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Fairfield in 1908!

Fairfield, California — 1908

This photo takes us back to Fairfield in 1908, when the city was still young, rural, and only five years removed from formal incorporation.

Long before Fairfield became the growing Solano County city we know today, it was a small county seat surrounded by farms, open land, and the daily business of early 20th century life. Fairfield had been laid out in 1856 by Captain Robert H. Waterman, who named the town after Fairfield, Connecticut. Just two years later, in 1858, voters approved moving the Solano County seat from Benicia to Fairfield, helping establish the town as the center of county government.

By 1908, Fairfield was still a small community. The 1910 Census would count only 834 residents. Downtown was the heart of local life, where residents came for business, government, supplies, conversation, and community news. The old courthouse and county buildings were still central landmarks, standing as reminders of Fairfield’s early role in Solano County history.

Looking at a photo like this is a reminder of how much Fairfield has changed — and how much of its identity was built during these early years. Before Travis Air Force Base, before the large subdivisions, shopping centers, and modern roads, Fairfield was a small county town with deep roots, big ambitions, and a future still being shaped one generation at a time.

A snapshot from 1908 is more than just an old photograph. It is a glimpse into the foundation of Fairfield itself.

** Original B&W photo was restored and colorized. 📸