thumb|350px|Washington Township (in green, lower left) within Alameda County as of 1878
Washington Township is a former township of Alameda County, California in the San Francisco Bay Area region, which includes the present day cities of Union City, Fremont, and Newark. The first permanent settlement in the area was Mission San José, established in 1797. The township was formed in 1853, and named for president George Washington.
History
Events leading to the formation of the township began in 1797 with the establishment of Mission San José by the Spanish. Many Ohlone Native Americans settled at the mission to work, ending their traditional village life of hunting and gathering. In 1834, Mexico released California's Native Americans from the control of the mission system, as well as giving the mission property to caretakers.
Several Mexican land grants were given from this area. Fulgencia Higuera received a grant known as Rancho Agua Caliente in 1839. Andrews Pico and Juan B. Alvarado were granted the outer lands of Mission San José, known as Rancho Ex-Mission San José, in 1846, but it was taken from them by California courts in 1859. Thomas Pacheco and Augustin Alviso received Rancho Potrero de los Cerritos in 1844, and José de Jesus Vallejo received Rancho Arroyo de la Alameda (which extended into Eden Township) in 1842.
Geographical features
Washington Township is bounded to the west by the San Francisco Bay, and to the east by a mountain range that includes the 2,520-foot-tall Mission Peak. Alameda Creek runs from east to west through Niles Canyon, which was used as a passage for the first transcontinental railroad.