 Livermore's south side, home to local vineyards, has developed several executive subdivisions near Ruby Hill. The city has also redeveloped the downtown.
The Livermore area was home to the Ohlone (or Costanoan) before the arrival of the Spanish in the 18th century; it was incorporated under the Roman Catholic Mission San Jose in 1796. The Livermore Amador Valley was primarily grazing land for Mission San Jose's thousands of cattle and sheep until secularization of California missions from 1834 to 1837 opened great amounts of land throughout California for Mexican land grants. The fourth and second largest of the valley's land grants was the Rancho Las Positas grant, made to rancher Robert Livermore (a naturalized Mexican citizen of English birth) and Jose Noriega in 1839. Livermore was as much interested in viticulture and horticulture as he was in cattle and horses; in 1846 he was the first in this area to plant both a vineyard and an orchard of pears and olives. The first building on the ranch was an adobe on Las Positas Creek, and in 1849 a two-story "Around the Horn" house was added; it was the first wooden building in the valley.
After the discovery of gold in California, Livermore became a popular stopping place for prospectors headed for the Mother Lode, as it was one day's journey by horse or stagecoach from San Jose.
Robert Livermore died in 1858 before the establishment of the town that bears his name. His ranch included much of the present-day city. The city itself was established in 1869 by William Mendenhall, who had met Robert Livermore while marching through the valley with Fremont's California Battalion. Livermore was officially incorporated on April 15, 1876.
[edit] Culture
 Livermore's culture retains some vestiges of the farming and ranching traditions that have existed in the valley since the time of Robert Livermore, but now largely reflects the values of its suburban population. Livermore has a strong blue-collar element, as well as many professionals who work at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and various hi-tech industries within the Bay Area. The city has recently gone much more upscale with the addition of several hundred million dollar homes set amongst the southside's vineyards as well as a multi-million dollar renovation of the downtown area, which includes a new motion picture theater, as well as a performing arts theater, a parking structure, and office buildings. The new construction is expected to be finished in early to mid 2007.
Also, according to the latest U.S. Census information, Livermore is the third wealthiest midsize city in the nation. In 2005, the median household income in Livermore was $96,632, which ranked it the third highest income midsize city (between 65,000 and 249,999 people) just behind number two Newport Beach, CA ($97,428) and Livermore's western neighbor, Pleasanton, CA ($101,022),1
Livermore hosts the Livermore Rodeo (since 1918), the "World's Fastest Rodeo," that claims it has more riders per hour than any other. It also has the Livermore-Amador Symphony, Del Valle Fine Arts (a producer of chamber music concerts), and, in the valley at large, the Valley Choral Society, Livermore Valley Opera, and Valley Dance Theatre, a classical ballet company.
It boasts a state-of-the-art library (with a somewhat controversial front mosaic by Maria Alquilar) that opened in 2004 and a busy growing Livermore Airport.
Livermore has a Hindu temple which is often visited by the large Indian population of the Bay Area.
Many Livermore residents enjoy the rodeo parade and festivities which take place yearly. Many cowboy-folk from across the land come to this event. Children are given the chance to ride ponies and elderly women are given free horseback rides across town and to the local market.
Many of the Livermore youth find entertainment at The Vine the local cinema, or at Livermore Cinemas, the newer theater that was added after fifteen years of debate, the Livermore skate park, Granada Bowl, and shops in the downtown area, such as Charlotte's Web, Panama Bay Coffee Company, and Donut Wheel.
Livermore has also long harbored a strong independent music scene, with venues such as Pine St. Bar and the now-defunct Unity Skateshop hosting national touring acts as well as Bay Area artists.
The first Indian Christian Church in the San Francisco Bay Area is at Livermore. The Mar Thoma Syrian Church is situated at Junction Avenue. At present the Vicar of the Church is Rev. James Veeramala.
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