William Mendenhall 1823-1911
William Mendenhall, a descendent of Quakers, emigrated from England with William Penn. He crossed the plains on horseback in 1845, was a member of Fremont’s battalion in 1846, and soon after engaged in farming near San Jose. William Mendenhall came to the Livermore Valley in the later 1850’s. In 1869, in honor of the completion of the railroad through the valley, he laid out a new town. His plan included gifts of land for a depot, schools, churches, and other civic needs. He named the town in honor of his friend and neighbor Robert Livermore, the first settler of the area.
