Solano County
Location and importance
Situated north of San Francisco on the San Pablo Bay, Vallejo was named after the Mexican General Mariano Guatalupe Vallejo, who tried to persuade the Americans to create the capital of California on his ranch. He did succeed - albeit only for one week from January
5th to 12th 1852 - but the location was found to be inadequate, so the parliament was moved to Sacramento. The politicians were not satisfied with that either and returned to Vallejo again between January 3rd and February 4th 1853, before deciding to move again first to Benicia and finally, for the second time, to Sacramento.
In spite of all its vicissitudes the town developed, not least because of the purchase of Mare Island, situated between Mare Island Street and San Pablo Bay just before Vallejo. Today submarines fitted with atomic missiles, and other naval vessels are repaired on this 2,300-acre/930-hectare site.