“If a climate such as not Italy can match, has any attraction, if a soil richer than the polders of Holland, if the orchards that bear heavier crops of fruit than the wildest fancy has planted, if a quiet life, if good society, and very comfort appeal to you, then come to Haywards, for these are our advantages.”
This late 19th century lithograph, Bird’s Eye View of Haywards, was published as a promotional piece for the City of Hayward by the local newspaper, Hayward’s Journal. In this advertisement, the city’s promoters constructed a captivating dream of affordable, serene, healthy country living that offered modern amenities and high society culture. Equally alluring for the potential homebuyer was the promised prosperity that could be found in lucrative agriculture, ranching, industrial, and salt production ventures within Hayward. City promoters aimed to stimulate economic growth and increase the population beyond the 1,400 town residents.1
To draw attention to the city of Hayward and its surrounding vicinity, the Souvenir Magazine of Hayward (circa 1905) was created. The publication depicts Hayward as the “Garden of Eden,” proclaiming it as “near prefect as the hand of Providence can make it.” Within its pages, the author poetically describes Hayward’s rich natural resources, favorable geographical location, and mediterranean climate. The town’s many attractions, such as the “best farming, fruit growing, stock raising, and residential sections,” are detailed within the magazine’s pages. Photographs of the town’s beautiful homes and land, businesses, civic and religious structures, and wealthy businessmen and politicians are displayed. The promoters of Hayward hoped to attract entrepreneurs and an economically diverse population to the “land of sunshine, where flowers blossom in the open all year round.” 3
