moved out of the downtown area. Eventually the City Council made the decision to save the historic City Hall and to make that area on Sherman Avenue the Civic Center. 

Between 2000-2020 the population of Novato increased from 47,630 to 55,100.

  • 2004

    Grant Avenue facelift to revitalize the Old Town area.

  • 2005

    City office buildings were closed because they were not seismically safe.  The city offices moved from downtown to leased offices in different locations. 

  • 2008

    Millworks opened in Old Town Novato

  • 2009

    Renovated City Hall opens on Sherman Avenue along with the Civic Green.

  • 2014

    City moved into the new administrative building near the City Hall, making that area Novato’s Civic Center.

  • 2015

    Fireman’s Fund moved out of Novato

  • 2017

    SMART Train started

  • 2019

    Opening of downtown Novato SMART train station

History is a work in progress.  What would you add to Novato’s Timeline?

Black and white photo of five men outdoors, wearing hats, sitting and standing on a wooden platform with a hill and trees in the background. Novato California.

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