Union City Tutors

About Union City

Union City was the site of the first sugar beet company in the U.S.A. Union City was founded just 20 years before the opening of the sugar beet company. It was only a few years after this, in 1874 that the city merged with New Haven, and they took on the new name of Alvarado. The city would not be called Union City again for eighty or so years, and today includes Alvarado and what was nearby Decoto.

The sugar beet company took many names through its lifespan, but was best known as “The California Beet Sugar Company.” The company originally opened its doors in 1870 on land owned by E.H.Dyer. It was he and his brother Ephriam Dyer who started the company. Union City (then known as Alvarado,) was the perfect location to set up their business because of its great infrastructure.

Union City tutors describe Union City as a railroad hub. The transcontinental railroad ran straight through the city, which meant it was easy to export goods out to the rest of the states. Union City was predominantly known as being a railroad and steel town as it housed the “Pacific States Steel Company” which was previously the major employer in the City. The largest employer in Union City today is “Southern Wine & Spirits”. The area in which the “Pacific States Steel Company” was housed in downtown Union City is currently under development. Like many towns who have experienced changes from their original industry, this district is undergoing gentrification. Union City is offering incentives and special discounts to families who are former employees of the “Pacific States Steel Company” if they invest in property in the Downtown or “Station District” area.

Union City tutors note that although different, the infrastructure of the city in and around the 1870s also made it easier for the Dyer brothers to set up shop. In order to open the “California Beet Sugar Company” they needed specialized equipment. The machines they used were transported all the way from Germany. As the transcontinental railroad was not yet up and running the machinery was shipped from Germany to Alvarado. The Dyer land was located next to the Alvarado Creek and this allowed the ship to access nearby to drop off the heavy and requisite machinery. In the early years the sugar that was produced would be distributed via San Francisco. A wheel steamer (much like you would imagine from Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn on the Mississippi) was used to transport the sugar up to San Francisco, her name was “The Rosa”. Due to financial issues the sugar factory eventually shut its doors in 1873. The building remained for many years afterwards, until it was ultimately demolished in 1977.