The Fremont area grew rapidly at the time of the California Gold Rush . A town called Mission San José grew up around the old mission , with its own post office from 1850 . Agriculture dominated the economy with grapes , nursery plants and olives as leading crops . In 1868 the 6.8-magnitude Hayward earthquake on the Hayward Fault collapsed buildings throughout the Fremont area , ruining Mission San José and its outbuildings . Until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake caused its destruction , the Fremont area 's Palmdale Winery was the largest in California . The ruins of the Palmdale Winery are still visible near the Five Corners in Irvington
Hayward earthquake
1868 Hayward earthquake
Fremont, California