The city of Pleasanton, located in the beautiful Amador-Livermore valley, was formed in 1867 when immigrants John Kottinger and Joshua Neal used land from their Californio wives� dowries and laid out a town. Kottinger named the city after Civil War general Alfred Pleasonton, but a postal clerical error changed the spelling to �Pleasanton� and the name stuck. The men secured Pleasanton�s future by offering land to the Western Pacific Railroad for a railroad station and landing. Planning for future growth thus became a legacy that is still embraced by this modern city of 70,000 people. Today families and tourists are attracted to Pleasanton�s historic downtown, where 19thcentury buildings still stand and people stroll among its many shops and restaurants.