Niles, Fremont

Images of America: California

by Philip Holmes, Jill M. Singleton

Beautiful Niles Canyon in Fremont is a chosen spot. Jose de Jesus Vallejo chose it for the first mill town in Alta California, Joaquin Murieta slept here, and Leland Stanford chose it in 1869 for the last leg of the transcontinental railroad, the true "last spike" of the line linking the Atlantic to the Pacific. The home of the largest nursery in the West, Niles could also boast the first gravel mines in California and fine Art Deco tile production. In 1912 world famous Essanay Studios chose the oak-studded hills of Niles Canyon as the location for some of the most famous silent films of all time, including Charlie Chaplin's The Tramp, and the first Wild West movie stars strutted the dusty streets of Niles.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 25, 2004

Reviews

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Niles was a filming location for several years in the early days with it's own studio. Not many railroad photos though. Interesting history.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

niles fremont by philip holmes and jill singleton describes the unique, historic Niles District in Fremont, California with excellent photographs and captions that will keep you turning the pages. Scholarly enough to be of interest to historians, and of wide enough scope that locals will discover a new story or two!

Readers can get a wonderful feel for the area and its heritage in this wonderful book which depicts the area's people and their stories, beautiful parks, walking and biking trails, gardens, and the old town shopping district along Niles Boulevard which still retains some of its Wild West flavor.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really fun book about the history of Niles in Fremont, California. There are lots of good old photos showing different business, events and people. It is a standard reference book in our house and recommended for anyone who thinks of the town of Niles fondly.