Ellusive it is. An unexpected pearl nestled between slough and bay. It was once the Port of Entry into San Jose, besieged by steamboat and stagecoach. It is a spectacularly unaffected town, a last refuge from encroaching San Jose. Alviso became a part of San Jose in 1968.
Many sources say it was annexed.
The Alisoans I talked to, including former mayor Tom Laine, are adamant that it was consolidated, and they are correct. It was an arrangement intended to be mutually beneficial. San Jose was to get the land it needed to treat sewage and dump garbage, and Alviso was to accrue the benefits of San Jose's services - police, street maintenance, etcetera. So much for the best laid plans. Services have not been forthcoming.