Introduction to Fairfield, California
Fairfield is the seat of Solano County. The city is located in the northern part of the state. It is about 40 miles northeast of San Francisco where it straddles Interstate 80.
Travis Air Force Base has been located here since 1942. An Anheuser-Busch brewery is located here as well. The brewery offers tours from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM from Tuesday through Saturday all year round. Tours are also provided on Monday during the summer from June through August.
Fairfield History
The history of Fairfield stretches back five to six thousand years. That is the age of artifacts of native people which have been excavated here. The first European contact came in 1810 when the Spanish army was ordered to attack the Suisin Indians. In 1835 the Mexican General Vallejo was so magnanimous in victory over the Indian Chief Sem Yeto that the chief later became his ally in conflicts against other tribes. In 1837 the Indian Chief Solano received a land grant from Mexico named Suisun Rancho. This grant eventually came into the hands of a clipper ship captain from Connecticut named Robert H. Waterman. He not only parceled out the town in 1856 but also, in a commercially shrewd move, arranged to have the county seat moved here in 1858 from Benicia. As an inducement he granted sixteen acres of land for the construction of county buildings. In 1903 Fairfield was incorporated as a city.
Fairfield Arts, Culture and Entertainment
This is a community which strives to enhance quality of life, especially that of young people. Organizations which are credited with this substantially volunteer effort are The Fairfield Youth Commission, the Community Services Department, partnerships with the private sector and The Community Services Foundation. Their accomplishments include:
- The Place To Be Aft Rotary Skate Park.
- Dances for teenagers.
- The Assist-A-Grad Scholarships.
- Recreational scholarships for low-income youth.
Culture is not ignored in the community's commitment to quality of life. The Fairfield Center for Creative Arts houses, sponsors or hosts the following:
- The Performing Arts Series, featuring mainly musical soloists and groups, some internationally known, and many famous in the world of pop culture.
- A series of events for children.
- The Fairfield Center Gallery.
- A Father/Daughter Dance.
- The Veterans Day Parade.
Fairfield is the home of two prime public golf courses, Paradise Valley and Rancho Solano. Other outdoor recreational locations include:
- Two "pocket parks", which are small, quiet and green spaces suitable for peaceful outings with children.
- At least 20 neighborhood parks within walking distance of most homes, which contain playground equipment, benches, picnic amenities and some sports courts.
- Four community parks containing areas for baseball, basketball, soccer, swimming, tennis, horseshoes, roller sports, picnic facilities and restrooms
- Four open spaces (two are open to the public) for hiking and wildlife viewing, comprising hundreds of acres.
