Novato

Contact The Garage Door Pros for Aluminum Garage Doors, Broken Garage Door Springs, Broken Garage Doors, Carriage Style Garage Doors, Commercial Garage Doors, Custom Doors, Custom Garage Doors, Custom Wood Doors, Door Repairs, Doors, Free Garage Door Estimates, Garage Door Cables, Garage Door Estimates, Garage Door Opener Repairs, Garage Door Openers, Garage Door Repairs, Garage Door Replacements, Garage Door Upgrades, Garage Door Wheels, Garage Doors, Home Remodels, New Construction, Remodels, Repairs, Residential Garage Doors, Standard Garage Doors, Windsor Garage Doors, Wood Doors, and Wood Garage Doors. Proudly supporting the areas of Calistoga, Healdsburg, Larkfield Wikiup, Novato, Petaluma, Rohnert Park, Santa Rosa, Sebastopol, Sonoma, St. Helena, Windsor, and surrounding areas.

Below is some general information about Novato:

Novato is a city located in the North Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area, in northern Marin County in the U.S. state of California. Novato is located about 10 miles (16 km) north-northwest of San Rafael, at an elevation of 30 feet above sea level (nine meters). The 2010 U.S. Census estimated the city population to be about 51,904. Novato is about 30 miles (48 km) north of San Francisco on U.S. 101.

What is now Novato was originally the site of several Coast Miwok villages: Chokeche, near downtown Novato, Puyuku, near Ignacio, and Olompali, at the present Olompali State Historic Park. In 1839 the Mexican government granted the 8,876-acre Rancho Novato to Fernando Feliz. The rancho was named after a local Miwok leader who had probably been given the name of Saint Novatus at his baptism. Subsequently four additional land grants were made in the area; Rancho Corte Madera de Novato to John Martin in 1839, Rancho San Jose to Ignacio Pacheco in 1840, Rancho Olompali awarded in 1843 to Camilo Ynitia, son of a Coast Miwok chief, and Rancho Nicasio, by far the largest at 56,621 acres, awarded to Pablo de la Guerra and John B.R. Cooper in 1844. Novato, along with the rest of California, became part of the United States on February 2, 1848. Early pioneers included Joseph Sweetser and Francis De Long who bought 15,000 acres in the mid-1850s and planted orchards and vineyards. The first post office at Novato opened in 1856; it closed in 1860, and a new post office opened in 1891. The first school was built in 1859 at the corner of Grant Avenue at what is today Redwood Boulevard.

The original town was located around Novato Creek at what is now South Novato Boulevard. A railroad was built in 1879, connecting Novato to Sonoma County and San Rafael. The area around the train depot became known as New Town, and forms the edge of what today is Old Town Novato. The current depot was built in 1917, but closed in 1959 and is largely derelict. The depot consisted of two buildings, a warehouse and a station. The warehouse burned twice in the intervening years and was torn down in late 2007 to make way for a Whole Foods development, while the station is still standing. A Presbyterian church, still a landmark in Novato today, was built in 1896. Until 2006 it housed a number of city offices, but was vacated that year due to safety concerns and condemned. The church has since been renovated.

The Great Depression of the 1930s had a marked effect on the area as many farmers lost their land. After World War II, Novato grew quickly with the construction of tract homes and a freeway. As the area was unincorporated much of the growth was unplanned and uncontrolled. Novato was finally incorporated as a city in 1960. One of the most important venues of the time (1960 to 1965) was Western Weekend. Beard growing contests sponsored by Bob’s Barber Shop and many other odd activities helped to bring this community together. A program titled A Century of Gentle Seasons, The History of Novato, was released on DVD in 2009 and tells the varied stories of Novato’s vibrant community.

The city is home to the Fireman’s Fund Insurance Company, the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, and several biotech firms, such as Biosearch Technologies and BioMarin Pharmaceutical. Several small technology companies are also based in Novato, such as 2K Marin, Radiant Logic, Toys For Bob, International Genetics Incorporated, Channel Management Solutions, Enwisen, and Sonic Solutions. The former Hamilton Air Force Base is also located in Novato, but was decommissioned in 1974 and designated a Historic District in 1998. After lying stagnant for many years, major renovations were pushed through by then-mayor Michael DiGiorgio. As of 2008 the base has largely been redeveloped into single family homes. The former hangar buildings were gutted and redeveloped into two story office buildings. Hangar tenants include 2K Sports, Sony Imageworks, Visual Concepts Entertainment, The Republic of Tea, Toys For Bob, and Birkenstock Distribution USA.

Source: Novato on Wikipedia