Mission Pass (Alameda County) Explained

Mission Pass
Other Name:Stockton Pass
Map:USA California
Label:Mission Pass
Label Position:bottom
Elevation Ft:662
Location:Alameda County, California, United States
Range:Diablo Range
Topo:Midway, California
Coordinates:37.5602°N -121.9108°W

Mission Pass, also known as the Sunol Grade[1] and formerly as Stockton Pass, is a gap in the hills of the Mount Hamilton Range in Alameda County, California. It lies to the northeast of Mission San José, in Fremont, and leads from there into the Sunol Valley. Its elevation is 659feet above sea level. Today, Interstate 680 traverses this pass.

History

The first Europeans to cross Mission Pass were the Spanish explorers Pedro Fages, and Padre Juan Crespí in 1772. It was later used by Spanish soldiers in their expeditions into the San Joaquin Valley. It was part of the route of El Camino Viejo between Livermore Valley and the Mission San Jose and from the Mission to what is now Contra Costa County. It was used by later American explorers Jedediah Smith and John Fremont. During the early part of the California Gold Rush it was on the main land route to Stockton and the gold fields.[1]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Historic Spots in California . Mildred Brooke . Hoover . Hero Eugene . Rensch . Ethel Grace . Rensch . William N. . Abeloe . Douglas E. . Kyle . 5th . Stanford University Press . Stanford, California . 2002 . 978-0-8047-4483-6 . 8.