v.
Regional Oral History Office University of California
The Bancroft Library Berkeley. California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
Volume II
WATER. DEVELOPMENT, AND PRESERVATION
IN SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY
Interviews with
Mathew P. Whitfield
Wallace R. Pond
John Brooks
Robert Fisher. M.D.
Laurence W. Milnes
William D. Patterson
Interviews Conducted by
Ann Lage
Carole Hicke
John Caswell
in 1955, 1982, 1986 and 1987
Copyright (c\ 1988 by the Regents of the University of California
Since 195A the Regional Oral History Office has been interviewing
leading participants in or well-placed witnesses to major events in the
development of northern California, the West, and the nation. Oral history
is a modern research technique involving an interviewee and an informed
interviewer in spontaneous conversation. The taped record is transcribed,
lightly edited for continuity and clarity, and reviewed by the interviewee.
The resulting manuscript is typed in final form, indexed, bound with
photographs and illustrative materials, and placed in The Bancroft Library
at the University of California. Berkeley and other research collections for
scholarly use. Because it is primary material, oral history is not intended
to present the final, verified, or complete narrative of events. It is a
spoken account, offered by the interviewee in response to questioning, and
as such it is reflective, partisan, deeply involved, and irreplaceable.
**************************
This manuscript is made available for research purposes.
All literary rights in the manuscript, including the right to
publish, are reserved to The Bancroft Library of the University
of California, Berkeley. No part of the manuscript may be quoted
for publication without the written permission of the Director of
The Bancroft Library of the University of California at Berkeley.
Requests for permission to quote for publication should be
addressed to the Regional Oral History Office. 486 Library,
University of California, Berkeley 94720, and should include
identification of the specific passages to be quoted, anticipated
use of the passages, and identification of the user.
It is recommended that this oral history be cited as
follows:
To cite the volume: The Patterson Family and Ranch;
Southern Alameda County in Transition, Volume II, "Water,
Development, and Preservation in Southern Alameda County."
an oral history project of the Regional Oral History Office
conducted in 1955, 1982, 1986-1987, The Bancroft Library,
University of California, Berkeley. 1988.
To cit« individual interview: Mathew P. Whitfield, ISeneral
Manager of the Alameda County Water District. 1953-1977." an
oral history interview conducted 1986 by Ann Lage. in The
Patterson Family and Ranch; Southern Alameda County in
Transition, Volume II, Regional Oral History Office, The
Bancroft Library, University of California. Berkeley, 1988.
Copy No.
MATT WHITFIELD
ca. 1977
Photograph by Steve Rubiolo
DONORS TO THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH ORAL HISTORY PROJECT
The Bancroft Library, on behalf of future researchers, wishes to thank the
following organizations and individuals whose contributions made possible
this oral history project.
Alameda County Water District
Brooks Family Foundation
City of Fremont
East Bay Regional Park District
Oliver De Silva Company
David and Joan Patterson
Dorothy Patterson
J. B. Patterson Trust
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
VOLUME I
AGRICULTURE AND FARM LIFE ON FREMONT'S NORTHERN PLAIN. 1890-1980s
FRANK BORGHI
Dairying on the Patterson Ranch, 1924-1950
ELVAMAE ROSE BORGHI Girlhood in a Patterson Ranch Farm Family, 1931-1948
RUEL BROWN
DONALD FURTADO
TILLIE LOGAN GOOLD
WALLACE MCKEOWN
GENE WILLIAMS
MEL ALAMEDA
Observations of a Ranch Worker's Son, 1918-1950s
Working for Henry Patterson, 1930s-1950s
The Logan Family in Alvarado
A Neighboring Farmer Recalls the Early Days
The L. S. Williams Company: Farming in Southern
Alameda County, 1930s-1980
Farming on Fremont's Northern Plain in the 1980s:
Agriculture's Last Stand
VOLUME II
WATER, DEVELOPMENT, AND PRESERVATION IN SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY
MATHEW P. WHITFIELD General Manager of the Alameda County Water District,
1953-1977
WALLACE R. POND
JOHN BROOKS
ROBERT B. FISHER
The Pattersons and the Incorporation of Fremont
Consultant to the Patterson Family: Master Planner,
Developer, and Politician
History and Politics: The Creation of Ardenwood
Regional Preserve
LAURENCE W. MILNES Ardenwood Regional Preserve and the City of Fremont
WILLIAM D. PATTERSON The Alameda County Water District, 1914-1955
VOLUME III
THE PATTERSON RANCH. PAST AND FUTURE: THE FAMILY'S PERSPECTIVE
GEORGE WASHINGTON
PATTERSON
DONALD PATTERSON
Overland Journey. 1849
Family Lore: The Pattersons and Their Land Since
the 1850s
WILLIAM VOLMER
JEANETTE KORSTAD
and
MARILYN PRICE
SALLY PATTERSON ADAMS
JOHN E. ADAMS
DAVID G. PATTERSON
ROBERT BUCK
LEON G. CAMPBELL
WILCOX PATTERSON
GEORGE PATTERSON
BRUCE PATTERSON
ABIGAIL ADAMS CAMPBELL
Whipples, Beards. Ingalls. and Pattersons: Looking
at the Hawley Family Tree
Haw ley Family Memories
Growing Up at Ardenwood
A Son-in-Law Remembers Henry Patterson and Assesses
Ranch Development
Overseeing the Transition from Ranching to Property
Management
Patterson Property Management. 1970s-1980s
Balancing Agriculture and Development, Family and
Public Interests
Donald Patterson and Patterson Ranch Management,
1950s-1980s
Recalling the Pattersons' Past: The Family. Land,
and Historic Homes
Youth on the Patterson Ranch. 1950s-1963
Summers at Ardenwood with Grandparents Sarah and
Henry Patterson
TABLE OF CONTENTS — Volume II: Water. Development, and Preservation in
Southern Alameda County
PREFACE
INTRODUCTION by Leon G. Campbell
MAPS. SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, 1956 and 1987
i
v
XV
MATHEW P. WHITFIELD
WALLACE R. POND
JOHN BROOKS
ROBERT B. FISHER
General Manager of the Alameda County
Water District, 1953-1977
The Pattersons and the Incorporation
of Fremont
122
Consultant to the Patterson Family: Master
Planner, Developer, and Politician 141
History and Politics: The Creation of
Ardenwood Regional Preserve 208
APPENDIX A
APPENDIX B
Laurence W. Milnes, "Ardenwood Regional
Preserve and the City of Fremont" 264
William D. Patterson, The Alameda
County Water District, 1914-1955 278
INDEX
328
PREFACE
The Patterson Ranch
The historic George Washington Patterson home and ranch in Fremont.
California, provides the focus for this oral history project which explores
changing patterns of land-use in southern Alameda County over the past 130
years. George Washington Patterson was a forty-niner from Lafayette,
Indiana, who left the gold fields to settle on the rich alluvial plain
created by Alameda Creek, on the southeastern shore of San Francisco Bay.
He accumulated properties to form a 4,000-acre ranch in this area known as
Washington Township and an additional 10,000 acres inland in the Livermore
Valley. In 1877, he married Clara Hawley and added on to his home to create
the Queen Anne style mansion that now is the centerpiece of the Ardenwood
Regional Preserve, a historic farm operated by the East Bay Regional Park
District on former Patterson ranch lands.
Since George Patterson's death in 1895, three generations of his
descendants have continued to oversee the ranch operations, sharecropped in
the earlier years by tenants who grew vegetable crops on family farms and
later leased to larger-scale and more modernized agricultural operations.
Agriculture continued to flourish on Patterson ranch lands while surrounding
lands succumbed to the pressures of urbanization from the burgeoning Bay
Area metropolis in the post-World War II population explosion.
The rapid urbanizations of the area brought with it inevitable political
changes. The several small unincorporated towns of Washington Township —
Alvarado and Decoto; Irvington, Mission San Jose, Niles, Centerville, and
Warm Springs; and Newark — incorporated into the three cities of Union City,
Fremont, and Newark in the 1950s. The Alameda County Water District, formed
to conserve the ground water for the area's farmers, expanded its operation
and its water supplies to deliver water to suburban customers. The Alameda
County Flood Control District channelized Alameda Creek, putting an end to
rich alluvial deposits, but making year-round farming and, most
significantly, housing development possible on the northern flood plain.
By the 1970s the Patterson family succumbed to development pressures and
began selling off major portions of ranch lands for housing development.
Their sale to Singer Housing of the lands surrounding the historic mansion
and its landmark eucalyptus trees precipated the controversy that, after
several years of lawsuits and negotiations, resulted in the creation of
Ardenwood Regional Preserve. In the 1980s, the family has organized into a
corporation with professional management from family members and has managed
the development process in accordance with a master plan that emphasizes
planned development and preservation of open space. Three regional parks
are on former Patterson lands: in addition to Ardenwood, the Coyote Hills
and surrounding marshlands are preserved, and in Livermore, the Del Valle
Regional Park stands in the middle of Patterson cattle lands. Adjacent to
ii
the industrial park and the suburban housing tracts, lands still held by the
Patterson family are leased to a modern truck farm growing cauliflower,
lettuce, and specialty vegetables for Bay Area gourmets.
The Oral History Project
With a series of twenty-six interviews, the oral history project
explores the transformation of the Patterson ranch as a case study of the
complex evolution from agricultural to urban land use. The idea for the
project came from the collaborative thinking of Knox Mellon and Leon
Campbell. Dr. Mellon, former director of the California State Department of
Historic Preservation and professor of history, was assisting the Patterson
family to place Ardenwood on the National Registry of Historic Places. He
saw the potential for an oral history project and found ready support among
the Patterson family, particularly his friend and fellow historian, Leon
Campbell, who was part of the management team for Patterson Properties.
David Patterson, who has a keen interest in tracing family history, also
took a supportive role.
Dr. Mellon came to the Regional Oral History Office with his idea, has
worked steadily with us to formulate and direct the project, and has
served as interviewer and consultant throughout the three years to the
project's completion. Leon Campbell was instrumental throughout in
arranging funding and serving as advisor. Because of his ability to look at
the story of the Patterson Ranch with a historian's eye, as well as his
first-hand knowledge as a family member, he was asked to write the
introduction to the project, which places the twenty-six interviews in
historical context.
As the planning for the project evolved, three main themes emerged, and
these are reflected in the organization of the interviews into three
volumes. Volume I focuses on agriculture and rural life on the northern
plain of Washington Township in the prewar years and on the agricultural
operations of the L.S. Williams and Alameda and Sons companies, the two
outfits which farmed on the ranch during the transitional period from the
mid-fifties to the present.
Volume II tells the tales of water, development, planning, and historic
preservation in the area — topics seemingly diverse which are seen to be
closely interrelated in these histories. Volume III focuses on the
Patterson family, past and present. Two generations of family members
combine nostalgic looks back to rural childhoods with insight into the
processes of present-day property management by a family corporation.
Each volume has been enhanced with interviews completed on previous
occasions for other purposes, but ones which added so centrally to our
project that we requested permission to include them here. These include.
in Volume II, the interviews with William D. Patterson, son of George
iii
Washington Patterson, on his work with the Alameda County Water District;
and Larry Milnes, assistant manager of the city of Fremont, on the city's
role in the negotiations leading to the establishment of Ardenwood.
Volumes I and III have interviews which were recorded in 1975 and 1977
by family member Donald Patterson for the family archive at the Society of
California Pioneers. These include the interview with neighboring farmer
William McKeown in Volume I and cousin William Volmer in Volume III. Donald
Patterson also recorded his own recollections on tape and later was
interviewed for the Society of California Pioneers by Stanley Bry.
Transcriptions of these tapes are included in Volume III. The project was
further enriched by the volunteer assistance of Bill Helfman, a Fremont
resident who recorded two interviews for the project. His interview with
Donald Furtado is in Volume I.
To enhance the reader's understanding of the interviews, illustrative
materials have been included. Maps of the southern Alameda County area in
1956 and 1987 are in the introductory pages for each volume. Family trees
of the Patterson and Hawley families are included in Volume III (pages 2 and
31). The 1981 town development plan for the Patterson Ranch is in the
appendix to Volume II. In addition, interview histories preceding each
memoir give specifics on the conduct and content of the interviews.
All of the tapes for the project interviews are available in The
Bancroft Library. Society of California Pioneer tapes are in their archive
in San Francisco. In addition to the transcribed interviews included here,
three interviews recorded for background information are available on tape
only. These are interviews with Dorothy Wilcox Patterson, wife of Donald,
and Eleanor Silva and Mary Dettling, former housekeepers for the Henry
Patterson family.
Research Resources
Many resources exist for research on the subject matters of these
interviews. The Society of California Pioneers has papers and business
records and photographs of the Patterson family. A guide to these papers, a
useful bibliography, and other information exists in Faces in Time: An
Historic Report ^n the George Washington Patterson Fam ily and the Ardenwood
Estate prepared for the East Bay Regional Park District by Susan A. Simpson,
1982. The local history collection and the Grace Williamson collection in
the Alameda County library in Fremont is another valuable source. Their
collection includes many untranscribed oral history interviews with
individuals prominent in Fremont's history. The library of California State
University at Hayward also includes works on the history of the region. A
CSUH master's thesis in geography gives specific information about the
history of land use on the Patterson Ranch; it is based in part on a 1971
interview with Donald Patterson (Jerome Pressler. Landscape Modification
through Time; the Coyote Hills. Alameda County. California. 1973).
iv
Research Use
The diversity and the universality of themes explored in this series of
oral history interviews insure that they will be consulted by a vide
variety of researchers. They are intended to be of use to the East Bay
Regional Park District in planning and interpretation. They provide
information on the history of agriculture, particularly the loss of
agricultural lands to urbanization and the problems of farming in an urban
setting. They discuss the process of land planning from the perspectives of
city officials, developers, and property owners. They give an indepth
history of the Alameda County Water District and illuminate the role of
water in development. Finally, they provide a candid look at a family
business over four generations and give insight to the dynamics of
personalities and intra-family, inter-generational conflicts in shaping
decisions in family businesses.
Ann Lage
Project Director
September, 1988
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley
INTRODUCTION by Leon G. Campbell
The three volumes of interview B prepared by the Regional Oral History
Office of the University of California, Berkeley, dealing with the Patterson
family and ranch between the years 1851-1988, constitute a case study of
changing land use in southern Alameda County from the days of the first
galifomios to the present. George Washington Patterson (1822-1895) came to
California with the Gold Rush but remained to found an extensive farming and
ranching enterprise in Alameda County. Originally known as Rancho Potrero
de los Cerritos (Cattle Ranch of the Hills), the 4.000-acre Patterson Ranch
has remained in family hands as an agricultural and livestock enterprise to
the present day. Under the ownership of George Washington's sons, Henry
(1878-1955) and William (1880-1961). the Patterson Ranch became a dominant
economic institution in southern Alameda County and the family an integral
part of the emergence of Fremont as a major Bay Area community.
Situated between the eastern terminus of the Dumbarton Bridge, which
connects Alameda County with the West Bay, and Highway 880, the Patterson
Ranch is a prominent feature of the East Bay landscape. Today known as
"Ardenw ood-New Town" in honor of the Shakespearean title sometimes used to
describe the ranch, Ardenwood serves as the western gateway to Fremont and
the entire South Bay. Despite the fact that the planned district of
Ardenwood is less than four years old, the size and scope of the changing
land-use patterns on the Patterson Ranch resemble those taking place on the
Irvine and Bixby Ranches in southern California, where uninterrupted family
ownership has retained influence over time and throughout change.
Several important themes emerge from the various interviews contained
within the three volumes. Volume I, Agriculture and Farm Life on Fremont's
Northern Plain, chronicles the transition of the Patterson Ranch from a
family farm in the nineteenth century to a large-scale agricultural
enterprise operated by the L. S. Williams Company during the 1950s. The
several interviews of tenant farmers and Patterson Ranch workers covering
the period from approximately 1900-1950 constitute an excellent social
history of farm life in Fremont's Northern Plain. Collectively, the memoirs
of farmers and ranch workers not only inform about the Pattersons as owners
but as well provide a third-party perspective upon changing public uses
including the development of the Nimitz Freeway (1953), Alameda County Flood
Control Project (1965-70), and the dedication of Coyote Hills Regional Park
(1968).
The oral histories in Volume I hint at subjects which Volumes II and
III treat more centrally, namely the immense changes taking place in the
area during the lifetimes of the individual interviewees, particularly
during the period following World War II. During the fifties and sixties.
southern Alameda County shifted from a rural to an urban orientation,
resulting in the incorporation of cities and the initiation of water and
flood control projects, as these new municipalities began to debate the land
and water use issues which had prompted their incorporation.
vl
Volume I: Agriculture on the Ranch
The initial interviews contained in Volume I represent a broad sample
of ranch workers and tenant farmers who were closely associated with the
Patterson family during the postwar. As a group, they reflect the value of
family and neighbors and of traditional virtues associated with farming and
farm life. Quite apparent is the fact that these attitudes ran as deep in
rural Alameda County as in more traditional agricultural areas outside
California. Indeed, the Pattersons considered many of these individuals as
their extended family, sharing with them an ethic of hard work and
perseverance in the face of drought, flooding, poor crop years, and economic
uncertainty. The interviews also cover the transition from cattle ranch to
farming and provide important data on the presence of Chinese laborers.
Mexican braceros, and migrants of all nationalities who came to comprise the
ranch work force. Also recollected are recreational activities from horse
racing to duck hunting, the introduction of the tractor to Ardenwood. and the
life of the mind in a farming environment, particularly within the context
of the development of Stanford University and the University of California
at Berkeley where many of the early Patterson family members matriculated.
The second section of Volume I covers the more recent history of the
larger-scale L. S. Williams and Alameda family farming operations on the
ranch. In addition to providing an excellent overview of the agricultural
basis of the Patterson Ranch, this section chronicles the decisions to grow
various crops and the reasons for so doing, particularly the ability of
various crops to withstand increasing salinity levels as a direct result of
the ranch's location on San Francisco Bay and saltwater intrusion into the
underground aquifers.
These interviews also reflect the rapidly changing agricultural
orientation of northern California as East Bay farmland was converted to
housing and industrial uses and agricultural operations relocated into the
Salinas Valley, which in turn reoriented transportation and marketing
networks. Increasingly isolated from the large growers and packers in the
Salinas Valley, agricultural operations in southern Alameda have been forced
to either transship their produce to the Midwest and other areas by means of
refrigerated trucks or to diversify and reorient their production towards
local markets. Since 1984. the Alameda Company has shifted from
agribusiness to more of a diversified local farm operation. The Alameda
family operates at Ardenwood for only half the year, relocating to Arizona
and northern Mexico to grow cauliflower and lettuce during the winter months
on a more convenient and large-scale basis. These growers' interviews
provide an important case study of the decisions required when farming in a
community which is making a rapid transition to urbanization in a precarious
agricultural environment.
vii
Volume II; The Context for Rapid Postwar Development
Volume II, Water, Development, and Preservation in Southern Alameda
County, provides a more in-depth study of the dynamic tension between
development, preservation efforts, and the water projects which have all
impacted Alameda County during the period after 1945. the first-hand
account of Mathew Whitfield, general manager of the Alameda County Water
District during the years 1953-1977, provides a case study of this process
of change in the East Bay. Whitfield's vivid recollections, the longest
interview in the history, offer a fascinating study of family, water and
South Bay politics during the postwar period. Whitfield's oral history may
well be the most important single contribution to the project, for the
actions of the Alameda County Water District in the 1950s provided the
foundation for the subsequent growth of Fremont and the Northern Plain.
Whitfield was a close associate of W. D. Patterson, himself a director
of the Alameda County Water District from its inception in 1914, whose
recollections, based on a 1955 interview on the subject, are also included
in this volume. Whitfield's perspective on the 1950s, the period in which
the water district took a central role in planning for controlled growth,
provides a context for assessing the subsequent changes which would alter
Fremont and the Patterson Ranch thereafter. His reflections also touch upon
an important aspect of Patterson family history not treated in this project,
namely the events leading up to and including the creation of the Del Valle
Regional Park in Livermore. which was created as the result of state
condemnation of Livermore ranch land for the Del Valle reservoir. At one
time the Patterson Livermore Ranch in Alameda County complemented the
Fremont Ranch in an integrated farming-livestock operation. The Livermore
operation is not treated herein in any detail, but is an important component
of the history of the East Bay Regional Park system.
In addition, Whitfield provides an important perspective on the State
Water Project South Bay Aqueduct, which linked both Patterson ranches to the
future of water transportation projects. These decisions to import water
for groundwater recharge and the subsequent Aquifer Reclamation Program of
1974 to counteract saltwater intrusion were determining factors in the
continued agricultural development of southern Alameda County in general and
the Patterson Ranch in particular. This interview thus provides an
important complement to the Regional Oral History Office's series of oral
history interviews on California water issues and relates changes on the
Patterson lands to statewide water issues.
Another pivotal interview contained within Volume II is that of John
(Jack) Brooks, an important developer in southern Alameda County from the
postwar to the present and the primary planner of Ardenwood. Brooks's
recollections, because of his long association with the Patterson family and
his central position as a political force in Fremont, offer an invaluable
look at the city as it has emerged to become the fourth largest municipality
in the Bay Area. As Brooks makes clear, with the five communities making up
Fremont, the Northern Plain was always anticipated to be a sixth or "New
Town," its name today.
viii
Whether this concept of an urban area on the North Plain was
acknowledged by Henry and William Patterson before their deaths as Brooks
contends, it was apparently supported by William's oldest son, Donald
Patterson (1905-1980), who, as the oldest surviving Patterson son, assumed
management responsibilities on the ranch after 1961 under an informal
primogeniture (Henry Patterson's children were both daughters). Brooks
holds that Henry and Will Patterson had virtually agreed to enter a
development plan just before Henry's death in 1955. Subsequently, he
recollects that the city of Fremont had begun to insist upon cancelling the
Williamson Act, which had protected the Patterson family from future tax
increases as an agricultural enterprise, so that the Pattersons would in the
future pay their fair share of taxes.
Although Brooks understates his role in the process, under his guidance
and with Fremont's cooperation, Ardenwood was brought out of Williamson in
1981 and substantial parts of the Patterson Ranch were sold, initially to
the Singer Company and later to Kaiser Development Company and to Brooks
himself. No less important are Brooke's recollections concerning the advent
of a planned district concept and the complicated series of negotiations
which led to the creation of Ardenwood Historic Park and the preservation of
the George Washington Patterson House at its present location adjacent to
Highways 84 and 880. Brooks' s interview also describes in some detail why
particular land-use decisions were made as they were and how a series of
urban villages were created to establish a residential new town and a
commercial and high technology center amidst a traditional farming
enterprise.
The interview of Dr. Robert Fisher also provides valuable background on
the politics of preservation involving Ardenwood. Fisher, the leading light
in the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation, describes from his viewpoint how
various interested local historical associations including the Washington
Township Historical Society, Patterson House Advisory Board, and Ardenwood
Regional Park Advisory Committee were all drawn into the question of who was
to control and implement what had belatedly been recognized as an important
historic and civic asset, namely, the Ardenwood Historic Farm and attendant
Victorian mansion which formed its centerpiece.
The recollections of Fisher and of Larry Milnes. assistant city manager
of the city of Fremont, provide a balanced view of how municipalities become
involved in the process of acquiring valuable assets for future
preservation, how these assets are administered, in this case through the
aegis of the East Bay Regional Park District, which also operates Coyote
Hills Regional Park adjacent to the site. Besides corroborating Brooks's
reflections on the Ardenwood process, Milnes's interview describes how
decisions were reached over the often controversial questions of deciding
the focus and implementing the historical theme. Klines also depicts, from
the city's perspective, the evolution of the Patterson Ranch from
agriculture to mixed use.
IX
Following the gift of forty-six acres, including the family home, to
the city of Fremont by the Patterson family in 1981, the city consulted the
State Office of Historic Preservation in Sacramento to verify Ardenwood's
historic value. This in turn led to the city and the Patterson family
petitioning the National Trust for Historic Preservation in Washington.
D.C.. to have the ranch placed on the National Registry of Historic Places,
which was accomplished in 1985. Since then, the historic farm has become an
increasingly popular tourist attraction featuring demonstration farming and
the recreation of nineteenth century farm life.
In sum, this volume treats the interrelated themes of water projects,
municipal formation, planned district development and historic preservation
within the context of Fremont politics, 1950-1988. It would be naive to
contend that the issues delineated have all been resolved or to deny that
choices forced upon the various groups involved have not produced bitter
disputes. Nevertheless, these interviews, offered by the primary surviving
decision-makers in each area, provide basic data about the campaign which
transformed the Patterson Ranch from a sprawling agricultural enterprise
beset by regular flooding and other natural hazards into a Planned Urban
District (PUD).
From the Patterson's perspective, however, a view no doubt shared by
Fremont and EBRPD, pride is taken in the fact that a large portion of the
Patterson Ranch has been converted to public use, first for the Nimitz
Freeway in 1952. then for the flood control uses proposed by Alameda County,
and later by the dedication of large tracts of permanent open space,
including both the Coyote Hills Regional Park and the Del Valle Reservoir
and Park in Livermore as well as the most recent dedication of the Ardenwood
Historic Farm now operated by the Park District. The Patterson family's
strong advocacy of open space preservation is reflected in the creation of
no fewer than three East Bay Regional Parks on Patterson family lands and a
substantial portion of the acreage within the planned district being
dedicated to public use. This distinguishing feature of Ardenwood. like the
better known Irvine and Bixby Ranches in southern California, for example,
is intended to provide for the needs of future generations and is a part of
the continuing stewardship of the Patterson family management group.
Volume III! The Family Recalls the Past and Confronts the Future
Volume III. The Patterson Ranch. Past and Future; The Family's
Perspective, is devoted to the reflections of the third and fourth
generation of Patterson family members. The variety of these interviews
reflect the quite different personalities and temperaments of George
Washington's two sons. Will and Henry, who apparently contemplated a
division of their undivided landhol dings prior to their deaths, a decision
which was never consummated. It was traditional in most large landowning
families for the eldest son to assume management responsibilities following
his father's death. This was true in the case of George Washington's eldest
son. Henry, who succeeded him in 1895 at seventeen years of age and
subsequently with Will Patterson's oldest son. Donald, who assumed
responsibility for ranch management in the period after 1961. Donald
Patterson's interview, taped by the Society of California Pioneers prior to
his death in 1980. provides interesting observations on both his father and
grandfather and the nature of their lives at Ardenwood.
Perhaps the most insightful observation corroborated by many others in
these volumes was the respectful and cooperative relationship between Will
and Henry Patterson, who "never had a disagreement" and consulted one
another on every major decision to be made concerning the ranch. Although
the two sons differed in temperament and personality and were not what one
might call close, they accommodated these differences pragmatically, with
the quieter Henry running the ranch and his more outgoing brother Will
dealing with the public. Their mutual respect and deliberate way of
reaching consensus decisions in addition to their division of labors, both
running the ranch and defending the ranch's interests in the South Bay.
resulted in a profitable landhold. Ardenwood dominated the regional
agricultural economy through the production of row crops (lettuce,
cauliflower) and other high quality produce. Will and Henry were excellent
farmers, good businessmen, and outstanding citizens, who extended and
consolidated their father's agricultural presence in southern Alameda County.
The interview of David Patterson, Will's youngest son, who assumed
management responsibilities for the ranch following the death of his older
brothers, Donald and John (known as Jack), provides a frank assessment of
the difficulties which a family agricultural enterprise faces when it
suffers the loss of its patriarchs in a period of transition. During the
period in which Donald Patterson ran the ranch, Henry's daughters. Sally
Patterson Adams and Marjorie Patterson, were not actively involved in
decision-making, this role having been assumed largely by John Brooks, a
real estate developer who was close to Donald Patterson and both anticipated
and orchestrated the development process.
The interviews with Donald's sons. George and Wilcox. provide
considerable information concerning the ranch and their father. None of
these memoirs, however, sheds additional light on the process of decision-
making between the city, the Pattersons, and John Brooks, although it is
likely that the public records of the period (1980-1984) would be helpful to
historians interested in understanding the development process. The next
stage of land use clearly mandated turning over of substantial portions of
the ranch for residential development as rising land values and the shortage
of available land for homes resulted in a new Fremont and a transformed
Northern Plain.
Following Donald Patterson's death in 1980, David Patterson continued
to manage the family farm as the city entered into a development agreement
with Brooks. Despite serious rifts within the family, which included an
abortive attempt by two of William Patterson's grandchildren to bring suit
against their family to obtain the value of their undivided interest in the
ranch property, the family held firm against this challenge. When the two
xi
young people hired the nefarious Kelvin Belli to sue the Patterson family
and were defeated in court (1981). it prompted the Pattersons to move
rapidly to incorporate as Patterson Fremont Management, Inc., (PFM) and to
set up a series of limited partnerships to manage the land in order that one
or more minority family members could not, through undivided ownership, lay
waste to the family's plan for future ownership and management of the
property. It was this incident which convinced the Pattersons that the days
of consensus decision-making as it had existed with Henry and Will had
ended. By 1982 the Patterson Ranch had converted to a true business
organization.
Interviews of Sally Patterson Adams and her husband. Dr. John E. Adams,
shed light not only on the personages of Henry and Sarah Patterson but also
provide an alternative recollection on how decisions were reached during the
1960s and 1970s, as the transition was made from agriculture to development
by individuals and forces outside the family. Sally Adams provides an
intimate portrait of growing up at Ardenwood. John Adams, an ardent
preservationist, casts a skeptical eye on the chain of events which led to
the ultimate transformation of the ranch, contending that the demand for
change was orchestrated by a prevailing coterie at City Hall rather than by
population dynamics or other inexorable forces. Adams clearly believes that
the ranch could have continued in farming had the family been given the
opportunity to make this choice through timely dissemination of information
and discussion of alternatives to development.
Interviews by the fourth generation of Pattersons are informative for
their explanation of the transition from ranch management by individuals
towards a corporate form of business organization. Bruce Patterson provides
insights about his father. Jack, as well as the strongly independent natures
of the W. D. and H. H. Patterson families. In this regard, interviews by
the fourth generation of Pattersons make clear that the testamentary
dispositions of their grandfathers, William and Henry, as well as their
parents, has resulted in a current generation of Pattersons spread
throughout the state and country, of different economic means and lacking
common objectives for Ardenwood. This, in turn, has resulted in growing
differences of opinion stronger than those developing during the tenure of
the third generation. The implications of land being sold to outside
developers and the first cash distributions to family members both raised
expectations and produced further disputes, rather than silencing them.
Certain limited partners began to question the decisions of those family
members serving as general partners and to urge a liquidation of remaining
ranch assets. In general, these disputes follow family lines.
Interviews with other members of the PFM Board include those by former
president Robert Buck, a Patterson son-in-law and attorney who currently
serves as PFM's legal counsel. Buck provides yet another perspective on the
events leading to the Ardenwood development, particularly the Kaiser land
sales and the creation of the Patterson Properties business enterprise
during the 1980s.
xii
Leon Campbell, another son-in-law serving as PFM's executive vice
president, recounts how he and Buck were called upon to assume management
and investment responsibilities for the Patterson family. As the vast,
undeveloped acreage appreciated in value, situated within one of the most
rapidly growing parts of the Bay Area, they completed tax deferred
exchanges, putting the family into income-producing properties which PFM
managed and operated. As they assumed their posts in 1985, Buck and
Campbell were increasingly called upon to mediate between decisions which
had been made prior to the Pattersons' complete awareness of a political
process which had developed apart from them and future policy issues which
loomed ahead, such as those of wetlands, the subsidization of agriculture,
and the Town Center development.
These business recollections are paralleled by those of Donald
Patterson's other son, George Patterson, who provides a sensitive internal
history on the family at Ardenwood, and Abigail Adams Campbell, daughter of
Sally Patterson Adams, on her grandparents, Sarah and Henry Patterson.
Taken together, the several interviews by the fourth generation of
Patterson family management underscores the dichotomy of events which have
transpired in Fremont's North Plain during the period since 1980 and
particularly since 1984. when the initial land sale to Kaiser Development
Corporation was instituted. Hardly conclusive in their entirety, these last
interviews restate the younger generation's perspective on their fathers and
grandfathers, as well as their own perceptions about the rapidly changing
nature of the real estate which they have been requested to monitor in the
future. These changes have rendered the personal managerial tradition of
the Patterson family largely unworkable, although considerable nostalgia for
the "old ways" still exists, which often precludes certain limited partners
from adhering to a general partnership organization. In many ways the
family runs each other rather than running a business, a not uncommon aspect
of organizations with strongly paternal origins. The challenge ahead will
be to forge a new consensus to accommodate an era promising even greater
alterations in the Patterson Ranch and the East Bay.
Conclusion and Acknowledgements
In conclusion, this oral history of the Patterson family and ranch,
1851-1988, has much to contribute to the general history of southern Alameda
County and is particularly informative on the transitional years between
1945 and the present, which are largely omitted in the historical
literature, by drawing on the reflections of those who were the primary
actors during those years.
The Regional Oral History Office of The Bancroft Library at the
University of California. Berkeley, has provided an ideal method for
understanding the linkages between the Patterson family, its agricultural and
ranching enterprise, and actions taken by city, county and state
xiii
organizations in response to the pressures of rapid urbanization occurring
in the East Bay during the postwar period. These interviews with the
surviving senior members of the Patterson family and key individuals
associated with the family agricultural and business operations over the
past fifty years not only underscore the enormous changes taking place in
the area during the lifetimes of those interviewed, but they also indicate
how and why these changes were implemented. Often it appears that matters
of great significance were reached by informal agreement rather than formal
debate both within the family and perhaps outside of it. These interviews
reflect a simpler time, prior to the advent of citizen-sponsored initiatives
and environmental impact reports, a period when many leaders shared common
assumptions concerning the value of growth and development to
municipalities. Few could have comprehended the scope of growth which was
to transform the Bay Area so dramatically during the postwar period and the
reactions which it would produce.
The Patterson family is proud to have its history included in The
Bancroft Library's treasury of interviews with major figures in the history
of California and the West. The three-volume oral history project
represents a substantial historiographies! advancement towards the
development of a comprehensive history of the East Bay and its progenitory
families.
I should like to thank the staff of the Regional Oral History Office at
Berkeley, particularly Division Head Willa Baum and Project Director Ann
Lage, for the dedicated effort which they have made in bringing this project
to fruition through the recording, transcription and editing of these
interviews. The trained oral historians on the ROHO staff, whose careful
research and sensitive interview techniques are clearly manifest throughout
the project, have clearly set the tone for the entire project. My long-time
friend. Dr. Knox Mellon, former head of the State Office of Historic
Preservation in Sacramento, who skillfully directed the nomination of the
Ardenwood Regional Preserve to the National Register of Historic Places, has
also been pivotal in finalizing this project. Dr. Mellon's liaison as a
consultant to the Regional Oral History Office and ROHO's strong ties to
state and local historical groups both assure that the project meets
specific needs as well as serving the larger scholarly community through the
questions it raises and the information it preserves.
This oral history project substantially advances earlier studies
carried out by the East Bay Regional Park District, which were designed to
analyze the property exclusively in terms of its archaeological
significance. By recording the reflections of two generations of Patterson
family members about life and work on the Patterson Ranch, the project also
relates centrally to the history of Fremont and to the entire East Bay which
otherwise might be lost forever.
Through the incorporation of interviews with members of the Patterson
Ranch labor force, water district officials and a broad spectrum of Fremont
city officials and politicians, as well as interviews with other key
individuals now deceased, recorded earlier by the Society of California
xiv
Pioneers, and interviews with individuals charged with the stewardship of
the remaining lands of Patterson, this oral history project anticipates a
full history of the Patterson Ranch and the South Bay. The subject should
be of future value to scholars interested in urban planning, land use
decision-making, agricultural history, the process of municipal formation
and water issues, matters related to conservation and historic preservation
as they pertain to the East Bay and, of course, the political matrix in
which these issues are situated. In this regard, this project, which deals
with life, land and politics on the Patterson Fremont Ranch, exceeds the sum
of its parts.
The personal and financial support of several individuals and groups
also made the project possible. Financial sponsorship of the project has
been provided by the East Bay Regional Park District, the Brooks Family
Foundation, the City of Fremont, the Oliver De Silva Company, the Alameda
County Water District, and various members of the Patterson family,
especially David and Joan Patterson, Dorothy Patterson, and the J. B.
Patterson Trust. David and Joan Patterson have been steadfast in their
determination to preserve the history of the Patterson family over time and
have supported this work at every juncture.
The present project goes well beyond the Pattersons to focus upon the
Patterson Ranch during the years in which it was transformed from a rural
agricultural enterprise to the Ardenwood planned community. A "New Town"
both in concept and in fact. Shakespeare's idyllic Ardenwood may be an
elusive metaphor masking the difficult choices that changes in land use
inevitably bring.
Leon G. Campbell
Executive Vice President
Patterson Fremont Management. Inc.
May. 1988
Fremont. California
XV
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, 1956
SAN
LORENZO
from the 1956 Alai?eda County map
California State Automobile Association
xvi
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY, 1987
from the 1987 Alameda/Contra Costa map
California State Automobile Association
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley. California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
Mathew P. Whitfield
General Manager of the Alameda County
Water District. 1953-1977
An Interview Conducted by
Ann Lage
in 1986
Copyright
1988 by the Regents of the University of California
la
TABLE OF CONTENTS — Mathew P. Whitfield
INTERVIEW HISTORY lc
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION le
I WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP YOUTH, ENGINEERING EDUCATION. AND
EARLY CAREER lf
Mission San Jose Family If
Schooling A
Engineering Jobs 8
Wartime Service at Mare Island Naval Shipyard 9
II THE ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT IN THE 1950s 13
Hired by the Water District 13
Apprenticeship under Ed Richmond. 1950-1953 16
Planning for Growth: the 1955 Bond Issue 20
The ACWD Board of Directors in the Early Fifties 21
III WILLIAM D. PATTERSON AND THE WATER DISTRICT 24
A Private Person 24
Resolution 81: Blueprint for Growth 26
Quiet Support and Leadership from Will Patterson 28
Water. Flood Control. Development, and Growth 30
IV ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF THE FIFTIES 33
Recharging the Ground Water through Percolation Pits 33
Pressure to Purchase Hetch Hetchy Water from San Francisco 34
A Controversy with Developers Conway and Culligan, 1954 37
Water District Role in Planning for Growth 40
ACHD and the Arroyo Del Valle 42
Patterson Interest in Flood Control and the Reber Plan 44
Board Member Jack Prouty 48
V THE STATE WATER PROJECT'S SOUTH BAY AQUEDUCT 52
Early Applications for Delta Water 52
Working with the Department of Water Resources 53
Ground Water Basin vs. Hetch Hetchy Water: the Primary
Conflict 54
Juris dictional Disputes with the Flood Control District 55
Early Water Conservation Measures 56
District Role in Del Valle Reservoir Planning 58
Transporting Water over Altamont Pass 61
Changing an Unreasonable State Contract 62
Fighting Saltwater Intrusion in the Ground Water Basin 63
The Aquifer Reclamation Program. 1974 66
Ib
VI THE PUMP TAX: CONTROVERSY WITH DISTRICT FARMERS 69
Enabling Legislation and Rationale for the Pump Tax 69
Pump Tax Hearings: Outraged Reaction from Farmers 71
A Shifting Balance of Community Power: Pump Tax Passed.
1970 73
Water Pump Meters 76
VII PROTECTING THE GROUND WATER BASIN 78
Standards for Well Abandonment. Well Drilling, and
Drainage Wells 78
Addendum on Saltwater Intrusion and the Aquifer Reclamation
Program 80
Legal Action against Water Waste by Quarry Operators.
1968-1974 84
Pump Tax Update 88
Protecting the Alameda Creek Watershed in the Liver-more
Valley 90
VIII THE WATER DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY 93
Fluoridation Controversy. 1969-1971 93
Trip to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. 1972 98
Citizens Utility Company Buyout: Community Pressure*
Company Recalcitrance 101
Perspective on Environmental Impact Reports 108
Response to the Drought of 1977 109
Relations with Cities and Citizen Groups 113
TAPE GUIDE 117
APPENDIX A: Notes on History and Operation of Alameda County
Water District. August 1979 118
1C
INTERVIEW HISTORY — Mathew P. Whitfield
Matt Whitfield was first suggested as an interviewee for the Patterson
family and ranch project because, in his position as the general manager of
the Alameda County Water District, he had worked closely with William D.
Patterson. Patterson was the leading member of the ACWD board of directors,
having served as board member since the district's founding in 1914 and as
an active president from 1932 to 1954. He retired from the board in 1958.
It was hoped that Mr. Whitfield could give a first-hand account of Will
Patterson's work for the district and his modus operandi and philosophical
approach as board member.
As the research for the Whitfield interview progressed, however, it
became apparent that a more comprehensive documentation of Whitfield and the
water district would serve the larger purposes of the oral history project —
to document the transformation of the Patterson Ranch as a case study of
southern Alameda County in transition from an agricultural community to a
residential and industrial suburb of the metropolitan Bay Area. The
interview became an oral history of Matt Whitfield and of the Alameda County
Water District during his term as general manager.
Matt Whitfield went to work for the Alameda County Water District in
1950 and served as its general manager from 1953 to 1977. Hired as a local
boy. personally known by board member Dr. Grimmer, Whitfield managed a
relatively small water district, which had been created to safeguard the
local water supply and service a community that was primarily agricultural.
By the time of his retirement, the district had expanded to service a
burgeoning metropolitan area. He had worked with the district's board of
directors to face the problems of rapid development and increased demand for
water. The water district's timely response to demands of urbanization made
possible the growth of the community whose water needs it served.
Whitfield's oral history recounts the milestones of the district's
development: the 1955 bond issue; Resolution 81. which set up terms for
development of water delivery systems in new subdivisions; ground water
recharge and protection programs; the decisions and negotiations leading up
to receipt of water from the State Water Project's South Bay Aqueduct; the
controversy surrounding the pump tax on agricultural use of water from
underground aquifers; and community furor over fluoridation.
It documents Matt Whitfield's low-key management style and his direct
way of working with the district's elected board of directors, with
officials of local governments, and with building contractors. It
illustrates the contrast between the relatively informal operation of the
district in the 1950s and the days of public hearings and environmental
impact reports by the 1970s.
In addition, Mr. Whitfield was able to give a thoughtful portrayal of
Will Patterson in his role as president and director. Whitfield's
Id
predecessor apparently had functioned less as a general manager and more as
trouble shooter in the field. During his tenure. Patterson, as board
president, had performed many of the managerial duties himself. During
Whitfield's term, he withdrew from this type of active management, but until
his retirement, he continued to hold a leadership role on the board and was
very supportive of Whitfield as general manager.
In the course of research for this series, we uncovered in The Bancroft
Library a 1955 interview of William Patterson discussing his role as Alameda
County Water District founder, director, and president. It is included as an
appendix to this volume.
The following interview with Matt Whitfield was conducted at his home
in the Mission San Jose district of Fremont on May 29, June 5, and June 26,
1986. Mr. Whitfield was most cooperative in assisting research and
selecting topics for the interview, and in the careful review of the
interview transcript. Tapes of the three sessions are available in The
Bancroft Library.
Subsequent interviewing for the Patterson project revealed a high
degree of respect for Mr. Whitfield among those in the community who worked
with him. This respect is further evidenced by the district's recognition
of his leadership and service in dedicating the Mathew P. Whitfield
reservoir in the Mission San Jose district on September 27. 1986.
Ann Lage
Interviewer/Editor
Project Director
September. 1988
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley
Regional Oral History Office
Room 486 The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720
le
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
Your full name
Date of birth
(Please print or write clearly)
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Place of birth
Father's full name
Birthplace
Occupation
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Mother's full name A/3TH"
Birthplace
Occupation
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Where did you grow up 1
Present community
Education
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Occupation(s)
Special interests or activities
If
I WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP YOUTH. ENGINEERING EDUCATION. AND EARLY
CAREER
[Interview 1: May 29. 1986]#0
Mission San Jose Family
Lage:
Whitfield!
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Today is May 29th. 1986, and this is the first interview with
Matt Whitfield about the Alameda County Water District. We
wanted to start with some personal background and background
about the area. Before we recorded, you were telling me a
little bit of history about the Gallegos water system.
It was owned by the Gallegos family. Juan Gallegos, who came
over here from Costa Rica. They somehow acquired most of the
properties around Mission San Jose.
This is the area we are in now?
No, they didn't come this far down yet; they came down towards
Irvington and the Mission San Jose area. They had vineyards.
They had a little water system of their own in Mission San Jose,
which is now a part of Fremont, the Mission San Jose district.
After the water district annexed Mission San Jose which was
around 1940 sometime, the water district took their system over.
They paid them a small amount because I don't think they had
more than fifteen or twenty customers [laughs]. As I remember,
my great-aunt lived down the other end of town, the opposite end
of town from the Gallegos, and that's where the water came from.
So she got water from them.
##This symbol indicates that a tape or a segment of a tape has
begun or ended. For a guide to the tapes see page 117.
Whitfield: Yes. I think they had about a one-inch line, so on Saturday
night not too many people could bathe at once [laughs].
Lage: Did this private delivery system continue until Mission San Jose
was annexed?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. Most of the people in town had their own wells, but
the Gallegoses had water that came from springs, and they
supplied probably fifteen or twenty customers in town.
Lage: Let's go now. after that little aside, to talk about your
background, your family. You started to tell me where your
family came from.
Whitfield: You want to start back with my grandparents?
Lage: Well, not in tremendous detail but tell what your roots are.
Whitfield: My mother and father were both born in Mission San Jose and
lived there all their lives.
Lage: Give me their names.
Whitfield: My father was Mathew Joseph, and I'm Mathew Paul Whitfield. My
mother's name was Katie Boggini; that was her maiden name. In
fact, her real baptismal name was Henrietta. That was because
Mrs. Gallegos was her godmother when she was baptized in the old
wooden church, St. Joseph's, up there. That's a Costa Rican
name, but she never went by that, she always went by Kate.
Lage: Was she related to Mrs. Gallegos?
Whitfield: No. she was just a godmother. The reason she was a godmother
was because my grandparents came from Switzerland. First of
all. my grandfather came over here to work in the Gallegos
Vineyards up in the Mission San Jose area. He didn't bring my
grandmother with him. He had one child, my Aunt Mary, who was
only six months old when she came from Switzerland. He worked
for the Gallegoses so my grandparents lived on the Gallegos
property that's now owned by the Sisters of the Holy Family. So
my mother was born on the Gallegos property.
Lage: Were your grandparents Swiss- Italian?
Whitfield: Swiss-Italian, yes, from the Italian part of Switzerland.
Lage: How about your father's roots?
Whitfield: Let me say that in my mother's side of the family there were ten
children. They're all deceased now. The last one just passed
away about eight months ago. Then on my father's side of the
Whitfield; family there were eight children. There's three of them living
now; I have three aunts that are living. Tess. who's ninety-one;
and my godmother, Irene, who is eighty-seven; and the youngest
living is eighty-four, Winifred.
They were all raised in Mission San Jose and went to the
local schools. All my father's sisters except one went to San
Jose Normal when it was just a normal school and took up
teaching. They were teachers after they graduated, in the
general area of Fremont and Newark.
Lage: They're the ones you told me knew Tillie Logan*, who also went
to San Jose Normal.
Whitfield: Yes. I'd say that Tillie is in the age group of the older of my
three aunts.
Lage: It must be unusual to find many people who have roots here for
that length of time.
Whitfield: No, because one of my grandmothers was twelve when she came
here. The other one from Switzerland was seventeen. So that
goes back. I think my grandmothers would be over 120 biological
years old if they were still living.
Lage: Now how about your father's family? Where did they come from?
Whitfield: My grandmother, Teresa Nolan, came from San Francisco. Her
family moved up into the Sheridan Road up by Sunol. There was a
colony of Irishmen up there. My grandmother's maiden name was
Teresa Nolan.
Lage: Was she Irish?
Whitfield: Yes, she's Irish. Then my grandfather came from England. He
went from England to New Zealand and left New Zealand and
somehow get into the town of Niles. So he was English. So I'm
a quarter Irish, a quarter English, and half Swiss- Italian.
Lage: Well, a nice mix. As I was looking at the water district
records it seems as if your father worked for the district.
Whitfield: Yes, my father worked in the operations department. He put in
waterlines and meters and all that kind of thing. That's when
they had about three people working for them.
*See interview with Tillie Logan in this series.
Lage: It seemed that way. And he was paid almost as much as the
general manager, fifty dollars less a month.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, the pay scale was very low then. In fact, when I
was hired — talk about pay — the board of directors didn't know
what to do about what kind of salary I should get. I had been
making $429 a month in the late forties when I was available to
work for them, so that's what they gave me. But it was just
slightly under what the general manager was making.
Schooling
Lage:
Whitfield: Do you want to talk about my education, or — ?
What was the community like here as you were growing up as a
young boy?
Lage: Your education, but also —
Whitfield: Yes. Well, let me say that all my father's and mother's
families went to the Old Mission school up here in Mission San
Jose, which subsequently became the second temporary city hall
for the city of Fremont. That's the same grammar school I went
to. It was in operation from 1915 to 1955. and then the state
condemned it.
Lage: As earthquake — ?
Whitfield: Yes. Then Ed Huddleson bought it. He was the one who purchased
the Witherly property where the Ohlone College now stands. So
the city rented space in the old school for several years before
they built a city hall of their own.
Lage: It was a public school?
Whitfield: It was a public school. I went there.
Lage: Was it small?
Whitfield: Yes, there were four classrooms, you know, and multiple classes
for one teacher. In fact, my Aunt Tessie taught there in the
year of 1919. She taught some of my mother's brothers and
sisters when they were younger.
Lage:
When were you born?
Whitfield: I was born in 1917 in Mission San Jose.
Lage: Then what about high school, where did you go?
Whitfield: I went to Washington High School. In fact, some of my aunts and
uncles went to Washington High School. It was at another
location about five blocks from where it is now. That's where
Tillie Goold and all the Logans went. In fact, my aunts used to
ride an old horse and buggy down there every day to go to high
school, from Mission San Jose.
When I went to high school there, Washington High was the
only high school between Hayward and San Jose. Then this whole
area — you see, Fremont's made up of five little towns, and then
there is Newark; then Decoto, and Alvarado, which are now a part
of Union City. Each one of those little towns had an elementary
school. Then, of course, after the incorporations they all went
into city unified school districts. There's three different
unified school districts here now.
Lage: There was just the one high school, though, then.
Whitfield: It served the eight little towns around here, yes.
Lage: Did they have a bus; did you take a bus to school?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Did you have brothers and sisters?
Whitfield: I had one sister. She passed away in 1958. I have two nieces
and one nephew, my sister's children.
Lage: We are skipping over this quickly, but I just want to get a
general view of your background.
After Washington High —
Whitfield: I went to San Jose State and I took pre- engineer ing because in
those days San Jose State wasn't that big. First of all, my
sister was taking teaching. My aunts, Tessie, Irene, and
Winnie, went there and they became teachers. I was very young
when I got out of high school; I was only sixteen, so I wasn't
sure what I wanted, so I signed up for teaching. I was in there
two weeks; then two of my buddies that went with me all through
high school signed up for pre-engineering. I kind of liked what
they were doing so I switched over to engineering. We could
only go there two years, so I then transferred.
Lage:
It was just a two-year school?
Whitfield: In the engineering. It was just pre-engineering; it was four
years for teachers and ether professions. Then I transferred to
the University of Santa Clara and went there three years. I
graduated in 1939. with a bachelors of science in mechanical
engineering. That's the extent of my education, other than some
courses that I took and that type of thing.
Lage: When you were here in the local school district, did a lot of
the children go on to college? Were there teachers that
encouraged you to do that?
Whitfield: Well, they encouraged me, yes. Of course, one thing — see. none
of my mother's brothers or sisters went. In fact, my father
always said his education was he graduated from the fourth
grade. None of my mother's brothers or sisters or my mother
went. Well, the younger daughters and son went to high school,
and the older ones didn't. One thing about it was that one of
my father's brothers, the only one of the boys that ever went
part-time to college — he went to the University of Santa CLara.
he was a football player — but he died from spinal meningitis
when he was about 19 years old. So I always thought that if I
ever went to college I'd like to go to Santa Clara.
Lage: But his sisters went to college to become teachers.
Whitfield: Well, three of the sisters became teachers, and one was a
milliner; she worked for a hat place in San Jose. But none of
the boys — my father's brothers — went on to school.
Lage: Did your family encourage you to go? Was that a goal?
Whitfield: Yes. very much so. It was struggle because we didn't have much.
You know, my father ran the ranch up there, and it was pretty
close pickings sometimes.
Lage: Now what ranch did he run?
Whitfield: Well, he ran the property all of which at one time belonged to
the Gallegos. The main part was the gardens: there were
seventeen acres of gardens. Most of it is now owned by the
Sisters ef the Holy Family.
Lage: Has it been preserved?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. The Sisters have their novitiate up there and their
convent. It's a beautiful place.
Lage :
Is it something people can go and see. or is it — ?
Whitfield: Oh. if you wanted to go. I work very closely with them. I ran
their festivals for years.
Lage: This was a sideline, running their festivals?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. I'm a Catholic, and I used to run them. Well, we had
a wonderful time, yes. It's was an annual fair, raising funds
for them. I was kind of their advisor on things when they were
building up there. My father used to go up and help. too.
Then there were a hundred acres of prunes. In fact, some
of it was right up here on Palm Avenue, twenty-seven acres. I
started my professional life as a prune picker, [laughter] On
my knees, picking prunes for my father, yes.
Lage: So your father managed that ranching operation?
Whitfield: Yes, he ran all the ranching operations for them.
Lage: Was that later after he worked for the district?
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
No, that was before. He left there in 1941. I think, and then
he went down and worked for the water district for about four or
five years. Then he took over a service station and ran that
until he retired. In fact, the service station was right across
the street from the water district yard, which was about as big
as my backyard.
My goodnessl Times have really changed,
notice it more.
In this area you
Yes. Well, when I was growing up there were just these little
towns. You knew, maybe five or six hundred people at the most.
And then just open space, farms — ?
Farms, orchards, a lot of row crop, not too much irrigation up
in this area like there was down in the valley in Centerville
and in through there. But the orchards had to be irrigated, the
prune orchards once or twice a year. I think they had about
four acres of apricots, toe.
Was that irrigation system based on wells?
Yes.
8
Engineering Jobs
Lage: What kind of jobs did you have after college?
what year?
You graduated in
Whitfield: Nineteen thirty-nine. Let's see. the first j ob I had was — well.
in fact, when I got out of Santa CLara there were eleven in our
graduating class of engineering. I was the only one that had a
job because in these days there weren't too many jobs around.
Lage: This was Depression time.
Whitfield: Yes. So this fellow — I think his name was Cochran — had called
up Dean Sullivan at Santa Clara and asked if they had any young
engineers that might want a job. So he asked me if I would be
interested. It was just a one-man operation; he worked out of
his house. He did design work. It was in industrial gas
burners and that kind of stuff. I took the job at $115 a month.
I was with them for, oh, a year, about a year. He went out of
business.
Then I called Dean Sullivan and asked if there was anything
else. There was another one-man operation in San Jose and his
name was Erstead, He had invented and built a burlap bag
turning machine. You know, when they sew the burlap and then
they cut the bags out. Then they have to be turned so that the
seam is inside. When I saw that machine [laughs], it was an
inventor's nightmare. I thought, "fiov am I ever going to figure
what this thing does?"
Lage: Now what would have been your job as an engineer?
Whitfield: I did a little design work, then I did drafting.
Lage: Relative to this machine?
Whitfield: That was the only thing he had.
Lage: Did he want you to kind of refine it?
Whitfield: Yes. Well, he had ideas but did a lot — you see. in those days
when you got out as an engineer you usually went to work doing
drafting work. There weren't any of these big plush jobs at
forty thousand dollars a year.
Lage:
Were you a particular kind of engineer?
Whitfield: Mechanical. He was a very difficult man to work for. He'd go
off on a tangent, you know, yell his head off. But he had
reputation of being rather strange in San Jose because he'd go
into one of these supply places and they'd practically throw him
out all the time. [laughter]
Lage: That must have given you great experience to prepare you to work
for a board of directors later.
Whitfield: Well, none of them were like him, thank goodness. But, then. I
wasn't very happy there. Then Dean Sullivan called me and said
there was an opening up at Pacific Gear and Tool. Well, the
chief engineer up there had graduated from Santa Clara as an
engineer, too. That was at Pacific Gear and Tool.
At Pacific Gear and Tool, all the sens went to the
University of Santa Clara and took engineering. One became a
Jesuit priest. So they always had the "in" at Pacific Gear and
Tool if you were a Santa Clara graduate. I went to work for
them. I spent the first year or year and a half just drafting.
Then I got into some designs. What they did was gear work and
speed reducers. Have you see pictures of these big oil well
pumps, the things that pump up and down? Well, they made the
big gear drives to drive those. I did design work on these and
that type of stuff for four years.
Then in 1944, I was deferred because Pacific Gear was doing
mostly national defense.
Wartime Service at Mare Island Naval Shipyard
Lage: The draft must have picked up about that time.
Whitfield: Yes. it had. I worked for Pacific Gear until '44. I was
deferred. Then this fellow, another Santa CLara graduate who
was there before me, we were both talking about going into the
navy, but we had a wonderful boss to work for and we didn't want
to leave him in the lurch. I said, 'Veil, you're a senior to me
so you go first." [laughs] Then I waited about almost another
year, and then I signed up. I got a commission in the navy as
an ensign.
Then they sent me down to the University of Arizona at
Tucson for a two-month indoctrination course. I was down there
two months and then I was transferred back to Mare Island up at
Vallejo. I spent the duration of my service up at Vallejo.
Lage: So you never got overseas?
10
Whitfield: No. I never got any experience at sea. I was assigned to the
ship superintendent, which involved ship repairs and replace
ments in the mechanical and electrical equipment area on
auxiliary vessels, and I learned an awful lot because I had
never been exposed to such a variety of equipment before.
Then I was transferred up in the planning department.
What we had to do was there'd be two officers assigned to each
ship. One would be for the hull repairs, and one would be for
machinery and electrical. I was machine. But our job was to
get everything done while the ships were in the yard for a
specific time period. We had to report weekly on the progress
te the captain whe was the repair superintendent.
Lage: It had some relationship to engineering but not — ?
Whitfield: Well, it was good practical experience of learning about
machinery and mechanisms and all because on a ship there's
practically every type of machinery and equipment aboard.
I'll never forget the first time I went up to the ship I
was assigned to. It was the Ell Dorado, a flag ship for landing-
craft operations. I had done seme design work at Pacific Gear
on some of the units that were involved. They had a CICi a
communication information center. You see, this ship would go
out and direct all the amphibious ships' operations. They were
putting in this CIC, this communication information center. I
walk in this compartment, as big as this room here, and there
were wires hanging all over the place. [laughs] "Oh, Gedl If
it's my job to get those wires hooked up, forget it." But it
worked out.
Then I was transferred, after being there about a year. I
was transferred up into the planning section under another
captain. There were civilian planners assigned to machinery and
hull work, but they had officers over them. We used to go out
and meet ships way out at sea. and then we'd have conferences
with their officers. They'd have their lists of repair and work
and alterations that they wanted done, and we would make
decisions en the way in as to what we could and could net do.
Say, if they were in for thirty days or sixty days, we would
decide what materials were available to do it and authorize
certain work to be done.
Lage: It sounds like good training for the job at the water district.
Whitfield: Yes, it was very enlightening and gave me some good practical
experience. The only thing is I was only an ensign and we used
to meet sometimes with commanders and captains, four stripers,
yeu know.
11
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield;
And tell them what you could do for them?
Yes, yes. In fact, we had a very senior captain who was over
the planning section, my boss. Captain — oh, I can't even think
of his name. He was a nice guy, though. Some of these
officers, you know, like commanders, they'd resent the fact that
an ensign would say, "I'm sorry, sir, we can't do this." A
couple of them said, "Well. I guess we're going to have to go
over your head." I said, "Fine." [laughs]
In our office we had two desks facing each other, and one
would always be the mechanical man for officers that worked in
our department, and one would be the hull man. When a captain
rang, the planning superintendent or the repair superintendent,
it was a continuous ring so you always knew when a captain
called. So we got back to an office from this excursion after
reviewing all the job requests. When I went in, I sat down at
my desk, and I was there about half an hour and [making a
ringing sound] it was the captain, the planning superintendent.
He says, "Whit, come on in. I've got seme friends of yours
in here. I went into his office where there were several of the
ships officers. I thought. "Oh no, I'm in trouble now." So he
said. "Captain so-and-so wants to know, you turned him down on
such-and-such. Why?" I went through about ten different
things, you know, and he'd say, "Why did you do it?" "Well, we
don't have that equipment available. It is too short a time,"
or whatever the reason might be. He knew all these other
officers. He turned to the captain, 'Well, Bill, that's the
story. "
[laughs] That's nice to be backed
up.
Oh. wonderful. It certainly gave me a feeling of courage. I
tell you that, yes.
So after the war you came back to Washington Township?
Yes.
How eld were you then? Would it have been '45?
Yes, it was 1945, and I was then 28 years old.
I didn't tell you about my job after Mare Island. I went
to work for A.B. Chance Company. They manufactured high voltage
electrical equipment, switches, tools, etc., in San Francisco.
Lage:
This was after the war, then?
12
Whitfield: Yes. that was in '47. Their home plant was in Centralia.
Missouri. When they first moved out here, the union pulled them
out en strike. They pulled five companies out on strike, and
they were one of them. Well, they hadn't even gotten
established out here.
Then when I was with them, after a couple of years, they
did the same thing again, so A.B. Chance Company just made up
their mind; they said. "Well, we're net going to fight this
anymore." They had just started to build up some sales
territory and all that so they just decided to move all the
production work back to Centralia. Missouri. So I went back
there with them for about three weeks te familiarize them with
the San Francisco operations since they had not done this kind
of work before.
Lage: Did you ever think of moving back there?
Whitfield: No. I was their methods engineer in San Francisco, and I did
some design work, too. But then when they took everything back,
they just left an assembly shop. No. I stayed with them while
they were in the transition while they were moving. Then I was
just in charge of the assembly department for a time.
They wanted me te come back, but I'd never been to the
Midwest before. When you lived in Centralia, Missouri, you
either worked for A.B. Chance Company, or you raised corn and
soybeans, or you had a little store in town. It wasn't very
big. But they were a very wonderful company to work for.
13
II THE ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT IN THE 1950S
Hired by the Water District
Whitfield: So I was in between jobs, and I think I've told you before that
Dr. Grimmer, who was en the board of directors [of the water
district] when I was hired. Dr. E.M. Grimmer was our family
doctor. He was a fishing and hunting buddy of my father's. We
were going up to Winchester Bay in Oregon on a fishing trip,
both families, and I was driving Dr. Grimmer's car for him.
Whitfield: He asked me what I was doing. I told him I was in between jobs.
We got talking about it. He said, "Well, you know, we've been
thinking about hiring a young engineer for the water district
because the present general manager is getting way up in years,
and we know things are going to start growing around here." He
said, "We've been talking about hiring someone. Would you be
interested?" I said. "Yes, I'd be very much interested."
When we got home, he said, "Well, I'll call Will
Patterson." who was president of the board, "and talk to him
about it." So I went down and had an interview with him. Then
they said, "Maybe we ought to have the rest of the board" — well,
I knew some of the ether beard members anyway.
Lage: Did you say you talked with the two of them?
Whitfield: Yes. We went down to Mr. Patterson's together to talk about it.
Lage: That was a long time ago, but do you remember any of the conver
sation?
14
Whitfield: They knew I was an engineer, and I brought them up-to-date on
what I had been doing and what my experience was, what my
educational background was. I didn't knew Mr. Patterson before
that but Dr. Grimmer knew me well. But they knew me, they knew
the family. Mr. Patterson knew my father.
Lage: Was Mr. Patterson really a part of the community? Other people
I've talked to spoke of the family as if they were sort of
removed.
Whitfield: They were to some degree. In fact. I didn't even know of the
Patterson family. I lived in Mission all the time, and they
were down in the north plain area. Of course, in those days
everything was spread out. and there were just individual little
towns. They weren't recluses or anything, but they didn't
participate in functions in the community. They helped out on
things, charitable things and all that.
Lage: But your father did have seme contact with him?
Whitfield: Yes. my father knew Will Patterson because of having been in the
farming business.
Well, the interview was just generalizations. "Mould you be
interested in it?" I reemphasized that I never had much
experience in design or anything in the water works business.
There wasn't too much questioning of me. I think they were kind
of pleased to find that they found a young engineer who would be
interested.
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
I wonder if they were happy to find somebody from the community?
Oh. I think so.
Knowing Dr. Grimmer was a big help?
Oh, yes. There was only one board member that I didn't know,
and that was Louis Amaral. He was from the Alviso district,
down the other side between Centerville and Alvarado. Then I
met with the board of directors and had another preliminary
discussion. They asked some questions; then they said, "Well,
we'll have to give it some thought."
Lage :
Whitfield:
So I waited around a while.
Westvaco in Newark.
What was it?
I had an offer to go to
That was a chemical plant. I went down and applied down there.
In fact, dark Redeker. who has been on the water district board
since 1966, worked for Westvaco. Anyway, I went down, and I was
Lage:
Lage:
15
interviewed. They didn't have any openings down there, but they
had an opening for plant manager up in Pocatello, Idaho. I
wasn't too interested in going there, but it was a job. So I
waited around a couple of months.
So I waited, and finally I met Dr. Grimmer once, and I
said, "Hey, I haven't heard anything." Oh, he said, "Yes, well,
the real problem is we don't know what to do with Ed." I said.
"Well, what do you mean?" He said, "He's getting old. We're
kind of a little squeamish about bringing someone in and letting
him know that he's going to be retired or something like that."
Ed Richmond is mentioned as being involved in water since 1906.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. You see, the Alameda County Water District took over
the plant in Alvarado from the Oakland Water Works. You
remember reading about that? They had several wells in Alvarado
which pumped out of the water basin. Ed Richmond operated that
plant for the Oakland Water Works. So in 1930 when the water
district took the plant over, they took Ed over also. They made
him general manager.
And he'd been there ever since.
Whitfield: Yes. He was in his late seventies.
Lage: I see. They felt squeamish about retiring him.
Whitfield: Yes, because they didn't have any retirement benefits. He had
worked hard. He physically worked; he put pipes in and all that
stuff. He was very conscientious, but he was — until you got to
know him — a little hard to work with. They had another engineer
who was retired from Southern Pacific, Herb Harrold. He was
secretary of the board. In fact, he was a trustee of the high
school when I was there.
Lage: But he was an engineer, not a board member?
Whitfield: Yes. he was an engineer. He was retired from the Southern
Pacific. See, in those days, they didn't have any maps of where
the pipes were, anywhere. Everything was in Ed Richmond's head.
So they hired Herb Harrold to come in and get the information
from Ed and put it en paper, on drawings.
Well. Ed could be in a bad mood seme day [laughs], and he
didn't want to be bothered with Herb, and he wouldn't go out
with him to show him where the pipes were. So when I got there
I got in the middle.
16
Apprenticeship Under Ed Richmond. 1950-1953
Lage: How did you deal with that problem with Ed Richmond? Did you
have a better time with him?
Whitfield: Well, let's go back to — this was the board before I got hired.
So we met again with the beard of directors. They said. "Ve
want you to come to work for us. but we just don't know what to
do with Ed." 1 said. "I'll make a suggestion if you really want
me to come to work for you. Appoint me assistant to the manager
and I'll get in. learn all I can as fast as I can." That's what
I did. [Hired September 20. 1950.]
In these days, they wrote water bills out by hand.
Sometimes that's what I had to do, doing that.
Lage: What kind of staff did they have besides Ed Richmond?
Whitfield: They had Ed Richmond. Herb Harrold was paid by the hour, and he
was secretary of the board. Then they had Jewell Amaral. who I
went to high school [with].
Lage: Who was the board member's daughter?
Whitfield: No. he was her uncle. That was Louis Amaral.
Lage: Was she clerical staff?
Whitfield: Yes. There was her and Marie Santos. I knew all her family;
they were from Mission. There was a total of eight. That's all
that was in the office, but there was a total of eight employees
when I went to work for them. I was one of them.
So that's what I did. I went in, and I did everything Ed
asked me to do, except a couple times. You know. I always
wanted to get out in the field and see what was going on. He
had me locked in there too much of the time.
Lage: Was he jealous of letting go of his j ob by training you. do you
think?
Whitfield: No, I don't think so. I don't think so. But one day there was
a big water main leak over in the underpass at Niles. We always
had a problem with that darn pipe over there. I was in the
office. It was billing time, and I was doing bills. So I
waited about four or five hours, and Ed didn't come back, so I
got in the car and went over.
17
He said. "Vhat are you doing here?" I said. "I've come to
see what's going en. what the problem is?" "You're supposed to
be back there doing bills." And I said, "Well. I'm going t©
stay and watch to see what's going on," "Well. I want you to go
back." I said, "Listen, I'm net going back. I was hired to
learn what's going on in the district, and get educated in the
field of water engineering. I'm going to go out and see what's
going on from now en." He said, ''Okay." [laughs] And after
that everything was fine.
Lage : So that was resolved without your having to take it up with the
board.
Whitfield: Yes. Oh, I w ouldn1 1 take it up w ith the board. Ithinkyou're
right, though. I was very lucky because, when I worked for this
guy Er stead down there in San Jese. I learned that at times I
was going to run into people who were hard to get along with. I
felt that I could have enough patience to stay long enough to
learn something.
When I was up at Mare Island we had Captain Burris, who
was the repair superintendent. He was a pusher. We had to have
a conference every week and a progress report of what was going
on on our ships. I never had any compunction in answering him.
I'd tell him the truth. If you were behind, you were behind.
"Why are you behind?" "Well, we can't get this, we can't get
that." So I had learned to work with him. He was very gruff,
and most of the guys were scared stiff of him. It didn't bother
me.
In fact, [laughs] when I was up in the planning section, we
had a ship come in that had main propulsion gear problems. This
required setting up an inspection group to resolve the problem.
The group was composed of two officers representing the repair
superintendent, two officers from the Design Section, a repre
sentative from the gear manufacturer, and myself. At that time
they were in the process of changing the planning superinten
dent. Commander Moore, who was the design superintendent, was
filling in as acting planning superintendent. So whenever you
had a gear problem with the main propulsion of a ship, you had
to report it to Commodore Lee back in Washington, D.G.
Well, the question came up of who was going to call and
make the report. Commander Moore called me in and wanted me to.
He said, "Would you be qualified to call and explain it?"
"Yes." He said, "Well, you've got to go down and talk to
Captain Burris about it." He called Burris and told him I was
coming down. We had a repair superintendent and a machinery man
and a hull superintendent. Their offices were together, and
18
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage :
Whitfield!
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
they had a window right between where they could talk back and
forth. So the window was open and this other captain was Bill
something or other. He was a younger man.
Anyway. Captain Burris says, "Sit down. Whit." [laughs]
I said. "Yes. sir." He said. "Your Commander Moore tells me
you're a little bit too bashful to call Washington. D.G." I
said. "Well. I don't knew why he said that. He asked me if I
would do it, and I said sure. I can't understand me being too
bashful or scared to call a commodore back in Washington, D.C..
when I speak very frankly to you." He turned to the window and
said. T3ill. did you hear what this young upstart said." He put
his head back, and he laughed. So I had a good experience, and
I was well prepared.
And you learned that you do have to sort of assert yourself.
Yes, once in a while.
Was the district board involved just with day-to-day problems,
like leaks, or were they deciding to plan for some of the
growth? Was there an awareness that there was going to be a lot
of growth?
Oh, yes.
I'm thinking about when you first came on, the first couple of
years.
We had the Conway and Culligan problem in the period between
when I came there and 1955.
You're already general manager, though, when that happened.
Yes, I was. But that's what started us. The reason Patterson
and Grimmer wanted somebody in there with an engineering
background was because they knew it was going to hit.
Tell me mere about that,
growth?
Can you remember discussions about
Well, they always said, 'Ve've got to plan because the develop
ment is going to be coming down this way, and it's going to come
pretty fast." And it did. Say after '55 and in there, we were
putting on three or four thousand new customers a year. When I
went there we had two thousand customers.
Lage:
So there were day-to-day problems but then there were long-term
ones too?
19
Whitfield: The first big problem we had — Ed Richmond didn't get along with
the various fire chiefs. In fact, my father was a fire chief,
the first volunteer fire chief in Mission San Jose, but he never
had any difficulty with Richmond. But, in fact, he knew Ed
Richmond pretty well.
But. anyway, the first thing that had happened was — you
know, the fire hydrants you see out on the street are two-
nozzle-type. Well, in the early days, in a small district
sometimes they put in a wharf hydrant which was just a four-inch
pipe coming up with a valve en top. That would satisfy for the
area they were in. In those days, the fire districts paid three
dollars- a- month rental for a fire hydrant, but the water
district paid for putting the fire hydrants in. Ed was always
trying to save money, so he was always trying to get by with
just putting in the wharf hydrants.
Joe Fashote, who just passed away a couple of years age.
was the fire chief in Newark. He knew my father quite well,
too, because they were both fire chiefs.
Lage: This was a volunteer fire chief?
Whitfield: Yes. at the time. Ed had a big tiff with Joe Fashete because he
was supposed to put in, in certain streets in Newark, I think it
was four hydrants. Well, Ed decided that he wasn't going to put
in the standard hydrants; he was going to put in wharf hydrants.
Apparently, he was going to put in three-inch wharf hydrants.
Joe Pashote said that if he did we won't pay the rent. They got
in a tiff and Ed just stopped the job.
So they had a public meeting in Judge Norris' court down
there with Joe Pashote and some of the other fire chiefs.
Lage: And representatives from the district, the water district?
Whitfield: Yes, the board of directors and me, and I guess Ed Richmond was
there. I had to catch a plane — I was going to a meeting in Los
Angeles, a water district meeting — and so they left it on the
basis that I would get together with Joe Pashote and talk about
it. [laughs] Of course. Joe was adamant with Ed Richmond, but
he wasn't with me.
So I went down, "Joe, really, what's the big to-do about,
what's the problem?" I said. "Nothing toe big it can't be
solved." tod dammit," he said, "that old stubborn so-and-so.
He wants to put in all wharf hydrants. I said, "Well, what do
you want?" He said, "I should have standard hydrants, or I want
four-inch ones." "There's no problem there. Where do you want
them?" So we agreed on them.
20
Lage: And did he get what he wanted?
Whitfield: Sure.
Lage: Because it was a reasonable request?
Whitfield: Sure. There was no reason to fuss about it. Pashote and I were
buddies all the time. [laughs]
Lage: The board didn't usually get involved in little things like
that? Except in this case they had to have a hearing about it.
Whitfield: Well, because. I guess, Pashote must have complained to board
members.
But then after that. Mr. Patterson then found another
consulting engineer, a Stanford graduate. Will Patterson went
to Stanford. Will Patterson had three boys and they all went to
Stanford. So whenever he was looking for information about
engineers he always went to Stanford. So he got Thad Binkley.
who was a consulting engineer.
Lage: Did he stay on with you for a while?
Whitfield: Yes, he was with us quite a while.
Lage: But it was just on a consulting basis?
Whitfield: Yes, on a consulting basis. He did a lot of the engineering for
our percolation pits and all that kind of stuff.
Lage: Was he a specialist in water?
Whitfield: Yes. In fact, he ran his own water company over in the
peninsula over there, too. He specialized in water.
PI anni ng f or Growth; The 1955 Bend Issue
Whitfield: So then we started thinking in terms of planning for growth.
The only bond issue that the water district ever had was in
1930. a quarter of a million dollars to buy out the Alvarado
plant. The Oakland Water Company, or the People's Water
Company — it was named both at one time — had acquired the
prescriptive right to pump eight million gallons of water a day
from Alvarado into Oakland. There was a thirty-inch line that
went to Oakland. When they were going to sell out, our water
district didn't want them to sell it to anybody else, who would
21
Whitfield: then have a prescriptive right to pump it out. Se they floated
a bend for a quarter of a million dollars, and we paid that off
ever the period that I was there.
Then it was decided, because seme of the towns weren't even
connected with pipes, and we had no major mains anywhere —
Lage: Many people were getting water from wells, isn't that right?
Whitfield: Yes, wells. For storage we only had the hundred-thousand gallon
tank up at Mission San Jose and a one- hundred-thousand gallon
reservoir over in Miles, in the Niles Canyon area. New they've
get eighty million gallons of storage.
Knowing we didn't have storage and we didn't have adequate
wells and all that, in 1955 we had a bend issue. That's when
the planning started — it preceded '55.
Lage: Planning for the future needs?
Whitfield: Yes, yes, and for the major expenditures. Se we had a
$4,297,000 bond issue, which was the biggest bend issue ever
floated down here. They were general obligation bends paid out
of water revenue. If you have a general obligation bond, you
have the backing ef the taxes although we never used taxes. We
paid for it out of water revenue sales, like a revenue bend.
But revenue bonds you pay a higher interest rate.
Lage: Did you do a lot of campaigning for that, or was it
controversial?
Whitfield: No, it wasn't. I went out and did all the promotional work,
went out and talked to the chambers of commerce and whoever
wanted to listen. It was successful.
The ACHD Beard ef Directors in the Early Fifties
Lage: Let's go back just a little bit to earlier in the 1950s. I'm
thinking about the board at that time. What kind ef people?
You mentioned Bernardo, Amaral, and then there was Patterson,
and Grimmer, and Prouty. What were their backgrounds?
Whitfield: Well, Dr. Grimmer was purely medical. He was a physician. In
fact, for years there was only Dr. Grau over in Niles and Dr.
Holman in Centerville and Dr. Grimmer here. Patterson was in
business and agriculture, a big land holder. He owned land
where Del Valle is [in Livermore Valley]; I think he had about
22
Whitfield: three thousand acres up there and about three thousand acres
down here. Then Louis Amaral was one of the fanners that farmed
a lot of Patterson's property. He leased it eut en shares.
Lage : Did he have his own ranch at all or was he mainly — ?
Whitfield: No, I think he leased everything. He and his brother had a
garage down in the Alviso district where they both lived.
Later, when he got out of farming, he was in the insurance
business. Manuel Bernardo years back was the constable around
here, and then he went into farming. He owned about twelve or
fifteen acres of apricots down in Centerville. Jack Prouty was
a schoolteacher, originally.
Then, when the war came along. Bailey was the next big
farmer, next in size to Patterson.
Lage: What was his name?
Whitfield: Lloyd Bailey. He had a lot of property, too; he was a very
wealthy man.
Lage: Was he involved with the water district?
Whitfield: No, but somehow Jack Prouty figured he was going to get into the
farming business. I don't know what the relationship was with
him and Bailey, but he supervised a lot of Bailey's operations
for years. He never did go back to teaching.
Lage: So these were mainly men of substance on the board, or is that
not a good generalization? They were elected.
Whitfield: They are elected, yes. What do you mean?
Lage: Well, men of means. They had a fair amount of money?
Whitfield: Well. I don't think Bernardo did, no.
Lage: They had ties to agriculture basically.
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Did they take a real hands-en attitude towards the water
district or did they pretty much leave it in Richmond's hands?
Whitfield: Well, in the days before I got there, when Ed Richmond was
manager, it was my understanding that Mr. Patterson did all the
negotiating or making agreements and all that. He did all that
type of thing.
23
Lage: From just looking briefly at the minutes ©f board meetings this
morning. I do notice a change when you come on as general
manager. [Appointed general manager September 10, 1953.]
Whitfield: I hope for the better! [laughter]
Lage: You are much more involved. You are shown in the minutes far
more than Richmond is; he's barely mentioned. When you come on,
the minutes note a 'General Manager Whitfield this and General
Manager Whitfield that."
Whitfield: He didn't participate. When they had their board meetings
before, well, they never had any agendas so 1 talked to Mr.
Patterson. I said, "Would you like me to prepare an agenda?"
Well, that worked out fine. I would give them write-ups in
advance, you know, a little explanation of what was coming up.
They never had anybody to really help them in this; Herb
Harrold never had much push. He was an older man. you know.
Lage:
They didn't have a real manager, it sounds like.
Whitfield: They didn't. They had a good pipe man, and a good pump man and
a good installer, and a very hard worker. He knew how to tell
people how to do things, and that's what he was.
It sounds as if Patterson took more of a managerial role before
you came on.
Lage:
Whitfield: Right, he did.
24
III WILLIAM D. PATTERSON AND THE WATER DISTRICT
A Private Person
Lage: Since we want to develop a little information about William
Patterson, can you recall any conversations with him or dealings
with him? Was there any problem with his giving up this
managerial role when you came on?
Whitfield: No. it was just a smooth transition. I think he was very
relieved because Patterson was getting older, too. He'd been »n
it since 1914.
Lage: That's right. That's a long time.
Whitfield: But he was a wonderful man. I loved the guy. He was so laid
back and once I got to know him I knew that, boy, if I ever need
a friend to defend me in the water district, he'll be there. He
let you know that he had confidence in you and you felt very
secure.
I was very lucky in working twenty-seven years. I think I
served under about twenty different boards of directors. I only
had one board member who gave me a bad time — threatened my job
and all that.
Lage: That is lucky when you can say that.
Whitfield: Yes, because it's political. When you work for elected
officials you serve at the pleasure of the board. I had no
contract. A couple of times some of the board members would
say, *X)h. I think we ought to have a contract with Matt," I
said, "If you want one, it's all right with me. I don't care
for one." I said. "I'd rather j ust serve at your pleasure. If
you don't want me. I don't want to be here."
Lage:
That made them feel comfortable.
25
n
Whitf ield: Did Tillie Goeld tell you about the Pattersons?
Lage: Not about the Pattersons but I talked to her about farming in
the area.
Whitf ield: I meant about Will Patterson, personally.
Lage: Well, not really. I mean, she didn't knew him at all according
to her. Her farm was in that same area. Mr. Goold said they
lived in a different world, a completely different social world.
Whitf ield: Yes.
Lage: And he [Mr. Goeld] seemed to sort of steer clear of the
Pattersons so as net to create any problems.
Whitfield: Well, you know, one example of — a let of people thought it was
terrible — Will Patterson had a beautiful home. All this cherry
weed banisters. 1 used to go down there and meet with him. But
when he passed away, he left it in his will that the whole thing
was to be burned down,
Lage: I heard that. None of the family wanted to live there.
Whitfield: Yes, none of the family. He did not want — like the other house,
I guess — he didn't want people traipsing through it and making a
public thing out ef it.
Lage: Didn't he ever assume that anybody would want to live in it, a
non-family member.
Whitfield: I think what really concerned him was that these old buildings
ultimately become public buildings.
Lage: You don't think he would have liked what's happened to the other
house [the G. W. Patterson home]?
Whitfield: No, because he was a very private person.
Lage: So he probably wouldn't like us running around getting oral
histories about him.
Whitfield: Oh, I don't know. You probably wouldn't get any personal
history from him about himself, but I'm sure he would support
what you're doing now. When John Caswell wrote the history of
the water district, Mr. Patterson thought that should be
documented.
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
26
A lot sf the family has historical interest. Donald Patterson
did some eral history interviews. He taped himself; he taped a
couple people in the community. Dave Patterson new has an
interest.
I've only met Dave a couple times. He was younger. Jack
Patterson, who was about my age, was Will's third sen. He
passed away rather young.
Did you knew Donald Patterson?
Oh, yes. Don was very active before and after his father passed
away, coming ever to talk about the water district. He was on
the water committee of Fremont.
What would he have dene with the water committee?
It was the water committee of the chamber of commerce, and they
had a subcommittee on whether we should have ground water
reper eolation; they had a committee that was slanted against the
ground water. We had a lot of opposition to spending money to
recharge the ground water basin. Donald Patterson, like his
father, was a great supporter of the ground water projects.
Did Donald Patterson, do you know, take a role in running the
ranch?
Whitfield: Yes.
Resolution 81; Blueprint for Growth
Lage: We had talked about trying to get a picture of William Patterson
and how difficult it is to do that. You mentioned you might be
able to tell of an incident that occurred that would show
something of his style.
Whitfield: I mentioned to you that I felt very comfortable with him. and I
always felt that I had his support if I ever needed it. That
time came when I recommended to the board that we change our
policy on resolution 81.
Lage: First, tell us about resolution 81.
Whitfield: In 1955 we adopted resolution 81. which took about six months to
prepare. That was the future format and the bible on how we
were going to pay for things: who was going to pay for water
mains, whether there was going to be reimbursement, or oversize,
and all that.
27
Lage:
For the new developments?
Whitf ield: Far anybody that came in and wanted service, for developers and
all that.
Lage:
Or industry, too?
Whitf ield: Yes, for everybody, but primarily for the new developments
coming in.
Lage:
Now, who developed resolution 81?
Whitf ield: Well, it was dene jointly between Thad Binkley, Morris Hyman.
our attorney, and myself. Morris Hyman is now president of
Fremont Bank.
Lage :
Whitf ield:
Did the board give you any direction,
what they would like to see?
a policy direction, en
Lage:
No. We talked to them about what we were going to do: First of
all, the developers were going to have to pay for certain-sized
mains, and under certain conditions they'd get reimbursement.
Then, when we needed oversize, if the subdivision needed a
twelve-inch line to serve it, based on hydraulic calculations,
and then we decided that we want to put in an eighteen-inch
line, then the subdivider would have to put the eighteen-inch
line in. After we saw the bids and all that, then we would
reimburse him for the difference in cost between the twelve and
eighteen, under certain conditions.
Lage:
Whitf iel d :
That seems fair enough,
their share.
You were trying to see that they paid
Their share, yes. So we developed this policy. Then we tried
to figure out the details. If you had a street, and the
developer hooked up to one side, well, they'd have to pay for
that side. If the other side wasn't part of their subdivision
then we would set them up for reimbursement of half of their
costs for putting in the water main. Then we had it where you
had a three-sided lot or a four-sided lot [laughs] or a five-
sided let, the whele thing.
So this is a very detailed policy?
Whitf ield: Yes.
Lage: And then that came before the board for approval?
Whitf ield: Yes. They got advance copies of it. Subsequently--
28
Lage: They approved of it. I assume? Did they vote on it, were there
any hearings?
Whitf ield: No. there were no hearings; we reviewed it with them at a
meeting and they then adopted resolution 81.
Lage: But they didn't hold public hearings. It wasn't controversial.
Whitf ield: I think it would have been controversial the other way around —
if we didn't have a policy — because a lot of the farmers and
property owners, everybody says, "Well, you know, these
developers are going to come in and get everything free." In
fact, I had many compliments about it because once a developer
got in here — and I always said one thing, "We're going to tell
you right up front what you're stuck with, and we're going to
tell you what you're going to get back."
The reimbursement — they set up for reimbursement for ten
years. If they got it all back, fine; if they didn't, they
didn't get any more. But in some of the other districts where
they worked they weren't sure what they were stuck with. What
they want to know is, "What am I stuck with financially before I
get into this thing?" They don't want someone coming around
afterwards saying, "Hey, you've got to put in $10,000 more of
this in there." So most of the bigger developers always
complimented us. They would say, "Well, we may not agree that
we should put all this in. but we know what we're going to be
stuck with and you don't stick us with anything extra."
Lage: Were they required to pay more than most places around here?
Whitf ield: Well. East Bay MUD [Municipal Utility District] and all those
didn't have these charges like we did because we didn't have
anything to work on.
Lage: Well, you were building in new areas. There must have been a
corollary in Santa Clara County, I would think.
Whitfield: I think Binkley got copies of some extension plans that other
entities had, and of course, he had been in the water business
himself.
Quiet Support and Leadership from Will Patterson
Lage:
I've been taking you off the track here,
something about Will Patterson.
You were saying
29
Whitfield: Subsequent t© that resolution we found that the growth was
coming in more, that we were going to have to begin making them
pay for larger sized pipes and sometimes not getting reimbursed
until later on.
Lage : How would they be reimbursed — when another developer came in and
shared the pipe?
Whitfield: When anybody hooked onto a pipe that was put in by other than
the water district funds, there would be a charge, a front-foot
charge, say, for a six-inch main or ten-inch or whatever it is.
So that went into reimbursement funds. Now, it didn't go
directly to the developer that put that pipe in, it went into
one big pool. At the end of the year we knew how much a credit
balance we owed each developer, so it was prorated based upon
the credit balance that they had coming. So even though I put
twelve hundred feet of pipe along this street, and even during
the next year if no one hooked up to that pipe, if someone
hooked up to a pipe in the ether side of town, I'd still get a
part of that money.
Lage: So any future growth in the area would contribute te that
reimbursement.
Whitfield: Yes, rather than have to keep track of whose money it is we did
it this way, which worked out fine.
But anyway, subsequently we had te change the policy to
make it mere severe on the developers. We had prepared the
plans to put into effect — I think this was probably in June or
something like that, but my recommendation was that it was to be
adopted, but net te be put into effect until August or Septem
ber, and then we were going to insist on having written
contracts all the time. My rationale for delaying until August
or September was that I had negotiated with people. They'd come
in with their drawings, and I would tell them what they have te
put in and all this kind ef stuff.
When I briefed the beard on it. seme of them. Dr. Grimmer,
for some reason, decided "No, let's not wait. Let's just cut it
off like this," [slaps his hand] "and make it effective
immediately." I had maybe a dozen developers that I had talked
to, or maybe ten or something like that. I just thought it
wasn't fair to impose this upon them when they may have had all
their plans, financial plans, made. Mr. Patterson sat back, he
never said a word. Everybody else talked, get more vociferous:
"Well, we can't let them, blah blah blah — "
Lage:
30
Then there was a long silence, and somebody turned to Mr.
Patterson and said, 'Will, what's your opinion?" He said,
•Well, it's very simple." He said, "Matt has explained to us."
He asked, "How many people have you talked to?" And I told him.
Tlow much money do you think it involves?" And I told him. He
said. "Well, that's my opinion. I agree with Matt. We've gotta
be fair about this thing." Without any fanfare, it passed
unanimously.
You mentioned that Mr. Patterson seemed sort of a serious person
on the surface. Not full of smiles and net a gladhander.
Whitf ield: No. he was a gentleman, but he wasn't a politician- type. He was
just a very sedate gentleman.
Lage: You said something about his sense of humor.
Whitf ield: Yes. Well, maybe I shouldn't tell you this one. but I hope
you've got a sense of humor. At the time, Marcella Hewett was
the secretary to our board. I think that it was on this same
occasion; one of the comments Mr. Patterson made about why we
shouldn't enforce this policy immediately was — he said. "I think
we should just stick it to them gently." [laughter] And I
thought. "My, that's unusual for Mr. Patterson to say something
like that." .So the next time 1 saw him. I said. "Mr. Patterson,
we've got a real problem. The first problem we've had with you
since I've been with the water district." "What's the matter.
Matt?" I said, "Remember the comment you made about sticking
it — ?" [laughs] He said, "Yes." and he kind of smiled. I said.
"Mrs. Hewett wants to knew how you want that phrased in the
minutes." And he laughed. I'd never seen him guffaw before,
[laughter] That's the only one that I can think of.
Water, Flood Control, Development, and Growth
Lage: Did you detect Patterson's attitude towards development and
growth? Did he have any sense this change was a great thing, er
was just an inevitable thing?
Whitfield: I think he would have preferred that the status quo remain, but
I think he was pragmatic enough to know that it wouldn't, and he
wasn't going to fight it,
Lage:
Did he sell off any of the lands while he was still alive?
Whitfield: Yes.
31
Lage:
Oh. he did? Into development?
Whitfield: Yes. He was on the flood control board, but I have never had
any indication on anything that he ever voted on or anything
that he was thinking of his own interest. I'm sure in the back
of his head he was, but he never said anything about, "I don't
want that to happen to my land," or anything like that.
Lage: Well, the flood control project certainly had a let to do with
allowing development.
Whitfield: Oh, sure.
Lage: And probably especially on his land.
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Was the water district involved with flood control in any way?
Whitfield: No, we cooperated with each other. The only problem we had with
flood control, at one time, was with some of the city fathers
and ether people in the community that weren't in favor of
spending all the money we were spending on recharging the ground
water basin. They wanted maybe more Hetch Hetchy water. They
tried to impose zone eight over eur district.
Lage: Now you're going to have to clarify zone eight here.
Whitfield: Well, the flood control district is county-wide, but they're
broken down into various zones of flood plains. Then when they
float a bond issue, it's assessed against that zone. At one
time, they wanted to have a whole zone five that covered all
Livermore Valley and our district, but there was to© much
politics in that. There were a lot of politicians who wanted to
say something about it.
But there was a feeling that they would prefer to have
zone eight under flood control, under the manager of the overall
flood control district, who was more politically inclined than
we were. Then they wanted instead of us contracting directly
with the state of California for the south bay aqueduct, then
zone eight would have contracted.
Lage: Then they would have become a water district.
Whitfield: Yes. Our board and our attitude was, "Why have another layer of
government?" In other words, they would have bought water from
the state and sold it to us. So why have another political layer
in between, with more expense. Then you have them controlling
where the water goes.
32
Lage: Now when did that come up?
Whitf ield: That came up prior to '62 when we were negotiating contracts for
state water.
Lage: I see. Maybe we will talk about that again mere next time.
33
IV ISSUES AND PROBLEMS OF THE FIFTIES
Recharging the Ground Water Through Percolation Pits
Lage: We've brought up a lot of things that were happening in the
fifties, but let's look at them more directly.
Just when you came into the district or just prior to it,
wasn't the Shinn Percolation Pit opened up?
Whitfield: Yes. that was in '49. That was opened up where they took water
from the natural runoff and any releases that came from
Calaveras Dam were diverted. That was at '49. They had opened
it up the year before I came in.
Lage: And they diverted this natural runoff into an old quarry?
i
Whitfield: Yes, an eld abandoned quarry.
Lage: And that allowed it to percolate down?
Whitfield: Yes. The Shinn Pit, that was one of the first quarries that
started. It's right up back of Miles.
Lage: Was Shinn connected with that quarry, or was it named after the
first president — ?
Whitfield: It was the Shinn property. The whole area belonged to Shinn.
Lage: He was the first president of the water district.
Whitfield: Yes, Joseph Shinn.
Lage: Was that a common way of dealing with water problems, or was it
a new solution that this district found?
34
Whitfield: I think Santa Clara County had gene into it years back and in
southern California there was a lot of recharging. The old
channel of Alameda Creek was the main source of water to
recharge the ground water basin. Now. when they put the main
flood control channel down there we were concerned that they
might install a concrete lining in it. We made our position
clear on it to the Corps of Engineers, who were doing the work.
Lage: The Corps of Engineers did like to concrete things.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. because then you can confine it and have less area to
worry about.
Lage: Did that negotiation present any problem, or did they listen to
you?
Whitfield: No. no, there was no real problem. We made our position clear
all the tim e.
Pressure to Purchase Hetch Hetchy Water from San Francisco
Lage: When Fremont became incorporated, did that bring a new layer of
problems to you. or was it easier to deal with just one city
instead of the five little towns?
Whitfield: Well, with the five little towns there wasn't really any dealing
with them. We floated the bond issue before Fremont came in.
and the people voted for it. I guess they felt like we did,
that we needed to look to the future. One of the anecdotes
about Louis Amaral — when we were talking about importing water
from the state plan, he would say. "The only amount of water we
will ever need is a ten-inch pipe flowing down Alameda Creek
year around." That wouldn't be a drop in the bucket. [laughs]
Lage: Was he the one who wanted Hetch Hetchy water? I came across the
notes in the minutes, and I thought it was Amaral saying we want
Hetch Hetchy water and forget this ground recharge. Was that
Amaral?
Whitfield: Well. I don't remember.
Lage: It was a little bit later on.
Whitfield: Or Jack Prouty?
Lage: No. it wasn't Jack Prouty.
35
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage :
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
There's always been a big to-d© about that,
wanted us to get more Hetchy water.
The city of Fremont
Maybe we should talk about that, now, as one of the main issues.
It probably went on mere than just in the fifties. Was this a
continuing tension?
Well, at one time, before we had enough pipes put to connect it
up, Irvington, where Dr. Grimmer lived, was supplied by Hetch
Hetchy water. We didn't have any storage for it. We had
isolated the areas where we didn't have any pipes where we had
Hetch Hetchy water. In fact, this area here, this subdivisen
here, was all Hetch Hetchy water from a connection sn Mission
Boulevard.
I see. So you brought it direct, purchased from San Francisco.
Yes. But then subsequently we got water mains installed around
it, and then we took the areas off. which was always a complaint
then because Hetch Hetchy water was softer. I'll never forget
when we took this area — this was before I lived up here — off
Hetch Hetchy water. The people came down to protest, and one
very attractive lady got up. She was complaining about how hard
the water was, and she said, "I just wish you could come up
sometime and see me trying to take a shower." [laughter] That
about brought the house down.
They really noticed it when you changed from Hetch Hetchy water.
Yes, because Hetchy water was softer. Well water has more
minerals in it. It was about two hundred and something parts
per million with total dissolved solids.
Then we put in the Bernardo Softening Plant over there
which was controversial. We went to an election on that, too.
Why was that controversial?
Whitfield: Well, because some people wanted us to spend it on Hetchy water,
and some people didn't want soft water.
Lage: But could you have purchased enough water to satisfy the
district's needs from Hetch Hetchy, from San Francisco?
Whitfield: I don't think we could have.
Lage: And what about the price, was that higher?
36
Whitfield: Oh. the price was higher, yes. Very much higher. You see. one
of the reasons why we rebelled all the time about going all
Hetchy was that the other entities that buy water from San
Francisco have no say in the rates they pay. They come under
the San Francico Public Utility Commission. They don't come
under the Public Utilities Commission of the state of
California. So wherever the San Francisco Public Utilities
Commission sets the water rates, that's what you've got to pay.
You have no recourse, no political recourse by voting for
supervisor or anything like that. So we could have another
municipality deciding or predestining what you're going to do.
Lage: They probably have first claim on the water as well.
Whitfield: Yes. right.
Lage: But that was a continuing thing. People would rather you didn't
put so much into the percolation pits and —
Whitfield: Yes. Well, there were some people adamant against spending
money to recharge the ground water basin and wanted all Hetch
Hetchy water.
Lage: What about candidates that ran for the board of directors?
Whitfield: Some were in favor of using mere Hetch Hetchy water and less
ground water. After they got on the board because they didn't
like what we were doing, and when they got in and learned about
it, then they saw the rationale and supported the ground water
program.
Lage: How were they educated? Was that part of your role?
Whitfield: They were just educated by attending the board meetings to see
what we were doing and asking questions.
Lage:
Did you ever see them individually to show them around?
Whitfield: Oh* yes. if they wanted me to. I always offered. You know, if
you want to come in and talk about things, I'd be very happy to
spend the time with you or take you out and show you.
Lage: And most, when they saw the overall picture, agreed with what
you were doing?
37
Whitfield: Yes, they saw the light. In fact, if you read this history* the
ending is very complimentary about hew the water district is
operating, yes.
A Controversy with Developers Co re? ay and Culligan, 1954
Lage : Let's talk about this Conway and Culligan issue which was about
•54.
Whitfield: Yes, it was before Fremont was incorporated, not too long before
that. I guess we were down in the old office — we rented space
in the county building, the one en Martha and Peralta Boulevard
that's gone into a nursery school now. They built the court
house out here. There was a big to-do about where that should
go out here. It was a bunch of politics, you know, somebody
wanted it in their various areas, but Dr. Grimmer owned the
property down there. He said, "Well. I'll settle it. I'll give
them the property." And he did. That's where it settled. But
I think that's where we were at the time.
We get a phone call from this guy, Glassbrook or something
like that. He was from Oakland. I had never heard of Conway
and Culligan before. They were from over in San Mateo. I think
it was San Mateo, somewhere on the peninsula. He called me up
and he said, 'K)h, we're going to put in 350 homes en the
Stevenson property in Irvington where the old dairy is. I want
to step by and see you and see about putting in water mains and
getting water." I said, "Fine."
Lage: Did the Stevenson property belong to the same Stevenson that
became mayor?
Whitfield: No. I think this was the cousin; this was Max Stevenson. That
area is new called Irvington Square. It's out of Irvington
towards Warm Springs.
He get in my office, and I don't know how he dropped the
hint that they were net used to paying for putting in more than
two-inch lines. I said, 'We've get to back up a little bit. We
*Larrowe, Martin, "A Short History of the Alameda County Water
District: A Story of Survival in the Metropolitan Bay Area."
(Research paper for History 4900, California State University.
Hayward, 1978)
38
Whitfield: don't put in two-inch lines anywhere." He didn't like that. I
said. "I can't tell you what mains you're going to put in until
you bring a map in so we can lay it out and do the hydraulics on
it."
ff
Whitfield: Fortunately they had filed a tentative subdivision map with the
county planning commission, and they had hearings on that. They
always had to put en the maps who was going to be the water
purveyor. ACWD was on the maps; and that's where we get them,
finally.
They had two wells on the property; they were irrigation
wells. Then there was a Hetch Hetchy pipeline right down in
that area.
So Conway and Culligan came over and said, "Well, we're not
going to spend all the money to put the pipes in the sizes you
want. We'll form our own mutual water company. We've got two
wells of our own and" — they inferred later on — "we've had a
discussion with San Francisco, and they'll give us a connec
tion." Well, we've always had an understanding with San
Francisco that they wouldn't serve in our district, unless we
gave approval. So I took that with a grain of salt. We got
together with the board, and they were having another hearing at
the county board of supervisors. They were down there in full
force, down in Oakland. That was before they had a courthouse
in Hayward. Beth Conway and Culligan were there and their
attorneys. I made a presentation about it's in our district and
we have the facilities and all that. The supervisors decided
that there was already a record en the map. and they weren't
going to allow them to change it.
Lage: So did it end there or did you go on about it for a while
longer?
Whitfield: No. it ended.
Lage:
Lage:
So the threat was that they would secede, sort of?
Whitfield: Well, a mutual water company is one where it's owned by the
property owners in it. and it's run by them.
I see. Now what were they unwilling to — ?
Whitfield: They thought that they were going to just come over and tell us
what size pipes they were going to put in. We just told them
they weren1 t.
Lage:
Was this a case where your board had to back you up?
39
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage : Did they all back you up? Did Stevenson come in en that, the
future mayor?
Whitfield: I can't remember whether he was involved in that.
Lage: But you did have run-ins with him another time, is that right?
Whitfield: Well, I didn't have any direct run-ins, and I don't think I want
te mention his name in this regard. But I think I told you that
Jack Prouty, who was an ex-directer of the water district, had
property down there by Jack Stevenson.
Lage: Down in this same area of Irvington Square?
Whitfield: No. off Prune Avenue. Prouty was one of the people that was
kind of backing flood control to handle zone eight, tee. Not
officially, but — I think Jack was — because they had a lot of
water committee meetings down at Prouty's house.
Lage: Now was this the same water committee Donald Patterson was on?
Whitfield: I don't think Donald was on it then.
Lage: A chamber of commerce committee?
Whitfield: Yes. I don't think he was on it then. But I got a call at 3:30
one afternoon inviting me te come to a meeting. I said, "What
meeting?" So I went down and, it was about the same kind of
thing, you know.
Lage: Elaborate a little bit mere about what were the issues there.
Whitfield: Well, one ef the issues was that they — I think we had the same
thing, toe. when Western Pacific came in down in the Warm
Springs area, and they wanted water down there. A big tract of
land. I think it was about the same time when the city of
Fremont got the idea that maybe they should take ever serving
water. The city went out and retained a consultant engineering
firm, "Engineering Science," who I knew pretty well. He came
dewn and interviewed me. He said, [laughs] "I just can't under
stand them thinking that they can come in and set up a whole
water district for the city of Fremont and handle it as
efficiently as you guys do." So he wrote it. He didn't
recommend it. He recommended cooperation with the water
district. That was an actual approach the city took because
they hired a consultant engineer for a feasability study.
Lage:
40
So there were a lot of feelings. Do you think there was the
sense that they wanted more service to subdivisions and less to
farmers, was that part of it?
Whitfield: I don't think se. no.
Lage: Because the farmers must have been in favor of this ground water
recharge.
Whitfield: Oh, they were, because some of their wells were going salty.
Lage: And the people who did mere drinking of the water were probably
the ones who wanted the Hetch Hetchy.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, you see, you couldn't afford Hetchy water to put in
the ground water basin because, you know, it was a hundred and
something dollars an acre foot.
Water District Role in Planning for Growth
Lage: Last time I asked you about planning, and you mentioned that it
was the cities that did the planning and told you what the needs
were.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. When we floated our bend issue in '55. the industry in
this area was completely disbursed throughout the area. I think
Fremont was right: they took it all and put it down in the Warm
Springs area. You know, that's where you should have an
industrial complex. You dan't want industries splattered all
over. So we just took the position that, you knew. fine. What
we did is — I forget where our first reservoir was going to be. I
think it was going to be over in Miles somewhere — so when they
put it down there we put our first reservoir over here off of
Washington Boulevard above the railroad tracks. Seven and a
half million gallons, that was the first reservoir we put in.
Lage: What's the name of that one?
Whitfield: Middlefield Reservoir.
Lage: It's to service that industrial area?
Whitfield: Yes, so that we'd have some water to head down that way and now
we've got another eighteen-million-gallon one down there. You
know where Mission Boulevard makes a turn before you hit the 680
41
Freeway? Well, we built an eighteen-million-gallon reservoir
down there. Right up here, on Paseo Padre, they're finishing a
twenty-one-million-gallon one now.
Lage: So you more or less followed what they were planning as far as
growth and the areas for growth?
Whitfield: Yes. Our board has always taken the position that we're not in
the land-use planning business for municipalities. It's up to
them to decide what they want; the people decide, and we'll
provide the facilities.
Lage: Did you have people, though, making projections about what
future needs might be in terms of population growth?
Whitfield: Oh. yes, continually. In fact, they're just finishing another
update ef future needs.
I'll never forget, when we get involved in the Arroyo Del
Valle Dam up there in the site up in Livermore, we hired Sid
Harding, who was an old water expert who taught at UC California
in the irrigation department. He was about seventy-five years
eld. One day Hyman and I were talking about, "What are we going
to do after twenty-five years?" He just kind of sat back, he
says, "Well, what makes you two fellas think that twenty-five er
thirty years from now a ceuple of guys just as brilliant er more
brilliant than you will figure it out for the next fifty years?"
Taught me a lesson. You know, if you plan out twenty-five years
with a master plan fer the future, if you can cover for twenty-
five years, you're doing all right.
Lage: Sidney Harding did an early oral history with our office — A
Whitfield: Oh, did he?
Lage: He has a little section in it on his work with the Alameda
County Water District.
Whitfield: Yes, he was a great man. He was very well respected in the
state as a water expert.
Lage: He seemed to be involved all over. Now what did he do for you;
he was a consultant engineer?
*Sidney T. Harding. "A Life in Western Water Development." 1967.
42
Whitfield: Yes, he did a lot of the studies of the hydrology ©f the Arroyo
Del Valle and all that.
Lage: Did he de any negotiating with other entities?
Whitfield: No.
ACWD and the Arroyo Del Valle
Whitfield: I think I told you. but maybe you want to wait, but the Arroyo
Del Valle wouldn't be there except for us.
Lage: Why don't we talk about that next?
Whitfield: Yes. Well, we knew the state was coming through with the south
bay aqueduct program for us. But the timing was slow. They
didn't have any bond issues floated then. Our salt water
intrusion was getting worse. Harvey Banks was director of the
Department of Water Resources at the time. So we were. well,
good friends, and he was an outstanding guy.
So we went up and met with the state people. The plans
showed a tunnel being drilled through Brushy Peak — that's the
Altamont area — to bring water in, which was going to take a long
time and be very expensive. We said, "Ask Harvey if he could
have seme of his staff just de a cursory study for us of a small
temporary aqueduct coming over just for our purposes." When
they got into that they decided that they found it more feasible
than putting the tunnel through.
Then when we got into the Del Valle. when we applied for
the unappropriated water of the Del Valle. the Department of
Water Resources had disregarded the Arroyo Del Valle as a site
for terminal storage. But when we got into it, then they
decided to come back. There was some cloud en the geology of it
that wouldn't make it feasible. Then they found out that they
didn't research it enough, and they decided to build that dam
themselves up there.
Lage: So the state built the dam at Del Valle?
Whitfield: Yes. in the state water plans. They were going to put one down
at Evergreen in San Jose for terminal storage instead of up
here.
Lage: This probably made it better for yeu.
43
Whitfield: Oh. yes. And then we got the advantage of capturing the local
runoff. We didn't put up any capital for it. We agreed on a
storage charge so that the local water that they save and
release when we can percolate it, they charge us so much per
acre foot for just storing it in there.
Lage: But you've got the water rights from the Arroyo Del Valle?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Along with Pleasanton Township County Water District.
Whitfield: Yes. At the time, see, Binkley and Hyman were also consultants
for the Pleasanton Township Water District.
Lage: Oh, I was wondering how you worked so well with them.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, they called us and asked if we had any objection if
they hired them, and then Binkley and Hyman asked us if we had
any objection. We said no. It would be better because we have
common problems: they've get a ground water basin that they
have to protect up there. So we figured that rather than to
litigate how much of the runoff from Del Valle is theirs, and
how much in ours, we would come to an agreement en it so they
get a share and we get a share.
Lage: Was it hard to reach that agreement, to come to some fair
understanding?
Whitfield: No, because the attorney and the consultants were familiar with
both sides.
Lage: And wasn't there some question about ground water problems for
the people down the stream there, too? Did that come up? The
people downstream from the place you took the water on Arroyo
Del Valle?
Whitfield: No. no problem because we applied for the unappropriated waters.
See. if someone has a right to the water, you can't get it. But
when you apply for water in the state of California to export it
somewhere, you apply for the unappropriated, that water that
isn't being used.
Lage: Is it hard to get? What is the application process involved?
Whitfield: It's really a formality as far as the Del Valle was concerned.
Sometimes there are bitter battles over taking water from one
area to another. You know, like the Owens Valley down there in
southern California.
Lage: Or like the Alameda Creek over to San Francisco.
Whitfield: Yes. But. see, in those days there wasn't any entity really to
fight.
Lage : But you didn't run into that type of problem in bringing water
over from Livermore?
Whitfield: No, no. I think the water district gets about 4,000 acre feet a
year on there.
Lage: Was Del Valle, the site of the reservoir, part of the Patterson
ranch over in Livermore?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Now, would that have been said to the state or to the county?
Whitfield: Oh, to the state, the Department of Water Resources.
Lage: But was there any reason it was chosen? Did the fact that it
was Patterson's private property have anything to do with why
they chose it?
Whitfield: No.
Lage: It just happened to be a good site?
Whitfield: It's a good reservoir site, yes. And there is seme runoff in
it.
No. in fact, that wasn't the best thing in the world for
Patterson at the time because I think it's right in the middle
of his property.
Lage: Yes, that's what I've heard, too. It sort of took a chunk right
out of it.
Whitfield: But he never fought it. He just figured it was the right thing
to do.
Patterson Interest in Flood Control and the Reber Plan
Whitfield: Of course, channelizing the Alameda Creek may have been a mixed
blessing for him also. You know, the farmers way down on the
flood plain used to get a lot of new top soil down there from
the runoff when it floodecLh
Lage: Yes. that's right. I've heard that, and Patterson was among
them. So the flooding benefited the ranch operation.
45
Whitfield: To some extent, but from the standpoint of damage that the
flooding did when it broke the levies before, there's an
economic balance point in there somewhere. But the development
would never have occurred in this area if that old creek hadn't
been channel iz e d.
Lage: Did you have the sense that it was being channelized so there
could be development? I mean, was that behind the campaign to
get people to accept it?
Whitfield: Yes. to some degree.
Lage: Because weren't the local people taxed to fund the flood control
work?
Whitfield: Yes. In fact, Mr. Patterson was on the flood control board. He
was during the regime when it was built.
Lage: Let's discuss briefly the Reber Flan* and then maybe we'll stop
for today.
Whitfield: You had asked me what the Reber Plan was and why Patterson
supported it. I think one of the main reasons he supported it
was because the intent was to put this barrier across the
southern end of the bay and make a fresh water lake. That would
have precluded all the saltwater intrusion into our ground water
basin, which he had a vital interest in because he was a big
farmer, and he was pumping a lot of water.
Lage: So he was a big supporter of it?
Whitfield: Yes, he was. He knew Reber personally for years.
Lage: Did you get involved in that at all?
Whitfield: I went to a lot of meetings, hearings, on it, yes.
Lage: Who was holding hearings about it?
Whitfield: Well, they weren't hearings, there were just meetings explaining
it. I'd been to a couple where Reber was the speaker.
* The Reber Plan was developed in the 1940s by John Reber, a
self-taught engineer. He proposed to divide San Francisco Bay
by a series of earthwork dams topped by highways and railways.
The result would be two large freshwater lakes at the north and
south ends of the bay. The plan was endorsed by the Alameda
County Water District in 1947.
46
Lage: What kind of a person was Reber; was he an engineer?
Whitfield: N«. I d«n' t think he was.
Lage: Was it John Reber?
Whitfield: John Reber. yes. I forget what he did. It was some field you
wouldn't expect him to evolve from, into the Reber Plan, though.
But he had a lot of people supporting him. I don't know whether
Patterson supported him financially or net, but he supported him
for a long time until — Reber just wouldn't give in on anything.
He had this master plan for metropolitan airports and lakes,
navy shipyards and all that stuff.
Lage: So the fresh water lake down here was just one aspect.
Whitfield: I think that was probably what got — and I'm just surmising — but
that probably get Mr. Patterson so interested in it because the
saltwater intrusion started back in the 1920s here, into the
upper aquifer. Then when they developed a centrifugal pump they
could pump from a greater depth, and it started to ceme in worse.
Lage: Was the Reber plan seen as sort of a overall solution to their
problem?
Whitfield: Yes. We've always said that you never could afford te build a
storage facility as large as the ground water basin we've got in
here.
Lage: Net subject te evaporation, either.
Whitfield: Yes. and it's safe from radiation, toe. te a greater extent than
open-surface reservoirs. I think that was the main reason why
Patterson was behind it. But when they got to the nitty gritty
on it and Reber just wouldn't back down on any of these aspects,
then you could see the handwriting on the wall; it didn't have a
chance .
Lage: Did any public agency take it up or endorse it that you know ef?
Whitfield: I think eur water district endorsed it. I don't know whether
the cities did or not.
Lage: It would have taken a tremendous amount of cooperative effort
since it included the entire bay.
Whitfield: Yes. Now you see the recent judgment that came out from the
appellate court or the federal courts on the Water Resources
Control Board that they never set the standards for protecting
the delta high enough. That's a landmark decision for the
courts to step in under another jurisdiction and tell them. I
47
Whitfield; think they didn't tell them te revise it, but I think legally it
comes up within another year for review and revision and the
court warned that they'd better think more in terms of the
quality of water in the delta now.
Lage: That's right. Your district gets delta water, doesn't it? So
that would be a direct concern here.
Whitfield: Well, it comes from way up there.
Lage: Further up?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: I asked you about the Seito well, which was an issue about 1954.
Whitfield: Yes. In those days, we went out and rented wells that were
drilled. We had three or four of them that we rented. The
Seito well was down in Newark off Mayhew Landing Road. You
knew, some of the well water is naturally soft in this area.
It's a phenomenon in the ground water structure or geology that
softens the water. Soito's. we found, was a seft-water well, so
that's why we leased it.
Lage: Didn't the farmers in the area feel that when the district
pumped out the Soito well, they were going to start getting salt
in their water?
Whitfield: Yes. or we were going te pump the water table way down. They
wanted us te pay for them having to pump their water mere.
Lage: Amaral was involved in that. Was that near the Patterson
property?
Whitfield: No, it's only about a thousand feet out of the center of old
Newark, I'd say.
Lage: So Amaral, at that point in the minutes, said he wanted te rely
more on Hetch Hetchy water instead of drawing out of the Soito
well.
Whitfield: I think his intent then was te buy more from Hetchy.
Lage: Yes, instead of endangering the ground water. How did that get
resolved? Patterson wanted to pump, and actually he lost,
according to the board minutes. Patterson wanted to continue to
pump the well, and the beard voted 3-2 not to pump it.
Whitfield: Oh, did they? I have no memory ef this. [laughs]
48
Board Member Jack Prouty
[Interview 2: June 5. 1986] i
Lage: Today is June 5th, 1986, and it's a second interview with Matt
Whitfield. We were going to start with a couple of windup
things from last time. I had run across the portion of the
minutes that talked about when Jack Prouty was asked to leave
the board because he moved out of the district. You were going
to give me some background on that and Patterson's role there.
Whitfield: Yes. The problem was that Jack Prouty had moved out of the
district, and the legal opinion was that he could no longer be a
board member because of the fact he moved out. (Subsequently
that land has been annexed.)
The attorney for the water district was concerned because,
if he was was not legally on the board and he voted on anything
that might have involved a bond issue or something, that might
invalidate the action of the board. So the president ef the
board, John Pi hi, asked Hyman's legal opinion. He researched it
and he concluded — he checked with other attorneys — and concluded
that you cannot be a member ef the board if you don't reside in
the district.
Lage: Prouty didn't agree with that interpretation?
Whitfield: He didn't agree with it, no.
Lage: Earlier you were giving me a little background about Prouty' s
position on the board.
Whitfield: Jack was a friend of Joe Eastwood, and anytime we asked for an
idea of what Joe's opinion was, he always used to say, "Well,
maybe Joe Eastwood won't like this," or you know.
Lage:
Tell me more about Joe Eastwood.
Whitfield: Joe Eastwood II owned Pacific States Steel over in Miles, which
in those days was the major industry out here besides West Vaco.
Lage: So he was an influential community man?
Whitfield: Yes. I think they had about four or five hundred employees.
Joe Eastwood was a very interesting man because his father
founded Pacific States Steel over on the Peninsula, and then
they moved to San Francisco. He was an independent steel
company and you had to be plenty rugged to succeed in the steel
industry, you know, with big Bethlehem Steel and all those. He
was a very forceful man and very outspoken.
49
Lage: Is this father or son that we're talking about?
Whitfield: Oh. this is Joe Eastwood — I never knew his father, but there's
another Joe Eastwood who survived his father. After that they
went out of business.
Lage: But the Joe Eastwood we're talking about is probably the second.
Whitfield: Yes, he was the main man over there.
Lage: Then you mentioned to me that there'd been a problem in the
flood of '55?
Whitfield: Yes. That was before the Corps of Engineer channelized the
Alameda Creek from Niles Canyon to the bay. The flood was so
spontaneous it overtopped our levy into the Shinn Pit. and it
went out in two directions then. It went down into the steel
mill and flooded them partially out. It also flooded the Shinn
subdivision over in that area, which was a fairly new
subdivision. People, in fact, had just moved in that summer,
and that winter they got floating around over there.
Lage: I read in the minutes about some of the people who came to the
board meeting to complain. It sounds as if you were put on the
hot seat there.
Whitfield: We had a couple of public meetings in the old courthouse down
there over it. It was a hot and heavy thing.
Lage: Was it a case where it could have been avoided through the water
district — ?
Whitfield: No. There was nothing to do because the flood was one of the
big floods we had. We had one. I think, in '54 and one in '55.
Lage: That was a big flood year everywhere.
Whitfield: Yes, everywhere. The channel was of a minimal size, and that's
one of the reasons why when we had talked previously about the
interest in getting the Corps of Engineers to come in and
channelize the creek, which they did.
Lage: I know there was reference in the minutes to the fact that the
flood control bonds had been voted down previously. Then were
they voted for after that? I mean, did that provide the impetus
to pass those?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: So Joe Eastwood would come to the water district?
50
Whitfield: He would come occasionally or call up. In fact, I got to be
good friends with him after the flood situation. He used to
call me up and [laughs] say. "Hey, Matt, now tell me honestly
what the hell's going on over with the water district?" So I'd
tell him. I said. "What do you think's going en that I won't
tell you?"
Lage: Did he have a particular interest in the direction the water
district would take?
Whitfield: Oh. yes.
Lage: What kinds of concerns would he have, aside from the flood?
Whitfield: Well, ground water. He was all for the ground water recharge
because they were relying on wells over there for their plant.
Then they started to get smatterings of salt water intrusion.
So that was his main interest. Then, after that* he took an
interest in it, yes.
Lage: So Prouty saw himself as something of a go-between for Eastwood?
Whitfield: I think, yes. There was friction between John Pihl and Prouty
on the board — they're both deceased now — because Prouty felt
that he was being bypassed. He couldn't be his own official
conveyor of information through this Joe Eastwood. [laughs]
Lage: You didn't mention on the tape that Pihl was manager for the
steel company, so he was a more direct representative of
Eastwood. Did Pihl generally, then, represent the point of view
of industry on the board?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. Well, he represented everybody.
Lage: He didn't have a particular point of view?
Whitfield: No, but he ran for the board after the flood.
Lage: Was this attempt to have Prouty leave the board any kind of a
personal vendetta, or do you think it was just strictly that
legal question?
Whitfield: Oh. no. The main thing was a legal question, You can see the
logic of that. You can't go on operating if Prouty's on the
board illegally, and it might invalidate our bonds or something
like that. Or maybe make them more expensive to sell if you
have that kind of a cloud hanging over the district.
Lage:
I notice that William Patterson was, I think, the only member
who voted not to put Prouty off the board.
51
Whitfield: Did he? I don't remember that.
Lage: He voted no. Do you remember his feelings about this, or his
role in it at all?
Whitfield: Well, I think you hit it pretty well. He was very much of a
peacemaker type of man. But I don't recall that he voted
against it.
Lage: That's what the board minutes show, and then he spoke up for
harmony on the board. He hoped to avoid any more incidences
that didn't show harmony.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, I think that was probably in all my time with the
board the most delicate, undesirable thing to have to do.
Lage: Kind of a personal thing.
Whitfield: Yes, because we all knew Jack. Jack was on the board when I was
hired, and he was well-known in the community.
Lage: What was his business?
Whitfield: He was school teacher in the Irvington school district. I don't
know whether he was a principal down there or not. I think he
may have been. Then when the war came along somehow he got in
with Lloyd Bailey, who was another big landowner and a big
farmer — not quite as big as the Pattersons. Somehow he helped
Bailey run his operation for several years.
Lage: Patterson mentioned also at this meeting that Prouty had given a
great deal, donated things to the district; he particularly
mentioned that he donated water rights from a certain well.
Whitfield: Prouty had?
Lage: That's what he said, that he'd given more to the district than
anybody else, and he mentioned a well.
Whitfield: Oh, I know. The Olive Avenue well. Well, I don't know that he
donated it. I don't think he donated the lot to us. He may
have, but I don't remember it. That's still in the system, off
Olive Avenue.
52
IV THE STATE WATER PROJECT'S SOUTH BAY AQUEDUCT
Early Applicants for Delta Water
Lage: Why don't we go onto the state water project and how the
district fit into that?
Whitf ield: Well, the state water plan was long in formulating. There was a
lot of study and design work and all that. The district, before
I came to work in 1950, had applied for unappropriated water at
the delta. This was long before the state water plan became a
reality. We had the idea that we would build our own aqueduct
someday.
Lage: Oh, I see. So the idea was to apply where water is available
and then in the future, if you need it, you have the rights?
Whitf ield: You apply for a certain amount of unappropriated water, but
anybody that has water rights on that stream or body of water
has prior rights. You can't appropriate.
Lage: So you put your bid in for some delta water?
Whitf ield: I think they went in in the forties and applied for
unappropriated water of the delta, with the idea that maybe we
would build our own aqueduct. Then the state plan came along,
so then we took the position, well, if the state's going to
build one we won't have to.
Lage: Did the water district have a representative in Sacramento?
Whitf ield: No. We used to go up and meet with them.
Lage: Did you lobby for or support legislation having to do with
water?
Whitfield: We took action in favor of things, endorsed things, yes.
53
Working with the Department of Water Resources
Lage: Did you have a pretty good relationship with the Department of
Water Resources?
Whitfield: Yes. Harvey Banks [the director of the Department of Water
Resources] was an engineer. Thad Binkley, who was a consultant
engineer for the district in those days, was, I think, a
classmate of Harvey's over at Stanford, so he knew him
personally. Then we got to know him quite well. He was a good,
straightforward, straight- shooter type of guy.
Lage: Not a politician type?
Whitfield: No. The subsequent one. Bill Warne, was more politically
oriented.
Lage: Now, how would that be evidenced? When you say someone's
politically oriented, how does that affect the way you deal with
them?
Whitfield: Well, I don't think you deal with them any differently except
that you have the feeling you're dealing with a big operating
politician, as compared to Harvey Banks, who was a very smart
man. He knew engineering, and he knew the projects.
Lage: Maybe he knew his business better?
Whitfield: I don't think Warne understood as much about the state water
plan as Harvey Banks did. Harvey Banks is still a consultant
engineer for many districts. In fact, he's been consultant
engineer ever since he got out of the Department of Water
Resources. But I think his character and reputation in the
state had a lot to do with the state water plan going through.
I think Warne was back in Washington for I don't know how many
years in some capacity or other prior to coming with the state
of California.
Lage: He and Banks were both interviewed by our office.*
* Harvey 0. Banks, California Water Project. 1955-1961. 1967.
William E. Warne, "Administration of the Department of Water
Resources, 1961-1966" in California Water Issues. 1950-1966.
1981.
54
Whitfield: Well, don't let him read what I said. [laughter] He's not
there anymore.
Lage: No. then Gianelli came in?
Whitfield: Bill Gianelli was a young engineer when this all started out.
Lage: Was he with the Department of Water Resources as a young
engineer?
Whitfield: Yes. And John Teerink. It was very interesting, the attorney
they had was a very brilliant man, and he was totally blind,
Russ — I can't remember his last name. He was amazing. The
contract is about an inch and a half thick, and he had his
Braille copy. Boy, he'd enter in the discussions, and he'd flip
a page and quote what it said and all that.
Ground Water Basin vs. Hetch Hetchy Water; The Primary Conflict
Lage: New, in the mid-fifties, there seemed to be a lot of discussion
in the district about state water as one of the options or
directions you were going to take. In my research I picked up a
statement from [former Fremont mayor] Jack Stevenson, which must
have been in the newspaper, that the district seemed lukewarm
about Feather River water. Did they feel you weren't going
after it hard enough?
Whitfield: I think what happens sometimes is people get excited about
something, and they think they're all for it prior to knowing
what the facts are. I think the district has always taken the
conservative approach: we want to pursue avenues, but we want
to know what we're doing before we commit ourselves, before we
go out forcefully endorsing it. and I think that's always been
the district attitude.
We had the Hetch Hetchy lines going all through the
district, and we had connections to them. There was some
faction that wanted us to forget the ground water basin. The
only conflict we had in our district was ground water basin vs.
Hetch Hetchy water. Of course. Hetch Hetchy water was much
softer, less mineral content and all that, but more expensive.
Lage: The state water system meant ground water recharging?
Whitfield: No. not necessarily.
Lage: You could bring it in as a surface distribution?
55
Whitfield: We have a ten-million gallon a day treatment plant up on the
hill with South Bay Aqueduct water.
Lage: And that's for surface distribution?
Whitfield: Then since I've been retired, probably in the last five years,
they bought another location for another treatment plant up
there, because there's more capacity in the aqueduct. But
southern California does both ground water recharge and surface
distribution.
Lage: So were these two separate issues? I guess it was never tee
controversial that you would get the state water, ©r was it?
Did some people say, "Forget the state water project?"
Whitfield: Well, there were some people who were against the state water,
yes. But our main conflict was ground water vs. Hetch Hetchy
water.
The problem with Hetchy water was that it costs more.
There were times when saltwater intrusion was getting worse, and
the board would say, 'Veil, let's go take more Hetch Hetchy
water." But if you took more Hetchy water, then you had to
raise rates, so then they'd back off. A board director in a
community as small as this was never wants to raise rates, you
know.
Lage: They seem very conservative fiscally.
Whitfield: Yes, right. So we finally got over that hurdle.
Jurisdictienal Disputes with the Flood Control District
Whitfield: Now where we got in a difficulty here on the South Bay Aqueduct
was with plans of the flood control district. The flood control
district has zones, run-off zones and all that. Herb Crowle,
the public works director of Alameda County, and others, were en
the side of creating zone eight, which would have been all this
area down here.
Lage: Zone eight of the flood control district?
Whitfield: Yes, but it never went through.
Lage: Did Crowle want to combine it with water distribution?
56
Whitfield: No. he wanted a set-up like zone seven in the Livermore Valley.
They do conservation work, and they import water from the state
water plan up there.
Lage: And do flood control.
Whitfield: And do flood control. Our district doesn't do any flood
control. But if they created zone eight, it would mean that
there would be another layer of government between us and the
state.
Lage: I see. Zone eight would have contracted for water with the
state.
Whitfield: Yes, that's what they wanted. That would mean that we would
have nothing to say about anything. Flood control would
contract with the state, and then they would set rates for us,
to sell it to us. The board never would go along with that.
Why put somebody else in there responsible for determining your
rate structure?
Lage: That's right. Why did Herbert Crowle support that? Would he
have had more authority in zone eight?
Whitfield: Oh, sure.
Lage: Any other local politicians that supported it, city politicians?
Whitfield: Yes, there were some people.
Lage: Again hoping to have a say over things?
Whitfield: Yes. I think there are certain people in the community who took
up the idea, and maybe some of the cities too, and particularly
Fremont.
Early Water Conservation Measures
Lage: Did the proponents of zone eight have a different approach to
water policy — less ground water recharge or any of these issues
that we've talked about?
Whitfield: They may have been swayed more by less ground water recharge,
but the only problem is, Ann. with that issue: the ground water
basin is like being just a little bit pregnant; you're either
going to have salt water in it or you're not. So the steps that
we've taken have been necessary to keep salt water out of the
ground water. In the earlier years and the late forties it was
57
Whitfield: just local run-off that was diverted into pits to recharge the
ground water. Then we got some releases. In 1936. we got
releases from San Francisco in accordance with the Bailey
formula again. The Bailey formula was determined when Spring
Valley Water Company in San Francisco built the Calaveras Dam on
Calaveras Creek, a major tributary to Alameda Creek.
Lage: The Bailey Formula went way back to an early court decision,
didn't it?
Whitfield: Yes. What that did in essence was. when you put in all these
factors of humidity and rainfall and all this — I never did
understand it — but you come out with a figure that will tell you
how much water would have percolated from the Alameda Creek into
our ground water basin had the water flowed uninhibited by the
dam.
Lage: That's really an interesting figure.
Whitfield: Yes. It's a simple feature, but I never did understand the
formula. I never had to calculate it. But then in the mid-
thirties the ground water level went way down, and salt water
kept coming in worse and worse. Mr. Patterson went to San
Francisco and negotiated with Tom Espy and George Pracy. He was
the general manager, chief engineer.
Anyway, they worked out a deal where if we took over some
of the free water obligations that San Francisco had inherited
from the Spring Valley Water Company, in the entire community,
they would give us some advance releases. They gave us many
thousand acre-feet of water. We used to have a hydrograph on
the boardroom — it's taken down now — back to 1913, and you could
see the water level going down, down, down, and then when they
started releasing this water, up, up, up again. That was one of
the district's first conservation efforts.
The first conservation thing was buying out the Oakland
Water Works at Alvarado to prevent that eight million gallons of
water from being exported. Then the next one was the San
Francisco releases. They used the original Western Pacific
borrow pit, where they dug out the gravel when the Western
Pacific came through this community to make the road beds for
the railroad tracks. San Francisco had a thirty-six inch water
line that went down Per alt a Boulevard. The water district ran a
pipe over into the pit and that used to percolate thirty million
gallons of water a day. Of course, that was clear water with no
turbidity in it at all.
Lage: That was Hetch Hetchy water?
58
Whitfield: No. it came from the Calaveras, the local run-off that was
stared in their reservoir. So those were the main steps in
trying to eliminate the saltwater intrusion. In other words,
they tried to get the water level up to sea level, so the
gradient wouldn't be inland; it would reverse the flow and
prevent salt water from entering the ground water basin. They
succeeded in doing that.
Lage: Then when was the next crisis period? Was there another real
crisis during the thirties, or were you planning ahead enough?
Whitfield: The planning that they did was to get everything that was
available within reason because the district didn't have the
finances to build big projects. Before the South Bay Aqueduct
came in, we didn't know what chance we had because there were no
real bond issues in this district.
District Role in Del Valle Reservoir Planning
Lage:
This is another question that came up in the research. You
hired Sidney Harding — I think we talked about that last time — in
'57. In his oral history, he talks about his role in working
with the state. Was he an important person in the negotiations?
Whitfield: Yes. he was. He helped with them.
Lage: Did he have anything to do with those key decisions, which we
need to get into, about the way the water would come from the
aqueduct instead of through the tunnel?
Whitfield: Well, he was the consultant on the Del Valle Dam for us. You
see, we had applied for the unappropriated water of the Del
Valle watershed. We thought that maybe the state would put in a
regulatory storage dam. They would bring water from the delta
in the wintertime and store it there, and then it could be
released in the summer here.
But for some reason, their geology indicated that it wasn't
a suitable site for a dam and they decided not to make it a part
of the state plan. But, since the district had applied for the
unappropriated water, we had an interest in seeing the dam built
there, and he did the calculations and all that and represented
us in Sacramento with the Department of Water Resources.
When you apply for unappropriated water, you have to keep
making reports every so many years on what your progress is.
That keeps your application alive. So we just decided to push
it a little harder and go up to talk to the Department of Water
59
Whitfield: Resources with Harvey Banks and others. Harvey decided. "Well,
since you guys are interested, why don't we go back and take
another look at it?" They went back and did some more geology
and found that it was a suitable site.
Lage: So they have built the dam. Do they use it to store the South
Bay Aqueduct water?
Whitfield: Yes.
**
Lage: What about Thad Binkley? He was a long-time engineer with you.
How did he fit in with Harding?
Whitfield: Well. Binkley helped us negotiate the contract, and he did a let
of our actual design work for physical facilities of
transmission, reservoirs, and that kind of thing. In the early
days, we had a limited engineering staff.
Lage: When did you start developing more of an engineering staff?
Whitfield: Before '58 we only had about three engineers. We gradually just
kept adding.
Lage: As you expanded?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: In fact, one of the things Harding mentions is that he broke off
his contract because it wasn't enough engineering help for him.
This is in his oral history.
Whitfield: You mean, with us?
Lage: With you. That he contracted for a certain amount of time but
he got out of it earlier because the district hadn't provided
the proper engineering support for him.
Whitfield: I don't think Sid had a staff. I think Sid did all his own
work.
Lage: Well, that's why he was complaining about it. [laughs]
Whitfield: That doesn't stand out in my mind. My recollection is that the
work that he had done had been accomplished.
Lage: Well, he did make it sound as if he completed his basic goals.
He worked with San Francisco he said, and then on Del Valle and
then also in negotiating with the state.
60
Lage: Another thing he mentioned was that he seemed to find that he
had less to do with the board of directors and more to do with
the staff, you. I assume. That surprised him that the board
didn't deal with him more. Do you recall?
Whitfield: They didn't deal with him. He'd been to a couple of meetings,
explained things and stuff like that.
Lage: It didn't seem strange to me. It would seem —
Whitfield: Unless Sid had been used to working with bigger organizations.
Lage: With boards that were more active in day-to-day management.
Whitfield: The board in general was net active. The only one that was
really active in the day-to-day business was Mr. Patterson — not
in a pushy way or anything, just as a businessman interested.
He used to stop and see me a couple times a week. He'd say,
•Veil, Matt, how are things going? Anything new come up that I
don't know about?" I'd tell him.
Lage: Did he have a pretty good grasp of the technical aspects of it
all?
Whitfield: Oh* yes. We had board members that just loved grilling
engineers, but he wasn't that way. His was always a very gentle
approach, and you always respected him for that because you knew
he was truly interested.
Lage: He didn't have a critical approach. It seems like mere of a
supportive —
Whitfield: It was always supportive, yes.
Lage: Would he ever ask questions that put you en the spot, do you
recall?
Whitfield: Sometimes things that he would bring up at the board meetings
and ask me a question were things that we talked about in the
office.
Lage: That he felt others needed to hear?
Whitfield: Yes.
61
Transporting Water over Altamont Pass
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield!
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield;
My notes show here that in '59 they began constructing the South
Bay Aqueduct. You have told me that initially the water was
going to be transported through a tunnel and that your district
suggested a change from that plan.
Yes. Well, back in the planning stages of the South Bay
Aqueduct, the plans called for boring a tunnel through Brushy
Peak, which is in the Altamont Pass area. We were talking about
some way of getting something to us faster than anticipated
because of the lowering of the water table. We asked Harvey
Banks if he would prepare a preliminary design of a pipeline
coming up over the hill to bring water down into the Livermore
Valley and let it run down the stream. So he said he would.
Then when they got into that, that's when the state
Department of Water Resources concluded that it was more
feasible, economical, from the power standpoint and all that, to
run the thing over the hill than to build the tunnel.
So water would be pumped up the hill?
natural steam bed near Altamont Pass?
Then did it go into a
Yes. In '62, when we first got the water, it came over the hill
and into the channel alongside the Altamont Pass highway. That
channel normally takes care of the runoff from those hills.
It's about twenty miles from there down to Fremont. So the
water meandered down this channel —
Just through a natural system.
It came down the Niles Canyon.
All the way here without stopping at Del Valle?
Yes, because the Del Valle wasn't finished yet.
Now is that still used or did they change that after Del Valle
was built?
Yes. We were taking our water at the turnout at the base of the
Altamont Pass. They just shut that off. Then, when the
aqueduct came further south and came down — you know where the
Vallecitos Pass road is? Well, it's up in the hills on the
other side here. You know, the Vallecitos is the backroad that
goes te Livermore from this area. You've heard of where PG&E
built the nucleonics plant up there?
Lage:
No.
62
Whitfield: Well, it's right in that general area up there. So we decided
for percolation purposes rather than pay for more aqueduct to
bring it down, to take our water at the Vallecitos turnout.
That's where we've been getting the percolation water ever
since. But that happened a couple of years after we first took
water from the Altamont turnout. I think we ran it down through
the Livermore Valley maybe three or four years.
Lage: It sounds like a very good emergency procedure, simple.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, it was the only way we could get it.
Lage: When did you actually get the state water?
Whitfield: We got it in '62. We were the first ones to get water from the
state plan.
Changing an Unreasonable State Contract
Lage: You mentioned to me that the district shaped the way contracts
with the Department of Water Resources were written. Tell me
about that.
Whitfield: That was after Harvey was gone and Bill Warne was in charge.
There are several contractors with the state for state water.
Each contract with the various water districts was the same —
they wanted them all uniform so they wouldn't have to interpret
different things — and each contract had what is called a Table A
in it. This specifies for the next so many years how much water
you're going to take. So you start out with a lower amount, so
many acre-feet for the first year, and you keep increasing it
based upon what you think your needs are going to be over the
next fifty years.
Since we were primarily going to be using ours for ground
water recharge, and with the uncertainty of weather conditions,
we were concerned about the inflexibility. You had to take as
much water as you had in your Table A for that specific year.
The way the contract was written, and everybody else had signed
it except us, you had to pay for your water in that year. If
you didn't take it. then you could have the opportunity of
taking it just the next year, but not beyond that.
Lage: So if you had wet weather for a few years, as you usually do.
kind of in a cycle —
63
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield;
We'd lose the money all the time. yes. So we held out. We
wouldn't sign the contract until they changed it.
Now, how did those negotiations work out?
Well, Mr. Warne didn't like it too well.
Did you deal with him directly or with an attorney for the
district?
No, the attorney and I convinced him.
all the state contracts have changed.
Now 1 understand that
That's interesting. Why do you suppose the other districts
didn't try for the same thing that you did? Was it not as
important to them?
Let's see, Santa CLara County uses ground water percolation and
southern California does. I don't know why they didn't. Maybe
they didn't see it as a critical item as we did because we
weren't a very rich district down here. We just couldn't see
ourselves having to pay for water for an illogical reason.
Now, would this have been something that you and the staff would
have noticed and pushed, or someone on the board?
No, we did. We did all the negotiating on the contract. We
kept the board apprised of where we were and what our problems
were.
They were supportive of that, I'm sure.
Oh, yes.
Fighting Saltwater Intrusion in the Ground Water Basin
Lage: This discussion of state water leads into a longer discussion of
the saltwater intrusion problem. You've given us some
background on that problem over the years.
Whitfield: The saltwater intrusion, as I remember, started about in 1920.
That was before centrifugal pumps came in. The water was
primarily used for agriculture. As time went on, the water
tables started to go down. You could only pump a certain height
with the pumps they had. Then they developed the centrifugal
pumps, so then they pumped down deeper.
64
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Lage:
I've also read that they changed to different crops that
required mere water.
Yes. right. More irrigation, yes. I think in the early days
there was more dry farming, you know, wheat or barley and that
type of stuff. Then they went to row crops, like peas and corn
and cauliflower.
And lettuce. That takes more water.
But then, as I say, the only things that were done to help
alleviate the problem was to buy the Alvarado plant, which
eliminated Oakland's prescriptive right to pump eight million
gallons of water a day out of the ground water basin. Of
course, that was 1930, way before my time.
Then the next thing was getting the advance releases in the
thirties, getting it from San Francisco to put in the Western
Pacific pit. I thought maybe you would be specifically
interested in the fact that that pit was the first quarry dug
out here, by Western Pacific for the roadbase for putting the
railroad tracks through here.
Did that mean the pit was dug down into the water level.
Yes. Well, if the water level was down it may have been below
the pit. It wasn't a deep pit; it must have been about two- or
three- thousand feet long and about seven hundred feet wide or
something like that. It was just a V dug down. All that
Western Pacific did was just dig enough gravel for their own
purposes. Then the Shinn Pit was dug. The Shinn Pit was the
first commercial gravel pit operator. Then the Ford and Bunting
pits on this side were done about the same time.
Also for a commercial purpose?
Whitfield: Yes.
Were the quarries out of business when you took over the pits?
Whitfield: Well, the Shinn Pit belonged to the Shinn family. Mr. Shinn had
been on the board.
Lage: He was the first president, I think?
Whitfield: Yes. They had signed an agreement that the district could use
that pit. It was a fifteen-year agreement for, I think it was,
seven hundred dollars a year or something like that. Then we
had an agreement about the Western Pacific and that expired, but
they let us use it for several years afterwards.
65
Lage: Now, was there a feeling among some people that you couldn't
really control where that water was going to go, that some of it
would waste to the bay? When you recharged the ground water,
how did you know it was going to stay in the aquifers?
Whitfield: That was quite a question in a lot of peoples' minds.
Lage: Was it among the engineers? Were knowledgeable people
questioning that or just — ?
Whitfield: No.
Lage: How did you know it wouldn't just drift out to the bay?
Whitfield: Well, by studying the ground water geology, the ground water
basin geology. We had a couple of studies made there. There
may be — in fact, there was some contention that one of the
aquifers went clear across to the peninsula. But there was
nobody pumping over there at the time.
Lage: It's an interesting geological feature.
Whitfield: Yes. One of the problems with the ground water issue was that
there were not too many people, even engineers, that understood
much about it. Engineers understand surface distribution
systems, reservoirs and all that, but you have to have some
knowledge of geology too. I learned all I knew about it from
coming with the water district.
Lage: The geologist may be the one who can tell you what you need to
know.
Whitfield: Yes. The only time I knew anything different was when my father
drilled a well about two thousand feet up here in the prune
orchard, dug down and got water. You know the interesting part
of that? My father believed in the old weegie stick. The well
driller wanted to drill it down by the creek. I think they did
drill, and they got nothing, so my father told him, "You go up
in the corner." And he got water.
Lage: And did your father use the weegie stick?
Whitfield: Yes.
1
Lage: Do you know anyone else who's done that?
Whitfield: I've tried it.
Lage: Does it work?
Whitfield: I don't know. I never drilled a well to see. [laughing]
66
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
But have you ever felt the tug of it or had an experience with
it?
Oh. yes. The interesting thing about this well that my dad
drilled was that they hit a pocket of natural gas down there.
Every irrigating season when they first started the pump up. you
could put a match — you know, the bottom part would be water and
the top part would be natural gas — and it would burn for three
or four days.
Goodness! It sounds like it could be dangerous.
Well, it wasn't that high an explosive.
It seems that with ground water recharging you had a public
relations problem in explaining te people how you can let water
seep into the ground and be sure that you're going to have it to
pump out.
Yes.
I want to ask you about the California State Department of Water
Resources Bulletin 81 issued in 1960. How did that come about,
and did it have an influence?
This area is one of the classic examples in the state of salt
water intrusion and depletion of the water basin. The state was
interested in it, and they were studying this area for a long
time, the geology and all that. Their studies were one reason
we knew that we wouldn't lose much water through the percolation
pits. They culminated their study with Bulletin 81. which
covered all the ground water problems, how much water was
available and that type of thing.
So was that a useful thing for decision making?
Oh. sure.
The Aquifer Reclamation Program, 1974
Lage: I have a date of 1974 — is that accurate? — when you started the
aquifer reclamation program?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Why don't we talk about that?
67
Whitfield: Well, subsequent to getting state water in and bringing the
water table up to sea level, we started the aquifer reclamation
project.
We went down along the extremities of the district towards
the bay and drilled wells to start pumping out the salt water
that was in the upper strata where it had to be pumped out and
discharged back into the bay.
Lage:
Through channels, surface channels, or pipes?
Whitfield: Through channels, flood control channels. I don't think they
had to lay much pipe, but there were drainage ditches.
Lage: So they'd actually pump out the upper —
Whitfield: They pump salt water out and dump it back into the bay. The
point is, then, to bring the water level up in the forebay area.
The forebay is the main part of the gravel where most of the
gravels are contiguous. By bringing south bay aqueduct water
in, we brought the level up, but to keep the salt water from
coming back in again, you've got to keep pumping, and you've get
to keep recharging what you pump out. [See diagram, page 82.]
Lage: Because otherwise water would be sucked in from the bay?
Whitfield: It would suck it back in from the bay, yes.
Lage: Was there any construction done?
Whitfield: No, no barriers, no.
Lage: Was that ever a plan, to build some barriers?
Whitfield: No. It was thought of but just disregarded as being
impractical.
Lage: Salt water was pumped out, and then was the south bay aqueduct
just allowed to percolate in, or did you have to force it into
these wells?
Whitfield: Well, they put in injection wells now. That's another stage.
That's what they're doing now.
Lage: I see. Has that been successful?
Whitfield: Yes, I think it has. Of course, I've been out of it for eight
years. It's doing its job. Incidentally, I saw in that local
paper that comes out from the San Jose Mercury — did you see that
article about Ardenwood Park?
68
Lage:
No.
Whitfield: They're having a problem with salt water in the ground down
there. Some of the trees are dying and they're wondering
whether they can keep the farm going because the salt water and
boron is getting down in there.
Lage: I thought that this salt water plan was working.
Whitfield: Well, it isn't absolutely perfect. There are certain spots
where there are problems.
Lage: It sounds like it's a difficult problem to solve.
69
VI THE PUMP TAX: CONTROVERSY WITH DISTRICT FARMERS
Enabl ing Legi si atien and Rationale for the Pump Tax
Lage: The other issue that came up with the state water that sounded
like a very interesting controversy was the issue of who pays
for the state water — the pump tax or replenishment assessment.
Whitfield: That was very controversial.
Lage: First of all, it seems, there was enabling legislation at the
state level in 1961.
Whitfield: That's what gave us the ability to even impose a pump tax.
Lage: Was that particularly designed for this district?
Whitfield: Well, it's applicable to the Alameda County Water District. But
for southern California there is the same kind of legislation.
They have the ability to do that. I think when our attorney
drafted the thing he used that as a guide. So there are others,
but it has to be passed by the legislature for specific areas.
Lage :
Who was your attorney at that time?
Whitfield: Morris Hyman.
Lage: So you developed the idea that this was going to be a necessary
way to pay for the water?
Whitfield: Because there were predominantly farmers on the board, they
weren't very enthusiastic about a pump charge. You see, the
claim as the area grew was that it was the municipal water users
that were causing the problem: they're using all the water. In
reality, the farmers back in the beginning, they were the only
ones who pumped it out. They pumped for years and years, and it
lowered the water table.
70
Lage: And the city also pumps?
Whitf ield: Yes, the city pumps now but net very much. They've only got a
well over at the lagoon and the lake over there. But. in the
early days, the farmers were pumping up predominantly the
largest quantities of water.
Lage: And not paying anything, except the price of their wells?
Whitf ield: No, the only thing they're paying was the ad valorem tax because
there's an ad valorem tax for the conservation aspect of the
water district. But everybody in the district pays that.
if
Lage: So you had the ad valorem tax, which everybody paid, and that
was for conservation?
Whitf ield: It went way back when, yes.
Lage: Then you had the charge for water used by surface distribution.
Whitf ield: Yes, but that's — see. the water district has really three
divisions: water importation; water conservation, percolation,
recharge; and water distribution. Now the predominant pumper is
the water district because as we have grown we are pumping more
water from the ground water basin for municipal distribution.
So the water district is the predominant pumper of water.
Lage: For surface distribution?
Whitf ield: Yes. Well, we're getting ahead of ourselves.
Lage: Yes, let's start at the beginning.
Whitf ield: The only reason that there were attempts to convince the board
that the pump tax is a logical thing is that there's no
relationship between an ad valorem tax on assessed valuation and
water consumption. In ether words, if the farmers had
relatively cheap land, they're paying relatively cheap ad
valorem taxes yet they're pumping most of the water.
Lage: Whereas industry might have a — 7
Whitf ield: Well, it's still not just because, you know, it's just like a
service station, what you pay for is what the pump says you pay
for. You've used that water. Then there was a condition in
there where a lot of a given size with a well on it paid a flat
ten dollars, or something like that.
71
Lage: Now was this after you passed the pump tax?
Whitfield: No. that was in the act itself.
Lage: Oh, I see, in the enabling legislation.
Whitfield: Yes. The only reason they finally acquiesced to push for the
legislation was that — let's see. Yes, they had — I'm trying to
remember the sequence. I think the minimum charge was ten
dollars, and for some time we went along without any meters.
They had to fill out forms estimating what they used and that
didn't work out so well. Then they had the act amended again so
that — by that time the cities were incorporated — they would
limit the agricultural cost for water to eight dollars per acre
foot.
Lage: Oh? Now who amended that or who made the move to amend it?
Whitfield: The board did. The only way to get agreement on the board to
impose the pump tax was by limiting the amount the farmers would
pay. Otherwise the farmers were fighting.
Pump Tax Hearings : Outraged Reaction from Farmers
Lage: That's what it sounds like from the minutes of these two
hearings. You had a tremendous amount of public reaction.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. All of the farmers, "We've owned this land all our
lives, that's our water, it's under our property," and all that.
Well, they are entitled to a certain amount of that water, but
you know, different farmers pump for different crops. As an
example, somebody has two hundred acres and maybe they farm one
crop a year, and somebody has two hundred acres and maybe they
farm six or seven crops a year. Well, you're going to have six
or seven times the amount of water used.
I got accused of being on both sides. Somebody would yell
at me because I was for the pump tax. and some would yell,
"You're holding it back."
Lage: In this first hearing, several people called you on the report
you'd written and seemed very unhappy with your report.
Whitfield: Oh, I'm sure there was disagreement on the quantities of water
that different operations use — agricultural, industrial,
municipal and all that. I wasn't very popular.
Lage:
But both sides were after you?
72
Whitfield: Yes. I was accused of being on both sides.
Lage: Which side were you really on?
Whitfield: I was on the pump tax side. yes. And. you know. I'd been born
and raised in this community, and my mother and father were, and
they didn't think it was too nice for a local boy to impose a
pump tax on all these old friendly farmers. But farming has
always been subsidized to some extent by the federal government
or something like that.
Lage: What does this say about the strength of the farmers in the
community that they were able to fend off the pump tax for quite
a while? In the sixties. I'm surprised they still had that much
strength. How do you explain that?
Whitfield: Well, there was still a lot of farming going on.
Lage: Were they people with a let of political ties?
Whitfield: They're just farmers. Oh, I'm sure they had political ties with
local politicians, yes.
Lage: Now what about your board members? Let's see who I have here at
that time?
Whitfield: You've got Amaral —
Lage: But the president was Humpert — this is in '64.
Whitfield: Bill Humpert. He was an insurance agent. He used to be a game
warden and then an insurance agent. He was from Irvingtoru
Lage: Did he have sympathies with the farmers?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Then we have Tony Alameda. Tell me about Alameda.
Whitfield: Of course, he worked for L.S. Williams, who was the second
largest farmer and he had a packing shed here in Centerville.
Tony ran his operations, hiring the Mexicans to pick and harvest
the crops and all that kind of stuff. Of course, he was against
the pump tax.
Lage: Yes. I could see that. Then there was Bernardo.
Whitfield: Bernardo. Well, you know, most of the farmers around here were
old-time friends of his. He used to be the constable of our
area for years. He had twelve-acre orchard of apricots down on
Baine Avenue.
73
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage :
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
It's hard for me to remember exactly who took the strongest
position, but I know Alameda was against it.
Then also at that time Borghi and Redeker were on the board.
They voted for the pump tax, it seems. My notes show that on
May 12th, 1964, Alameda and Hum pert opposed the tax — this was
after the two hearings — Borghi and Redeker favored the tax, and
Bernardo was absent.
Yes, [laughs] that was convenient. So they couldn't impose it.
Right, because they didn't have enough votes to impose it.
was the pump tax finally imposed? Net until '70?
When
Yes. We had a number of public hearings. For a while we didn't
even have public hearings, I don't think, but the way the
legislation was written, every year by a given date the board
had to order that a survey, a report, be prepared shewing the
water sources, water levels, etc., if the board wanted to
consider imposing a pump tax for that year.
Then you'd have a public hearing en the report. Half of
the people that spoke at the hearing probably had not read the
report. They just wanted to holler and convince the board that
it's unjust and all that stuff. Then when the community grew
and more people kept moving in, there was considerable change.
The farmers all alleged that they didn't cause the problem: it
was the industry and pumping water for all the new houses. But,
in those earlier days, that wasn't true.
The pumping wasn't really for the new houses?
The farmers were still pumping a substantial amount of water,
yes. But the proportions changed over the years. Now, I'd
probably guess about seventy-five percent of the water is pumped
by the water district for municipal distribution.
A Shifting Balance of Community Power; Pump Tax Passed, 1970
Lage: So. by 1970, you think the change in the community, the balance
of power, say, made the difference?
Whitfield: Right.
Lage: It would seem that the 1964 vote against the pump tax was the
most controversial decision, wasn't it?
74
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage : Was there any move electorally to replace the board with those
more sympathetic to the pump tax?
Whitfield: I don't think so.
Lage: Just kind of a natural evolution?
Whitfield: This board that's in there now, they've been in since, oh,
sometime in the sixties.
Lage: Oh, really? You mean, there's that much continuity on the
board?
Whitfield: Yes. Oh, except the one that's relatively new en there now is
Carl Strandberg. He's an ecologist. He got on as a water
conservationist and ecologist.
Lage: Does he have training in ecology?
Whitfield: He's taken some courses, and he says that he writes some of
these books. He knows many people in that field.
Lage: Again, we're a little off the subject, but I think it's
interesting because I wanted to talk about environmentalists and
how they related to the district, which happens probably more in
the seventies. Does he have a particular point of view about
the water conservation program here?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. he's all for it and supports it very much.
Lage: Does he have any policy ideas that you would object to?
Whitfield: No.
Lage: What types of things does he propose?
Whitfield: Well, just somewhat far-out things.
Lage: How does he get elected?
Whitfield: He's a conservationist, he's an ecologist and environmentalist,
and he writes books.
Lage: I imagine incumbents tend to get elected in a district like
this. It's probably not a hot issue, who's running for the
water board, would you say?
Whitfield: No.
75
Lage: Has it ever been? Do you remember any controversial elections?
Whitf ield: It never — no. I think maybe when John Pihl ran for the board
everybody was concerned that he was going to raise hell because
of the flood. I think I've mentioned to you before that I've
seen people come on the board of directors who were against
rehabilitation of the ground water basin, and they're not on
the board very long before they're a staunch supporter of it.
Lage: [laughs] Once they become educated.
Whitf ield: So, you see, in the last ten years policy has been pretty well
carved in granite. There's not much you can de about changing
it. We've got so much invested in the ground water basin it
would be crazy to try to abandon it now. It would be the wrong
thing to do because we're saving — just from local runoff we get
maybe about twenty-five thousand acre-feet a year on the
average. One year will be less, another greater.
For the distribution system, we've still got Resolution 81
that sets forth how the developers pay for storage and all this
stuff. There doesn't seem to be any criticism of that anymore,
except — the only problem I used to have was the little
developer. He'd say, "Oh, that's all right for the big
developer, they can afford it," I'd say, "Well, that's the
policy whether you're big or small."
Lage: Was it a lot harder for the small one to afford it, then?
Whitf ield: Well, sometimes, yes.
Lage:
Did you have dealings with Jack Brooks?
Whitf ield: Oh, yes. I had many dealings with him, yes.
Lage: Did he understand your needs?
Whitf ield: Yes. He was one of the biggest developers around here. He'd
come in and negotiate with me sometimes and then later on as
they got bigger, he'd send other people. He was a very
cooperative person. He just would come in and say, "Well, what
are we stuck with now?" "Resolution 81." [laughter]
Lage: So maybe it was easier to deal with the larger developers.
Whitfield: Yes, excepting Conway and Culligan. They were large developers,
but they just thought they were going to come over here to their
country cousins and push them around.
76
Water Pump Meters
Lage : Interesting. Anything else about that pump tax that we should
talk about, any other — ?
Whitfield: One of the big flaps was over the flat charge the board had
imposed on small lots. The little guys would complain about it.
so the beard just eliminated that charge.
Lage: And eventually they went to meters to actually measure the water
usage?
Whitfield: Oh, yes. Then they cried about having to supply their own
meters. That was another one of the stalls because, you know,
they were not too cheap. The board finally decided, well, we'll
pay for the meters and put them on. Yes, so that was another
sticky wicket.
Lage: That was later, after '70?
Whitfield: Before they put in the meters. They first imposed the pump tax
without meters. There were some weasel words in the legislation
that they could see a way to avoid putting in the meters.
Temporarily you could, for certain reasons, delay the time when
they went on.
Lage: And then you went on the farmer's estimate of how much water he
used?
Whitfield: On the estimate, yes. We used to get into arguments with them
because they had to give an estimate of what they were going to
use and then a final ization of what they did use. And they
didn1 t —
Lage: It was way off-base?
Whitfield: Yes. You know, we had charts showing how much water peas would
take for an acre, corn would take, potatoes and all that stuff,
and they argued over it. They very seldom would agree with the
figures we used.
Lage: Did this cause you any trouble, personally, I mean, or trouble
between the board and the staff, since the staff seemed to be in
favor of the pump tax and even had gone so far as to urge the
board to get enabling legislation passed? It's kind of an
interesting situation.
Whitfield: Well, let me say this. We knew that ultimately it had to go in.
We knew it had to go in. It was just when it would be
politically astute. So we never pushed it that hard. In fact.
77
Whitfield: in talking about it. I don't think we got in any arguments with
the board. We'd just talk about it outside and that type of
thing.
Lage: You just kind of waited for them to come around?
Whitfield: Yes.
78
VII PROTECTING THE GROUND WATER BASIN
Standards for Well Abandonment. Well Drilling, and Drainage Wells
Whitf ield: Another thing we did do to help stem off the salt water
intrusion was to deal with abandoned wells. There were
abandoned wells that could deteriorate and the casing could rot
and let the salt water come down from one aquifer to the other.
So we get together with the cities because they have the power
to pass an ordinance for well abandonment and well-drilling
standards and all that. We wrote the standards, and then we
agreed to issue the permits and inspect them. There's a fee for
that that the well driller has to pay. or the property owner
that's filling the well.
Lage: So you would inspect well drilling?
Whitf ield: Yes. and well abandonment. But the city had the enforcement
powers.
Lage: How did you deal with abandoned wells?
Whitf ield: We would find the log of the old well. The cities made it a
condition of their building permits that if there was a well on
the piece of property they had to agree to abandon the well in
accordance with the specifications. What they did was — see,
here's the ground level here. We were fortunate in that we got
copies of all the old well logs from one of the old well
drillers that drilled most the wells around here.
They go down and clean the old well out if it's dirty.
Then they go down and they know where the gravels are in the
stratas. and they go down with a tool and slit the casings; then
they pack the well with cement, so that salt water could not
leak down around the cement plug and couldn't get into the lower
aquifers.
Lage: That must have been an expensive process.
79
Whitfield: Yes. The developers had to do it. In the old days, when they
had the Oakland wells down there in Alvarado, there were a lot
of wells that we went in and plugged ourselves.
Lage: So that was a known technique to plug the wells so they wouldn't
pollute the aquifers.
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Something I wanted to ask you, going back to the fifties, was
about the problem of drain wells.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. We had no street drainage systems in our towns, so
when development started — we should have fought it more than we
did, but I think it was a political thing because the develop
ment couldn't start without drainage — the county let them put in
drainage wells in certain locations to drain the water off the
streets.
Lage: Down into the ground water?
Whitfield: Into the first aquifer of the ground water. The concern there
was that the contamination from the streets could get into the
ground water basin. Those wells have been all plugged up now.
Lage: That was something that you were against, but sort of allowed to
happen to a degree?
Whitfield: The beard should have taken a more firm position about it, but
it was the beginning of development out here.
Lage: What was the alternative? Well, the flood control district
would have been the alternative.
Whitfield: Yes, but they didn't have it yet.
Lage: But is that how the drainage problem was solved, by getting
flood control here?
Whitfield: Yes, when they created zones for the different areas out here,
for flood control only and drainage and that type of thing.
80
Addendum on Saltwater Intrusion and the Aquifer Reclamation
Program
[Begin Interview 3: June 26. 1987] ft
Lage: Today's June 26th, 1986, and it's our third and final interview
with Matt W bitfield. You had given me an article last week
about saltwater intrusion at the Patterson Ranch, Before the
tape came on today, you and I talked a little bit about what
might be done to solve this problem. I want you to sort of
clear up the process of how saltwater intrusion is prevented.
Whitfield: Yes. The water district first started getting releases of water
in the Alameda Creek which is the main contributor recharging
the ground water basin. That's all through the Miles,
Centerville, and Alvarado areas. That's where originally nature
recharged the ground water basin from the local watershed.
Lage: Just percolating down through the creek bed?
Whitfield: Through the creek bed, and that was the natural phenomenon that
occurred. Then people pumped the water out and the level went
down. That's how from excess pumping years back, the salt water
from the bay started coming in to the upper strata, which is
about a hundred feet below the ground surface. Then it came up
into what they all the forebay. which is the recharge area all
along Alameda Creek. As pumping continued and they got
centrifugal pumps and pumped from the deeper second strata, then
the salt water came from the bay up over the lip and came in the
forebay area and went back into the lower strata.
The recharge is accomplished by taking water from the
Alameda Creek, either natural runoff or imported water from the
South Bay Aqueduct, and pumping it through the levees into the
pits. The pits are big lakes, maybe twenty or thirty or forty
acres, and then that water percolates. The water surface that
is seen in the pits is the natural water table in the ground
water basin.
Lage: So the water just sinks down through the gravel in the pits.
Whitfield: The gravel in the stratas. In what we call the forebay area
along the creek, that's where all the gravels are contiguous.
Then they stratify out from that area in the ground water at
different levels of gravel — which are separated by impervious
aquifers, or layers of clay — but it's all recharged from up here
along the creek.
81
Lage :
Whitfield:
I think we'll include with this interview a diagram, such as
this. [See diagram page 82.] That will explain this more
clearly.
Tell me more about the aquifer reclamation project in 1974.
What did that do?
Well, we had some studies made and we [laughs] — I keep talking
"we"; it's net "we" anymore. They drilled test holes before you
get to the bay out there, in various areas, after geological
studies, and found where the aquifers were and good places to
put the water and to put the wells to pump the salt water out of
the upper strata. Because if you stopped the salt water from
coming in the upper strata, then it won't reach into the ferebay
area and get into the lower strata.
So these wells are pumping water into channels which
discharge the salt water back into the bay. But the theory is
if you pump the salt water out, you've got to replace it with
something. So the objective is to keep the water in the
f orebay, or in the general Alameda Creek area in the gravel, at
sea level so that the salt water can't come in.
So you pump the water out and then the water you put in the
pits—?
Lage:
Whitfield: Is what gees into replacing it, yes.
Lage: So it's a very natural process.
Whitfield: And it not only replaces it, but it takes into account the
consumption as people pump water out of wells. It used to be
predominantly agriculture, which is now very minimal — there's
hardly any agriculture there now. Industry pumps, but the water
district itself is the major pumper for its domestic water
distribution system.
Lage: The article about the Patterson Ranch just raised the question
in my mind ©f why they're facing this problem of salt. It
appeared to me that it had been taken care of with the aquifer
reclamation project.
Whitfield: Well, the project isn't a hundred percent yet. But, as we were
talking, there can be pockets of salt water in the stratas and
if there's no pumping in that area, the water won't move in the
strata. The water won't move if no one pumps. If it lies
dormant for some time and then they started pumping in an area,
then it may move water from one place in the strata. It'll flow
towards the direction where it's pumping.
82
V
4 \
100 I—
-100
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o -400
-soo
-TOO
-•00
LEGEND
PICtOMCTKIC LtvCL»
AOUIFlBt
MTH Of 1»LT WATCH INTIIU1IM
Courtesy of the California
Department of Water Resources
INTRUSION OF SALT WATER INTO THE
FREMONT STUDY AREA
PLATE 2
MAP 1
83
Whitfield: I think one of the things that are mentioned in that article is
that they've got boron in the water also.
Lage: Right.
Whitfield: Boron is very detrimental to plant growth. We had an area up
here in the Niles area above the fault — the fault goes through
Irvington and down there in the Niles. It's an impervious
barrier — and it's about eight or ten or twelve inches thick.
Above the fault there were some pockets of boron up there.
Lage: Just naturally occurring?
Whitfield: Yes, it's a natural phenomenon in the mineral content of the
water. Now, they did mention that there was boron in that
water.
Lage: Right, that that was another problem besides the salt.
Whitfield: Yes. I don't know, maybe one of their answers is there. I
don't know which strata they're pumping from. You know, these
are all on the Patterson Ranch, and there's a lot of those wells
that may be older wells that they tried to rehabilitate to use.
Maybe those were some that were salty.
Lage: It could be.
Whitfield: I don't know whether they could drill other wells in their area
somewhere. If they hooked up to the municipal distribution,
that's pretty extensive water for irrigation.
Lage: Yes, that was the other alternative.
Whitfield: The only ones that can afford that is the Glad-A-Way Gardens
that grow all those gladiolas. Sometimes they have hooked onto
our system. We'd give them a connection to the system, but it's
metered. Of course, that gladiola production is a very
lucrative industry to be in.
Lage: So they can purchase the water?
Whitfield: Yes, because the water costs — well, I don't know what the rate
is now, but maybe $150 an acre foot. For water you pump out of
the ground, maybe $50 an acre foot.
84
Legal Action against Water Waste by Quarry Operators. 1968-1974
Lage : Let's turn to another major issue in the seventies. Actually, I
think it started about '68. That's the problem with the
quarries pumping water out of your ground water basin.
Whitfield: Yes. Of course, our recharge problem, recharging the ground
water, is in direct opposition to the quarries approach because
they came in and for years they just dug down to a certain
level. Then, as the land got more expensive and they were
running out of gravels, they started going down deeper. Well,
the water table was down in those days. But when the South Bay
Aqueduct came along we had a major supply to start recharging
the ground water basin. Then we started raising the level in
the ground water basin back to the state of nature. We called
it the "state of nature" theory of what the average elevation in
the ground water basin was.
Lage: How did you determine what that "state of nature" was? Did you
have good records en it?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. We had records going back to 1913. There used to be a
hydrograph, you know, a chart, in the boardroom. We plotted
every month and we had certain wells that we plotted.
Lage: So you had good records going way back, then?
Whitfield: Oh. yes. So we arrived at what the "state of nature" was from
those records. These go back for many years. Well, back to
1913.
Lage: What were the quarries quarrying?
Whitfield: They were quarrying sand and gravel.
Lage: Was their operation disrupted when you raised the water table?
Whitfield: They get dredges in so they could quarry in the water, but then
you can only dredge so far down. Then they started pumping the
water out of the pits and dumping it in Alameda Creek, wasting
it into the bay. That was directly contradictory to our purpose
of raising the ground water to sea level for use. plus to
rehabilitate the strata to get rid of the salt water.
Lage: So they were taking water you'd pumped in. and pumping it out.
How did you discover that they were doing this? Was it common
knowledge?
85
Whitfield: Oh. yes. You could see the big pipes ever there with their
pumps running twenty- four hours a day. We put up with that. We
tried to work with them and negotiate with them. They weuld
say, "Well, we're going to do this and then we'll cut back," and
all that kind of thing.
Lage : Were there several different companies?
Whitfield: There was Niles Sand & Gravel, and Rhodes and Jamiesen, and PGA.
Pacific Coast Aggregates. But PCA had more land, and they just
moved into higher lands and quarried in there. They were not
out of business yet, but they had lands where they could quarry
without pumping water. They pumped a little, but net —
Lage: Rhodes and Jamiesen and —
Whitfield: Rhodes and Jamieson and Niles Sand & Gravel, yes.
Lage :
Lage :
Whitfield:
Lage:
Kaiser is mentioned, also, in the minutes.
Whitfield: Well, yes, their pit is the only one on the south side of the
creek; all the rest are on the north side. Their pit straddled
the fault, east and west, so they had a high water table. They
were the first ones that dredged up there, because the ground
water above the fault was about thirty to forty feet higher than
below the fault. So Kaiser was not involved in pumping water
into the creek. They were practically out of business.
Lage: Before it became a problem?
Whitfield: Yes. There were just the two of them that pumped substantially.
Rhodes and Jamiesen and Niles Sand & Gravel.
Yes. So we filed a lawsuit. We hired a special attorney who
handled the case. Then we had Harvey Banks, who was the former
director of the Department of Water Resources, who was very
instrumental in getting us state water. That was the main
purpose of the state water project — recharge of the ground water
basin. He had retired from the DWR, so we hired him as our
consultant, and he was one of our chief witnesses, plus Stan
Sayler, at that time my assistant chief engineer.
Was one of the approaches to get the quarries to pay for the
water they were pumping out?
Whitfield: No.
Lage:
That wouldn't solve the problem?
86
Whitfield: The water they pumped out was completely wasted. It couldn't be
put to beneficial use. It wouldn't help the ground water basin
if they kept pumping the water out. even if they paid for it.
We could only get so much water from the state. Our Table A in
the state contract stipulates how much water we take each year.
The fact that we got monetary return on it would not solve the
problem. We didn't sue them for money; we were suing them to
stop their pumping. We felt that the overlying landowners had
the right to the ground water basin.
it
Lage: There seemed to be some tie-in with the city here. The initial
things that I noticed in the minutes in '68 and '69. you were
going te request the city to enforce the use permits. Do you
remember that at all? That was before the suit was filed.
Whitfield: The quarries were in operation before the city of Fremont was
created, before they incorporated. I think in the newer permits
we got in there that they could not pump water that wasted te
the bay.
Lage: Do you remember if the city cooperated with that?
Whitfield: Well, they weren't too anxious to. Very frankly, they weren't
too anxious te get their foot in that pie.
Lage: Pretty controversial?
Whitfield: Yes. Well, it was kind of political.
Lage: Did the quarries have a let of political power?
Whitfield: Some, yes. One of them thought he had a lot mere political
power than he had.
Lage: Was this the Niles Sand and Gravel Company?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Was that a local company?
Whitfield: Well. no. Guy Qouser ran the thing; he was a part owner, but
there were other investors in it.
Lage:
Whitfield: Let me just tell you what happened at the trial.
You mentioned the "state of nature" theory that was very
important. How did you develop that?
87
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield;
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
We had the experts, and we were in court quite a while. We were
very fortunate to have Judge Lyle Cook, who was very interested
in understanding the technicalities of what was being explained.
We were fortunate to have him because knowledge and expertise in
the ground water basin, in those days, was limited to a few. An
average civil engineer had no background in it at all, but you
learned through actually being involved in it. It's
complicated. It's like any other technical thing; they have
their own terminology.
But everything that he didn't understand he asked about.
In fact, he had very high respect for Mr. Banks, Harvey Banks,
and several times when Harvey had explained something the judge
would ask, "Mr. Banks, would you mind going over that again for
me? I want to make sure I understand it." Judge Cook even came
out in the field to see the pits and get his own visualization
of what was going on, He saw the pumps going and the water
running down the creek and going out to the bay.
How about the witnesses for the companies?
Mr. Banks?
How did they counter
Well, they had some civil engineers who could design a pipe and
that kind of stuff, but they didn't have much assistance in this
problem. The fact is that the problem existed and to waste the
water — even in those days, wasting water was not the socially
acceptable thing. More now than then.
They had engineers who testified, but Harvey Banks was so
knowledgeable. Harvey Banks was up there when they wrote
Bulletin 81 and all the studies, and he was very familiar with
all.
He knew your district well?
Oh, yes, yes, he did.
Did it become a question of public interest vs. the private
property interests? I noticed in the minutes they talked about
hiring the law firm, and they picked a firm that was expert in
eminent domain.
Yes, John Rogers.
Did that bring up the interests of the entire district here vs.
the individual property owner?
Yes, the public interest, yes. Who has the right to the water?
That's the question. What right do you have to property? Do
you have the right to go down and dig a hole, or dig pits, and
by so doing waste another natural resource?
88
Whitfield: They're quarrying gravel, which is a natural resource, to sell
for profit. Now. people need water, so it's a question of the
right to use your land to obtain the benefits of a natural
resource, when in so doing you take another natural resource
which is more valuable — you could probably do without gravel,
but you never can do without water — and waste that to the bay
for the purpose of profit.
Lage: It's an interesting issue.
Whitfield: Yes. Frankly, we had a very sharp attorney in John Rogers. He
was more versed in eminent domain, land and appraisal, but he
did his homework.
Lage: Then there was another suit, the countersuit of the quarries
against the district?
Whitfield: Yes, for their damages. Rhodes and Jamie son dropped it. Our
suit was over damages to the ground water basin. Rhodes and
Jamieson stipulated and they decided not to go pursue that
avenue, but Niles Sand & Gravel did, and then they had to pay— I
forget what the settlement was for the water that they had
wasted.
Lage: Oh. they did pay for it?
Whitfield: Yes. I forget what that figure was.
Lage: But then they sued you for damages and lost that in 1974.
Whitfield: I guess that's the one that they lost.
Pump Tax Update
Lage: I also noticed — I think it was 1970 — they went to the state
legislature to try to get an amendment to your replenishment act
or something. Do you recall that?
Whitfield: The quarry operators? Oh. yes. because they were pumping water
and using water from the ground water basin themselves, in their
own well. When we got the legislative act through to allow the
district to impose the replenishment assessment — that's our pump
tax. commonly known — we had a lot of agricultural interests and
some of the board members had backgrounds in agriculture. When
the act was formulated, one board member took the position that
he wouldn't vote for sponsoring the legislation unless the
farmers got an $8 maximum. So then when that happened the
cities, particularly Fremont, got the bee in their bonnet. They
89
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
figured that since they were a public agency, they should get
the benefit just like the farmer. So some of the board were ex-
city councilmen so they acquiesced in that.
They got the $8 maximum also?
Yes. Then the quarries wanted that same benefit. With the
relationship not being too good over the quarry problem anyway,
[laughs] the board said. "No way."
The beard seemed pretty unanimous in most of its dealings, I
noticed.
Whitfield: Well, that's right.
Lage: The pump tax was an exception.
Whitfield: That's a ticklish thing. You know, you're in an old community:
it was farmers. It was a farming industry when it started; that
was the only industry for years. You have that heritage, and
the farmers had the idea, "Well, that water is under my property
and I have unlimited use."
That just isn't true. It's true throughout the states.
It's only in recent years — in the last twenty years or so — that
seme of the people have realized the value of the ground water
basin, because the average citizen can't see it. Like our
customers' water, you know, it doesn't matter where the water
comes from — you pull it from the ground water basin, and the
aquifers and they just don't — If you see a big surface lake, you
know, that's a big bucket of water, but I don't see anything; I
see ground.
Lage: I noticed that even the pump tax, after about "72, didn't seem
controversial. Then the board, again, was unanimous every year
when you were assessing the tax.
Whitfield: Well, but the law as written calls for the board to pass a
resolution of intent every year before a certain date stating
that they intend to charge a replenishment assessment, if they
are going to charge a replenishment assessment in that year.
Lage: And that became kind of a routine matter.
Whitfield: Well, because that's what the law said. You have to go through
a public hearing, publish a report and all that. The first one
we had was held at the old Washington High School Auditorium,
where there might be three hundred people.
Lage: Then I came across one where nobody showed up. The public
hearing was declared closed, [laughs]
90
Whitfield: That's right. That's as it's been for a long time new, although
the replenishment assessment, the pump charges, have gone up
considerably. When we first imposed it. I think it was just $10
an acre foot. I think it's up about $60 or $70 now. I'm
talking about when I was there, so —
Lage: It may be higher yet.
Whitfield: Probably. Ann. you know what you ought to do is ask Ruth to
give you a copy of one of the replenishment assessment reports.
That will tell you how much water we've imported, how much we've
percolated, how much was pumped out by industry and agriculture
and all that, and how much overdraft there is. It will give you
a good background, I should have thought of that before because
that will give you a whole background.
Protecting the Alameda Creek Watershed in the Livermore Valley
Lage: Let's leek at the situation in the Livermore Valley. I had
remembered seme litigation that you didn't recall [Larrewe. p.
17].
Whitfield: I don't think we went through litigation in the Livermere
Valley. We worked through the Regional Water Quality Control
Board because Livermere came under their jurisdiction.
Lage: I noticed in the minutes that one time somebody suggested you
look into a lawsuit, and then there's no further mention, so
maybe it never got that far and you continued to work through
the regional beard. Did you get a lot of support from the
Regional Water Quality Control Board?
Whitfield: Yes. We started early en to attend the Regional Water Quality
Control Beard meetings. You know, back in the eld days, you'd
drive inte the entrance of the city of Pleasanton. and they had
their settling ponds from their sewage treatment, and you had to
held your nose to drive by.
They contained their sewage in settling ponds. Then as
time went en and they started building treatment plants, they
came under the jurisdiction of the Regional Water Quality
Control Board for the quality of the effluent that they pumped
inte the creek. We were always opposed to lax standards. We
always worked with the board's staff to get the most rigid
standards. What we were fearful of in those days was that these
little towns in the Amador Valley would be interested in
promoting industry. The whole area drains into the Alameda
Creek up there, and eventually we'd get their wastes down here.
91
Whitfield: We figured that someday maybe a plant of the magnitude of
General M»tors would decide they wanted to settle in Livermore
or in that area. There's no way that the politicians, or even
the Regional Water Quality Control Board, would turn them down,
unless water quality standards were in place.
Here in Fremont the industrial wastes go into sewer
systems, but our sewer system dumps into the bay.
Lage: Yes, and their sewer system dumps into Alameda Creek, is that
the idea?
Whitfield: Yes. We get the benefit of all their sewage effluent. We
figured that if a plant would go in, aside from bacteriological
considerations, if their discharge was high in boron or high in
something that you just couldn't tolerate, where would we be?
Lage: Right, any type of toxic waste. But this was before there was
so much concern with toxic waste.
Whitfield: Yes, there was a lot of opposition to controls, and, in those
days, really the Regional Water Quality Control Board didn't
have too many teeth, legally, but we were always a staunch
supporter of them.
Lage: Did they work well with you?
Whitfield: Oh, yes.
Lage: So those things didn't come to a head because the Regional Water
Quality Control Board kept the standards strict, is that
correct?
Whitfield: Oh, yes. They kept them strict. In fact, they passed
Resolution 91-126 that set the standards, and there was a lot of
opposition to that. We weren't the most respected people in the
Livermore-Amador Valley.
Lage: Then this same short history [Larrowe, p. 17] mentions the
district joined in opposition to a scheme of Kaiser Sand and
Gravel to turn an abandoned gravel pit near Pleasanton into a
solid waste garbage dump, supported by San Francisco.
Whitfield: That's right.
Lage: I guess San Francisco saw the site as a potential city dump.
Whitfield: No, no, because San Francisco gets water from the Sunol Valley.
92
Lage: The hist»ry say a the project was supported by San Francisco.
They needed a solid waste garbage dump facility. And that
Kaiser didn't obtain a permit because of opposition of the
Sierra dub and the Alameda County Water District.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, my memory isn't as good as it used to be. but San
Francisco depends on some Alameda Creek water, too. They used
to take water out of Alameda Creek at the water temple in Sunol
and transport it through a thirty-six inch line that went under
the bay to San Francisco.
If
Whitfield: You put garbage in an abandoned quarry that is all connected
with the ground water basin, and where does the contamination
go? It goes into the ground water basin.
93
VIII THE WATER DISTRICT AND THE COMMUNITY
Fluoridation Controversy, 1969-1971
Lage : Why don't we turn to the fluoridation issue. That seems
like an ongoing controversy for a couple of years, anyway. De
you remember how that came up?
Whitfield: Well, there were a lot of proponents of fluoridation.
Lage: They seemed to start the issue by bringing a petition to the
board in favor of fluoridatien.
Whitfield: Yes. In fact, I got my introduction to the flouridation issue
up in the Livermore Valley, when the California Water Service
there was considering fluoridating the water. That's a private
corporation, like Citizens Utility Company down here. I learned
that they were having a hearing on the fluoridation issue up
there, and I was going on vacation on a Friday so I went that
way. That's where I got my first baptismal fire about the
controversy in the fluoridation issue. In those days, whenever
you had a fluoridation issue, they came out from all over,
organized groups.
Lage: From out of the area.
Whitfield: Te fight it, yes. A lot of people just don't believe in
additives. They don't mind chlorination, that's sterilization,
but additives are adding minerals or whatever it might be. In
other words, they could say it could be a Communist plot. You
know, you could put anything in the water you want if you want
to wipe out a city or something.
Lage: Well, did you find that opposition when you wanted to soften the
water, for instance? Doesn't that involve putting things in the
water?
9A
Whitfield: Well, that changes the composition of calcium and magnesium. It
changes fern calcium hydroxide or something — I've forgotten new —
inte magnesium or something, which is net hard.
Lage: But da people object? That's an additive, toe.
Whitfield: It really isn't an additive. It isn't — what you de is you run
the water through a zeolite, which takes eut certain minerals.
Lage: I see. You're removing minerals.
Whitfield: You're removing, you're net putting in. But there was
controversy on the softening plant, toe. because in softening
you use the zeolite process, which is a resin type of thing.
You filter it; you've get big tanks you can run it through.
Then you backwash it with salt water te recharge the zeolite.
Well, people get the idea that you're putting the salt inte the
water, which you're not.
But when you de that process, if you soften it too much — if
you soften it te zero — then you do produce sodium in the water.
So we had doctors in the heart business — that's where the
problem of sodium comes in. you knew, for people because ef
heart problems they can't have too much sodium for blood
pressure and all that. Well, we had doctors who were
representing the American Heart Association write letters that
if you kept the salt content below a certain level that it
wouldn't be a problem.
Lage: Was there an organized group here in the area that opposed that,
the softening plant?
Whitfield: Not an organized group.
Lage: But just a few individuals?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: And then flueridatien came up. It was first mentioned in '69.
and then there were two elections in '70 and '71. It sounded
like the district was very evenly divided over it. The
elections were very close.
Whitfield: Yes. Well, the board took a neutral position on it. If the
people wanted it, and we could get the necessary financing, then
we would de it; if the people didn't want it, the district
wouldn't do it. which was sensible. There were no real
proponents or opponents on the board.
Lage: I see. They were more or less neutral, then.
95
Whitfield: Yes. They were criticised for that. Some said, "Well, you
should be the leaders and tell us what we should have."
Lage: I noticed that in the first election in '70 they didn't put any
pro and con arguments on the ballot, and then for the second
election they were directed that they needed to de that.
Whitfield: I think so, yes.
Lage: And also put a district argument, but I never did see an example
of what that district argument might have been. Do you think it
was a pretty neutral argument?
Whitfield: I can't remember. It might have been.
Lage: What were the people like who came to the beard on both sides of
those issues, do you remember?
Whitfield: The ones that were against fluaridation were really rabid
activists. Some woman would get up from Pomona or wherever it
is, "I had my aunt, it ruined her kidneys, and she died from
it," Then they'd come in and say, "Well, you know fluoride is
rat poison, used to kill rats," and all those far-out things.
"Communist plots." "Kill people."
The softening controversy wasn't that intense. But let me
tell you this, John Black spearheaded the opposition to
f luoridation.
Lage: He was a local person?
Whitfield: Yes. I think he still lives around here. I haven't seen him
for a long time. But he was not rabid like these other people.
He was contained and sensible, no hollering, with these far-out
accusations and all that.
Lage: He didn't go with the Communist plot theory?
Whitfield: No. In fact, I enjoyed working with him because he was just a
smart man. He just believed in the theory that there should be
no additives to water.
Lage: Just better net to take a chance?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Then who were the people who actually actively worked for
f luoridation?
96
Whitfield: Well, the parents with little kids, who believed that if you
start the kids young enough on it. fluoride does inhibit tooth
decay. I don't knew, they've never run a dental survey since we
did it t« see what the effects are, but —
Lage: I've read reports that shew very much decreased tooth decay.
Whitfield: Do you mean about our district?
Lage: No. not your district, just in general.
Whitfield: Oh. yes. But I mean there were no local studies made. See. how
they discovered flueridation in certain states, they have
natural fluorides in the ground water, in their water. But they
noticed it because I think it was on an Indian reservation where
the teeth got all mottled and discolored from too high
concentrations of fluoride, but none of them ever had any
cavities. So that's why you keep it down to a certain amount,
so you don't mottle the teeth.
Lage: As a person responsible for running the water district, did you
think there was a problem that errors could be made, or — ?
Whitfield: You mean in operation?
Lage: Right. Did you have any doubts about whether the district could
control the proper amount?
Whitfield: No, because they had developed equipment. We visited plants
that had had it. To my knowledge, I've never even read in the
paper about any overdoses of fluoride. Up on Olive Avenue we had
an individual well that had an individual fluoridatien thing en
it, and one of the controls did go f looey, and we found out
about it right away and shut the thing off and drained the
lines. That only took half the day. That's the only time we
ever had a problem.
Lage: At what point is fluoride put into the water system?
Whitfield: At the wells or treatment plants. See, most of our wells —
they're just getting finished drilling five more wells down at
Howry and Peralta Boulevard. That's the Mowry well lot. The
ether one is just across Mowry. on the north side of Peralta.
where I guess they've got about eight wells, and that's above
the fault because the benefit there is you don't have to pump it
up so high. So they've got separate fluoridation injections
there.
In fact, the Mowry and Peralta-Tyson well fields are
where the major softener plant is.
97
Lage: Did you have personal pressure on you as a result of all this
controversy?
Whitfield: Oh. I got accused of being on both sides.
Lage: As usual? [laughs]
Whitfield: Oh, yes. I never took any positions. Somebody that I know
would ask me what I think. "I think it's the thing to do."
Lage: But it wasn't your role to take a public position or to try to
lead public opinion or something like that?
Whitfield: No, I didn't take it because the board of directors wouldn't
take a position on it. I got by with it, I was still there
several years afterwards.
Lage: Right. [laughs] Well, that final election was '71. Then I
noticed you made available a faucet that was going to be
unf 1 ueridated?
Whitfield: That was one of the hearings we had, and a person asked, 'Veil,
is all the water to be fluoridated?" We said, "Yes, it would
be." "Well, what am I going to do if I don't want it. Then you
are forcing me to go buy bottled water." So one of the board
members came up with the idea, "Well, we'll put a free faucet
over at the softening plant." So we bypassed and ran a pipe out
outside the fence and installed a faucet.
Lage: So people could get unf luori da ted water?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage:
Was this a metered faucet?
Whitfield: We never installed a meter. I said, "You know, it would cost us
more, and very frankly. I don't think anybody's going to use
it."
Lage: They probably didn't after the first couple of months.
Whitfield: I asked the plant operators up there if they were seeing anybody
using the faucet. l\)h, once in a while." It was just an
argument, you know, to say, "Well, you're forcing me to buy
bottled water." So we'd just say, "Well, get your jug and go
over to the softening plant and get free water." It's good
psychology.
Lage: You've had enough experience with that now. You could give some
good advice.
98
Whitfield: Well, the only advice I'd give anybody that runs a public agency
is don't — I used to get churned up when I was younger, and I
just learned that the things that I feared that would be hard to
handle were never as bad when they happened. I figured I don't
want to give myself ulcers. I learned that after serving under
twenty-one members of the beard.
Lage:
Twenty-one members you served under?
Whitfield: Yes. But I learned early in that game to save my energy and my
abilities for the important things, win the big battles and lose
the little ones.
Lage:
And not fret over those little ones?
Whitfield: Yes. because a let of the little ones are a matter of opinion; a
lot of them aren't a matter of strict engineering.
Lage: Probably a let of the big things that you did weren't
controversial?
Whitfield: Well, the ground water basin. We had people, the farmers and
everybody, yelling te get rid ef the salt water, get mere water
in and all that. And a lot of people were averse te using the
ground water. "Should we take more Hetchy water and less ground
water?" and all that. But. you know, the ground water basin is
an invaluable natural asset. You couldn't build a water supply
like that for less than billions of dollars.
Lage:
Yes. No evaporation.
Whitfield: Yes, that's right. And the ether argument is for radioactive
fallout. The ground water is more protected than an open lake
that has surface. Like near the Chernobyl plant [site of
nuclear power plant], they have a big lake there that serves all
of the city of Kiev. I was in Kiev once.
Trip to the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. 1972
Lage: I noticed in 1972 you went te Russia and all of Eastern Europe.
What was that about? This is off the track, but —
Whitfield: President Eisenhower started, after he was president, a People-
to-People program. It was just the concept, and it wasn't
financed by the federal government or anything, but he pushed
for that. So the American Water Works Association, which we
belonged to, decided to ge on one ef these People-to-People
tours.
99
Whitfield: We went t* England and the Soviet Union. We went to Leningrad.
Moscow. Kiev, and Budapest. We had some entree to the water
departments. Even in Russia, or the Soviet Union — you knew,
everybody refers to the Soviet Union as Russia, but there are
seventeen republics: Russia is only one of the republics. Kiev
is a capital of the Ukraine, which is another republic. But you
read in the paper, and you hear commentators, and all you hear
about is Russia.
Lage : Yes. Was the focus of the trip to meet with the water depart
ment people?
Whitfield: Yes. Going through water treatment plants and other facilities.
Lage: Did you see anything that surprised you, or anything we should
note?
Whitfield: No, the only thing that's very noticeable in the Soviet Union is
that on the exteriors of their water treatment plants or their
water facilities, they don't spend much money for architectural
refinement, for beauty. They spend the money for the quality
inside. Inside they're immaculate, and they have very modern
techniques. The thing that surprised me there was that they had
so many women, and this was back — when was that? In '72 I went?
Lage: Right, '72.
Whitfield: Yes, there were so many women. A lot of the operators in
treatment plants were women. The first thing in Leningrad, I
saw a utility truck you know, like a PG & E truck — with an all-
woman crew.
Lage: Of course, that wouldn't be so unusual now here.
Whitfield: Yes, but over there the women you see really were pretty hefty.
Lage: How about the engineers, were they women?
Whitfield: I think we met a couple, yes.
Lage: But it wasn't as striking as the workers?
Whitfield: No.
Lage: Did you run across any ground-water-based districts?
Whitfield: No, we didn't get involved. Everything was on surface
distribution treatment plants, from rivers. I saw the Blue
Danube, and the Blue Danube wasn't very blue; it was polluted.
100
Lage: That must have been an interesting trip?
Whitf ield: It was. We had an interesting group that went. I think there
were thirty-six of us. Through the American Water Works and
people that were up in the water industry, they had made
contacts, and we had prior appointments.
Lage: Now would Fremont be the kind of community at all where you'd
get some raised eyebrows about your going to the Soviet Union?
Whitfield: No. It was in the paper.
Lage: No reaction?
Whitfield: No.
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
It wasn't in the fifties, of course. The McCarthy period was
gone, but sometimes you do find — even now —
Well, even now there is sensitivity about supervisors and city
councilmen going on junkets. Our board of directors is careful
when they go to the American Water Works convention, or the
Irrigation District Association convention [it's now called
AQUA]. Our board was always very sensitive about announcing
that they were going to a convention, so they always referred to
them as conferences. [laughter] Then I used to go. and I'd pay
all the bills and get reimbursed.
The bills for other people?
For the directors, for their dinners. When they'd take their
wives with them, we had to allocate certain costs for their
wives. But the water district was very fortunate, it was never
a real political type of thing, like some are.
Back in the early days, we had an editor of the Township
Register, which was a predecessor of the Argus now, who was very
rabid in trying to sniff out expenditures. We'd get criticized
once in a while, but very seldom.
Well, it seemed like it was a fairly conservative district,
didn't have a group of people taking advantage —
You
It used to be that at the board meeting they authorized going to
convention; they authorized certain directors. Now they don't:
they just put in the budget, and it's an approved item.
101
Lage: Well. I ran across one item in the minutes where Carl Strandberg
was denied approval. He was going to a UC workshop, and it was
said he didn't need to have a technical background; he was a
policy maker. Apparently, the workshop was oriented towards a
technical background, and they denied him.
Whitf ield: Well, he used to go to a lot of meetings and put in an expense
account, but they weaned him of that.
Lage: He's still on the board?
Whitfield: Yes. His desire was to be a technical author. He had many
ideas about water conservation and recharge and pollution. He
came up with many ideas; the board kind of suggested that before
he bring some of these ideas up to talk them over with Matt.
Lage: What about this anti-pollution committee he seemed to be
involved with?
Whitfield: Well, he's written books en pollution. I've read a few ef them.
Citizens Utility Buyout; Community Pressure. Company
Recalcitrance
Lage: Let's talk about the Citizens Utility Committee. I mentioned, I
think before we went on the tape, that it seems fairly well
covered in Larrowe's short history, but I'm sure there are
things that you remember about that long controversy. Why don't
you give an overview of the problem first?
Whitfield: Citizens Utility is a private stock company. One thing about
them, they pay excellent dividends so they're a good profit-
making organization. They're nationwide, and they're in the
sewer business, the telephone business, the water business, and
I don't know what else, but it's my understanding that they had
an approach of going out and buying out small water companies,
then operating for some years and then selling out to a public
agency.
Lage: I see, t© the larger district.
Whitfield: Yes, because the publicly owned utilities have become more
prevalent in the last twenty-five years. I can say that the
service Citizens Utility Company gave was poor.
Lage: Really bad?
102
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Yes. We used to get calls. Some of the girls would refer them
to me, and I had to explain.
Calls from the — ?
From the customers in the Citizen Utilities section.
Now, what area did they cover?
They covered Niles and Decoto; Miles is part of Fremont, and
Decoto is now part of Union City.
I see, so it went across city bounds. That complicated it
further, probably.
Yes. But they wouldn't respond to any complaints.
What kind of complaints would there be? Quality of water — ?
Dirty water, mud in the water, lousy tasting water.
What about water pressure?
Water pressure. After we took them over, we found a lot of two-
inch lines where their maps said they had four-inch lines, and
one-inch lines where they said they had two-inch lines.
Were they pumping? Is that where their water came from?
Yes. They only had the
They couldn't buy Hetchy
Raker Act since it's com
That act prohibited them
corporations. They can
agencies — flood control
have a secondary supply
for fire protection, and
water for a fire.
one source, the ground water basin.
water because Hetchy is governed by the
ing from federal lands in Yosemite.
from selling to profit-making
only sell to municipalities and public
and water districts. So they didn't
of water. They had hardly any storage
they never had capacity to pump enough
We'd get a lot of complaints, "Would it do any good if we
went to your board of directors?" "Well, you're welcome to
come, but the board has no jurisdiction over — " They wanted us
to do something about it. We said the only thing to do is to
call the health department.
But there was an effort made to get you to buy the Citizens
Utility Company, and apparently there was some disagreement
about price.
Oh, there was a substantial disagreement. We. unfortunately.
got a judge in that case that was anti-publicly owned utility.
103
Lage: This was the judge setting the price for the — ?
Whitf ield: It was a condemnation suit, and he was the one that heard the
suit. He made a statement in his opening remarks, I don't
remember the very words, but the essence was that he was against
these publicly owned utilities going around willy-nilly and
buying out well-run private water companies.
Lage: This was his initial statement?
Whitf ield: Yes.
Lage:
Whitf ield:
Lage:
Whitf ield:
Sounds as if he should have disqualified himself.
I told our attorney, "Why can't we — ?" No, he didn't want to
that. We didn't have a special attorney on that one.
do
Lage:
So that judge was the one that determined what price you had to
pay?
Yes. We had three experts. We had Barttlec Wells, and Bookman
and Edmonston, and I can't remember who else, who joined to give
us a valuation. We thought we don't want just one. There are
several different ways you could evaluate it: price new, less
depreciation. There are several methods. The judge wouldn't
let any of our experts testify, excepting the only testimony he
would hear was the replacement cost new, less depreciation,
which is the most expensive one.
First of all, the Public Utilities Commission was on the
spot because they were getting all these complaints from Irene
Vincent and all of them. She'd go up there and raise hell.
They wanted us to take them over because — they didn't say this
publicly, but that would get them off their backs. So we met a
couple times with the Public Utilities Commission.
One approach would be you could go to the Public Utilities
Commission and have them set the price.
Why didn't you take that approach?
Whitfield: Well, we thought they were too prejudiced in favor of the
utilities that they regulate.
Lage: I see. They regulate the private companies.
Whitfield: They regulate private companies, profit-making companies, but we
don't come under the Public Utilities Commission. The publicly
owned ones come under a board of directors. In other words, the
theory there is, the privately owned ones do not have any
104
Whitfield: publicly-elected members running the company, whereas our board
of directors is in charge of running the district and they're
elected. So if the public doesn't like it. they can elect
somebody else. With private companies, you don't have that
alternative. That's why you have a Public Utilities Commission.
with members appointed by the governor.
Lage: Hew did you find the local officers in the Citizens Utility
Company? Did you have to deal with them?
Whitfield: The local people were just puppets. They had Catherine Meyers,
whom I've known since I was a kid. She ran the place over
there, and she had no authority to do hardly anything.
Lage: So you couldn't negotiate with her on the price of the company?
Whitfield: Oh, no. We negotiated with the president of the company.
Lage: How did you find him?
Whitfield: Arrogant. Yes. He said, "We've got no problems out here; we
have no complaints." Just blatant. I almost said, "You ought
to come over and listen to my phone sometime." The funniest
call I ever had was from a beauty operator in Miles. Apparently
they shut the water off in her block. She called up, and she
was just livid. Well, she called Citizens Utility and they
wouldn't pay any attention, so I got her call [laughs].
She said, "What am I going to do? I've got the dye on this
woman's hair, and the water's shut off." I said. "All I can
suggest is you come over to one of our faucets and get some
water to wash her head." I said, "We have no jurisdiction over
them." [laughter] I think she was dying this woman's hair red
or something.
Lage: Oh, it must have come out wonderfully.
Whitfield: Well, it was going to be true red.
H
Lage: You mentioned Irene Vincent, and the Larrowe history mentions Al
Redd as being on this —
Whitfield: Al Redd. yes. he's passed away. He lived up in Niles Canyon.
Lage: Were they pretty forceful individuals?
Whitfield: Irene was. Al was very laid back, quiet; he had ideas, but
Irene was the one that held things together.
105
Lage: What kinds of things would she take on?
Whitfield: She'd have coffee klatches and meetings. In fact, they wanted
someone from the water district to have a community meeting in
Niles and Decoto, so we had them and I was elected to do the
talking. We had a few board members in the audience.
Lage: Now this was before the takeover?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: Was this to explain your options to them?
Whitfield: Yes, just what we would do if we took them over.
Lage: I see. They had to pass a bond issue?
Whitfield: Yes. That's the one where they had to pass two bend issues
because the first one wasn't large enough. It only provided for
two million or three million or something, and the costs were
greater than that.
Lage: It ended up costing you more than you had anticipated?
Whitfield: Yes. We went to the general obligation bond on the first one;
the second one, we went to a revenue bond, paid out of water
sales.
What I had to tell them — first of all, we knew that if we
didn't take them over. Citizens Utility was probably going to
spend a lot of money to put in a new system because they were so
run down. Consequently, if we waited until they did that, then
it would cost us much more money to take them over. We
explained that to them.
Then there was a controversy as to whether the water rates
should be the same in the area we would take over as in the
remainder of the district. The board concluded, and I think it
was logical, that it should not be the same because those people
all had been paying low rates for their service. Not everybody
had bad service in Citizens Utility, but the ones that had the
worst were the ones that screamed the most. You know, maybe
they had a one inch line in front of their house or something.
So we had to tell them what our rates would be, that they would
be higher than what Citizens Utility was charging them.
Lage: I see. You were going to have to raise their rates.
Whitfield: See, one of the reasons we had objections was because some of
those people didn't have problems with their water, and Citizens
Utility always had a lot lower water rates than we had. The
106
Whitfield: reason for that is that we would take a lot of our revenues and
reinvest them in replacing old pipes and putting in bigger ones,
building reservoirs and all that kind of stuff.
Lage: They gave theirs to their stockholders.
Whitfield: Yes. that's right.
Lage: Did it work out that the people who lived in that area paid most
of the price for the district to take it over? Or did the whole
district have to absorb it?
Whitfield: No, we created a separate improvement district. In other words,
we set an improvement district — like the first bond issue we had
in 1955 was over the entire district. That was for $2.9
million; that was in the early fifties. That was the biggest
bend issue ever floated in this area, and it was passed the
first time.
Then, as time went on, we've had other areas that have been
annexed. The Warm Springs area was about fifteen hundred acres
so we had a bond issue for them to pay for their facilities.
Then we created an improvement district including Niles and
Decoto and the area in between, because that was served by
Citizens Utility.
Citizens Utility has a map they file with the Public
Utilities Commission that shows what their service area is.
They threatened to sue us for invading their service area
several times. In certain areas that we served, it was
questionable whether it was in their service area or ours. We
had facilities near there.
But I forget how much higher the water rates were in that
area than they were in the balance of district. There was no
reason why the balance of the district should subsidize them
over there, because they had the benefit of all the lower rates
all those years. [The purchase of the Citizens Utility system
occurred in 1976.]
Lage: Well, then, would their rates have gone down by now, or are they
still paying off their improvements?
Whitfield: Oh. they're still paying off, but I don't know. I have never
specifically asked Roy Coverdale, the district manager, if the
water rates are the same as in the rest of the district now. At
that time, the differential water rate situation was of
considerable concern. Some people in the existing district felt
that they should be able to vote on this Citizens Utility take
over. Some people in Citizens Utility area thought that they
107
Whitfield: should vote on our other bend issues. The area that Citizens
was serving was within the water district boundaries, and they
had the legal right to vote for directors.
Lage: Oh, they did? Even before they were —
Whitfield: Yes, because they were in the district. That's because of the
ground water basin. You see, the surface area that was included
in the district originally was the area overlying the ground
water basin.
Lage: I don't understand, then, how Citizens Utility got a foothold.
Whitfield: Because we didn't get into the water distribution service until
1930. That was only because of taking over that plant in
Alvarado, the Peoples' Water Company, the old Oakland Water
Company, said one of the conditions for the purchase was that we
serve their customers in Alvarado and Newark.
Lage: Then did Citizens Utility buy water from you?
Whitfield: No, we didn't have a pump tax in those days. They were pumping
from the ground water basin. But when the pump tax went into
effect, then they had to pay it. Now, the people that lived in
Niles and Decoto were charged our ad valorem taxes. But, in
those days, the ad valorem tax only went for water replenishment
and ground water rehabilitation.
Lage: So they did get some benefit from it.
Whitfield: Well, in other words, the water that Citizens Utility pumped
from the ground water basin under Niles and Decoto was partially
being paid for by the ad valorem taxes, before we had a pump
tax. Then, when the pump tax came in. Citizens Utility had to
pay the pump tax.
Lage: I can see why the citizens over there, the consumers, were
confused — they paid taxes to you, but when they called you to
complain, you said you had no jurisdiction.
Whitfield: They never pressured me enough to give them the long
explanation, but I'd have given it to them. But this woman who
called about the redhead with her head getting redder, she
wasn't interested in theories or technicalities. [laughter]
Lage:
She just wanted you to get down there with a bucket.
108
Perspective on Environmental Impact Reports
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
Lage:
Whitfield:
In the seventies when the EIRs. the Environmental Impact Review
reports, came into the law. how did that affect you? That must
have affected your procedures?
It just cost you more money because you have to go out and hire
a consultant to write an EIR.
Did it change your decisions, or make any other substantial
chan ge ?
The things that they have in EIRs are exactly what we do all the
time anyway. We're very conscious of being a nuisance, like
digging up streets and all that. The street is where you have
the legal right to put utilities, even private utilities have
that right. But EIRs didn't change us much. If you're building
a reservoir and you have access roads, you've got to water the
roads down so you don't create dust. We've always bent over
backwards.
So a lot of it was on procedures, net basic policies?
No. They put it in the environmental reports what we were
always doing, the things that we watch out for.
You had to have more public hearings?
Yes.
Was there much interest in the hearings?
before on the pump tax, for instance.
You'd had hearings
There was hardly any interest in the EIRs when we had a hearing.
You have to publish a notice that you were going to have a
hearing en an EIR.
Can you think of any issue that was handled differently because
of the EIR process?
Well, it slows you down a little bit because you've got to get
the EIR written, and you've got to have the reviews and the
hearings and all that. And I think there's a condition in there
for emergency types of things that you can do by notice or
something, but I don't remember the details of that. But all it
does is slew you down in accomplishing your plans. In other
words, if you plan far enough ahead (but sometimes you can't
plan that far ahead)--
109
Whitfield: Legally, the water district didn't have to go to bid. We'd
adopted the policy that for projects over a certain cost we'd go
to bid. Then you'd get a consultant engineer and in three years
from now you've got another project very similar. You hire
them, and they take the EIR and rewrite the thing with the same
stuff in it. just change the name.
Lage: It's more just procedural paperwork, as far as you can see?
Whitfield: Yes. It may be that there are public agencies and
municipalities that were doing things without being more
conscious of the public relations type of thing.
It would cost you — depending upon the magnitude of the
jobs — so many thousand dollars to have it written. For certain
jobs, you can make a negative declaration and you file that. We
had a lot of those. They were smaller jobs that you didn't have
to go through all this mishmash with the EIRs. Usually the
negative declaration was done by the water district staff.
Lage: For smaller, non-controversial kinds of things?
Whitfield: Yes.
Response to the Drought of 1977
Lage: We just briefly mentioned the drought last time, but it sounds
as if there might be something of interest there.
Whitfield: Well, it was interesting because the district was put on the pan
by Sacramento.
Lage: That was '76 and '77, wasn't it?
Whitfield: Yes, '77. Everybody was going into water conservation and water
rationing. Everybody was doing that. Because of our ground
water basin, we didn't have that kind of a problem. The board
didn't want to put in rationing, so I kind of talked them into
the fact that, you know, we can't be the only one in the Bay
Area that doesn't have water rationing.
Lage: Were you afraid that other districts would come and buy your
water, or what did you — ?
Whitfield: We had approaches from Water Resources, or somebody. The real
problem started over in Marin County, where they, for years,
were always opposed to any improvements over there. They voted
down bond issue after bond issue for building up their water
110
Whitfield: supply. I can remember when they were building the roads over
there, and they had a big article in the paper where these
ecologists were out laying down in front of the bulldozers so
they wouldn't bulldoze all the trees down and all that kind of
stuff.
But they were their own problem. So then the East Bay MUD
[Municipal Utilities District] volunteered to run water from
their system over the Richmond-San Rafael bridge. I don't knew
who paid for that; I think Marin County got a grant or some
thing. We were asked one time by the Water Resources Control
Board if we would be willing to share our water with others. We
said. 'Veil, we'll wait until the time comes when somebody asks
us."
I went to a hearing. It was over in Marin County some
where. I forget which governmental state agency was hearing it.
We had adopted a tentative rationing policy.
Lage: And this was more for public relations, is that it? [laughs]
Whitfield: Yes. But the board said they would adopt the policy, with the
idea that it would not be initiated for a time. People were
really worried, though, because we had done that. We had little
old ladies calling. "Oh, I've got an azalea plant or
rhododendron out there." She said, "I just sneak out at night
and I take a bucket of water and water my azalea, and I'm afraid
I'm going to get arrested."
What we had done was we would charge a surcharge for any
water that they would use over their allocated ration.
Lage:
MUD?
Was the rationing level higher than it was in the East Bay
Whitfield: Oh, it was comparable. I think it doubled the amount of money
you paid for the water over your ration level. We didn't have
any shut- off ability.
Lage: Well, neither did the East Bay MUD.
Whitfield: No, it was comparable to those.
Lage: Did you feel your supply was in no danger? Was the state still
giving you your full amount?
Whitfield: Yes, we were getting our entitlements.
Lage: Did you foresee a future problem if another year of drought had
continued?
Ill
Whitfield: No, we didn't.
Lage: So things were still working pretty well.
Whitfield: One night, one of the board members came in — I forget who it
was — and decided that we should just delay indefinitely the
mandatory rationing. And they did. This get into the news
papers, and it got to Sacramento. [laughs]
Lage: Then what happened?
Whitfield: Well, we never imposed the mandatory rationing. But they were
terribly upset because here's the rest of the state with
rationing and we're just saying we're not going to set a time
for putting in the rationing. Then we got into a problem
because even under the voluntary rationing, the water sales went
down, so our revenues went down. So, consequently, we had to
raise rates a little bit.
We had people coming in with all kinds of ideas on how to
save water, you know: brushing your teeth in a glass and don't
let the water run in the sink, and flush your toilet only so
many times a day.
Lage: Well, there was so much publicity that even though you didn't
have a problem people were conscious of it.
Whitfield: Oh, and then one board member got the idea of selling water
rationing — some water rationing idea. So we bought these
plastic bottles, and we put in our newsletter and everything, to
put these in the back of your toilet so that it'll save maybe a
gallon of water each time you flushed. That didn't appeal to
anybody. We were charging, I think, a dollar for it. Then we
decided to give them away, and so we had a lot of people do
that.
So that got all in the newspapers, and the state people
were saying, "You know, you're buying state water, and you
should ration it like everybody else." We said, 'K)ur
consumption has gone down." So then I went to a meeting in
Marin County. It may have been a Water Resource Control Board
meeting. None of our board members went. I had to explain why
we didn't set mandatory rationings.
Lage: How did you handle it?
Whitfield: Oh, I can't remember. I just told them, "Well, we didn't think
it was that serious in our area." 'Veil, what about saving it?
If you have that much water, why can't you sell it to somebody
112
Whitfield: else?" I said, "When the time comes and it's a feasible project
to help somebody out. we'd probably do it. But we're not facing
that issue until that time comes.11
Lage: If yeu didn't use a certain amount of water, wouldn't it end up
in the bay? And if you saved a great deal of water and you're
still getting your input from the state — ?
Whitfield: But we got that condition changed — remember I told you that — on
Table A where they said. "If you don't use it in one specific
year when you're supposed to, then you only have the next year
to use it." Well, we got that eliminated.
Lage: I see. So you wouldn't have to take the state water.
Whitfield: No. so we could build it up and we could take it in subsequent
years. I think all the state contracts have changed that now.
I don't know why they didn't do that in the first place.
Lage: Anything else about the drought? It sounds as if it made your
water conservation program look good.
Whitfield: It did, yes. In fact, I think our people should be complimented
because they really took it seriously. They were worried about
what was going to happen.
Lage: Has that lower level of consumption remained?
Whitfield: It's gone back up some, but I think it's still effective.
Lage: I think everyone's mere conscious than we used to be.
Now are there any other issues that you think we've missed?
That was about all I have en my list.
Whitfield: Well. I'm telling you. you reminded me of a lot of them that
I've forgotten. We've been talking about the fifties and the
sixties. But I was thinking about the little water companies,
the private ones we took over earlier, like the Centerville
water system. Before the water district got into water distri
bution, Centerville had the Pierce system and the Dusteberry
system. Then there was a Hirsch system in Irvington that we
took over.
Lage: When would these have been?
Whitfield: They were all taken over before I came, and I came in October
•50.
Lage: So slowly the district has enlarged its service area.
113
Whitfield: Yes. They took over the smaller, privately-owned companies,
Relations with Cities and Citizens Groups
Lage : To wind up, let's look at some of the general questions that
have come up as we were talking. We've looked at how you dealt
with the city of Fremont in various instances. What about
Newark and Union City? Did you have many dealings with the city
councils there or city departments?
Whitfield: Fremont was probably the one that was more aggressive in trying
to push ideas on us. You know, I told you about Conway and
Culligan and some of the Warm Springs area and that kind of
thing. In the city of Fremont I think seme of the officials
were more in favor of using Hetch Hetchy water. In fact, Don
Dillon, who lives up a block and was a councilman, was in favor
of Hetchy water. He was against the ground water basin. I
guess he was one of the original council men.
The city staff at that time were way ahead of their era.
They were high class municipal management and engineers.
Lage: People you had respect for?
Whitfield: Well, what I'm saying — they were too aggressive when they first
came in. They were pie-in-the-sky stuff, and they were pushing
for Hetchy water.
Lage: Could you mention any names? Would it have been the city
manager?
Whitfield: Yes, Bob Coop.
Lage: What about [assistant city manager] Larry Milnes? Was he there
from the beginning?
Whitfield: No, he's the second one. But he is a top man. He's sharp. He
came from over in the valley; he was well-versed in ground water
replenishment because they do it over there. So he backed the
ground water.
Lage: He seems like a really good public servant.
Whitfield: Oh, yes. Whenever we had any problems with the city or he had
anything, we'd give each other a buzz. Never a problem.
Lage: That's the way you like to see it work.
114
Whitfield:
Yes. that's the way it should work. Management shouldn't take
all this stuff politically. I stayed out of politics. dark
Redeker's en our board, and I'd known dark Redeker for years.
He's a chemist. He was on the city council in Newark, and a
former mayor. Frank Borghi is from Decoto. He was a trustee of
the Washington High School District for years. Let's see. those
are the only people that have been involved in politics before.
Lage:
Did that affect how they dealt with things on the board?
fact they came from a political background?
The
Whitfield: They're old-timers from those areas. A lot of old-timers know
them, and they used to needle them every once in a while.
They'd come in and want to check en this and that.
Very frankly, all the board directors that came on. every
body always was taken over to support the recharging of the
ground water basin.
Lage: That's what it sounded like. I noticed when you retired — I
didn't write down who made the comment, but one of the comments
was complimenting you for educating them.
fl
Lage: You mentioned outside committees of experts at one time and how
some of them were difficult to work with. Then you particularly
complimented the League of Women Voters for being good to work
with.
Whitfield: There are a lot of people who think they know how to do things,
but the League of Women Voters have their water committee, and
they used te meet with me regularly. We'd have a meeting and
they'd ask questions, and I'd answer them. They were interested
in trying te understand. They were never a pushy group; they
were a bunch of nice ladies with good heads on their shoulders.
Lage: Would they be wanting to take stands on bond issues or take
stands on flueridatien issues? Is that why they'd come to you?
Whitfield: I den't think they took a stand en fluoridation. I don't think
they even took a stand on the Citizens Utility thing.
They were an educational group, and they listened. They
were trying te find out if there were things that they would
oppose or endorse.
Lage: The final topic I had planned was the board of directors, but I
think you've pretty well made comments on that, unless there's
something you want to add.
115
Whitfield: I don't know whether I mentioned this, but the sanitary district
just went to a vote on whether their directors should run at
large, or whether they should be from districts. Our board
never went for districts. They never thought of it very
seriously, but when someone retired or died or something on the
board they tried to pick someone from that area where he was
from.
Lage: So it was fairly well distributed?
Whitfield: Yes. We've had two men from Irvington in the past. We've
always had someone from Alvarade or Decote — at least since I've
been on here.
Lage: So they had a sense of the districts, but no district elections.
Whitfield: No. They ran at large, so you'd vote...
Lage: Did they usually run unopposed, or were there contests?
Whitfield: Oh, there were contests. In fact, after I retired I ran, and I
lest by fifty-eight votes.
Lage: You wanted to get into the policy-making side?
Whitfield: Well, I kind of thought I wanted to keep my finger in the pie.
Lage: It would have been very different, I would think, having
somebody with your background and sense of all the technical
aspects.
Whitfield: The fellow that beat me was Joe Damos. He's a local fellow, an
engineer. He's with East Bay MUD. I was pleased to see that he
get in because he's an engineer. They've never had an engineer
on the board.
Lage: How about your retirement? Was there a particular reason for
picking the time you did to retire?
Whitfield: I just felt that I had been at it long enough. Stan Say lor, who
was my assistant engineer, I felt was very qualified to take
over.
Lage: And you recommended that he be chosen?
Whitfield: Yes.
Lage: At least from the board minutes, that didn't seem to be contro
versial.
116
Whitfield: They gave him a more difficult time than they gave me because I
was a native and an old-timer. I knew most of these people for
years.
Lage: Made it easier.
Whitfield: I was very fortunate, though, in the quality of directors. We
were particularly fortunate that we never had any activists on
there. I think the only one that came on the board with a
particular purpose was John Pihl, who was an excellent man. He
was kind of hard headed, but once he got confidence in you.
things worked out fine.
If
Transcriber: Anne Schofield
Final Typist: David Pollock
117
TAPE GUIDE — Mathew P. Whitfield
Interview 1: May 29. 1986
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June 5, 1986
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June 26. 1986
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APPENDIX
118
NOTES ON HISTORY AND OPERATION OF
ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT
August 1979
Alameda County Water District was founded in 19H to protect the Niles Cone
Ground Water Basin and to conserve the waters of Alameda Creek. The District's
original objective was to prevent further appropriation of Alameda Creek water
supply for export to San Francisco.
On March 31, 1930 ACWD purchased the Alvarado Pumping Station for $250,000 from
East Bay Municipal Utility District to reduce ground water pumping. ACWD then
found itself in the business of distributing water as well as conserving it.
With the purchase of the Alvarado Tract ACWD also contracted to serve the water
needs of the people of Alvarado and Newark. Once the district'was in the
distribution business it expanded by purchasing municipal water systems of the
towns within its service areas. By 1950 ACWD was the major distributor of water
in Washington Township.
CHRONOLOGICAL HIGHLIGHTS OF ACWD'S HISTORY INCLUDE:
1911« ACWD organized
1930 Purchase of Alvarado Pumping Station
1938 Purchase of Irvington Water System
1939 Purchase of CentervJlle Water System
19*»0 Purchase of Gal legos (Mission San Jose) Water System
19l»9 Filed for rights for surplus water from Alameda Creek
1951 Mission San Jose area annexed
1955 Warm Springs area annexed
1956 Filed for rights for surplus water from Arroyo del Valle
1958 New office center opened
1961 ACWD signed contract for South Bay Aqueduct water
1962 First delivery of South Bay Aqueduct
1963 VII Hills annexation
196*4 Contract with San Francisco for water supply
119
Page Two
History of ACWD August 1979
1967 Office complex enlarged
1971 Manuel J. Bernardo Softening Plant
1972 Fabridam No. 1
197*4 Aquifer Reclamation Program starts
1975 Fabridam No. 2
1975 Mission San Jose Water Treatment Plant
1976 Purchase of Citizens Utilities Company Niles-Decoto System
1976 New Chemistry Lab Building
GENERAL OPERATING INFORMATION:
Service Area - Fremont, Newark and Union City, 96 Sq . Miles
Population 195,000
Customers 50,886 as of May, 1979
Water Sales $6,880,766 (June 1978 - May 1979)
Personnel 119 Full-time, 10 Part-time and Temporary
Miles of Pipe 5^6 Miles (1978)
Average Daily Consumption - 26.5 MGD (July 1978 - June 1979)
Maximum Day Consumption - 5*»-0 MGD (July 13, 1979)
Ultimate Sources of Supply:
Niles Cone Ground Water Basin Yield 20,000 AF per year
State Water Project *»2,000
San Francisco Water Department 1 0 . 00° _
72,000 AF per year
Sources of Distribution System Production in 1979-80, projected:
Ground Water 15,525 AF
MSJWTP 8,037 26*
SFWD 7.810 25%
31,372 AF 100$
or 28.0 MGD
120
Page Three
History of ACWD August 1979
Detailed information on the District's existing production and storage facilities
is shown on the attached appendices.
Reflection of the District's growth is shown in the following comparisons of
meters installed in the system.
June, 1969 30,669
1970 32,5^7
1971 34,339
1972 36,537
1973 37,911
1974 38,812
1975 40,1*41
1976 41,984
1977 ^7,065 (including ID #5 3,403 meters)
1978 48,905
1979 51,112
The District's total budgets for the past ten years have been:
1969-70 $ 3,921,626
1970-71 4,708,770
1971-72 5,486,196
1972-73 6,875,498
1973-74 9,439,157
1974-75 7,462,464
1975-76 10,138,795
1976-77 12,244,768
1977-78 13,897,841
1978-79 16,182,697
1979-80 20,433,377
The breakdown for the 1979-80 budget (which includes funding for future projects)
is:
Conservation General Fund $ 5,601,340
Distribution General Fund 8,700,487
I.D. No. 5 786,177
Major Facilities Improvement
Program 5,148,569
1.0. No. 5 Capital Improvement
Program 196,804
Customer Connection Charges and Estimates are shown on the attached sheet.
Other rates and charges include:
Account Establishment Charge $ 11
Meter Installation Charges (5/8") 70
ii n ii it it it (V1) 1 90
Delinquent Water Service Charge 10
Returned Check Charge 8
121
Page Four
His troy of ACWD August 1979
The resolution spelling out rates and charges is attached which includes rate
schedules for service inside the District, outside the District, for exclusive
San Francisco Water Department users, for ID 5, for batteries of meters, private
fire services and public fire services.
Replenishment Assessment (for ground water pumped) -
Agriculture and City Recreation Uses: $ 8 per acre foot
Municipal, Industrial, Other Uses: **1 "
The present Board of Directors, with lengths of service is:
Frank J. Borghi, Jr., President - February 8, 1962 to Present
Harry D. Brumbaugh, Vice President - March 22, 1966 to Present
Clark Redeker, March 2, 196*4 to Present
John Gomes, May 12, 1966 to Present
Carl Strandberg, November k, 1969 to Present
122
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley. California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
Wallace R. Pond
The Pattersons and the Incorporation of Fremont
An Interview Conducted by
Ann Lage
in 1987
Copyright
1988 by the Regents of the University of California
WALLACE R. POND
123
TABLE OF CONTENTS — Wallace R. Pond
INTERVIEW HISTORY 124
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 125
Third Generation Pharmacist in Alameda County 126
Chairing the Study Committee for the Incorporation of
Fremont 127
Opposition to Incorporation from Large Landowners
Efforts to Promote Incorporation
Meeting with Will and Henry Patterson: "In the Best Interest
of the Community"
In the Wake of Incorporation: Development, Traffic, and
City Politics 136
TAPE GUIDE 1AO
124
INTERVIEW HISTORY — Wallace R. Pond
Wally Pond, a third generation pharmacist in Alameda County and
prominent civic leader, was suggested as an interviewee in this project
for his recollections of the role of the Patterson family in the
incorporation of Fremont. In the wake of the rapid postwar development,
community leaders of five small unincorporated towns of Washington
Township began in the early 1950s to discuss unification and incorporation.
Mr. Pond served as chairman of the study committee for incorporation.
In his oral history. Mr. Pond notes that the major opposition to
incorporation came from the large landowners and that winning the support of
the Patterson brothers — Henry and Will — was crucial to gaining the trust of
this important group. He then recounts the visit of the incorporation
committee to the Patterson Ranch and the response of the two brothers.
Mr. Pond's interview is of interest not only because of its information
about the Pattersons, but also for the insight gained into the Washington
Township community in the postwar years and the attitude of community
leaders toward development and change. He also relates how the boundaries
of Fremont were set, explaining why the Patterson Ranch was divided between
Fremont and Newark, and provides some insight to the competitive
relationship between the cities of Newark and Fremont.
Mr. Pond has been interviewed previously on his role in the
incorporation of Fremont. The tapes of that interview are available in the
Fremont Public Library. The following interview was conducted at Mr. Pond's
home in Fremont on April 10, 1987. Mr. Pond reviewed the transcript, making
no substantive changes. The tape is available in The Bancroft Library.
Ann Lage
Interviewer/Editor
Project Director
September. 1988
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley
Regional Oral History Office University of California
Room ^86 The Bancroft Library Berkeley, California 94720
125
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
(Please print or write clearly)
c & R . P D
Your full name
Date of birth /ft * Cf if 2— Place of birth Ke^S^Y ^;
Father's full name f\ 1*1 fa Q V Q
Birthplace
Occupation H * AM A <-\S
Mother's full name AJ » 2- ^<— 0 L-
Birthplace
Occupation ~0U$-&t*/ I
/
Where did you grow up ? / *> U /"*/ 6-T*) */ (_ f-QjS A* O^T )
Present community i ^^ A7 Q »^T"
Education
Occupation(s)
Special interests or activities
126
Third Generation Pharmacist in Alameda County
[Date of Interview: April 10, 1987] tf#
Lage: You started to mention that you are a third-generation Californian,
so let's start with that as a background.
Pond: Well, yes I am. I'm kind of proud of that. My grandmother was born
in California. Her folks came in covered wagons. I think they
arrived in California in 1853, if I'm net mistaken. We always called
my grandfather "the foreigner"; he came from Vermont. [laughter] He
toe was a pharmacist, so I'm a third-generation pharmacist in Alameda
County.
Lage: They came to Alameda County?
Pond: They came to Alameda County in 1898. There were three buildings en
the University of California campus: North Hall. South Hall, and
Bacon Hall. North Hall was gone when I was there, and either South
or Bacon is gone now, I don't know which one.
Lage: Only South Hall is left.
Pond: The steam trains used to come into Berkeley in those times.
Lage: Did your family have a tie with the university? You went there, is
that right?
Pond: Yes, just for two years. I took a pre-med after I finished pharmacy
school. Then I met a woman, and that took care of those plans I
Lage: You were born in Kelseyville, though. How did you get to Kelseyville
from Alameda County?
Pond: Well, my dad went to Woodland Grammar School, Berkeley High, and
pharmacy school. He bought a drug store in Kelseyville in 1910. In
1911 he married my mother. In 1912 I came along, and I spent the
first four years of my life in Kelseyville, the second four in
Berkeley, and at age eight I arrived in Fremont (or Irvington, as it
was then).
Lage: Se you've really been essentially raised in this area.
Pond: The Bay Area all my life, really, except for the first four years.
## This symbol indicates that a tape or segment of a tape has begun
or ended. For a guide to the tapes, see page 140.
127
Chairing the Study Committee for the Incorporation of Fremont
Lage: We're skipping way ahead here, but give us a little background on the
incorporation of Fremont — when it occurred, and what your role was in
it.
Pond: Well, after I got through pharmacy school. I worked mostly in Oakland
and Berkeley. I was in the service for a while, and then I returned
to Fremont in 1950. I bought my dad's drug store. This, of course,
was after World War II. It was a time when rapid development was
taking place; we were recovering from the war. and everything was go.
go. go. You could see it was going to happen out here although we
never dreamed it was going to be like it is. But we started to talk
about the city, just in general, somewhere along 1950 or so.
Lage: Who were the people talking about it. the chamber of commerce folks?
Pond: Well, just everybody in general, in a casual way. Somebody would
say, "Well, gee whiz, with this growth we're going to have to do
something. Maybe we should think about incorporation." Well, this
was all very casual; nothing was done until the Niles Chamber of
Commerce had the CORO Foundation, which I believe comes from the
University of California, do a survey. As I recall, it didn't cost
them anything because it was mostly done by graduate students as part
of their work. That was the first official thing ever done. The
CORO Foundation report came back and said that every one of these
towns could incorporate independently, but the wiser course would be
to incorporate as a single unit, which is what we finally did. As a
result of that a meeting was called by the Niles Chamber of Commerce.
We met at Washington High School, and I was elected chairman.
Lage: Chairman of the Incorporation Committee?
Pond: At that time it was the Incorporation Study Committee. It wasn't a
committee for incorporation. We proceeded to work on the boundaries.
I had a boundary chairman, chairman for a name, chairman for taxes,
and two or three other chairmen. We were proceeding with the study.
We got some very helpful ideas from the University of California; I
don't know what department published it, but it was called
"Incorporation or Annexation." if I remember correctly. That was our
original bible, you might say.
Lage: Another study that — ?
Pond: No. it wasn't a study; it was something that was done on a general
basis for any city. It wasn't directed to Fremont at all. It was
just information that could be used any place in the state, even
today, although things have probably changed a lot from then. It
128
Pond: was designed for when you want to think about incorporation — are you
better off annexing? In other words, it gave the pros and cons of
things you need to look for.
Lage: Sounds like Institute for Governmental Studies work to me.
Pond: It could have been. Anyway, once again, that was out of the
University of California We used that.
The incorporation studies began probably in 1952. Then
somewhere along the line, maybe '54, Hayward filed annexation — I
should back up for a minute. Our original plan called for
incorporation of all of what is now Newark, Union City, and Fremont.
Then somewhere along the line Newark decided they didn't want any
part of it and decided to form their own city. They figured they had
all the industry down there, and they would be tax-rich, and we would
be tax-poor. They made one big oversight, and that was that PG&E had
more assessed valuation than all their industries combined, so we
w eren1 1 tax-poor.
Lage: PG&E was located in Washington Township (now in Fremont).
Pond: Yes. It still has a sub-station down there. There's a big sub
station, and all the power lines go into that station; they still do,
like spokes to the hub of a wheel.
Lage: And that provided as much taxes?
Pond: Yes, so our tax rate has always been lower than Newark's. I don't
know about recent years, but all the early years our tax rate was
lower than Newark's.
So I tried to get Newark to be a part of it, but no way. And
then Hayward filed to annex part of what is now Union City. So we
separated ourselves from Union City because we figured that if
Hayward and we were involved in Union City it would result in
litigation and delay our incorporation for years.
Lage: I see. If you had a controversial section.
Pond: That's right. We'd have to suspend the plans until this was
resolved, and you know how these things can go on. So we dropped
Union City. The boundaries were determined by school district, which
would be Decoto school district and Alvarado school district.
You see, our own incorporation map was done without charge by an
engineer, Bill Dutra his name was, and he said the simple way to do
it would be to just follow the boundaries of the school districts.
Then we wouldn't have to do any surveying because the description was
already there. So that's what we have. We have five towns, but six
129
Pond: school districts because there is an Alviso school district which is
between Centerville and Alvarado, or was at that time. So we just
followed the boundaries.
Lage: Did Alviso go with Fremont?
Pond: It did. It is part of Fremont.
Lage: The Newark area had its own school district?
Pond: Newark had its own, and Decoto had one, and Alvarado had one. Union
City didn't exist at that time; it was Decoto and Alvarado.
Lage: So you dropped Decoto and Alvarado.
Pond: That's how we got down to the present boundaries.
Lage: Let's make this specific to the Patterson Ranch. On the phone I
asked you why the Patterson Ranch was divided in two between Newark
and Fremont. You told me that was probably because that's where the
school district lines went.
Pond: I would guess that. It would have to be that way. Yes, we followed
school district lines in forming the boundaries of Fremont.
Lage: Now, was there a lot of controversy about accepting the idea of
incorporation?
Pond: Not really. The fact that it passed by two to one, I think, is
indicative of the general acceptance. Two things happened. First of
all, there was a lot of growth, and people knew that we were going to
have to do something someday, somehow. And we were only a study
committee, not a committee for incorporation; we determined the
wisdom of incorporation. But when Hayward filed that annexation of
part of the property that we were going to take into Fremont, they
did us a great favor because that scared hell out of everybody, if I
might say so, and anybody who might have been against it was now for
it.
Opposition to Incorporation from Large Landowners
Pond: The only people who were against it were a number of the large land
owners. As chairman I was, of course, ex officio member of all
committees. There was one man who wanted to create Fremont by a
circle surrounding each of the little settlements or towns and a
connector along the highway, and leave the rest of it open spaces
belonging to nobody.
130
Lage: And that would leave the ranches out?
Pond: All the ranches out. And he wasn't a rancher, he was a dentistl I
argued, let's leave everybody in and let them ask to be excluded. At
the hearing before the board of supervisors about three different
groups asked to be excluded, and none was accepted.
Lage: What groups would they have been? Can you recall?
Pond: I can only recall one, and that was the McClure family whose property
is on top of the mountain up there on Mission Peak. They requested
to be out because their land was all hill land. But our point was
that it would be very difficult to exclude because we had a
description of school districts, and they were in the school
district, so therefore they ought to be in the proposed city. So
nobody was excluded.
I think, but I'm not positive about this, that PG&E also
protested; it was also disallowed. Then, when Newark incorporated,
Leslie Salt said, 'We'll support your incorporation if you leave our
ponds out, and we'll even give you some money toward it," because
they didn't want their ponds in a city. Newark accepted that, so the
ponds are in Fremont. So if you cross Dumbarton Bridge, you ga from
here through Newark and back into Fremont.
Lage: How was Fremont able to get its boundary, then, to include the ponds?
Pond: We followed the lines right around, and what Newark excluded we took
in. There was one tiny section of land that Newark wanted. As
chairman of the committee I opposed that, so the supervisors left
that out of Newark's plan. Then when we were incorporating and we
proposed it, we included it in our plans and Newark opposed it, so it
got left out of ours, too.
Lage: So it's still county?
Pond: It was county for a while, but then Newark made a masterful stroke.
They incorporated a lot of land to make it impossible for Fremont to
incorporate it. It really paid off for them because that land is now
New Park Mall. So that was the no man's land that is somebody's land
now.
Lage: It sounds like there was a lot of rivalry between Newark and Fremont.
Pond: There was in those days.
Lage: But that didn't exist between the five towns that formed Fremont?
Pond: Not really, no. Newark was the only one that wanted to be really
independent. None of the rest of us said, 'Let's do it on our own
and forget the rest of them."
131
Lage: Was the opposition that you did have based on fear about taxes?
Pond: Yes.
Lage: They were afraid their taxes would go up?
Pond: That's right. We might have had a tough election, except Hayward did
us that wonderful favor. So it passed by a two-to-one margin, and
every single precinct voted it in; nobody could say they got brought
in. Some of them were just barely in, and some of them sizeably in
by three, four, or five to one. like up in this area. But every
single precinct voted it in; nobody could say they were forced in.
Efforts to Promote Incorporation
Lage: Tell me about your efforts to win cooperation from the ranchers. You
mentioned to me that you were part of the committee that called on
the Pattersons. I assume you called on other ranchers, too.
Pond: We called on other ranchers. One of our programs was to try to get
them involved, and we were successful. Michael Overacker. later our
second mayor, was one of the leaders among the ranchers; we talked
him into running for the city council. With him running for the city
council, it was hard for some of his rancher friends to oppose
something that he wanted to be a government official of.
Lage: The city council election was at the same time as the incorporation?
Pond: Yes. It has to be. We also voted for one more thing, and that was a
city manager form of government, which doesn't have to be, but we
voted for it. It was on the same ballot. Do you want the city
incorporated, which council men do you want, and do you want a city
manager? Those three propositions were on it.
Lage: Did you run for council?
Pond: I was on the council. I figured I was a shoo-in because I'd done all
the work for the incorporation, but I came in fifth. [laughter]
Incidentally. I was not the chairman of record at the time of
incorporation. I know how to organize, and I did organize it. I
think I did a good job. but when it came time to promote the thing, I
was dragging my feet. I could do a better job now, but even then.
why. I'm not the promoter. I don't promote as well as I organize.
So some of the fellows came and said. "Pond, how about giving way to
Stuart Nixon?" Stuart Nixon was a newspaper editor at that time, but
he's in public relations today. So he's the one who did the
promoting and selling.
132
Pond: It's too bad that more things don't work that way. I did what I
could do best: that was organize the thing and get all the material,
put the package together. Then I resigned, and he refused to accept
the nomination unless I was nominated as co-chairman. So I did what
I did best, he did what he did best, and we worked as team all the
way through. Too often somebody wants the glory; you've seen it —
somebody like me will do all the work, and then a guy like Stuart
Nixon will come in and take all the glory and never mention the other
guy.
Lage: He wasn't like that. Also, I think it's a credit to you that you
recognized your strengths.
Pond: Well, that's right. And my weaknesses! Yes, one of the fellows
said, "Pond, you're not doing so good right now; you're dragging your
feet." I said, "I know. I need to get bailed out of this thing!"
He said, "I have a suggestion." I said, "What is it?" He said, "I'd
like to propose Stuart Nixon as chairman. Would you accept that?" I
said, "I'd be very happy to." Because I knew I was in over my head
at this point.
Lage: What was required for the promotion effort?
Pond: Selling it to the people. To get out the vote. That's a different
type of thing, different type altogether. I know more about it now,
but the other guy was a professional.
Lage: Tell me what you remember about approaching the Pattersons. Why you
did approach them, first of all.
Pond: Well, we had to approach a lot of the key landowners. You'll have to
look up what the requirements were, but as I recall, a petition had
to represent a certain percent of the landowners representing a
certain percent of the assessed valuation, or some formula like that.
Lage: This was the original petition —
Pond: The original petition. It may be changed, but at least I do know
that there were two requirements so that neither the small home owner
nor the big ranch owner could overrun each other, sort of like our
Senate and House in our government. You couldn't get a bunch of
small property owners to dictate to the big landholders, who were
fewer in number. We needed to get signatures of a certain percentage
of voters and a certain percentage of landholders. So to get the
percentage of landholders, we needed the big landholders. We would
have needed 50 percent of the small people, because their properties
were so small, if the big owners didn't want to come in. We wouldn't
have been able to get that many signatures, I don't think. In fact,
it is doubtful that 100 percent of small property owners would have
had a sufficient assessed valuation to make the petition legal.
133
Lage: So at that time you still had some really large holdings in the —
Pond: Oh. yes. Large holdings. Patterson was one; Huddleson up there was
another; Overacker was another; Bailey was another. There are
probably ethers that I'm not thinking of right now.
Williams was another. Lee Williams was a prominent farmer. He
was interested enough to be willing to serve on our committee, but he
had to drop out because of illness. I can still recall one meeting
when someone said. "Well, let's see if we can get Lee Williams to get
back into this thing," and I said, "No, we'd do him no favor. He's
got a bad heart, and I don't want any part of contributing to his
death." Little did I know that at that time he was dying of a heart
attack; that night he died while we were in our meeting.
Lage: Oh. my goodness. He actually owned a lot of land, then? I know he
had a lot of leased land that he farmed.
Pond: Yes. he owned a lot of land, and he rented a lot of land. The firm
he founded. L.S. Williams, is still in existence. That's about the
size of that.
Lage: I interviewed his son. Gene Williams, as part of this project,
talking about the farming, particularly on the Patterson Ranch.
Meeting with Will and Henry Patterson; "In the Best Interest of the
Community"
Lage: Tell me what you recall about going down to meet the Pattersons and
what their response was.
Pond: Well, it was a little thing, and yet it was a big thing. A group of
us went down there one afternoon to see the Pattersons, the two
brothers. Will is the one I remember the most. He was prominent, and
he was active in the community, on the water board [Alameda County
Water District] for years. We weren't invited in the house. There
was a good reason for it, I guess, because there were ten or more of
us who went down there to talk to them. The only ones I can think of
that were there are dead, except that Stuart Nixon and Bruce Michael
were probably there. Bruce Michael was on the first council, and
Stuart Nixon I've already mentioned. A number of other people were
there, but I can't recall who. Anyway, we thought it was very
critical for us to convince the Patterson brothers that they should
support it.
Lage: Were you hoping for support to the extent of signing of the petition?
134
Pond: Correct, because they had fairly large holdings, you know. So we
explained to them what was going on and what was going to happen.
They were pretty visionary, and they could see what going to happen,
too. We were only there about a half hour. I guess.
Lage: Sitting on the porch? Was this on the porch of the old Will
Patterson home, do you think?
Pond: I don't know which home it was. As I recall, it was white. And we
weren't sitting, we were standing. There was a rail around it, and
there was a curve to one end of it; it didn't square off, it curved
around. That's all I can remember.
Lage: It's not terribly important; I was just trying to visualize which
house it was.
Pond: Anyway, after we made our points and they'd asked several questions,
finally Will Patterson said, and this is why it was so short, I
think, he said, 'Veil, my brother and I have discussed this, and we
don't believe that incorporation is in our best interest, but we do
believe it's in the best interest of the community. Therefore, we
support it."
I suppose there was hand-clapping then, but I don't recall itl
There was certainly relief on our part because this was the key
thing; if the Pattersons supported it, we were in a "go" situation.
We had the Pattersons. I don't know if Overacker had yet decided,
and this could have influenced Overacker to run for the city council.
So this was a very, very key decision — one of the major landholders,
a prominent landholder, supporting it.
Lage: And they did it seemingly on the basis that the community interest
was at stake.
Pond: That's right. The community would be better off for it, even though
they themselves would not be.
Lage: Do you think that was true, that it wasn't good for the ranchers?
It's hard to predict what would have been.
Pond: Well, you knew growth was coming. It's hard to say. Certainly, the
Patterson Ranch of today is nowhere what it was then. It's gone.
But what would it have been like? With all the growth coming in and
surrounding it, I strongly suspect that would have probably been
taxed enough — in those days, and it maybe still is, property was
taxed for its highest and best use.
Lage : Even in the county areas?
135
Pond: That's right. So if there was development around it. their assessed
valuation was going to go up. It isn't going to be assessed for
agricultural property; it's going to be assessed for homes. They
probably, this is purely conjecture on my part, would have had to
sell it off piece by piece anyway to pay their taxes. So I'm not so
sure they wound up worse off than they otherwise would be.
In fact, probably better because this way the decision was made,
and it was peaceful. If they had decided against it and we
incorporated anyway — which may have been delayed some years if they
had opposed it; this is one thing that could have happened, a delay —
but eventually it would have to have been incorporated, and
development would have taken place. They would have been in a
constant struggle against developers, taxes, etc., and their peace of
mind for the rest of their lives would have been destroyed. So I
have an idea that they probably came out ahead even though Patterson
Ranch in effect is destroyed. I think it would have been destroyed
anyway although the time table would have been different.
Lage: And who can say what the time table would have been.
Pond: That's right.
Lage: But it does appear that they were enough a part of the community and
the current scene to know what was happening.
Pond: They're to be admired for that decision. They could have made a lot
of trouble for this area, and for themselves, and kept their ranch
together for a much longer period of time if they chose to do it.
They chose not to.
fl
I have an idea they probably considered its impact on
themselves. The many things I speculate on they probably thought
about too. because they weren't stupid men. Particularly Will was a
far seeing man. and he might have realized, too, that the things I'm
saying might have happened could have happened to them. It was never
stated by anybody. Who knows what a man's mind says? But —
Lage: They didn't really discuss with you; they listened to you and then
they gave their answer.
Pond: They said they'd already discussed it. It's inconceivable that men
of that caliber would have not thought about this side of it: what
if we don't support it; what if we oppose it; what happens? I'm sure
they explored it, the two of them sitting there talking about it.
Maybe had advice from other people, I don't know. But I'm sure they
must have considered all the ramifications, whichever their decision
was.
136
Lage: Do you know what kind of arguments you would have presented to them?
I'm sure you don't remember precisely what was said to them, but can
you think of what approach you would have taken?
Pond: Well. no. of course I don't remember what was said. Well, two
things. The approach would be, it's going to happen anyway. We have
an opportunity now to make our own decisions more effectively if we
do it now before other people come in and start making them for us.
You can't stop development. It's coming.
I can go back, and so can the Pattersons of course, to when
there was all farms between Hayward and San Leandro. San Leandro was
called "the cherry city." San Lorenzo was nothing. Development
after World War II was moving out in this direction. I could see it.
Anybody with any foresight could see it, and I'm sure they saw it.
So I'm sure we used that type of argument, and probably appealed
to their community pride and loyalty, which is something that they
responded to even though they had decided already. [laughs]
Lage: They'd probably thought of that.
Pond: I think if we'd made a bad argument they'd have said, "Well, let's
think it over." In other words, they may have said, "Well, no, based
on what we've heard today," to themselves, you know, "maybe we
weren't making the right decision." Although they had decided what
they wanted to do, I'm sure if we hadn't presented some good
arguments, the meeting wouldn't have lasted just a short period of
time.
And incidentally, at this time I was not the chairman anymore.
This meeting occurred when Stuart Nixon was the chairman.
In the Wake of Incorporation; Development, Traffic, and City
Politics
Lage: When you were on the council, the first city council, was there an
effort to sort of take care of the ranchers or the agricultural
interests or, was most of the thrust toward designing for development?
Pond: I have no real recollection of taking care of the ranchers. We were
aware of the ranchers' problems, but most of the problems were coming
with the developers coming in and wanting to file on land and getting
the city underway. We met at midnight to establish city laws because
that's when government starts; when county government ceased to
exist, we had to meet at midnight to enact all the county ordinances
that applied to us.
137
Lage: To get the basic legal structures in?
Pond: Well, you could put a wrecking yard next to a beautiful home because
zoning laws ceased to exist. Speed limits ceased to exist. Criminal
law, of course, still remained the same. But the building codes
ceased to exist. All this we adopted at midnight on January 23.
1956. All the county ordinances by reference: the county building
code shall be ours, the Sheriff's Department shall be our police
department. The fire department was different; we had our own
volunteer fire department, so they were incorporated as the Fremont
Fire Department. So all these were dene.
We hired a city clerk, which the law required. This was arranged
through our advisers who helped us, and they supplied the city clerk
for us. We didn't pay the city clerk; we paid the firm, Kroeler and
Associates, who developed it for us. One of their employees was our
first city clerk; she was part of the package deal.
Lage: Of course, the Nimitz Freeway, that was put in in '53. that probably
had a lot to do with bringing development down.
Pond: Did that go in that early?
Lage: That's the date I have. Or maybe it was just started then, but most
everyone I've talked to refers to it as '53.
Pond: It was done in segments. I can remember it first coming out as far
as Hayward, and then finally it went out to Fremont Boulevard, I
think.
Lage: Well, the people who tell me about are talking about when it came
through the Patterson Ranch, and that would have been one of the
earlier portions, further north.
Pond: Jack Parry could tell you precisely because when the freeway went
through there he went to — he gets the bit in his teeth, he goes! He
went down to find out how much they paid for the land because he had
Berchem Meat Company, which is right down near where New Park Mall is
now. He wanted to know how much the state was paying these people for
this land they were taking. The state said, "No way, that's
privileged information." So he took them to court. Pleaded his own
case, no attorney. Finally the state came to him one day and said.
"Mr. Parry, you can look at anything you want to see." He said,
"That's not what I want. I want it to be established that anybody
has the right to do it." And it was so determined. So that's why
I'm telling you Parry could tell you precisely when that was going
through there 1
He's a former mayor. He and I are good friends, although I
don't like his bulldog attitude.
138
Lage: But that's probably what won that lawsuit.
Pond: That's right, that's right.
I can remember when the freeway was first extended from Hayward
to Fremont. After you left Hayward, you were all alone! You've been
down Highway 5, you know how that is. That's the way the freeway
from Hayward to Fremont was back in the fifties when they first
extended it.
Lage: You never dreamed it was going to be all clogged up like it is now.
Pond: Then, of course, digressing just a moment, when 680 ended at Mission
Boulevard right out of the pass here, when that first opened, Don
Dillon, another mayor, predicted what was going to happen. The
traffic backup was so far it was unbelievable. Everybody was going
on this freeway, but when they got to the end, it stopped. Just like
when you have an accident like they have from time to time on the
bridge. Stops everything. Just the other day, what was it, a five-
mile backup? Well, that was a little one compared to what this one
was. The ones in the knew came down through Niles Canyon, when they
could get there because it was backed up way beyond that.
Lage: When was this? Mere recently —
Pond: More recently. I can't tell you exactly when that was, but Don
Dillon is the man who can tell you on that ©ne. He's another mayor.
Lage: Well, have you been happy, just to kind of wind this up, with what
incorporation has wrought?
Pond: Yes, I have been. There's good, and there's bad. Just like a
marriage. It isn't all sweetness and light. There are problems in
every marriage. Anybody that says no is lying.
Lage: Or hasn't been married.
Pond: That's rightl Or one completely dominates the other. In a healthy
marriage, you're bound to have little struggles, little things from
time t» time, and we've had seme pretty good ones here. One was over
where the city hall was going to be. Maybe you've heard about that
one.
Lage: Briefly.
Pond: We had some battles on that. I forget how many times, it was three
or four or five votes before we finally got a two-thirds majority to
accomplish it. So we've had that problem.
We've had the pro-growth, the no-growth, and the in-betweens, and
that's where I am. I've tried to be friendly to all sides, and I
139
Pond: think I have been. Some of them won't talk to each other, but I've
always been able to. Sometimes they say. "Pond, you do it. I can't
talk to those people." But I've always tried to be friendly,
socially at least.
Lage: Civility always helps. I think.
Pond: I was in business as a pharmacist. The old story is don't argue
politics when you're in business. I adhered to that, but that's not
the whole truth. You can discuss politics. On the civic center, for
instance, I'd say, "Remember, don't forget to vote on our coming
election. "
"Oh, I intend to. "
"I hope you'll vote for our civic center."
"Oh, I intend to. "
"Fine. I appreciate it."
"No way 1 "
"Okay, that's your decision."
But to the people that said, "Well, I haven't made up my mind,"
those are the ones I zeroed in on. I didn't try to change anybody
whose mind was made up. That's where you get in trouble.
Lage: You have to know people.
Pond: You have to understand that if a person's mind is made up, you're not
going to change him, you're going to make an enemy.
Lage: What was the objection to the civic center? Cost?
Pond: No, the big objection was that one of the landlords wanted it on his
property, where Ohlene College is now. We felt it ought to be more
central. First we didn't even get a majority, then finally our votes
got a majority, then a more sizeable majority, and eventually — we had
to get two-thirds, you see. We just had to keep pushing at it and
pushing at it. Finally made it.
I shall be ever grateful to the Pattersons for their part. It
was just a little meeting, but their support, although it wasn't
active in that they didn't go out and speak in behalf of it. but
their decision to support it by going along with it and signing the
petition certainly benefited the whole community. It was a real
statesmanlike movement on their part.
Lage : Very good.
140
TAPE GUIDE — Wallace R. Pond
Date of Interview: April 10, 1987
tape 1, side A
tape 1. side B 135
Transcribed by Leslie Johnson
Final Typed by Shannon Page
141
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
John Brooks
Consultant to the Patterson Family:
Master Planner, Developer, and Politician
An Interview Conducted by
Ann Lage
in 1987
Copyright
1988 by the Regents of the University of California
JOHN BROOKS
ca. 1980
142
TABLE OF CONTENTS — John Brooks
INTERVIEW HISTORY 143
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 144
I FAMILY, EDUCATION. BUSINESS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES 145
Family and Youth in Alameda County 145
Training in Engineering and Law 147
Launching a Career as a Developer 149
Involvement in Democratic Party Politics 152
Association with Wayne Valley 154
II THE BURGEONING FREMONT AREA IN THE POSTWAR PERIOD 157
First Purchase of Patterson Ranch Lands, 1952 157
Working with Will, Henry, and Den Patterson 159
Designing Systems and Working with Government to
Facilitate Development 162
The Incorporation of Fremont: Conflicts with Newark 165
III PLANNING IN FREMONT, 1950s-1960s 168
Community Divisions over Timing of Growth and Development 168
A Cooperative Relationship with Planning Director Roy Potter 170
The Planned District Concept: Planning and Politics 173
Involvement with the Alameda County Flood Control District 176
Genesis of the New Town Concept in the North Plain Area 180
IV PATTERSON RANCH DEVELOPMENT, 1970s 182
Purchase of Tract 0 by Singer Housing 182
Fremont's Moratorium on Development in the North Plain 183
Singer's Lawsuit and Negotiations for a Settlement Agreement 185
Arranging Land Swaps with Newark 189
Parties to the Solution: the Courts, the Community, and
Singer Housing 191
V CONSULTANT TO THE PATTERSON HEIRS, 1980s 194
City of Fremont's Pressure for Development of the North
Plain 194
Preparing and Promoting a Master Plan for Patterson Ranch
Lands 195
Reaching a Consensus on the Balance between Open Space
and Urban Development 198
Mel Belli' s Representation of Dissident Patterson Family
Members 202
Will Patterson and the Woodpeckers 205
TAPE GUIDE 207
143
INTERVIEW HISTORY — John Brooks
Over the past thirty-five years, John "Jack" Brooks has worked with three
generations of the Patterson family. His recollections are a crucial element
in the story of the evolving land-use patterns on the ranch lands since the
1950s. They also provide a great deal of insight into politics and planning
in the city of Fremont.
In his oral history, Mr. Brooks recounts his first meeting with Will
Patterson and the first purchase of ranch lands for housing development in
1952. The Patterson purchase was Brooks's introduction to the Washington
Township area, where he became the most prominent developer and a community
leader whose skills as planner and in politics shaped the growing city of
Fremont. His recounting of his close relationship with the director of
Fremont's city planning department and the evolution of the planned unit
development and planned district concepts are of particular interest.
Brooks discusses the 1971 purchase by Singer Housing Company — which he
headed as president — of the tract of lands that included the George
Washington Patterson home and the eucalyptus grove. This is the tract which
became, after years of litigation and negotiation, the Ardenwood Regional
Preserve. Brooks, a key figure in the negotiations, gives his perspective
on the process of reaching agreement with the city of Fremont. (The
perspective of the negotiator for the city, assistant city manager Larry
Milnes, is given in an excerpt from a 1982 interview with Milnes, included
in the appendix to this volume.)
Brooks served as consultant to the Patterson family in the 1980s and
was responsible for preparing and promoting the master plan for Patterson
Ranch lands which eventually was adopted by the city of Fremont. His
explanation of the delicate balancing act required to satisfy the pro-
growth, no-growth, and low-growth forces within the community and within the
Patterson family attests to his well-acknowledged skills as a master
politician as well as a master planner.
The interviews with Jack Brooks were conducted in his office in
Fremont. California, which is sited on the former Patterson ranch lands sold
to Brooks in 1952. They took place on November 5 and November 20, 1987.
Mr. Brooks made no substantive changes in reviewing his transcript.
Ann Lage
Interviewer/Editor
Project Director
September, 1988
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley
Regional Oral History Office
Room 486 The Bancroft Library
Your full name
Date of birth
Father's full name
Occupation
Mother's full
Occupation
144
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
(Please write clearly. Use black ink.)
John Brooks
9/16/23
Birthplace Oakland, CA
Birthplace
name
Birthplace
Barbara Mathews Brooks
Your spouse
Your children William Mathews Brooks and John Brooks, Jr.
Where did you grow up? Oakland, CA
Present community
Education
San Francisco, CA
Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Healds College
Degree in Law from Lincoln University Law School
Occupation (s)
Real Estate Developer and Investor
Areas of expertise_
Real Estate
Other interests or activities
Organizations in which you are active_
145
I FAMILY. EDUCATION, BUSINESS AND POLITICAL ACTIVITIES
[Interview 1: November 5. 1987] ##
Family and Youth in Alameda County
Lage:
Brooks
Lage:
B rooks :
Lage:
Brooks:
Lage:
Brooks :
We want to start with some personal background, just to set the
scene — where you were born and raised, and particularly if there
are things in your background that helped shape the direction you
took.
I was born in Oakland, California, on September 16, 1923, so I've
been a resident of Alameda County for my whole life. My parents
were both born in Alameda County. Our children are the fifth
generation born in the same little city of San Leandro because my
wife's people have been there that long.
My goodness. When would that date back to?
Oh, it goes back to the 1800s.
As early as the Patterson family.
Yes, about the same time. Her side of the family came to San
Leandro at that point in time, and each generation was born in the
same city. I was born just across the border, on the Oakland side
of the line from San Leandro.
What did your father do as an occupation?
I had a father and a stepfather. My father was in the
steam fitters' union, president of the union at one time,
number of years. My stepfather was a naval officer.
for a
#$This symbol indicates that a tape or segment of a tape has begun
or ended. For a guide to the tapes, see page 207.
146
Lage: I understand you went to the Maritime Academy. Did that have
anything to de with your stepfather's influence?
Brooks: Yes. it did because during part of his career, he was an instructor
in engineering in the navy, and he became aware of the US Maritime
Academy — it's different than the state academy — in King's Point,
and he recommended to me that I take a look at it. I thought it
was pretty good free education 1 So I'm a graduate of King's Point.
Lage: Where is King's Point?
Brooks: King's Point is in New York. The federal academy is in New York.
Most people don't know that there are four federal academies:
naval, army, air force, and maritime.
Lage: I jumped ahead there, getting you clear up to the Maritime Academy,
but what about education in general? Public school?
Brooks: Public school. High school in Oakland. Castlemont High School.
Of course, I went to the academy shortly after leaving high school.
Lage: Did your early education or high school show any of this interest
in politics that you took up later? Were • are any extracurricular
activities that were related?
Brooks: No, not really. I worked all the way through high school. I
worked nights in a parking lot, parking cars, and I worked in the
summer, as was typical of this area, in the local canneries. The
local canneries provided summer jobs in southern Alameda County in
those days. Now the canneries are mainly gone, but that was a
major source of employment then, in the late thirties.
Lage: How far would you have to come to find a cannery in those days?
Into San Leandro?
Brooks: Well. I worked in two in Oakland. One was in upper Oakland, near
west Oakland, and I later worked in one just across the line from
San Leandro. Do you know where Fifth Avenue is?
Lage: Yes.
Brooks: One of the major canneries was at Fifth Avenue. You know, where
that old yacht harbor thing is. The other one was at 98th Avenue
in Oakland. So rather than a lot of extracurricular activites in
school, I spent a lot of my spare time working.
Lage: That wasn't so unusual then, during the Depression days.
Brooks: It was fairly common in those days because that was right at the
end of the Depression period.
Lage:
147
Training in Engineering and Law
When you went te the Maritime Academy, was this with the idea of
getting into engineering?
Brooks: Yes, I asked to attend the engineering portion of the school, and I
was assigned that portion.
Lage: Any reason for that choice?
Brooks: I had an interest in engineering throughout my teenage years.
Lage: Did the building of the Golden Gate and Bay bridges and the
excitement surrounding that have anything te do with your decision?
Brooks: No, I think probably the factor that was most important was that my
stepfather was an instructor in engineering.
Lage: Now tell me about the academy.
Brooks: Well, I came to the academy. Of course, it was during the war
years, and like all the academies, they had shortened the courses
from four and a half years to two and a half years. The Maritime
Academy, like the Naval Academy, has a midshipman program where you
attend the academy and then you go to sea and then you come back
and finish at the academy. So during that period, the war years, I
served as a midshipman on various ships in combat zones. Because
of the midshipman status, I was promoted at sea to an officer's
status, then when you come back te the academy you revert back to
your midshipman status.
Lage: That must have been a hard transition!
Brooks: Then, upon graduation from the academy, I was commissioned in the
navy as a naval officer specializing in engineering and served in
the navy throughout the Pacific. I served in the navy as a
midshipman in the Pacific before I went back to the academy. I
also served in North Africa and India as a midshipman. In fact —
you're toe young to remember — as a midshipman I landed on
Guadalcanal. After being commissioned I again served in the navy,
in the amphibious forces.
Lage: And the war was still going on at the time?
Brooks: Yes. We'd make landings throughout the islands and the Philippines
and Okinawa, the usual war stories.
Brooks: After I left the navy I went back to engineering school and got a
degree in mechanical engineering from Heald's College. During that
148
period I worked as a ship's officer in San Francisco at night and
went to school in the daytime.
You may not know it. but the law requires that every ship have
an engineering officer aboard while they're in port, and on all
merchant ships all the regular officers are off every night and
weekends when they're in port, so they put a relief officer on. So
through engineering school I worked at night as a ship's officer
and went to school in the daytime. Then later I did the same thing
again while I went to school to get a law degree.
Lage: That sounds like a very good sideline to have.
Brooks: Yes. you make a reasonably good living while going to school. And
it was a good job too because most of the time as a ship's officer
you're not doing very much so you have a lot of study time.
Lage: Right. You just have to be there.
Brooks: You have to be there. You have to move a ship once in a while,
from one port to another, but that didn't occur often enough to
interrupt your study time.
Lage: Where did you get your law degree?
Brooks: Lincoln University of San Francisco.
Lage: And what did you have in mind with the law degree? Were you
thinking of becoming an attorney or just a general education?
Brooks: I was more interested in a general education, but during the period
I was going to law school I seriously considered becoming an
attorney and practicing law, but near the end of the period I was
in law school. I went into the development business and no longer
desired to practice law. There were several mental changes during
that period.
Lage: I imagine the legal training has come in handy, though.
Brooks: Yes, the combination of the legal training and the engineering
training has been very valuable because most of the development
business is made up of those two areas.
Lage: So without really knowing exactly where you were heading, you ended
up getting the right degrees.
Brooks: Yes, I was fortunate to get the right training at the right time.
I also think that the training at the academy was particularly
important, particularly in the area of teaching self-discipline.
149
Brooks: which you have to apply in business, so that the training at the
academy was. I think, very important in teaching you to discipline
yourself to get certain things done at a certain time. One of the
sayings they have at the academy is that you do the hardest job
first and the easiest job last. That has been kind of a rule I've
followed throughout my life.
Lage : You just mentioned something that was intriguing and that was the
mental changes you went through, ending up in the development
business. Why don't we talk about that a little bit?
Brooks: During that period I thought, "Well, I'll practice law." In fact,
at that point in time, while I was going to school, I was working
part-time as a law clerk in a legal office. It happened to be a
criminal practice, and I found that very interesting.
Lage : Was that in Oakland?
Brooks: In Oakland. I found that very interesting and at that point in
time I said, "Well. I think this is the kind of thing I would like
to do." Then I changed jobs really and got into the development
business during my last year in law school. So I completed law
school and just stayed in the development business.
Launching a Career as a Developer
Lage: How did you happen to make the change into the development
business?
Brooks: While I was still in the navy, the ship came to San Francisco. We
were in for repairs, so we were here for a couple of weeks. So
while I was still in uniform, I went down and took an examination
and received a real estate broker's license. I didn't really use
it for a number of years, but then an opportunity came while I was
in my last year in law school where these two contractor-
developers, a father and son, needed a part-time real estate
salesman. So they hired me. Of course I made more money doing
that than I did as a law clerk. By the time I finished law school
they asked me to become a partner, so I became a partner in the
development firm and the construction company.
Lage: What was the name of that firm?
Brooks: Leonardo and Son.
Lage: I always find it fascinating when I'm talking with people how this
combination of intent and chance come together.
150
Brooks:
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
B rooks :
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
Brooks:
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
Brooks
Yes.
Now. when you got your real estate license, what were you thinking?
Did you see that things were going to be happening here?
I said, 'Veil, someday I'm going to get out of the navy, and I'm
going to have to do something.11 I've always been kind of oriented
to study. When I was in the navy I had books with me; I studied
engineering books. I had a friend — a lady friend, by the way — who
was a real estate broker that I visited while I was ashore during
that period, and she had a book about real estate. So she gave me
the book, and I took it to sea with me, read it and studied it, and
having read the whole book, the next time I came back I said, "Why
net take the test?" [laughter]
And that kind of moved you along the path you took.
Yes.
You must have liked the real estate business when you did get into
it.
Oh yes. I really liked the development business, and I could apply
my educational background to it. That went very well, and the two
partners I had almost turned over the whole operation to me.
Was the son also older than you?
Yes, they were both older. I was a young kid that they thought, I
guess, was willing to work and do things and come up with some
imaginative ideas, so they kind of stepped back and said. "Do
whatever you want. "
That's a great opportunity,
contractor's license?
Then when did you get your
Well, as a result of that association, working in the business, I
was able to get a contractor's license. So that was back in '52 or
'53. someplace in that area.
Did you eventually buy that business?
Yes. The business got larger, and they were kind of small
operators, and it made them very nervous that they kept expanding.
So they came to me with a proposal. They said, 'Ve just want to go
back and be little tiny developers." So on a very friendly basis.
I bought them out. We were friends. There wasn't any problem. We
were friends at the time we were partners and after we were
partners.
151
Lage: They just didn't want the big vision that you must have had. They
didn't want to get involved in it?
Brooks: Well, they saw that they were getting bigger and bigger, and they
had trouble relating to the size.
Lage: Well, tell me what you were thinking of at that time. I understand
there was a tremendous boom after the war. Did you see this coming
on?
Brooks: Well. I didn't necessarily think in terms of a tremendous boom. I
just thought it was a good business. It was a challenging
business. I think that was the most important part of it; it was
challenging to be able to get things done and create things. As a
young man I was more interested in that challenge and just doing
things, creating things. So that's what really motivated me more
than whether there was going to be a big boom or not.
Lage: You weren't analyzing demographics and all that at the time?
Brooks: No. Then as you go and mature in the business, you begin to get
into those other areas. At the beginning stages you're focusing en
just what you're doing and the challenge of trying to solve the
problems.
Lage: When did you marry? In this period?
Brooks: I married right as I was getting out of law school. By the way, I
married the gal that was my girlfriend in junior high school.
Lage: Oh really? I wondered because you said you lived so close by.
Brooks: She was my girlfriend in junior high school, in high school. We
didn't see much of each other during the war years. Then after the
war years we got together, and we've been married ever since.
Lage: That's wonderful. What was her maiden name?
Brooks: Matthews. Her name was Barbara Matthews.
Lage: That's why there're Matthews in your family. Isn't your son
Matthew?
Brooks: Yes. In fact, her father was a real estate broker and did a
considerable amount of development work also.
Lage: Was she the one you were dating who was in real estate?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Okay, now we're clear on this.
152
Brooks: I guess you're aware of San Lorenzo Village? It's just south of
San Leandra It was a major development during the war years.
That was one of the projects that her father put together.
Unfortunately, he died in the middle of the war. 1944. But she
took over his business at the age of eighteen and continued to
operate it until just a few years ago. She was very, very
successful in her own business.
Lage : This was in real estate, as a real estate broker?
Brooks: A real estate insurance broker. Very successful and operated
completely independently. We operated our two businesses
completely independently with no crossover.
Lage: That's very interesting. So she didn't get involved helping you
much?
Brooks: No. She ran her own thing, and I did my own thing. That's
probably why we're still married 1
Lage: And you stayed in separate areas?
Brooks: Yes, she had her offices in San Leandro. and I had offices in
Fremont, then later in San Leandro, separate from hers, and then
back to Fremont again.
Involvement in Democratic Party Politics
Lage:
Brooks
Lage:
Brooks :
I want to get some indication of when you got involved in
Democratic Party politics.
I began to get involved in politics shortly after I got into the
building business, and really in just the local area, the local
city council things and billboard things. Then gradually I began
to get more and more involved in the state things, like Pat Brown's
campaign for governor, the first time he ran. and Alan Cranston's
campaign. The first time he ran for controller, I was his chairman
for Alameda County [1958]. Then that just kept growing into state
politics and then national politics. It was just kind of a natural
thing. I kept getting more and more involved.
Now, was it related initially at all to your interest in
development? I mean, did you get involved in city council politics
in order to influence development decisions?
Not really, because you don't really influence them that much.
was, I think, kind of a challenging thing I hadn't done,
[laughter]
It
153
Lage: I can see yeu love challenge!
Brooks: Then later I became the northern California chairman of the party
[January-September, 1971].
Lage: So you really made your mark in a lot of areas.
Brooks: I ended up as state chairman for the Kennedys and for any number of
politicians.
Lage: Did this continue to be a challenge?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: How about this last election?
Brooks: I've kind of stepped back at the present time. I still
participate, but on a lower-key level. You know. I'm getting older
and I'm saying, "Well, it's time for the young guys to really get
out and do the work." [laughter] My oldest son is very much
involved in politics, so I assist him,
Lage: Is he behind the scenes?
Brooks: No, he's out in front. I try to stay behind the scenes now!
Lage: He's running for office?
Brooks: No, he has no interest in running for office, but he has an
interest in being involved, as I was.
Lage: Well, maybe we'll get into the politics more later. There must be
some relationship, or some way that it influenced or helped you to
make things go the way you wanted them to go.
Brooks: Well, I think it's very difficult to identify the relationship
between business and politics because in the process of politics
you get to know a lot of people, and as you know more people it's
helpful in business, but you can't identify a direct relationship
where knowing this particular person helped that particular thing.
Lage: Of course, knowing how things work helps.
Brooks: Yes, how all the machinery works is very, very helpful.
Lage: In talking to Bob Buck [of Patterson Properties. See interview in
this series] that was one thing he brought up, in terms of your
contribution with your involvement in their corporation.
154
Brooks: Well, I think I've learned how the whole system works. I've served
on a number of commissions and committees, so I know how the state
thing works, how the federal thing works, how they work locally.
Lage: It doesn't hurt.
Brooks : No.
Association with Wayne Valley
Lage: Let's get back into the building. You were associated with Wayne
Valley for a long time.
Brooks: Yes, Wayne Valley and I became partners in about 1954, I guess.
Lage: After you had bought out Leonardo?
Brooks: Yes. I operated independently for a while. Then we became
partners, and we were partners until we merged our companies with
the Singer company in 1974.
Lage: And then that ended your association?
Brooks: No. I remained as president of the Singer Housing Division and
became president of the national division which included a number
of housing companies across the country, from Florida to California
to New Orleans. It's every place.
Lage: And you headed up their entire housing division?
Brooks: Yes. I was president of their entire housing division.
Lage: It must have been completely different, deal ing with Florida and —
Brooks: No, the basic business is the same. Integrating with an industrial
company that's oriented to industrial operations is a difficult
kind of thing to make mesh.
Lage: Singer hadn't been in housing before? This was completely new?
Brooks: Yes, this was a completely new business for them, and it was
considerably different than the industrial type of business that
they were used to.
Lage: Didn't they drop out of that after a few years?
155
Brooks: Yes. I stayed as president for about three years and then said, "I
think it's time to retire and do something different." Then, a
couple of years following that, they decided to get out of it, so
they sold off the various divisions.
Lage: Well, that's another story in itself. Would you want to make any
comments about Wayne Valley? I noticed he passed away fairly
recently.
Brooks: Yes, he passed away about two weeks ago. He was an unusual man.
very intelligent, a very good businessman. He had seme problems in
relating to people. He was friendly, but he was very direct. He
said what he thought, and he was very honest, but because of those
characteristics he had trouble relating to a lot of people because
he was toe direct.
Lage: He was blunt with people?
Brooks: He was blunt and to the point, but he was a very good partner. We
had a very good relationship. I don't think during the whole time
we were partners, twenty-plus years, we ever had a serious
disagreement. When something would come up and we might have
different points of view, quite often we'd just say, ''Okay, what
are we going to do? " and we'd flip a coin to decide. That's a
great way to decide how to operate a business. [laughter] I would
say 90 percent of the time when we had differences of opinion, he'd
say, "Okay, go ahead and do it your way."
Lage: So he was blunt. Could you be blunt with him?
Brooks: Oh, certainly. We were very direct with each other,
good communication.
We had really
Lage: He was the one that first got involved with the Raiders
[professional football team], is that correct?
Brooks: Yes. He was part of a group that went down and got the original
franchise, and then he brought in partners to the franchise, and I
was one of the partners that he brought in to make up the franchise
group. Then later, I guess it was about 1976 or in that area, 1
and Al Davis bought Wayne Valley out because he and Davis could not
get along because they're both very blunt personalities,
[laughter] They just didn't get along at all.
Lage: And did that take place with continuing friendship between you and
Wayne Valley?
Brooks: Wayne and I remained friends —
156
Brooks ;
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
And Davis and I are very good friends. Our two wives are very good
friends. In fact, my wife and his wife travel together quite a
bit. They went to Asia last year and to Italy last year together.
So we're very good friends, but I still had a good association with
Wayne. We still owned investment properties together. I still
have some joint ownership even with the estate now. We had a very
good relationship. When Wayne was ill and couldn't get around too
much, he'd get on the phone, sometimes for an hour, an hour and a
half, and just talk.
I think that tells us something about your relationships with
people. I'm sure this issue between Wayne Valley and Al Davis was
a hot one.
Oh. it was a very hot one. [laughter]
definite dislike for each other.
They really had a very
And then to be able to continue a separate relation with each one
says something about your abilities.
157
II THE BURGEON INS FREMONT AREA IN THE POSTWAR PERIOD
First Purchase ef Patterson Ranch Lands. 1952
Lage : Let's talk now about Fremont and its growth and development. What
do you recall about the Fremont area in the postwar period when you
first got involved in this area?
Brooks : In the postwar period there was no Fremont, first of all.
Lage: Right. That's why I said Fremont areal
Brooks: I was developing properties and building houses in Hayward, and I
was looking for some more land, and I didn't even think about
coming down to this area, which was called Centerville in these
days — it was way out in nowhere, in the boondocks — but one of the
things I did was I put a little squib in the real estate board
bulletin that they send out to the various brokers saying that I
was looking for some development property.
An old gentleman — I'm trying to remember his name; he was a
broker here in Centerville — called me and said, "I'd like to show
you a piece of property." I said, "Where is it?" and he said, "In
Centerville." [laughing] I said, "I'm not really that
interested." He said, 'Veil, come on down." He was a nice,
friendly fellow, so I just kind of came down to accommodate him,
and I didn't really have that much interest in being that far out
from where there was other activity. So I came down and he
introduced me to Will Patterson.
Lages Oh? Now, when would that have been?
Brooks: That would be about 1952 or 1953. I think it was '52.
Lage: Tell me about that. That's intriguing.
Brooks: Well, he introduced me to Will Patterson. Will's three sons, Don,
Jack, and David, each had a hundred acres right back here.
158
Lage : Not en the Patterson Ranch?
Breaks: Well, it was part of the Patterson Ranch then, but it had been put
in their name.
Lage: But when you say. "right back here" —
Brooks: Right at the end of this street that you're on.
Lage: Okay. I'd never thought of that as part of the Patterson Ranch.
Brooks: Yes. the Patterson Ranch started two blocks down from where we're
at right now. [Mr. Brooks's office, where this interview took
place, is at the intersection of Thornton and Cabrille Avenues in
Fremont, east of Highway 880.]
And so I went over and met Will Patterson. We began to talk,
and he said. "Well, you know, these parcels that my three sens have
we'd like to do something with." We began to talk about hew we
could do it. At that point it didn't have any access to a major
street, so I said, "In order te do something, we need te buy this
little strip of land in order to get back to it." It's the strip
of land you're sitting on right now 1 Then, ever a period «f five
or six months of talking, we structured something, an agreement. I
bought this little piece of land to get back to it, and we just
started gradually developing it over a series of years.
Lage: Were you discussing this with his sons too?
Brooks: Donald would attend some of the meetings, but not all of them. I
met David and Jack during that period because they came out
especially to meet me because their father requested it, to talk to
me about what my plans were and what I thought, but David and Jack
weren't really directly involved in any of the negotiations.
Lage: But it was their property rather than Will's?
Brooks: Yes. Donald, as I recall, owned it outright and David's property
was in a trust for his benefit; that is. his father was trustee,
but it was going to expire in the near future. I think Jack also
owned his outright, but he kind of left it up to his father to do
what he thought was right.
Lage: That's earlier than I'd realized that the family became interested
in developing some of their property.
Brooks: See, we look at the family as two sides: Will and Henry, and this
was Will's three boys that really got started here.
159
Working with Will. Henry, and Don Patterson
Brooks: So we started a relationship with that, then that relationship
continued, and I formed a rather close relationship with Will
Patterson. He was a nice gentleman, an older man.
Lage: Yes, tell me more about him.
Brooks: He was a real gentleman from the old school; in ether words, very
interested in what happened to the community. As you probably
know, he was president of the water board [board of directors of
Alameda County Water District]. He used to drive around in a jeep
with a great big white dog. He'd be on one side, and the big white
dog would be sitting on the other side, on the seatl He'd come
by — not to this office because the original office I built, a small
office, was out in front of this office, where the street is new —
and he'd come by on an average of once a week or so with his dag.
He'd come in and sit down and talk for an hour or so. Sometimes
I'd drop over to his house and see him. So we had a very good,
friendly relationship outside of any business relationship.
Lage: Did he seem pretty aware of the coming of development?
Brooks: Yes, he was very knowledgeable. He was a very knowledgeable and
intelligent man, but a very gentle kind of man, very kind and
gentle. But he was a good businessman.
Lage: What kind of an arrangement did you strike on this particular area
that we're talking about?
Brooks: Well, we bought some property and had a contract for a series of
options on the balance because he wasn't sure and I wasn't sure
that, you know, anybody would ever buy any houses in this area. So
we said, "All right, we'll buy a portion and try and see what
happens, and then if we can make it work, I'll have a series of
options to continue. "
Lage: But they didn't get involved in sharing in the development at all?
Brooks: No. They were land sellers, really. They did not participate in
the development in any way.
Lage: But when he'd come by to sit and talk with you, was he interested?
Brooks: Oh, he was interested in the development and how it was being done.
He was very interested in the whole process: what you were doing,
hew you were doing it, the whole process.
160
Lage: I guess I get the picture from others that Henry was more the
farmer and Will was kind of out in the community and into his
mining enterprises.
Brooks: Well, there was a big difference in the personalities of the two.
Henry was a very strict kind of person who wasn't really a friendly
person, and when he talked to you he didn't say very much. He was
very direct in what he said but said very little. [laughter]
Lage: But you listened to those few words?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Did you talk to him about the property?
Brooks: Well, later on. subsequent to that time, then I talked to both
Henry and Will. Henry said, "Veil, here's another portion of the
ranch that the whole family owns that we may have an interest in
doing something with." So I had a number of meetings with beth
Henry and Will. In fact, we concluded an agreement, although it
wasn't signed, just before he died.
Lage: I see. Before Henry died.
Brooks: Yes. And he died rather suddenly. That agreement never went into
effect.
Again, Henry was a good guy to deal with. He just wasn't as
open and outgoing as Will was.
Lage: Kind of reserved.
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Did he have as much interest in the development as Will?
Brooks: No. I didn't see him as of ten and, you know, he j ust wasn't as
friendly.
Lage: But he didn't object to the idea of developing part of the ranch?
Brooks: No. he didn't object.
Lage: Some ef the pictures we've been given are that Henry really wanted
just to farm.
Brooks: Well, very few people know, and probably a lot of the family don't
know, that Henry and I sat down and worked out a complete contract
for a portion of the ranch before he died, with Will and Henry
together.
161
Lage: What portion would that have been? Was it every large one?
Brooks: Yes. it was. The portion where the Ardenwood Regional Park is now.
what we called at that time Tract 0.
Lage: So that portion would have been developed a let earlier had Henry
not died?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Was the flooding controlled at that point?
Brooks: Alameda Creek wasn't constructed, and it had the flood problem.
I'd worked out an engineering solution for that, which I had
tentatively approved by the governmental agency to do a diversion
kind of engineering project where we diverted the flood waters,
with a series of ditches and dikes, around the property. We had
worked out a tentative engineering solution to the flooding
problem.
Lage: So was that all part of the contract?
Brooks: Yes, it was all part of the whole program. Then, of course, about
that period the Nimitz freeway was proposed also, and that worked
into the whole engineering problem of the freeway needing some fill
materials and so forth. So that was coordinated with the whole
pro gram.
Lage: Why did you decide to come way down here? You said your first
reaction was it was too far from the center of action.
Brooks: That's a hard question to answer. I thought, you know, "Maybe
there's some potential there and maybe it's worth trying.11 And
Will and Donald both were so good to work with, and they said, "We
know that these problems exist, so let's try to structure something
that will relate to them. We'll try it, and then we'll do the
options, and we'll be somewhat flexible. If things go well, then
we'll move faster, and if they don't go well, we'll move slower."
I thought they were sincere in that, and they were. They were
very flexible. In the beginning period, there were lots of ups and
downs, but they would adjust, regardless of what the contract said,
because I don't think anybody ever looked at the contract after it
was signed. They'd look at things as they were occurring, and we'd
adj ust to them.
Lage: That's interesting. And it did go well. I assume.
Brooks: Yes. With Will and Don and Henry, a handshake was much better than
a written contract. If you got a handshake from them, you were
162
Brooks: much better off than having a written contract! If you ignored the
contract and just dealt with them as things occurred, you were much
better *ff.
Lage:
B rooks
Lage:
B rooks
What kinds of adjustment had to be made?
kind of thing?
In payment schedule, that
Well, things would go faster or slower, and we'd have tight money
periods and loose money periods. As you did the detail
engineering, there1 d be changes in the plans where you'd have to
take more or less land or reduce the size of one piece and make
another piece bigger. So these kinds of problems that would flow
with the economy and with the engineering problems. In these days
there was a whole host of engineering problems because the whole
area was mainly undeveloped, so you had to go out and start from
scratch and solve the various engineering problems. Access and
drainage problems and sewer problems and water problems. You had
to face each one of those and find a solution to it.
Now, we're talking about the period before incorporation?
Yes.
Designing Systems and Working with Government to Facilitate
Development
Lage: Were you one of the first developers in the area, then? Or the
first?
Brooks: One of the first. The only one that came down about the same time
that I can recall was a fellow named Jim Myers who developed
Glenmoor. He came down about the same time.
Lage: How did you deal with problems like the sewer problem?
Brooks: Well, you j ust begin to design systems. Sometimes interim systems,
temporary systems, that would work until a whole master system
could ceme into place. All the Patterson land wasn't even in the
sewer district.
Lage: Didn't you have something to do with getting people signed up for a
sewer district?
Brooks: Yes. Well, at this end of the city there were two sewer districts:
Union Sanitary and the Decoto districts. They were two small
districts, serving small areas, but the land in between them was
kind of no-man1 s-land.
163
Lage: They didn't need sewer districts on the farm.
Brooks: So I get the sewer districts together, and they decided they'd be
much better off with one big district than two small ones. But in
order to merge the districts, they had to get all the land in
between. So I went to all the property owners involved and all the
farmers and got a petition to annex to the Union Sanitary District,
and then the Union Sanitary District annexed the Decoto District t©
make it one big district.
Lage: And you were the force behind that?
Brooks: I did all the work on it. You see. when I first came down here.
the Union Sanitary District had one part-time employee. They only
had one employee. He worked half a day! That was the whole
district. So they didn't have any staff at all. So in order to
get it dene, somebody had to do it. The one employee they had was
an older man, kind of semi-retired, you know, who would spend half
a day —
Lage: The district kind of ran itself, it sounds like.
Brooks: Yes. In working with their board, which was local merchants and
farmers, I laid out the whole plan to them. They were receptive te
it, but they didn't have any staff to implement it, so I just went
out and did it.
Lage: How about the Pattersons? Did Will Patterson do any of the
politicking on this?
Brooks: No. Except for being cooperative in annexing a substantial portion
of the Patterson property, signing the petition for that — which
both Henry and Will together did; it wasn't just Will alone — other
than that they said, "Well, if you can get it done, fine. We will
not oppose you in any way. If anybody asks us, we'll tell them we
signed the petition."
Lage: But they didn't go te talk to their neighbors.
Brooks: What I'd do is I'd work during the day and in the early evenings
I'd just go out and visit each landowner or each farmer and explain
the whole program to them and have them sign the petition. After
doing that for several months I had enough signatures on the
petition so that the annexation could take place.
Lage: What about the drainage problems? What did you do there?
Brooks: Before the major Army Corps of Engineers project, the whole area
was subject to flooding.
Lage: Even this far in?
164
Brooks: Well, it was from about two blocks down, all the way north, and
then all the way east, swinging around, even above this area.
So I designed a series of interim systems to bypass
floodwaters for the various things I was working on. Of course the
governmental agency knew that the Army Corps of Engineers project
was going to come along some day. They weren't sure of the timing,
but it had been worked on for some twenty years prior, and like
most governmental projects, they start the studies and twenty years
later maybe they'll start some work, [laughter] So they were
aware that there was an overall commitment that some day in the
future there'd be the Alameda Creek project. So I did a series of
interim projects that would take care of special, localized
problems.
Lage: And these were diversion canals?
Brooks: Diversion canals, dikes, and a whole series of things. Bypass
kinds of systems.
Lage: Did you feel pretty comfortable that those would take care of the
problem?
Brooks: Oh, sure. In fact, I sat at the drawing board and did them myself.
Lage: So there's your engineering background coming into play.
Brooks: I took the basic plans to the governmental agencies involved and
had their engineers say, "Yes, this will work." Then we did the
detailed engineering drawings from that.
Lage: And then who paid for the work involved?
Brooks: I did.
Lage: You did, as the developer.
I talked to Matt Whitfield as part of this project [see
interview in this series] and he mentioned some of the early
drainage solutions weren't very good for the water basin. I think
this was runoff into the —
Brooks: Well. Matt Whitfield was. you know, general manager of the [Alameda
County] water district and they depend a lot on percolation, so if
water is laying on the ground, for his specialized interest, if it
percolates into the water basin, you know, it's good for them.
When I take a piece of land, I isolate it so that it will not be
subject to flooding, it would not have surface waters going into
the ground. But the water district never had any serious objection
to what we were doing. In fact, they were very cooperative.
165
Lage: But I thought there was something about diverting runoff and
letting the runoff go into the water basin. He was fearful of
contaminating the water basin, I thought.
Brooks: Well, he's always been fearful, but on the projects I was doing,
that was not an issue. No, Matt Whitfield and I have been friends
for years and years and worked together on various projects for
years and years.
Lage: Did you find that the water district was adaptable?
Brooks: Oh. very cooperative. They've always been very cooperative.
Historically, they've been cooperative, and they're probably one of
the best districts to work with of any district. Matt ran the
district in a very practical, businesslike way and was very
straightforward as far as engineering solutions were concerned. He
did not get involved in inserting politics into engineering
solutions, which some districts do.
Lage: And, there again, you had the Will Patterson tie with the water
board.
Brooks: In the early period Will Patterson was with the water beard, but
through much of the development of Fremont and after. Will left the
water board and then he later died. [William Patterson served en
the Board of Directors of the Alameda County Water District from
its founding in 1914 to 1958. He was president of the board from
1932 to 1954. He died in 1962.]
The Incorporation of Fremont; Conflicts with Newark
Lage: We're talking about dealing with governmental agencies and that
should bring us to Fremont's incorporation. Before it was
incorporated, who were you dealing with?
Brooks: The county. The county had authority, except for the local
districts, like the water district and the sanitary district. The
county had planning and development authority.
Lage: How receptive were they to your plans?
Brooks: There weren't any real problems. The county was, I'd say, very
receptive to the plans I brought to them.
Lage: How did you feel about incorporation? Was this something that you
wanted to see happen?
166
Brooks: Well. I was one of the incerperators, one of the leaders en the
incorporation committee, so it's obvious I favored it.
Lage: What were your reasons? You hadn't had trouble working with the
county. I knew that was one of the arguments for incorporation.
Brooks: I just felt, and I think there was a general feeling in the
community and with the chambers of commerce, which I was very
active on. that the time had come to have some really local
government and not government at the other end of the county and to
join these communities together. It was like joining the two
little sanitary districts together, making one good district out of
it. The same thing applied to the city. So I was very active in
that incorporation movement.
Lage: Was there a particular thrust? Was land planning something that
they were concerned about in planning for incorporation?
Brooks: Oh yes. that was one of the big thrusts. There were some disputes
with the county because Newark had incorporated first and they
wanted to include a great portion of the Patterson Ranch in their
incorporation, and the local leaders from Fremont get the
supervisors to reverse that in a mysterious kind of way!
[laughing]
Lage: Tell me more about that because I wondered —
Brooks: Well, they had it all lined up in all the —
Lage: Newark was first?
Brooks: Newark was first.
Lage: And at the time they incorporated, did they try to get the
Patterson Ranch?
Brooks: Yes. They had that all en their incorporation plans.
Lage: And why was that omitted, if Fremont didn't have its plans in place
yet?
Brooks: Well, seme of the local leadership from what would become Fremont
just didn't think that Newark should have that portion of land in
Newark. So they were able to politically convince the local
supervisor it shouldn't be included, and he convinced the rest of
the members of the board and excluded that property from Newark.
It has been a problem between the two cities over the years. This
continued because Newark really thought they got cheated out at the
last minute in some mysterious way, because they didn't realize
what was happening until the actual vote was taken by the board!
167
Lage: Newark is a very tiny city, and the Patterson Ranch would have made
it much bigger.
Brooks: It weuld have been much larger if the political maneuvering hadn't
taken place.
Lage: Can you tell me more about what was behind the political
maneuvering? Were you involved in it yourself?
Brooks: Well, I was involved in it, along with several ethers. You knew,
there were some thoughts at that point of time of incorporating
Fremont. It was thought that would be a logical property for
Fremont to have and not Newark. That was kind of a separate,
opposing group. You know, it became kind of a little challenge
between the two groups.
Lage: And one had the ear of their supervisor.
Brooks: They both thought they had the ear of the supervisor, but the way
it wound up, at the last minute, the vote went against Newark.
Lage: Who was the supervisor? Do you remember him?
Brooks: I'll try and remember his name. I can't remember his name offhand.
Lage: Now, did the Pattersons take a position on that?
Brooks: No, they did not get involved with that at all.
Lage: And here it was their land.
Broeks: Yes. No, they did not get involved with that at all. They pretty
much stayed away from local politics through the years. Will was
interested in the water district and some politics, but the family
pretty much isolated themselves from local politics until just
recently, in the last couple of years.
Lage: Now, I'm still curious. Was there something about the Newark scene
that made you, who had some interest in developing the Patterson
Ranch, feel it wouldn't be as good?
Brooks: Ne. that did not enter into it because the big portion they were
talking about nobody even thought about developing. It was at the
far end, so far removed. But the group in Fremont that was
thinking about incorporation and beginning to work on that problem
just didn't think it properly should be in Newark!
Lage: They just wanted the land.
Brooks: Yes. [laughter] It was like the old cowboys and Indians, I guess
you'd call it, and if you can take it over, it's yours.
168
III PLANNING IN FREMONT. 1950s-1960s
Community Divisions over Timing of Growth and Development
[Date of Interview: November 20. 1987] *f
Lage: Last week we talked about the incorporation of Fremont and I asked
you whether there was a no-growth sentiment involved in that. You
said, "It's not so much 'no-growth1 as 'let's plan things better.1"
Brooks: Yes. that was the motivation behind the incorporation. I
understand. Have planning transferred from the remote county area,
where there was only one representative of this area on the beard
of supervisors which controlled the planning, zoning, and whatever
happened, to a local group in the form of a city council that could
deal with the local communities.
Lage: Now they talk about Fremont, "the planned city." They pride
themselves on that. Was the initial impetus to plan growth?
Brooks: Yes, that started immediately after incorporation. Of course, it
was part of the motivation for incorporation. So almost
immediately following the incorporation, the city employed some
outside planning professionals to develop various plans for the
future growth of the community. Those plans were finally adopted.
Although they've been amended a number of times, the concepts
incorporated in those plans are still the concepts being used for
planning and growth in Fremont.
Lage: That's pretty unusual in a young city.
Brooks: I look upon the amendments more as adjustments to the original
plan. The original plan is really still intact.
Lage: That's interesting. I had heard that there was, in the fifties and
sixties at least, a strong division on the council and even in the
community between a no-growth sentiment and a move-ahead plan.
169
Brooks
Lage :
B rooks :
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
B rooks :
Lage:
B rooks ;
Lage:
Brooks
Lage:
Throughout the history of Fremont, there've always been these
factions. One faction comes into power that slows growth down,
then another one comes into power and speeds it up, and it's gene
back and forth. But it really relates to the timing for growth
more than the general plan developed. You know, growth more or
less followed the general plan. The timing questions were the big
questions, and then also some of the interpretations to implement
the plan.
Hasn't the plan been cut down somewhat, in terms of density of
housing and —
Well, it's been cut down somewhat in the number of people that will
eventually live in Fremont. The various areas have the same
general kinds of uses, but less intense.
I've heard that this division was even in the social clubs,
must have been a lot of tension involved.
There
Yes, it existed throughout the community. The chamber of commerce
had one position, and the more affluent people, for example in
Mission San Jose, had another opinion.
Were they more "slow down"?
Yes, more affluent people in the community wanted to raise the
drawbridge so that nobody else could come in. You know, if they
had some vacant land next to where they lived, they wanted it to
stay vacant for their own use. If they had a vacant parcel behind
their house, they would prefer to see that vacant.
Did it divide along party lines, Republican and Democrat?
No, net really,
difference.
Not really. The party lines made almost no
How does the Fremont area line up in terms of parties?
heavily one or the other?
Is it
It was heavily Democratic for most of its history, but if you look
at the voting records, it's gradually becoming more and more
conservative, although whether they're registered Democrats or
Republicans doesn't really indicate the sentiment.
But the vote does.
The votes have indicated that the community is becoming more and
more conservative, moving more and more to the right from the left.
That's a bit off our topic, but do you have some thoughts about why
that' s happened?
170
Brooks: Well, because people located here originally with barely enough for
a down payment on a house and sometimes borrowed some money from
parents, and the value of properties has increased very
substantially. As a result, their net worth has increased very
substantially, primarily because of the homes they own. As people
get more and more affluent, and with the higher and higher net
worth, they tend to be mere and more conservative and move from the
left more to center.
A Cooperative Relationship with Planning Director Roy Potter
Lage : We talked about the planning aspect. Let's discuss how you worked
with the planning staff of the city and how you evaluate their
abilities. You mentioned Roy Potter in particular [planning
director, 1958-1966].
Brooks: Yes. well. Roy Potter probably was the person who had the most
influence on the present plan, although he's been gone a number ef
years. His concepts still exist. The planning concepts he had are
still part of the plan, and then the concepts of implementing the
plan that were developed by Roy Potter are largely in place.
Although they've been refined and have become much more
sophisticated, the basic theory ef what he was talking about still
exists.
Lage: What would have been his plan?
Brooks: He developed the planned district [PD] and the PUD [planned unit
development]. At that point in time most developments were just
taking place on a standard- ordinance basis. You had certain size
lots and streets. The planning tended to be rectangular kinds ef
subdivisions. He was interested in creating a different kind of
living environment and being able to create parks and open spaces
and mere attractive streets capes. So he began to develop these
planning kinds ef strategies that would change the nature of the
way things were developed. Working with him we created the first
park in Fremont.
Lage: Was that a park created within a development?
Brooks: It was created in a development by rearranging the lot sizes,
taking a little bit out ef each lot and accumulating what he
thought was really excess and not usable to the homeowner. We
combined those little tiny increments into one large parcel.
Lage: Sort of a commons idea.
Brooks: Yes. He was very much for the commons idea.
171
Lage : And that was the planned unit concept?
Brooks: Yes, planned unit development. That was kind of the first stage
because moving the political forces very far at one time is very
difficult. So it was done in gradual stages.
Lage: That seemed like a pretty radical idea?
Brooks: Yes, that was a pretty radical idea, although, you knew, it was a
very simple, unsophisticated kind of approach.
He'd come into this office. I was located in this office at
that time, and that wall had a big blackboard en it. He'd come in
and we'd spend a whole afternoon, four or five hours, talking about
what could be done and what was economically feasible. So he'd
draw seme kind of sketch on the blackboard and he'd say, "Why won't
this work?" Then I'd comment on why it wouldn't work. I'd say,
"If you change it this way, then it might work." And we'd keep
making various sketches and analyzing the various sketches until we
came up with net only something that we thought would work as far
as development is concerned, but something that was acceptable
politically as well.
Lage: That's really interesting. Would you meet with him in the very
first stages of a development?
Brooks: Well, it was kind of an unusual relationship because I don't think
he did that with any other developer. He'd come in, and it was
kind of a personal relationship between the two of us. Once we
worked something out, then he'd try to get other developers to go
along with the idea. In fact, most of them would net even go along
with the PUD idea until we had dene a couple ©f them and they could
go out and see it.
Then he was able to take the planning information and the
information I'd given him to present arguments to other developers
on why they should do it. Then sometimes the other developers
would check with me to see how the economics were working out, and
I would support Roy's view because we'd worked it out together,
[laughter] It was really kind of a partnership between government
and private enterprise, trying to arrive at some common ground that
would create a better community environment and then that
partnership selling it to the other people who might be involved in
development.
Lage: And selling it to the council tee.
Brooks: Yes, and selling it politically. I would sell it to the chamber of
commerce, for example. He would try to sell it to, you know, people
within the city. But the end result was, I think, a better living
environment, without raising the cost of housing to the purchaser.
172
Lage:
B rooks :
Did you find that this was helpful on the sales end of things?
the public like it?
Did
Lage:
B rooks
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
Well, the public, to begin with, coming out to buy a house, paid
little attention to the fact that there might be a park down the
street in the future. They usually focus on the need for a park
after they've lived there for a while. So it really wasn't a big
plus as far as marketing is concerned, but it relieved a lot of
pressure en the city as time went en because they didn't have the
pressures to create parks at city expense.
Sounds like a very well-thought-eut idea. You mentioned that
planned unit development wasn't new to Fremont, that it had been
practiced in the East, but that this was one of the first —
Yes. it had been done in the East, but very little of it had been
dene in the West, in California, at that point in time. There were
some projects, and seme we looked at. Roy and I reviewed, that were
done in the 1800s that had seme of these concepts. You knew, like
the commons area in Boston and places like that. We tried te leek
at these and see hew they worked ever a long period of time. We'd
say, "This one's been there a hundred years, and people living
there are happy, and they'd be very unhappy if you tried to take
those benefits away from them. So it was a good idea a hundred
years ago, and it's still working, and values have increased
substantially because of that kind of planning there; why can't we
use it here?"
That was part of the discussion process and the questioning we
went through. "Why can't that concept be used?" Then we'd get
inte various areas and say. 'Veil, we can take the basic concept,
but we have te modify it this way to make it fit the current
situation and the current economics."
Some of these things are not new. You knew, some of the basic
planning ideas that are being used now were used by the Romans.
That's right, we're reinventing the wheel with a let ef things.
Yes. yeu're just picking up ideas that were developed a long time
ago. A let ef the housing types were developed as a result of
these discussions. The kind ef walled-in lots with entrances with
inside gardens and that kind ef thing that have been done in
Fremont, well, you knew, the Romans had done that and the Europeans
still do it.
Did some of this come out of discussion with Roy Potter also? It
wasn't just the public spaces, but some of the design of the homes?
173
Brooks: Yes. Typically, we'd come in without any agenda, just explore and
talk far four or five hours at a time about almost anything that
came te mind in. you know, that general area of planning and living
environment and hew you could do a particular lot that might be
more desirable.
Lage: It sounds really exciting.
Brooks: It was just a brainstorming session, and we did it pretty
regularly.
Lage: You must have had a meeting of the minds with him.
Brooks: Well, we pretty much did. He'd come to my office, rather than me
going te the city, because we didn't have the interruptions here.
I'd turn off my phone. He had trouble turning off his phone and
his staff people at City Hall. So he'd come down here, and we'd
close the door and spend the time just reviewing these things.
Lage: What was his background? Where did he come from?
Brooks: I can't recall where Roy came from. He was the first planning
director here when the city hired him. He was planning director in
some other city.
Lage: Do you remember how long he was here? When did he leave?
Brooks: Roy was here, oh, three or four years, something like that.
Lage: Oh. it was that short a time?
Brooks: Yes. He wasn't here for a long period of time.
The Planned District Concept; Planning and Politics
Lage: Now. from the planned unit development you went into the planned
district concept. How was that different?
Brooks: Well, the planned unit development was merely how you reduce a
series of lots, maybe the width from sixty feet te fifty-eight feet
or fifty-five feet to create an open space, whereas the planned
district becomes more sophisticated. You can have private streets,
and you can vary the ordinance requirements for setbacks and side
yards, and you combine units with common walls. You can do a whole
series of things. With a PUD you can't change the street size.
With a planned district you can vary the street width te
accommodate what you're really creating.
174
Lage :
B rooks :
Lage:
Brooks :
Lage:
But the •verall balance has to remain the same?
The overall density remains the same, whereas one of the
differences between a PUD and a PD is that a PUD has lots all of
the same size. You deal with lots all of the same size, whereas
with a PD you can vary the let sizes. You've just got total
flexibility. The limitation it has is. "Dees it create a better
living environment and do you maintain the general plan density?"
Now. the general plan, it's net a fixed density for each
parcel, it's in steps. The first step is what would be a regular
development or a PUD. and then it's got a step two and three, and
you can increase the density within those ranges by creating a
better environment and better facilities for the people who live
there. You do landscaping of streetscapes and common recreational
facilities for the home owners, and that kind of thing, in a PD
that you can't do with the standard ordinance or the PUD.
Lage:
B rooks :
When would you have started working with the PD concept?
are we talking about?
How late
Well, the PD concept grew out of the PUD. Once we got that to
where it was acceptable, politically acceptable, then we said.
"Well, why can't we do seme of the ether things that they've been
doing for 2000 years?" — to pick up seme ef those concepts that were
good and had been working for that long a time.
We said. "Well, the ordinances that require a twenty-foot
front yard and a ten- feet side yard and a twenty-foot backyard just
won't work. You can't apply those concepts because they're too
confining." So the basic idea behind the PD was that you did not
have to comply with any ef these ordinances. The PD is a separate
zone of itself. You zone it PD so you don't have to comply with
any ef these ordinances. You just try to take that parcel and just
create a superior living environment.
Now. who judges if it is superier?
political arena.
This must have gotten into the
Yes. Then, once you do that, then the staff judges and makes the
recommendation; the planning commission then reviews it. and either
supports the staff or doesn't support them. Once the planning
commission has their comments, then it goes to the city council f or
final approval, and then the city council makes a judgment. So
it's a whole series of political judgments made along the way.
Would the council pretty much support the planning commission or
did some of these things become controversial?
175
Brooks: Well, both ways. Quite often they'd support the planning
commission, mere often than net. but any number of times the
council would say, "Well, we really don't like everything the
planning commission has done, se we're going to vary that." So
then they'd send it back to the planning commission with some of
their recommendations, "Well, I think this should be changed and
that should be changed," and the planning commission would review
it again, then it would go back to the council againl
Lage: And you would be actively there, supporting the —
Brooks: Yes, well, during that period the council was meeting one night a
week and the planning commission one night a week. I spent at
least two nights a week in council chambers, before one or the
other, and quite often these meetings would go on till one, two in
the morning. I remember one that went on till three o'clock one
morning. They'd argue for hours and hours about these various
things.
Lage: Was this during the sixties that they went on that long or right at
the initial stages in the fifties?
Brooks: Well, from the initial stages on through the mid-sixties. Then it
gradually began to boil down to some more or less standard — Roy was
gone by that time — some standard concepts and getting back te some
standard rules they would follow, which I think was a mistake
because they'd taken the flexibility out of it.
Lage: So they did stop working with these mere flexible arrangements?
Brooks: Ne, they kept working with them but they began to develop standards
for that kind of thing, which more or less gets back into moving
towards, effectively, ordinance requirements againl
Lage: I see what you mean. That seems to be the progression ef things.
Brooks: Well, it makes it a lot easier for the political forces to deal
with something that's related to a standard.
Lage: Right, but it may be easier also for a developer. Now, you seemed
te like the challenge of this more flexible approach.
Brooks: The standard approach is a lot easier for developers also. It's
easier for everybody involved, but it takes the challenge away from
doing something really different.
176
Involvement with the Alameda County Flood Control District
Lage: We'll be earning back to seme of this business with the council, but
I want to talk a little mere about flood control. We talked last
time about seme of the interim measures that you took to deal with
flooding, but we missed the part about the Alameda County Flood
Control Project itself.
Brooks: You're talking about the Corps of Engineers project on Alameda
Creek?
Lage: Right. Now. one thing I mentioned is that Will Patterson was
chairman of the Alameda County Flood Control District, or
president.
Brooks: No. he was president of the water district.
Lage: But also he had something to do with the flood centre! district
[first chairman of the advisory commission ef the Alameda County
Flood Control and Water Conservation District, from 1949 until
1955. or later].
Brooks: No. he wasn't really involved in the flood control district. He
was president of the water district and was the person who was the
motivating force behind getting the water district formed. But the
flood centre! district is completely separate.
Lage: I knew that, but I believe he was involved in the flood control
district also. Maybe it was an advisory board chairman.
Brooks: He might have participated in the meetings and that sort of thing,
but he had no official position with the flood control district.
Because the flood centre! district didn't really get going until —
Lage: Well, there must have been something earlier to deal with it.
Brooks: You see. all the flood control measures before incorporation were
really controlled by the county engineering department. There
wasn't really a flood control district as such.
Lage: Right. That was when he was involved, when the county was in
charge of it.
Brooks: Yes, but that was under the standard engineering staff of the
county.
Lage: Right, and he was sort ef advisory board chairman, apparently.
Brooks: Well, he may have been, but was in no official capacity.
177
Lage: But when the concrete channel get put in. he was dead. I think.
Brooks: Well, they formed a flood control district, which was somewhat
different than the way it was handled before, then the district
really got in and began to develop long-range plans for flood
control.
Lage: Now. did you get involved in that?
Brooks :
Lage:
Brooks ;
Lage:
B rooks
Oh, I was involved with the flood control district on a ve
regular basis! I'd been down at their offices once a week.
Tell me about that. What were you working toward?
We were working towards mainly interim solutions to a major problem.
The major problem was the flooding or the overflow from Alameda
Creek. Everybody knew that eventually there would be the major pro
ject by the Corps of Engineers on Alameda Creek that would eventually
solve the flooding problem. What could you do in the interim?
And maybe how could you speed the Corps of Engineers up?
a problem?
Was that
That was always a discussion, and that was a major thing with the
chamber of commerce and the city again. Every agency involved was
trying to find ways to speed up the federal government! And get
appropriations from the Congress so the Corps of Engineers would
have the funds to do the project.
Lage: Did you get involved with that with your political ties to
Washington?
Brooks: Well, everybody was involved. I was involved. You know, every
time we talked to a representative in Washington, the question
always was, "When will you get the move on this?" [laughter] So
really everybody was working on it in the community.
Lage: It was a major concern?
Brooks: Yes, it was a major concern in the community. Before that, we
almost had to leek at individual parcels and say, "Well, because of
the flooding, what's happening to this parcel and what kind of an
interim solution could you develop that would give future residents
the full protection i^f the Corps of Engineers project never
occurred?" So it was a matter of just taking a particular parcel
and doing the engineering studies relative to that parcel and what
could be done and what were the alternatives.
Then I'd sit down with flood control people and say, "I think
this is a solution and here are the engineering concepts and the
basic numbers." We'd go over that and after discussion and
178
Brooks: modifications and so forth, they'd say. •'Okay, we think that
concept will work. Now let's refine it and do the detail
engineering to make sure it will work."
Lage: So you often brought in the concepts?
Brooks: Yes. In fact. I developed most of the concepts right in my own
office. I'd sit down at a drafting table and sketch these things
out and make the basic computations that would give you the general
magnitude of the numbers you had to deal with, then take those to
them and through a discussion we'd refine it. Then I'd come back
at that point in time. Then I'd turn it over to our professional
engineering group, and they would refine it with refined numbers
and refined concepts, and we'd get that approved. Then we'd come
back and do the detail engineering for construction drawings.
Lage: Would this be something you would have to pay for as the developer?
Brooks: Oh sure.
Lage: The flood control district didn't help out?
Brooks: No, no. They didn't pay for it at all.
**
Lage: Now we'll move to the Patterson Ranch again. Once all this flood
control was in place, particularly the Corps of Engineers project,
isn't that what allowed the Patterson Ranch to become developable?
Brooks: That removed the flooding hazard from the ranch, but even before
that I'd worked on an interim solution that was also acceptable to
the flood control district. So we had an interim solution in place
that would have made it developable, would have worked. We'd done
detailed studies on that, and those studies were approved by the
flood control district. But we never had to use that interim
measure because the Corps of Engineers announced that they were
proceeding with their project. So we could abandon the interim
measures and go to what was going to happen in the future. When
the Corps thing became a certainty, then we could abandon a lot of
the interim solutions and wait for the corps project.
Lage: It made it simpler for you. I would think.
Brooks: Yes. It made it a lot simpler because I devoted a lot of my time
in the days before the corps project to just the flood control,
engineering kinds of studies I'd do myself. I'd just take maps and
I'd draw all kinds of schemes — scheme maybe is a bad word! — until I
found one that I thought would work on an engineering basis.
179
Lage: What were you planning for? I interviewed an engineer from the
Corps of Engineers and he talked in terms of fifty-year floods,
hundred-year floods.
Brooks: Well, for different kinds of projects there're different standard
criteria. The flood control corps project is a hundred-year flood
design. They have other things. Sometimes it might be a fifty-
year flood or even a twenty. It depends on the nature of the
project, and you design to a criteria.
Lage: Are the home owners advised that they're living in a flood plain?
Brooks: Well, there's no need to advise them because at the time the
home owner arrives, the solutions to these things have been well
worked out and they've all been engineered out to standard criteria
so that they don't have any mere hazard than living anyplace else.
In fact, probably in the north plain area, which was the area that
flooded all the time, there's less hazard new because of the modern
engineering design of flood control facilities than there are in
many other areas, older areas.
Lage: That channel is very wide. It looks like it would take an awful
lot of water to run over.
Brooks: Right, yes. Then, also, the interior designs within the developed
areas out there have a much higher standard than ether, older areas
within the community.
Lage: One thing I'm interested in, part of the lands that the flood
control district purchased from the Pattersons then became part of
Coyote Hills Regional Park. Do you know anything about the process
of Coyote Hills becoming a park? Apparently, there was seme
conflict between Fremont's idea of a "new town" in that area and
the park district's hope fer a really major park.
Brooks: I think there was maybe some dispute on boundaries, but I think in
concept the Coyote Hills Park, which is a series of hills right en
the bay, had always been considered from the beginning that it
should be some kind of open space area, which was nothing more than
saying it should be a park area. So I think that concept existed
from the beginning. You knew, the park comes down to a portion ef
the flatlands and some marshlands and that kind ef thing, and there
was seme dispute about maybe what those boundaries were, but that
kind ef thing is a relatively minor dispute.
Lage: And there was apparently a dispute with the Pattersons over
purchase price.
Brooks: The Pattersons weren't anxious to sell a major pertien ef the
ranch, but at that point there was little choice as the agency has
power ef condemnation, so it's a matter ef negotiation.
180
Lage: Did you act as an adviser an that at all with the Pattersons?
Brooks: Not in that area, but I got involved in reinvesting some of the
funds that came from that.
Lage: From the sale?
Brooks: Yes. Really the negotiations en that were not that difficult.
Lage: Oh, they weren't?
Breaks: No, they were pretty straightforward. You know, the government
agencies had appraisals, and they can't pay above their appraisal,
and of course landowners always think their land is werth mere. So
it's a pretty straightforward negotiation. It didn't need much
talent to negotiate that.
Lage: I've been reading seme newspaper clippings about it, and apparently
some of the community was unhappy because the flood centre! project
increased the value of these lands. The government paid fer the
flood centre! project, but the Pattersons wanted the additional
money for the land.
Brooks: Well, that's a typical kind of argument. There are standard rules
of law that apply in arriving at the appraisals, and they applied
the standard rules of law. Some people are happy with the law, and
some people are unhappy with the law, but that's the lawl And that
occurs in everyday experiences. You knew, some people don't like
the seatbelt law. They have the seatbelt law fer your car. and some
people think the law should be rigidly enforced. There's a
difference of opinion, but the law is whatever it is.
Genesis ef the New Town Concept in the North Plain Area
Lage: I was surprised, in reading about this Coyote Hills thing, how
early the term "New Town" was used in that area, clear back in the
early sixties.
Brooks: The New Town term was used from the very beginning with Roy Potter,
from the very first general plan of the city. There were five
existing communities that made up Fremont, and in addition to the
five existing communities, one great big open area to the north
that was not identified as a community. He looked at that one big
open area and said, "That should be the sixth community." So it
got that identity from the very beginning, that that should be the
sixth community —
Lage: And kind of have its own little center.
181
Brooks: And whereas each of the other five were called "towns," and still
are. he just picked that up and said. "That community equals town."
You can say "community" or "town," it's the same thing.
Lage: So way back in the early sixties he saw this as potentially
developable.
Brooks: Yes. he saw that it should be planned as a sixth town.
Lage: Now. was this something that the two of you worked out together or
did he pretty much bring that up?
Brooks: He pretty much brought that up. although we discussed it and we
were very much in agreement en that concept. In fact, there was
not a whole lot of discussion on the concept. He just said.
•Gentlemen, that's going to be our sixth town," and everybody
seemed to accept it. There wasn't very much controversy on that
subj ect.
182
IV PATTERSON RANCH DEVELOPMENT. 1970s
Purchase of Tract 0 by Singer Housing
Lage : Let's talk now about the development in the seventies on the
Patterson Ranch, the controversial sale of land that is now
Ardenwoed Park, and subsequent lawsuit.
Brooks: The sale wasn't controversial. The Pattersons decided to sell a
portion of the ranch, and that portion was called Tract 0 in those
days because I had a series of parcels and each one had a letter to
identify it. Tract 0 was the parcel that their homes were en. It
had the private parks and all the trees and very specialized
agriculture. You know, the portion that was agriculture was walnut
trees rather than row crops. So they decided to sell that tract.
Lage: Do you knew why they picked that tract to sell?
Brooks: Well, I think there were a couple of reasons. Number one, it was
immediately adjacent to the highway. It was net in the Williamson
Act.
Lage: I see, so the taxes were high on that.
Brooks: Yes, the taxes were high on that. Also, most of it could be served
by sewer at that point in time. So if anything was to be
developed, that was the logical place to develop.
Lage: And what did they think might be the fate of the home and the
trees? When they sold that to you, was there any —
Brooks: There were no restrictions, no restrictions. When they sold it,
they sold it, which included everything that was on the property.
Lage: Because I've heard two points of view from the family. Some people
say, "We always wanted that home saved in a park.11 And then I've
heard other people in the community say they were afraid that they
were going to burn that house down.
183
Broeks : Well, there were no restrictions in the sales agreement, because I
knew. I negotiated it and signed it. and I was purchaser, so I
knew what the agreement said. There was kind of an informal thing,
net part of the agreement, between myself and Marj orie Patterson.
She said, "Well, if you're going to have, in the future, a park
within this parcel as part of the development process, I would like
to see you put the park where the home is and see if you could
preserve the home with a park site around it." But she always made
it clear it was net an obligation en my part. It was just she
would like to see that.
Lage: She had lived there longer than anybody, hadn't she?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Was she living there at the time it was sold or had she already
moved?
Brooks: I just don't recall. She was either living there at the time it
was sold or moved out shortly before the sale. For practical
purposes she'd been living there.
Lage: Now, you were with Singer by then.
Brooks: Yes, I was president of Singer Housing Company. I had merged my
companies; I had a whole series of companies with the Singer
company, which is the Singer Sewing Machine Company. Subsequent to
that merger, then, I became president of Singer Housing Company,
which was a national real estate building company with divisions in
Florida and Colorado and Arizona and a number of places.
Lage: So you had your mind on a lot of things besides Patterson
Properties.
Brooks: Yes.
Fremont's Moratorium en Development in the North Plain
Lage: In 1969, before you purchased that land, it was rezoned from
agriculture to residential and commercial.
Brooks: Yes. One of the problems was that part of it was in Newark and
part of it was in Fremont. The part that faced the highway, a
strip a thousand feet wide from the highway back, was in Newark, and
the balance of the property that was behind that, with no direct
access to the highway, was in Fremont. [laughter]
Lage: So you worked on plans for this area?
184
Brooks: Yes. we developed plans for this area, and of course we had to
process them through both cities at that point in time.
Lage : What were your original plans? Did they involve a park around the
house?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage : So you did try to do that?
Brooks: Yes. I tried to accommodate that wish.
Lage: Was there also anything expressed to you by the community or people
in the community that showed they wanted a park there?
Brooks: There was a faction of the community that wanted the whole thing to
be a park. Then there were other factions in the community that
just wanted to see it developed. Mainly the business community
wanted to see it developed. There was a let of controversy at this
point in time, and there were major differences between what the
city of Newark wanted and what the city of Fremont wanted.
Lage: And how did they differ?
Brooks: The city of Newark wanted high-density housing and commercial
development. They didn't care about a park. They didn't want any
park.
Lage: They wanted more tax base?
Brooks: They wanted mere tax base, and they wanted mere housing, and they
wanted higher density than ether areas of the city. They wanted
that to be their high density area, and they wanted a major
commercial development. Whereas the city officials in Fremont at
that time really didn't want to do anything. They just wanted to
leave it as open space 1
Lage: Was this at the time the slow-growth faction was in power?
Brooks: Yes, they were in power at that point.
Lage: And how about the planning department? Were they with you on this?
Brooks: Oh, the planning department follows the lead of the council. If
you've got a slow-growth council, the planning department, because
they're employees, if they're going to keep their jobs, they're
going to respond to their bosses. So in Fremont you had one
approach, and in Newark you had another approach, and roughly half
the land was in each city. [laughter]
185
Lage: At one point. I think, you suggested maybe Newark should annex the
rest of it.
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: You must have gotten pretty frustrated working with the two cities.
Brooks: Well, the parcel being split down the middle wasn't logical for
either city. It didn't make any sense for either city. You'd have
to go through Newark to get to the Fremont land. So you'd have to
go through the Newark city limits to go back around to get to the
Fremont land. Then, Newark had the property that faced the major
thoroughfare and Fremont had the rear piece. Part of that logic was.
if you take all those factors together, it probably should be in
Newark. Well, of course, Fremont didn't want to give anything up.
Lage: So what was the upshot? I know it ended in a moratorium en the
development for Fremont.
Brooks: Well. Fremont declared a moratorium, and Newark approved all the
plans for their half. So we had a division line with everything
approved in Newark, and a moratorium on the Fremont side.
Singer's Lawsuit and Negotiations for a Settlement Agreement
Brooks: I just didn't think they could do that legally, so I filed a law
suit against Fremont. The court agreed with me and ordered Fremont
to process our development plans.
Lage: Were they ordered to process specific development plans or just to
work with you?
Brooks: They ordered them to process the plans in accordance with the
existing ordinances and regulations within the city. Then, the
nature of that order would almost compel you to develop it in a
standard subdivision, not using a PD or PUD. As a result of that
court order, we could have just gone ahead and developed the rest
of it, then coordinated with the Newark side, which was already
preapproved by now.
At that point in time, the council again had changed somewhat,
[laughter] There'd been an election in between, and the new council
thought that it would be much better to sit down and try and
negotiate something that made sense because that didn't make a
whole lot of sense. I had a legal right to do it, but it really
didn't make a whole lot of sense on a planning basis and didn't
correspond with what Fremont would really like to see, although we
couldn't present it.
186
Lage: It also seems like it wasn't lacking toward what was going to
happen with the rest of the land.
Brooks: That's right. Of course, the court order also applied to the rest
ef the land.
Lage: And that could be developed?
Brooks: Yes. So the council had changed, and there were some new members
and effectively what they said, but they didn't say it in these
words, "It's kind of ridiculous. We've gone through this whole
lawsuit and doing this whole thing. It was kind ef a ridiculous
process. It cost us a let ef money because the city had very
substantial attorneys' fees involved in fighting this lawsuit — "
Lage: Of course they could have appealed it.
Brooks: They could have appealed it, but the nature ef the court order and
its legal basis would have made it a very difficult thing to turn
ever en appeal. I think they realized that, and I think the city
attorney realized that. Just by the nature ef it, it's one of
these things that's very, very difficult to reverse on appeal.
So then the council said that the whole process had been
ridiculous, and it didn't make a whole let of sense, and accepting
a development plan in accordance with our standard ordinances
because ef the unique features ef that piece ef land is kind of
ridiculous on the face of it, and we really don't like what Newark
has approved either, [laughter]
So the council then appointed a negotiating committee to
contact me to see if they could negotiate something that made more
sense. They appointed a councilman to that committee, Tony
Azevedo. Tony Azevede and Larry Milnes, who is now assistant city
manager but I think at that time he was public works director, and
city attorney Allen Sprague. and then the city manager sat in on
some ef the meetings, but net most of them.
Se we started a process ef saying. "What can we do that makes
mere sense? How can we negotiate a settlement of the lawsuit and
at the same time do a development that makes more sense?"
Lage: Would your settlement have to be approved by the court then?
Brooks: No, we could enter into a settlement agreement between the parties.
It did not require a court approval. We spent day after day in the
city hall conference room.
187
Lage: I have noted somewhere, it must be from newspaper accounts. 350
hours. That's a let of hours!
Brooks: I didn't keep track of the hours, but my guess would be it's in
that magnitude. Probably 350 hours at meetings and another 700
hours analyzing outside the meetings. [laughter]
Lage: What a taskl How did these meetings proceed?
Brooks: Well, we began to set out some objectives that the city of Fremont
would like to see. First of all, they'd like to see Newark out of
there. Hew can we annex this Newark land to Fremont? So that was
one thing that had to be done. And then they said, "Well, we'd
like to see a major park, not only a typical community park, but
we'd like to see a major park that includes all the tree areas and
the [George Washington] Patterson house, and how can we do that?"
But yet if they did that, it would take almost all the land, so
there wouldn't be anything left for development I
So we said. "Well, if we arrange to have that as a park, then
if we can do some trading with the Patterson family for seme
adjacent land, then you will approve the adjacent land for
development." So that involved then getting with the Pattersons
and saying, "Will you do some trading with us for adjacent land?" —
to accommodate the overall type of plan we were developing at the
city, and the Pattersons were cooperative.
Lage: Did you have to meet with all the Pattersons or did you meet just
with "Don?
Brooks: I met with Don, who kind of represented his whole side of the
family, and then I met with John and Sally Adams, who represented
the ether side of the family.
Lage: And they were all agreeable?
Brooks: Yes. And we traded back and forth. It was a very complex kind of
land trade thing, and then we also had to trade Williamson Act land
too, which had never been done anyplace in the state. We were
going to take this piece that's in the Williamson Act and this
piece that's not, and we were just going to move the Williamson Act
from this piece to that piece and this over here. So the relative
acreage stays the same. There was no legal precedent for that
anyplace 1 [laughter]
Lage: Except the willingness to do itl
Brooks: Yes. No legal precedent for that. The city attorney who was
involved in negotiations said, "I can't find anything that says you
can do anything like that, but I can't find anything that says you
can' t either. " [laughter]
188
Lage: And no one challenged it. I assume?
Brooks: So we did it and no one challenged it.
So through these complex negotiations — and I think the people
involved from the city all were dealing in good faith, trying to
find solutions that would implement what the council wanted — we
arrived at a settlement agreement that accommodated all these
things. It said you can go ahead and develop this over here, and
we'll dedicate the forty-six acres of park, and we'll sell to the
city the balance of the land. The city didn't have any money to
buy it with, so then we developed the idea of an issue of bonds to
buy it with and those bonds would be paid out from an additional
building permit fee for everybody that was developing in the city.
As I recall, it added $200 to the building permit fee for
everything that occurred in the city, and these funds would then,
hopefully, eventually pay off those bonds.
Lage: And would pay off Singer for property they were turning ever to the
city?
Brooks: Yes, and then Singer took the bonds in payment for the rest of the
land. Of course there was a great deal of uncertainty about
whether the bonds would ever be paid off because what was the
timing on development? When would it occur? So it was a very
uncertain kind of payment schedule.
Lage: How did the chamber of commerce and fellow developers feel about
that aspect?
Brooks: Well, the fellow developers really weren't involved, and they
weren't too concerned. It was more a matter of curiosity about how
things are goingl And of course, they were happy seeing a
developer really doing something because a developer had never sued
the city before and never had really worked out any kind of
arrangement.
This was completely new to everybody. There was no real
precedent for what we were doing any place in the state. There was
very little law on the subject of what we were doing. We just
assumed if there wasn't a law against it. then we could do it.
Lage: It sounds like your history of working closely with the city
certainly helped with this.
Brooks: Yes. Well. Larry Milnes and I have always had a good relationship.
He's a really tough negotiator. He doesn't give up anything for
the city. I have a great deal of respect for him. He has told me
he feels the same about me. I think it's a challenge to him. and
it's a challenge to me to negotiate with him. and it goes both ways.
189
Lage: You both enjoy the process.
Brooks: Yes. So he kind of led all the negotiations on the city side. The
city councilman was present and had comments, but Larry Milnes was
kind of the leader on their side, and of course I was just
representing myself.
Lage: One of the contentions, it seemed to me. was that the area couldn't
be serviced well at that time, that that was why they put in the
moratorium, because of inadequate fire service and all that.
Brooks: That was just a smoke screen.
Lage: Was it?
Brooks: It was obvious it was a smoke screen because as seen as we reached
a settlement agreement, all the services were there and we could
develop I
Lage: Didn't you have to put in that Paseo Padre overpass?
Brooks: Well, we were required to put in two lanes of it. That's half of
the overpass. But whatever development took place there needed
that traffic access, so that was never in dispute. That was never
really a dispute. We knew that that was required, and you just
couldn't put that many houses and people out there without a way
for them to get there!
Lage: And for the fire trucks to fellow them.
Brooks: Yes.
Arranging Land Swaps with Newark
Lage: So after that you had then to deal with Newark, or Fremont had to
deal with Newark.
Brooks: Well, I also participated with that on the Fremont side in
arranging land swaps because at that time the alignment of the BART
and freeway [Highway 84] was established by the state, and that
alignment isolated parts of Newark on one side and the ether side
of the freeway in relatively small strips which would be difficult
for the city to serve. The same thing with Fremont. The way the
freeway ran through it. it isolated pieces of property for both
cities so that they'd have to go through the other city to serve
these areas.
190
Brooks: That led to the logic of why not make the freeway the boundary
between the two cities. Newark could serve everything en that side
of the freeway and Fremont could serve everything on their side.
They wouldn't have to go around the devious route to get to a
little parcel within the city but disconnected from the city. So
through that whole process, and the cities agreed, they'd swap land
back and forth to make the freeway a common boundary between the
two cities. Fremont to the north and Newark to the south.
If
So that general concept got acceptance between the two cities
until right near the end of the mayor of Newark said. "Wait a
minute. I've been looking at this alignment and the eld boundary
line is here where it crosses what was called Newark Boulevard.
The freeway misses that line, the center line of that street, by
fifty feet. It's fifty feet further south than an exact alignment
that would intersect an exact point in the middle of a street."
[laughter]
Lags : So you had fifty feet of dispute.
Brooks: Yes. And he said. "I'm net going to agree to anything while that
freeway's ever there fifty feet." The state had already
established the alignment and were well into their design, so it
became a major hang-up in the negotiation. It was insignificant as
far as land was concerned. He just had a personal thing that this
was the old line, and the center line of the freeway should cross
the center line of that old street.
Lage: Even though this really wasn't for you to decide?
Brooks: But it did seriously disturb getting the whole thing complete. It
became so serious at that point I went to Sacramento and was able
to convince the highway department. CALTRANS now, that it was
logical for them to move it over fifty feet, which they did.
Part of the problem is they'd already acquired some right of
way. so the right of way the'd acquired didn't line up with the new
alignment 1 By that time the state had already acquired from Singer
the right of way that they needed for the freeway, and that would
then leave a little fifty-foot strip en one side of the freeway
that was owned by Singer and would take another fifty-foot strip on
the other side. So I told the state we would accept that and we
would deal with that strip later on; that would net be their
problem. That was an isolated strip back from the street because
you couldn't get to it.
Lage: It wouldn't be of much use to anyone.
Brooks: No use to anybody, and it didn't have any access.
191
Brooks: Well, with that and completing the negotiation with the state, they
moved the freeway ever to intersect that exact point that the mayor
of Newark wanted. So we put the freeway over and then the swaps
took place between Newark and Fremont to resolve the problem.
Lage: That's an amazing story. Who was the mayor ef Newark then?
Brooks: I think it was Balentine, Jim [James E.] Balentine.
Lage:
Brooks :
Did both cities end up happy with the swap?
apparently.
Newark got mere land.
Yes. well, that was another problem. They wanted everything to
come out equal, and there was no way to make it exactly equal. If
I recall it, my argument at that point in time was. "It should be
of equal value, not equal acreage," because they were looking at
equal acreage. I said, "This land up here is mere valuable than
that, so Newark should get more acreage to equate the values." I
got acceptance of that. There wasn't a whole lot of logic to the
argument, but it was a rationalization that everybody could accept 1
Lage: It made people happy.
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Was seme ef that land that went to Newark also Patterson Ranch
land?
Brooks: Yes, a portion. Not a whole lot, but there was a triangular piece
of probably twenty acres or so that went to Newark.
Parties to the Solution;
Housing
The Courts, the Community, and Singer
Lage: You also went to Sacramento on a legal matter, didn't you, having
to do with a law that would forbid councils from reversing
themselves on these development processes?
Brooks : Well, I did a number of things of that sort in Sacramento. I
served en various commissions and committees in Sacramento that
dealt in this area. Also, when Governor Brown was in office. I
became kind of an unofficial member ef his group and advisor, so I
would advise him on legislation that came from the legislature that
related to this area. Also I served as chairman ef the Economic
Development Commission, so I did a lot ef work in that area. Which
particular item I don't knew because I was dealing with these kinds
of things on a pretty regular basis.
192
Lage:
Brooke:
Well, the thing I had heard about was that you were somewhat
incensed that the city council reversed its own rules for the
Patterson area after you'd purchased it, and then there was
legislation that a council was bound by former agreements.
No. not really. That all took place in the court action.
have any special legislation adopted en that at all.
1 didn't
Lage: Okay. Wherever I read that or heard it, it must be wrong.
Brooks: Well, there're all kinds of rumors of hew I went about doing it.
Those people who like to oppose me like to tell a story that I went
to Sacramento and had the legislature pass me a special bill and
the governor sign it for me, but those rumors are just net true.
[laughter]
Lage: So it was the court who said the council was acting improperly in
declaring a moratorium en development in the north plain?
Brooks: The court made the decision based upon the laws in existence at
that time, and there was no change by the legislature at all.
Lage: Okay. That's why we're doing this, to straighten out some of these
things.
Did you get some sense about the community's feeling about
development in that area? Again, was it divided?
Brooks: It was divided, but I think the majority of the community had no
problems with the development of that area. I think the
environmental groups, which were a minority, a very vocal minority,
objected to it, and their main motivation was to get a great big
park out there.
Lage: Of course, that was sort of the height of the environmental
movement then.
Brooks: Yes. So through the negotiations and the restructuring and the de-
annexations and changing the freeways and everything, we pretty
much get them what they wanted.
Lage: Did you feel that you came out with a good economic solution
through that negotiation? I mean, did you give up a lot?
Brooks: Well, I think I gave up some, but I didn't give up so much that I
couldn't create an economic development.
Lage: By that time you weren't with Singer, and hadn't the land been sold
to another company?
193
Brooks: By the time the court action came along and subsequent to that, the
settlement with the city. I had retired from Singer, but Singer had
employed me as their representative and gave me full authority to
negotiate, and I'd just report to them in New York from time to
time what the status was. I think they had complete confidence and
faith in me. so they gave me just a blank check to negotiate what I
thought was appropriate. After all, I'd been the president of
their operation, a multi-million-dellar operation, for a number of
years. [laughter]
Lage : What was Citation Homes, then?
Brooks: Citation Homes came much later and wasn't really involved at all at
this stage because Singer, after I'd retired and been gene for
several years, decided to spin off their housing division, and they
spun off various housing divisions around the country, and the
division that was located here locally was renamed Citation, on a
spin-off where the employees, through a process, eventually acquire
the company. You know, you read about these things all the time.
I won't go into all the details of hew these things work
mechanically.
Then this division was named Citation, another division in
Colorado get another name, and one in Florida got another name, so
there was a change in names in splitting off the nationwide
operation to a series ef local operations that would be acquired by
employees in the future.
Lage: Did you have an association with Citation, then?
Brooks: Yes. well, then Citation also did the same thing as Singer, and ef
course Singer still owned Citation then. So I looked at it really
as one company, and I had the same arrangement both before and
after that technical spin-off kind of thing.
19A
V CONSULTANT TO THE PATTERSON HEIRS. 1980s
City ef Fremont's Pressures for Development ef the North Plain
Lage : Let's talk now about our final topic — what you've done as a
consultant for the Patterson family in the eighties. That's sort
of a new story, I would think.
Brooks: The Pattersons still, after all these things we've been talking
about, owned very large acreage out there. It was all in
agriculture. There came a point in time when we had a particular
group on the council that were pro-growth now — it gees back and
forth — and they said, "We don't know why we should have any
Williamson Act in the city. We've get this all planned for
development; why should we reduce our revenues to the city by
giving these people special breaks out there so they can hold their
land and sell it at higher values in the future?"
Lage: That's the way they saw the Williamson Act?
Brooks: That's what they said, that it was just a holding act so they can
held their land and let the values rise without paying their fair
share ef taxes, and the city doesn't participate in any of that
value rise, and we should consider canceling the Williamson Act for
all the parcels in Fremont. It became a kind ef sentiment on the
council, not the total council, but at least it appeared to be a
majority on the council.
Of course, that disturbed the Pattersons, and Don Patterson in
particular, who was then the manager ef the ranch for the family.
If they were paying regular taxes, there wasn't enough farm income
to even pay the taxes. It was a very substantial loss each year if
they had to pay regular taxes.
So Don came to me and said. "We've got this major problem. If
political forces carry out what they say they're thinking ef. then
we have a major problem. What can we do about it? Will you give
it some thought and advise me on what my various alternatives and
options are?"
195
Breoks: Well. I talked to some city people and I get a pretty firm feeling
that they were fairly serious, that that group was fairly serious
about this proposal. At that point in time the chamber of commerce
had a special committee to encourage development out there. They
wanted the thing fully developed. They wanted additional people;
they wanted the additional business that would create, the
additional taxes it would generate.
Lage: It's such a swing from just a few years earlier when they were
putting a ten-year moratorium on all development.
Brooks: Almost every time there's a council election there's a swing.
[laughter] Usually it only takes one and sometimes two members of
the council to change the majority vote because every council had
some no-growth people and some pro-growth people, and it all
depends on who had three votes at any particular time, who had
three out of five.
Lage: Now. did that make the developers, yourself included, get involved
in these city council elections?
Brooks: Oh, certainly.
Lage: Supporting certain people?
Brooks: Yes, very much involved, very much involved.
Preparing and Promoting a Master Plan for Patterson Ranch Lands
Breoks: Getting back to the eighties, being the sentiment of the community
at that point in time, it appeared that this was a very serious
threat to the Patterson family. At least Don considered it a very
serious threat. Because he was really representing his side of the
family, he asked me to discuss the threat and the consequences of
the threat with Sally and John Adams.
I made an appointment with them, went to their home, talked to
them about it. and I gave them whatever background I could get,
excerpts from minutes where they'd made comments like this from the
city council, some copies of the chamber of commerce agendas, and.
you know, various documentation to indicate what the mood of the
community was.
They concluded at that time that they should take some
positive actions to protect themselves and so did Don. So Don came
back and said, 'Will you begin to work on this thing for us? We've
concluded that the only way we can protect ourselves is to prepare
the property for development so that all or a portion of it could
be sold if these things should occur."
196
Brooks: So with that I did some sketch plans of what could be dene, and
conferred with Don and, from time to time, with Sally and John
Adams, and eventually arrived at seme concepts that were acceptable
ta them.
Lage: Se you were dealing with sort of a master plan for the area?
Brooks: Yes, the whole master plan for the whole area.
Lage: What would go in each portion?
Brooks: Yes. The whole master plan for each area, but just in freehand
sketch form because I was doing it all myself. I didn't want to
get anyone else involved because I didn't want anybody to knew what
the thinking of the family might be. The family wanted to keep
what they were doing very confidential.
Lage: Did the family give you any guidelines that were essential to them
for that land?
Brooks: Well, the only guideline was that they said they'd like to see some
substantial portion remain in agriculture. This threat occurred if
they could sell some substantial portion that would reduce their
exposure, and the income from the portion they sold would help
support the agricultural activities in the future.
Lage: So this generation still had a commitment to agriculture?
Brooks: Yes. They were very much committed to agriculture, and
particularly John and Sally Adams. They wanted to see as much
remain in agriculture as possible. Se I developed a plan with
about two- thirds of the land in urban development and about a
third, roughly, remaining in agriculture en an indefinite basis.
That did net receive a very good reception from the city or the
chamber of commerce.
Lage: How did you present it to them?
Brooks: I presented it that way. and they said no.
Lage: Informally or formally?
Brooks: Informally.
Lage: You just checked around.
Brooks: Informally, with both the chamber and the political forces in the
city, because the planning staff had got kind of removed at this
point in time. To protect themselves, the staff had employed an
outside planner and said, 'Uive us a series of plans that range
from no development to maximun development."
197
Brooks: Well, that resulted in a series of twelve different plans with
various intensities of development, and they just said te the city
council and the planning commission, "Take your choice."
[laughter] Which really led te nothing. So they didn't know what
choice to make because there were just small variations ever twelve
plans that went from nothing all the way te maximum.
Lage : In a way. then, your master plan was competing with this official
city effort?
Brooks: Yes. mine was designated a separate number. The city just inserted
it into the series in the middle someplace, and said, "Well, this
is another variation and take your choice." [laughter]
Lage: That's an interesting way to ge about it.
Brooks: Both the chamber and the majority of the council, as I read them at
that point in time, did net like my plan because at that point in
time they wanted a development plan with no agriculture. They
didn't want any agriculture.
The chamber ef commerce at this point in time had much mere
influence on the city council than they have presently. The
chamber ef commerce influence goes in cycles also. It's up and
dewn depending on elections and ether things. At that point they
were at the high point of their cycle; they had great influence on
the city council.
So through a series ef meetings with the chamber, with
planning staff, with seme ef the planning commission, some of the
city council, we were finally able te convince them, "Yeu're mainly
interested in the number ef people and number of houses, which are
really the same thing, that will create business for the community
and create a tax base for the community. Suppose we make this
portion that we're going te develop more concentrated and mere
intensive, increase the number ef people and the tax base, and then
leave some land in agriculture?"
Well. I was able te then convince the chamber and seme ef the
planning commission and the council and some of the planning staff
that that was a pretty good idea. So through a whole process of
meetings and negotiations, I teek my plan and did some more
detailed planning and showed them what could be dene, and they
actually came up with, "We want X number of houses out there, can
you do that?" They were using a number like 4000 or 4500 houses.
Lage: And they were originally thinking of them spread out over the whole
thing?
Brooks: Spread out ever the whole thing.
197a
197b
Key for 1981 town development plan
DU Intensity Scale
!• .•.-.'•' L
Vi»age I
Neighborhood Cluster 1
HI Neighborhood Cluster 2
L- . Neighborhood Cluster 3
LI] Neighborhood Cluster 4
subtotal
Village I
! i Neighborhood Cluster 1
H Neighborhood Cluster 2
Bl Neighborhood Cluster 3
MM Neighborhood Cluster 4
subtotal
VII oe •
tSj Noighborhood Cluster 1
lp Neighborhood Cluster 2
F~1 Neighborhood Cluster 3
subtotal
total
§ Elementary School/Park
(S Elementary School/Park
5 Junior High School
6 Senior High School
Ardenwood Park Expansion
High Technology Industry
Town Center
Secondary Commercial
TiKxoughfare
Cotector
Service Street
Visual Park-Trai Corridor
Park & Ride
Fre Station
Tral
CAPACITY ACMS
195
560
360
255
1370
80
310
300
330
1020
510
560
340
1410
3800
13
28
24
31
96
8
31
15
22
76
34
28
34
96
268
12
12
"15
••22
39
283
14
14
52
39
26
©
PRECISE SITE PLAN (PD Exhibit)
THE ENVIRONMENTAL CENTER
PLANNING DESIGN a LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE
1961 THE ALAMEDA. SAN JOSE, CA 95126- (4O6) 219-6152
198
Brooks: At that point everybody was exposed to what was going on. I still
did my basic sketches, and then I had a professional planner come
in and kind of refine them and put in pretty pictures — what ^ call
cartoons, by the way — so that they were prepared for governmental
agencies. You knew, they put all the trees in and color them
green.
Lage: Yes. and make it look livable.
Reaching a Consensus en the Balance between Open Space and Urban
Development
Brooks: So we reached a balance between agriculture and development that
was acceptable to the community forces, and not only the chamber of
commerce and the city council, but the environmental groups as well
because they got in the act at that point in time.
Lage: Well. I know that that's one of the ideas I've heard environmental
groups put forth, that we should have increased density so as not
to use up all the open space.
Brooks: Yes. I think it was the first time in my memory that even the
Sierra dub endorsed this, sent letters to the city council saying
they recommended the plan.
Lage: They recommended the plan you presented?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Did you work directly with people in the Sierra Club?
Brooks: Yes. I had some meetings with the Sierra dub staff people and
explained what we were doing and the advantages of what we were
doing. I assume they took it to their board, but I didn't deal
with the board directly. I just dealt with a staff person from the
Sierra dub.
So we seemed to have general acceptance for the first time in
history from all the various elements! From all the various
elements. From the real pro-growth elements, a lot of them
represented on the chamber of commerce; the city council; the
planning commission; the environmentalist groups; the historical
groups, because we were preserving the house and the area around
the house, and that's all they cared about; they didn't care what
you did with the development so long as we preserved these
historical things.
199
Brooks: The Sierra dub seemed te be pleased with the fact that the areas
that remain in agriculture we provided on the lower end. adjacent
te the Coyote Hills Regional Park, It's a kind of lowlands, seme
of it semi-marsh, an open space tied to the park, which would
remain an open space in the future through an open-space easement.
Lage: And would a tax break be given en that?
Brooks: Well, it's still in the Williamson Act. So the Williamson Act
remained en all the property that remained in agriculture, and the
Williamson Act was taken off all the land that was te be developed.
The Pattersons still have the Williamson Act en all the land that
remains in agriculture. So they're able to farm that, but
currently with farm prices and the rest, there's no profit in
farming. You're lucky if you break even. But they still want te
have land remain in agriculture, even though they may net be
breaking even en that operation.
Lage: Did the city make a commitment te keep it in agriculture for a
length of time?
Brooks: No, they divided the agricultural land into two classes: one that
remained permanently agriculture and another class that they called
urban reserve; it would remain in agriculture until such time as
there was a proven need for that land to be developed for the
benefit of the city and at such time as all the utilities and ether
things were available for that piece.
So they took a portion and said. "We can go either way en this.
We'll leave it in agriculture for now, but we'll have te look at
community needs in the future, and if the community needs it in
development in the future, then we'll change that portion. And
this portion down here will remain permanently in agriculture." So
that was all part ef the negotiations between these various groups.
Lage: And what happened te the twelve other plans?
Brooks: Well, the other plans kind of just disappeared. When it came time
for the planning commission and the city council to review the
plans, the other plans were on the wall so everybody could see
them, but they were only really discussing the one plan.
The council chambers were filled with people. For the first
time in my memory, not one person spoke against the plan. There
was a whole parade of speakers from the various different factions
within the community going up te the podium and speaking in favor
ef it. I sat there amazed, listening to this, and said t© myself,
"When they call on me to speak, I'm going to say very little
because I don't want to disturb anybody." [laughter] You know,
I've been known to stand at the podium in the past in the council
chambers and talk for two, two and a half hours at a time.
200
Lage: No vender the meetings lasted until three in the morning!
Brooks: This time I get up. and I was away from there in two or three
minutes I
Lage: When was this? When did it actually come before the council? Do
you knew the date?
Brooks: No. I don't have that date. Probably '80, '81 or something like
that.
It was a general plan change at that point that was approved.
Then we followed that with a planned district that was consistent
with that and began to refine it with all the other things that
have to go into it, an urban development plan. We also then built
in, which is not normal, the economics to implement it because it
required a let of public facilities. Major streets and sewers and
that kind of thing that would not normally be an obligation of the
developer. So we developed economic plans to accomplish this so
we'd have a full community from the beginning, not partially
completed streets.
Lage:
B rooks :
Lage:
B rooks :
Lage:
B rooks :
Local improvement districts?
And that's why we used two local improvement districts. LID 25 and
27, as the basic implementation.
I'm curious, with all the planning and all the political process,
where does the market fit in the planning process? I mean, where
did what you felt people would buy in terms of homes come into
play? Did people want increased density?
Well, I've been at this business thirty-five years, and it's
assumed I have some expertise in what the market wants, and that
was part of the planning process. You had a plan that's
marketable. You knew, a plan that's not marketable is no good to
anybody; it's a waste of time.
How do you increase yeur housing density?
tewnheuses?
By apartments and
Yes. we used basically smaller single-family lots and townheuses
and apartments.
Lage: You thought the market was ready for that kind of high-density
development?
201
Brooks: Well, you knew, it's an opinion you form, and you form it based en
your experiences and your knowledge of the business. I assume my
judgment was right because the development process is about five
years ahead of our projected schedule right now. and so we've get
geed market demand. The market demand is much greater than anybody
expected.
Lage : The timing was good too.
Brooks: Yes. Yes, you have to be fortunate in timing. The economics of
the country have substantial impact en these things, and in the
current age the world economics have impacted en the national
economics, and that has direct impact locally.
Lage: Was any thought given, when you were planning where to put things,
to the value of the land for agriculture? For instance, I talked
to Mel Alameda earlier this week and he said that the best
agricultural land was developed, and the land that was left for
agriculture was the least valuable soil and water.
Brooks: Well, other things dictated that, and I think whenever you talk to
a farmer, any land you take away from him is the most valuable,
anything you leave him with is the least valuable, no matter which
piece you take I But that seems to be the standard answer.
Regardless of that, there were other planning factors and criteria
that dictated where a development should be.
For example, you had the Ardenwood regional park, which we
created, and the city wanted the development adjacent to that park.
Putting a development here and another development ever here or a
park over here with an agricultural piece in the middle causes the
most difficult agricultural problem because you've got this cress
traffic and people. A further consideration was to put the
agricultural land where it could be isolated as a unit with the
least interference from urban development.
Lage : That makes sense.
Brooks: Se you had all these other factors that went into making that
determination.
One of the major determinants, by the way, was we felt the
agricultural area should be adjacent to Coyote Hills Regional Park
so that you had a natural transition. You see, the Alamedas were
farming part of the regional park land also. They had a lease to
farm the farmable area of the park land, and this was merely an
extension of what they were already doing, a place next to this
large open area. Because of the nature of the park and its design,
people don't get down to this area; it's separated by the marshland
and then the agricultural area.
202
Brooks: So it fit in the general scheme of things. The soil conditions may
be a little bit better or a little bit worse as far as farming is
concerned. I really don't know, but if Alameda thinks it's not
quite as good, then I'll take his word for it. But I don't see a
whole lot of distinctions.
Lage: And maybe there wasn't much choice, as you say.
Brooks: Yes.
Mel Belli' s Representation of Dissident Patterson Family Members
Lage: Any comments you'd have on the story Bob Buck told me about the
Patterson family and its problems in dealing with its own members,
the lawsuit with Mel Belli?
Brooks: It's kind of a complex thing because the Patterson Ranch people
look on the ranch as one piece of land. First of all, it's net one
piece of land. The part that we're talking about for development
was twenty-one separate parcels, all distinct, separate parcels,
and it wasn't one ownership. I think there were twenty-three owner
members at that point in time in the family, and these twenty-three
members owned the whole thing but they owned varying interests in
these various parcels. Like one owner may own ten percent of this
parcel and ninety percent of this one. but another owner would own
fifteen percent of this and ten percent of that. So except for
being a family member, looking at the land itself, there was no
common denominator of somebody that owned everything or any common
interest.
Then, to complicate that even more. Will and Henry deeded out
various portions of the ranch to various family members, not only
to their children but their grandchildren, in direct deeding, and
then also deeded out various other percentage interests to trusts
and various ether things. It was a very complex ownership.
Then, like any ether large family, disputes occur between the
various owners, and disputes occur between father and son,
daughters and cousins and uncles. So two of the grandchildren of
Will — they had very, very small percentage interest between them,
something less than two percent — decided that they could do a
better job and they should take over the whole thing. As a result
of that, they employed Belli to represent them.
Well, Belli, as is a normal thing, files a lawsuit, but he not
only files a lawsuit, but he goes a step further. He begins to
advertise in the Wall Street Journal and ether newspapers that he
has this total ranch for sale. Even though he represents a couple
203
Brooks: of very minority owners, he is asking for offers for the sale of
the ranch, and people are going in. making all kinds of proposals,
and he's gathering all kinds ef information, and he's convinced
that tie should be the developer of the ranch.
Lage: So he felt he could make more money for his clients with a
different development plan? Was that what it was over?
Brooks: I don't know whether it was a different development plan. It was
mere an argument ever who was going to control what would happen
mere than the development plan. I don't think it was so much a
development plan because he began to send out copies ef my plans to
people offering it for sale!
Of course, because ef the family relationships, that again got
complex. Eventually it went to trial. It was scheduled to be a
fairly long, complicated trial, but after about two heurs ef the
trial, the Belli attorney asked the court for a recess and went »ut
in the hall and said, "Can't we settle this thing?" [laughter]
They saw they didn't really have a case.
Lage: I wonder why it teek them so long to see that?
Brooks: Sometimes attorneys don't do as much homework as they should, I
must say, and this particular guy didn't. As a rule, sometimes
they don1 1.
One of the family members said, "What kind of a settlement
would you propose?" They said, "Well, buy out the interest ef
these two minority owners." Right in the courthouse hall negotia
tions took place and an arrangement to buy them out was agreed to.
I said, "There's one other factor that we have to consider,
that you've got to dismiss your complaint, but we don't want to be
facing this next month again. You go to Belli's office and Belli
personally has to agree te a restraining order that he'll never
again interfere with the Patterson family."
Of course they said, "Well, if that becomes public, it's very
damaging te his reputation." So we agreed that there'd be a
restraining order and it would be sealed, held by the court, and in
the event that he violated the order, it would be unsealed.
Lage: A fascinating ending! So it was actually a court order?
Brooks: Yes, a restraining order. He stipulated to it, by the way, agreed
to it. There wasn't any dispute. The court said that we were
requesting a restraining order, "Mr. Belli, de you want to comment
en it?" and he said, "I stipulate te it, provided the order will be
sealed by the court." The judge said, "Is that acceptable?" and
everybody said yes, and that was the end of that!
204
Lage: You purchased the two dissident family members' interests, didn't
yeu?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: Economically, how did they come out. de yeu think? If they'd
stayed on with the Pattersons —
Brooks: They get the fair market value and. I think, above the fair market
value of the property at that time. Of course, fair market value
has increased since that time. It's like any ether sale; yeu buy
it in the current fair market value and yeu take the risk of an
increase or decrease.
Lage: Then they had to pay Belli out of that?
Brooks: Yes. they had to pay Belli a substantial portion of what they
received.
Lage: It's kind of a sad tale.
Brooks: A very substantial portion of it Belli received as his fee for
losing the case.
Lage: Are yeu still a partner, then, with the Pattersons?
Brooks: Yes.
Lage: So you're involved as an owner, not just a consultant?
Brooks: That's right.
Lage: Then, after that, the family formed a corporation to de away with
these problems in the future?
Brooks: Well, the status of the ownership was impossible to deal with
because you had all these separate parcels and you had all these
separate owners and nobody owned any one parcel; everybody owned
little percentages of each parcel, so you could not do anything
without getting everybody to approve each item and sign, which is
an impossible situation. They all don't live in this area. Seme
of them live in the East, the Midwest. They're scattered all over,
and then net familiar with what's going en.
So that resulted in forming a limited partnership, which
allows a general partner to take appropriate actions without
getting individual approvals. So that was done, and that resolved
this complex ownership thing that there didn't appear to be any
solution to. The rest of the members of the family, except for the
two that sold, joined as partners.
205
Lage: It's mere rational.
Brooks: Yes. It's a logical business organization, whereas the previous
status of things was an impossible kind of business organization.
Lage: Now, you're net a consultant en a regular basis at present?
Brooks : No.
Lage: Is there anything else you want t« add about the processes we've
talked about today that you think we've missed?
Brooks: No, I think we've covered it pretty well.
Will Patterson and the Woodpeckers
Lage: Will you tell the story you told me last time about Will Patterson?
Brooks: Well. I think you're thinking of the story of Will and the
woodpeckers.
Lage: Right.
Brooks: You knew, the woodpeckers had existed for many years, and Will
lived in the house, and his common way of getting rid of the
woodpeckers was to just put a shotgun out the window when they
started pecking and shoot the gun and it would scare them away.
Lage: And he was elderly, you said, at the time.
Brooks: Well, he kept getting more and more elderly and less able to get
around. He became a sem i- inv al id, in a wheelchair. At that point
in time, you know, he began to have some problems like with the
bathroom. I went over and remodeled his bathroom for him and made
it an invalid kind of bathroom with all the bars and that kind of
stuff.
While doing that. I learned of this procedure of getting rid
of the woodpeckers because I'd hear the shotgun go off. and I'd go
in and say. "Will, what are you shooting at?" [laughter] "Yeah,
the damn woodpeckers; they've been around here for a hundred years,
but that's my way of getting rid ef them." But because of his age
and inability to get around, I got very concerned about that
shotgun alongside of his bed all the time. I said, "Will, we've
got to get rid of the shotgun." He said, "It's the only way I can
get rid of the woodpeckers."
206
Brooks: So I said, "Well. I'll solve that problem." So I went out and
bought a big school bell and mounted it en the side of the house
and I ran the wiring into the house with a button alongside of his
bed so that whenever the woodpeckers began to peck, he'd just push
the button, the bell would ring and scare the woodpeckers away.
Then we took his shotgun away from him. [laughter]
Lage: And that was agreeable?
Brooks: Yes. In fact, he gave me the shotgun. He gave me the shotgun as a
gift.
Lage: So, really, that was all he cared about having it for?
Brooks: Yes, that's the only thing he wanted the shotgun for, to scare
woodpeckers away. [laughter]
Lage: That's a good tale.
Transcriber: Joyce Minick
Final Typist: Shannon Page
207
TAPE GUIDE — Jack Bracks
Interview 1: November 5, 1987
tape 1 , side A
tape 1. side B
Interview 2
tape 2,
tape 2,
tape 3,
November 20, 1987
side A
side B
side A
tape 3. side B
145
155
168
178
190
200
208
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, California
THE PATTERSON FAMILY AND RANCH:
SOUTHERN ALAMEDA COUNTY IN TRANSITION
Robert B. Fisher, M.D.
History and Politics:
The Creation of Ardenwood Regional Preserve
An Interview Conducted by
Ann Lage
in 1986
Copyright
1988 by the Regents of the University of California
ROBERT B. FISHER, M.D.
Retirement party in the restored Clark
Hall, Irvington District, Fremont, 1984
209
TABLE OF CONTENTS — Robert B. Fisher
INTERVIEW HISTORY 210
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION 211
I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION IN FREMONT 212
Early Interest in History 212
The First Recreation Commission's Vision for Fremont 21A
Historical Resources Commission: Earmarking Historic
Sites for Preservation 216
Development of City Historic Overlay District Ordinances 218
Designating the Patterson House as a Potential Park, 1960s 220
The Mission Peak Heritage Foundation 221
II PRESERVATION OF THE PATTERSON MANSION AND CREATION OF
ARDENWOOD PARK. 1971-1981 226
The Patterson Family, Singer Housing, and the
Preservationists 226
Lawsuits and Negotiations: Background to the Establishment
of Ardenwood 229
Developing a Proposal for a Multipurpose Historical Park 231
Lobbying for East Bay Regional Park District Involvement 234
III ARDENWOOD MANAGEMENT: PLANS, POLITICS, AND COMMUNITY
INVOLVEMENT 239
Importance of Citizen Action 239
The Washington Township Historical Society Steps In 241
Operation of Citizen Advisory Committees 243
Political and Personal Complications for Ardenwood
Management 249
Recent Changes in Leadership 250
TAPE GUIDE 254
APPENDIX — Mission Peak Heritage Foundation Proposal for Historic
Preserve at Ardenwood, 1980 255
210
INTERVIEW HISTORY — Robert B. Fisher
When Robert Fisher set up his medical practice in Niles in 1950. it
was a strictly rural community with many of the area's pioneers still
living and the pioneer homesteads still standing. He had brought with him
from his New England upbringing an interest in history, an interest further
stimulated by getting to know the area's pioneer families. Service on the
Fremont Recreation Commission shortly after incorporation and involvement in
the first planning for park sites intensified his awareness of the
importance of the area's historic sites.
Fisher's oral history recounts his growing involvement in city affairs
and his founding of the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation, and briefly
discusses the development of several of the city's historic sites. It
concentrates on his central role in envisioning the George Washington
Patterson homesite as a historic site, in working with the city and the East
Bay Regional Park District to make the Ardenwood Regional Preserve a
reality, and in shaping the plan that was eventually adopted for the park.
It also recounts the difficulties encountered in restoring the historic
mansion and the problems caused when the management of Ardenwood became
entangled with personal antagonisms and city politics.
While the story of Fisher's own role in these events is primary here,
he gives credit to many other local citizens for their contributions.
His account illustrates the role and value of citizen action in historical
preservation and planning.
Dr. Fisher was interviewed in the George Washington Patterson home at
Ardenwood Regional Preserve, on September 9, 1986. After reviewing the
transcript of his interview, he submitted a number of papers to further
illustrate the role of the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation at Ardenwood.
The Foundation's 1980 proposal for a historic preserve at Ardenwood is
included as an appendix to his oral history. Other papers have been placed
in The Bancroft Library.
Ann Lage
Interviewer/Editor
Project Director
September, 1988
Regional Oral History Office
The Bancroft Library
University of California at Berkeley
Regional Oral History Office
Room 486 The Bancroft Library
University of California
Berkeley, California 94720
211
BIOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION
(Please print or write clearly)
Your full name
f /• fc
/Jf/l f
Date of birth ,72* 4. (ftf Place of birth A,;sS /*f4SS
Father's full name
fn /"
Birthplace
Occupation
Mother's full name
Birthplace
Occupation
Ae&//* .f/jr* r
Where did you grow up ?
Present community
Education
4
T
Occupation(s)
Special interests or activities
fft/
L \
u (i /•
212
I HISTORICAL PRESERVATION IN FREMONT
[Date of Interview: September 9, 1986] ////
Early Interest in History
Lage: We're going to start with some personal background, if you don't mind.
Just a little bit about where you were born and raised, and primarily,
how you became so interested in history.
Fisher: Okay. I was born in Ayer, Massachusetts, and came to the Los Angeles
area when I was about nine months old. I took my premedical education
at Los Angeles City College and UCLA. I went on to USC Medical School
and had my internship at the L.A. County Hospital and Santa Fe
Coastline Hospital there. During medical school I was in the army
ASTP program [Army Specialized Training Program] , and after graduation
and internship I went into the army for two years to pay back the
education. I was in New England during the army. I had asked for
Europe and of course got New England. [laughter]
Lage: Give me a date.
Fisher: The graduation was 1947, and so I was in the army until '49 and
stationed at Fort Myer, Virginia, which is right across the Potomac
from Washington, D.C. So with my New England family background and
from being in New England and being interested in antique furniture
and early New England stuff, it was sort of natural to like history.
During our travels there, I became interested in New England history,
and the villages, and the old homes.
When I finished with the army I took a residency in general
practice at Bakersfield in the Kern County General Hospital, and from
////This symbol indicates that a tape or a segment of a tape has begun
or ended. For a guide to the tapes see page 254.
213
Fisher : there looked around various places to set up a practice in the Bay
Area and found the Niles area. One of the doctors was ill, and I
took over for a while.
Lage: Was there a particular thing in this area that attracted you? Or was
it all a practical proposition?
Fisher: No, I think it was an interesting area as far as history. Remember
that Alameda County really started there with the mission, Mission
San Jose, the fourteenth California mission. And around it had
developed a sort of a nucleus of all the different eras of history,
starting with the mission, Spanish and gold rush.
As I got to know people I began to realize that there were still
pioneer family descendants living here in the exact spot they had
started. In my practice I saw their homes when I made house calls,
because in those days in a country practice you got paid in lettuce
and chickens, and I made seven or eight house calls routinely each
day. They would be at these old, beautiful homes in the area.
Lage: But those days weren't really all that long ago.
Fisher: 1950 is when I arrived here and started practice.
Lage: But it was still very much of a country practice?
Fisher: It was strictly rural Alameda County. There were five little towns
in this area. Niles, Warm Springs, Irvington, Centerville, Mission
San Jose. And it was under Alameda County government, really. Each
town had its own little town meetings, but they were very informal.
Lage: So you got to know a lot of the pioneer families?
Fisher: I got to know them personally through my practice and as friends. A
good number of them were interested in their early family history —
the Overackers and the Whipples. In fact, I lived on the Whipple
Ranch, which is toward Decoto, when I first came here. It was one of
the early family ranches. So as I got to know them, they introduced
me to their friends, and I got started looking for old homes, taking
pictures of them, and tracking down artifacts and documents.
Lage: This was all on your own?
Fisher: This was in 1950, yes. At that time the Washington Township Historical
Society was down to, I think, four or five elderly people, descendants
of the pioneer families. Mrs. Whipple was really the matriarch of
history, and I spent hours and hours talking with her.
Lage: Did you ever tape-record her?
214
Fisher: Yes, I have tapes of most of the early families. She was perhaps the
only active member then of the historical society. I became a
director of that group and in the meantime had moved to Mission San
Jose where I established my practice. The Mission San Jose Chamber
was not a chamber of commerce but a small promotional group that was
anxious to restore the mission and save the environment of the mission.
So I really became very interested in that. Out of that later
developed the plan for the restoration of the Mission San Jose, and
the historic districts, and so forth.
Lage: So that's a good background. You plunged right into history from
the time you got here.
Fisher: Yes. It started in the 1950s, getting to know these people and
getting started.
The First Recreation Commission's Vision for Fremont
Lage: You had a role on the Recreation Commission at the time of incorpor
ation?
Fisher: Yes, in 1956. By that time I had been doing things with the local
historical groups, but during incorporation I became interested in
incorporation, and the hospital was also forming. We started
organizing the medical staff even before the hospital was built. I
wrote the policy statements, bylaws, etc., for the incorporation
campaign, hospital staff organization, and Recreation Commission. I
guess I became the expert on ghost writing bylaws and policy statements
for various entities. Incorporation, then, set in motion, of course,
an entirely different type of new city. This was a unique chance —
instead of starting with an old district and working out and having
area of slums develop in the original old part with their inherent
problems, this city started from the outside in and actually was able
to create a new civic center around the park and able to plan their
recreation element. So I was interested in that aspect of it and was
on the first Recreation Commission.
There were several people, Will Lamareux, Mary Goodwin, myself,
who drew up — well, again, the policy statement I had worked out — and
drew up a sort of a concept of a green belt on the outside which would
be the hills, the bay, Niles Canyon, Alameda Creek. Then going toward
the center, which would be the central park with civic center.
Connecting the peripheral green belt and civic center would be
linear parks that would represent right of ways — TG&E's, and the water
district's, used as trails, bridle paths, etc.
215
Lage: I'm getting a picture of a wheel with spokes, is that correct?
Fisher: Right. That's what our wheel represents on the Mission Peak
Heritage Foundation logo.
Lage: This was after incorporation?
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher :
Lage:
Fisher:
Yes. After incorporation on the Recreation Commission. There was
a very creative Recreation Department head, Len MacViker, and we did
a lot of scouting around for park sites. It became obvious then that
the potential park sites were really there because of early large
residences and acreages of the pioneer families. So the Shinns, the
Pattersons, Gallegos, and so forth, these were areas of mature trees,
large estates, and were ideal park sites. In a new city there was
no money, so most of these parks would eventually come to the city
by dedication. A developer would buy the area, and then, as part of
their persuasion to get better density and more amentities and so
forth, they would dedicate a certain acreage, taking a little bit
from each lot and putting it into one single area designated as a
park.
Was that the plan from the beginning?
Recreation Commission?
Was that worked out in the
That's the way it sort of worked out in policy, and then in addition
there were large city parks; the Hidden Valley, the Agua Caliente
area, that were hill areas, and of course the central park were the
citywide-type parks. Then there was an interesting network of
neighborhood parks. Each grammar school had an associated playground
and an associated park called a neighborhood park. Then there would
be a slightly larger area at junior high schools, and then finally
the high school. Each one would have a park attached to it and
coordinated with the playground. This really worked out as a great
system.
To our topic, it turned out, of course, that many of these parks
were historic parks and were defined as such on the recreational
element. So Shinn Park, for instance, was dedicated by the family
as an historic park, and it became part of the system of parks.
Was that a gift of the family or did that come in through this
development dedication process?
It was suggested by the Recreation Commission and the director,
frequently, that this was a way the family could gain tax advantages,
and it would be a family memorial that would remain. So the Harvey
House and the Shinn House came into the park system. Originally
Gallegos House was going to be and didn't. So many of the early
grounds were developed that way, and that was when I first had a
close contact with these places.
216
Fisher: It was about that time that, I think, I suggested making an inventory
in order to develop this plan for the parks and save the buildings. .
Because they were being lost. This was a new city and the urban
sprawl was just hitting it. This was open country and suddenly a
city, and a city had to have housing development; it had to have
industry. So there was this tremendous crush to get the farming
land into development.
Lage: Did the incorporation spur the development, or was it a response, a
way to control what was coming?
Fisher: It was a spur, of course, because it was the last area in the bay
that didn't have housing, didn't have a lot of density. At the same
time a general plan was developed, uniquely, which gave an opportunity
to control this. It allowed utilities, and schools, fire department,
street planning, and park planning, and so forth, a chance to keep
pace with it, a chance to be developed right. Or course, it got
eroded, as always, as the fight between the human interest, cultural
interest on one hand against the industrial, and tax, and economic
interest (to make the buck) and put as many houses as you can in
the number of acres.
But at least it was slowed down, and really the controversies
in the city were based, as I suppose they are in all cities, on these
two factors coming together. The original little group of farmers
and druggists and local people that made up the city council even
tually were replaced by people who were really politicians and backed
by the developers and pressure groups and so forth. But it had a
start.
Lage: Yes, you developed a group to defend the historical and cultural
interest, which doesn't always happen.
Fisher: Yes. This was, I think, very fortunate, especially here with the
tremendous wealth of historical buildings and history, and the sites ,
in the area.
Historical Resources Commission: Earmarking Historic Sites for
Preservation
Lage: You mentioned that you suggested an inventory. Was that the work
of the Fremont Historical Resources Commission?
Fisher: Yes. First, the commission suggested that the Washington Township
Historical Society name some places to receive plaques. I was on
that committee and Mrs. Griffin was still quite active as one of
those members. We did name a few; I think there were twenty or
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Fisher: thirty or something like that, that eventually would have plaques.
But it sort of fell through; it was made up of, as I say, people
that really weren't very active and couldn't get around and see the
places.
So it was redefined and a new commission appointed, made up of
people who were frequently not only younger, but more aggressive and
more active and able to get around and do the research necessary.
We would first take an area and do research, book-wise, and oral
history, and so forth, and then pin down the places as to location,
and date it. So the Historical Resources Commission was formed by
the Recreation Commission with approval of the council. I was the
chairman of that group.
The purpose, really, was straight out to find and designate
the historic features of Fremont. This would be sites, and horti
culture resources such as an avenue of trees (olive trees and palm
trees) as well as structural resources, sites of some famous
happening, etc. We started in '65, I think. It really took about
four years to complete it with revisions and so forth.
Lage: And you were chair of that commission.
Fisher: Yes. It was a changing group, but I remember some of the names
here. Bernadette Esley and Juliane Howe were the two members that
really hung there until the end. Juliane Howe was our amateur
photographer who took pictures, originally, and became a professional.
She was our photographer during those years and actually went into
the photographic art and is doing well in that now. Bernadette
Esley was our secretary and chased down a lot of the information.
We did a lot of interviewing, unfortunately we didn't tape some of
them, but we were there just at the time when a lot of these elderly
pioneers were still able to help. We did get a lot of information.
The next step was to convince the city that these historical
resources should be put on official city maps. This was a lobbying
effort that the Recreation Commission cooperated on after quite
a lot of long nights at the council. By then we were beginning to
think about a permanent organization because we had been getting
donations from people, and we had tapes and so forth. We divided
up the historic resources, which were about three hundred, into
two groups, the primary and secondary. This was based on five
different criteria that we set up, such as historical significance;
the architectural significance; association with an event, happening
or people; visual impact, etc. So it had to be more than just an
old house. These fell roughly into about a hundred and fifty
primary ones. These primary resources we did get onto the maps, a
separate group of five maps, with numbered designations. Then these
became part of the recreation element map and, finally, part of the
Fremont general plan (studies for each area of the general plan).
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Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Was the thought that these areas should be saved?
These then became "flags" so that as development started in that
area, the city staff could be alerted, "Here's something that should
be saved." Eventually we got ordinances passed that made it
necessary, if they were in the path of development, to review the
primary ones by an Historical Architectural Review Board, which
decided whether or not they should be saved. It gave a ninety-day
holding time if they were to be torn down to have the public come
and either offer to move them or buy them or the city buy them —
"put up or shut up" time. But at least it was a reprieve, not an
automatic permission to destroy.
How difficult was that to get through the council?
development-minded at that time?
Was the council
At the time when we did it it was pretty good. These were still
people that were themselves, often, pioneers, and understood the
importance of saving these historical sites.
So we're still in about the mid-sixties.
Yes. The pressure by developers and the changes in the council began
at that time. But at least these were earmarked for saving.
Development of City Historic Overlay District Ordinances
Fisher: Then the other two elements of the work of the Historical Resources
Commission were the ordinances — I started to say how the primary
historic resources were covered. But in addition there was a study —
there had been about three different studies by city urban consultants
in helping to set up the city. They were extremely talented. The
701 study program*started about that time and spoke to other interest
ing aspects of city planning. At that point I was involved in the
Mission San Jose Chamber activities that had started in the 1950s,
with Don Dillon, Lois Bottenberg, the postmistress, and Don Stransky.
We were all interested in saving the mission and its environment.
At that time when the 701 study was developed we had organized
the plan for the Mission San Jose Historic District to the point that
they actually, as part of their work up, recommended the whole outline
of our suggestions. That included an historic overlay district
ordinance for the Mission San Jose area. That, in addition to
identifying the historic places and "small town complex," actually
within a certain area made it a requirement to be reviewed by the
HARB (Historical Architectural Review Board) — not just for the historic
*A planning program funded by federal grants through section 701
of the Federal Housing Act of 1954.
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Fisher: buildings but for any new building or any restoration within that
area. So not only was the historic building protected, but any
remodeling had to be compatible, and any new building had to be at
least reasonably compatible.
Lage: In the area?
Fisher: In the area designated by this overlay, which is the nucleus of
the old town complex.
Lage: Was this an area surrounding the mission?
Fisher: Surrounding the mission for a few blocks. This was sort of
patterned after Santa Barbara, although there they were restricted
to only Spanish architecture. Here, it could be any of the eras
of history — the gold rush, and so forth — because it already was that
kind of a mixture. Later, Niles received the same treatment of an
historic overlay district, which kept it compatible to the small
railroad town and Essanay movie activities. [the Essanay Moving
Picture Company was active in Niles from 1912-1915. Charlie Chaplin
was one of the stars of films produced in Niles.]
Lage: So these are things that were successfully put through the council?
Fisher: Yes. Fortunately, early on. The inventory, I think, was about
twenty years earlier than most of the cities around. So we had a
good head start.
Lage: You've mentioned the 701 study program. I'm not clear what that
was. Was that developed by one of the consultants?
Fisher: Yes. There were several studies. There was one done by University
of California City and Regional Planning Department, and the
original city incorporation used a company of urban consultants
in setting up the various offices and agencies. Then this 701 study
was sort of frosting on the cake in giving unique areas some protec
tion. It primarily had tc do with the fact that we were dealing
with five old areas that were really dying out, in competition with
new people coming in and making shopping centers on land that was
very low in cost. These old historic districts needed to be
upgraded and compete with the new districts to survive.
Lage: As a commercial district?
Fisher: Yes. As a commercial district and community, or residential district,
I think these programs developed partly out of that need. At any
rate, that was accomplished in Mission and in Niles. Unfortunately,
these plans were voted on.
Lage: Voted on by the people in the areas?
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Fisher: Individual plans were voted on in the elections. The plans for
Mission and Niles got through, and the others didn't make it.
Lage: So you tried in each district?
Fisher: Yes. Irvington, for instance, which is at the Five Corners, was to
be a plaza, and the highway would have bypassed it to save it; that
plan didn't pass. In the mission district, part of the plan was
proposed as a tunnel under the mission plaza, and the local people
such as the Weeds and some of the mission people who were in
opposition to the Mission Chamber — I don't know why to this day — but
they opposed it. The mission district went through a whole series
of hopeful proposals to save the plaza area and make it a walking
mall environment. Each one was fought, and finally some of the
elements were adopted, but the whole concept (mission district plan)
didn't make it. Gradually bypasses became less and less reasonable.
Finally, it just remained as it is. We then fought the battle of a
proposed six-lane highway, which would have wiped out the historic
mission environment. But I'm getting off your subject.
Designating the Patterson House as a Potential Park, 1960s
Lage: Let's focus, then, on what the Historical Resources Commission did
about the Patterson house and ranch.
Fisher: All right. Like the other privately-owned large acreage estates,
this was one of the obvious ones that we saw early on. So the
result of having designated it on this list meant that it was shown
on the maps, the general plan, recreational plan, as a potential park.
Lage: Was it a larger area than the other ones we're talking about, or has
it just stayed intact longer?
Fisher: It was actually larger in acreage. The nucleus of the home sites,
the two home sites [the George Washington Patterson and William
Patterson homes] — I don't remember the exact figure, but it was
probably around a hundred and twenty acres. So this started, then,
as a potential park on that list.
Lage: That would have been back in the mid-sixties.
Fisher: That would have been 1960s, yes. Early sixties, and finalized by
its being put on the official map. It was proposed during the
development of the park system as a potential park as well, not only
designated historically as a primary historic resource.
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Lage: At that early time was any contact made with the Patterson family?
Fisher: During the early times in the sixties and late fifties I made
contact with them.
Fisher: Don Patterson, who was the son of William D. Patterson, was actually
in charge of the operational ranch and ran it from this office in
the George Washington mansion. Marge Patterson, who was the
descendant of Henry, Sally Adam's sister, had been married in the
1940s but had separated and had lived here sporadically. She had
two or three rooms upstairs in the old part of the house. But the
main house was run by a caretaker, Mr. Minges, who was a retired
Fremont police officer, and his wife. He kept up the grounds and
protected the house.
Lage: They were hired by the family?
Fisher: Yes. The house was controlled generally by Marge — sort of
indifferently at the time she was away — and Sally Adams, legally
at least, but I don't think she came over.
Lage: Was this while William Patterson was still alive?
Fisher: No. He had been dead for a number of years. So it was just the
family that were scattered. I don't think they really got together
much at that time. Perhaps later they have, since the regional
park has brought some of these people together.
The Mission Peak Heritage Foundation
Fisher: At that time the Historical Resources Commission was finished with
this job, but it became obvious that they had started something
with donations and interviews and a lot of taking down of the history
and so forth. I think we alerted the Recreation Commission and the
council to the fact that a lot of the houses were being lost and a
lot of the artifacts were being lost. We had come upon large
caches of historical documents that were destroyed just before we
went to get them, after a pioneer had died at a rest home for
instance. So through our request, the council asked that a group
be formed to help preserve the houses, preserve the artifacts, and
keep record of, actually, the city history and archival material.
Those that were named had shown interest; Maurice Marks had done a
lot of taping of the oral history of the city's incorporation as a
member of our group. I can't remember all the different names;
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Fisher: there were Mary Lou Ruth; Dave Bentham; Mr. Ward Blanchart, an
Ohlone College librarian; and Lila Hunt, our secretary, who was
the head of the history section of the Washington Township Woman's
Club.
They asked me to organize it, and they sent letters to five or
six people that had shown interest at the council meetings. The
historic resources group — society, or whatever, we didn't really
have a name at that time other than the Fremont Historic Resources
Commission — was formed. This was in 1971. It was later realized by
the group that it wasn't only Fremont, but Washington Township, that
had to be studied and the records kept, because Newark and Union City
and Fremont areas all overlapped in the original history. So it was
broadened to include the tri-city area, and it became, eventually,
within the first six months, I suppose, known as Mission Peak
Heritage Foundation. We tried not to interfere with the name of the
other groups.
The original plan was simply a consortium of interested groups.
It had representatives from libraries, from colleges, from the
historical societies, from schools. There were representatives from
each one of these sources forming this new group, all of which had
the same purpose of saving artifacts and preserving houses and keeping
the history and publicizing the history.
Lage: It wasn't public in any way? It was a private foundation?
Fisher: Well, we used good judgment, I now know. Originally, there was a
suggestion that it might be a group appointed to by the city. We saw
trouble ahead with that politically and later found out this to be
true on the Ardenwood project. So we remained completely autonomous
as a private group and formed a non-profit corporation and kept it
that way. I'm glad we did.
The same people that had been interested in the historic
resources went on with their interest here and were instrumental In
babysitting houses like the Harvey House and cabin. When the devel
oper bought it, we were able to put caretakers in there and were able
to keep it going until it became dedicated as an historic park.
Lage: Did you have a role working with the developers?
Fisher: Yes. In this particular case, that's how we became friendly with
Jack Brooks of the Singer organization. Brooks himself was a person
who recognized these values and helped us. They paid for a fence to
be put around Harvey House, and they tried to save the barn for us.
They cooperated.
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Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Brooks was the developer in that area?
He was the developer and understood that it was important to try and
get these places into the ownership of the city as parks, and he was
very cooperative in that.
When it came time to do the same here at Ardenwood — he had bought,
1 think four hundred acres here, including the house — by then he
knew us, and we had a pretty good rapport. He drew his plans incor
porating the saving of the house with a very small area, about six
acres around the immediate house. Then he made linear parks throughout
the development which would keep some of the planted areas. So that
totaled about forty acres.
Do we have enough of a picture of the Mission Peak Heritage Foundation?
One thing — just to be blunt about it — was this an organization that
had a -lot of active workers? Or did you end up doing most of it?
No. At the beginning we had a lot of passionately involved, concerned
people who were willing to fight the battle, and a lot of us burned
out later maybe, but originally we had to be at the council until
2 a.m. to fight the attorneys and the developers to save these places.
It meant dirty fingernails, work on restoration, and getting out
there and actually taking down a barn and saving it, and doing the
nitty-gritty.
So you did a lot of varied work, political things, restoration —
Political, lobbying, restoration, a lot of collecting and chasing
down of archival stuff, a lot of research.
Did you have a site, a library?
No. We met at various places. We met at St. Mary's of the Palms
for a while; we met at the library. We didn't have any headquarters.
We eventually were recognized by council resolution as being the
official historical organization by Fremont, Newark, and Union City.
That helped us, because we were able to get given to us, for a dollar
a year, the storage area at the Fremont city corporation yard, and
we began to collect and protect this material. For instance, at
Patterson there was a beautiful doctor's buggy that we rescued; it
was being ruined in the garage. And a lot of the furniture that was
donated. So, yes, there were a lot of people that were doing active
work, very dedicated people.
Lage:
Would you mention two or three of the places that you restored?
mentioned the Harvey House.
You
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Fisher: Well, at that time, of course, a lot of these came up quickly because
of the tremendous urgency to get housing in here. It was at a time
when there were single family tracts developing, and then suddenly
it burgeoned into apartment complexes and took more of the land. So
I could mention a few, Dusterberry House which is on Central Avenue,
the Hawes House which is in Centerville, the Salz House in Centerville.
These places we fought and lost. There were the four Walton Avenue
houses, where there was a street that was abandoned from the central
old district of Centerville. The city actually owned those buildings,
and we fought to have the city keep them. This was at the time where
we were beginning to get other priorities from the council that
weren't favorable for preservation. The city actually knocked down
three of these buildings themselves. Others saved the J.J. Vallejo
adobe, Bunting House, and Chadbourne carriage house.
The Freitas-Bunting Estate on Thornton Avenue had a series of
"unfortunate" fires and "errors" in tree demolition. Of course, in
the meantime the Galindo-Higuera adobe was endangered. Before the
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation was formed, the Historical Resources
Commission got a group of volunteers including city workers, PG&E,
and telephone company to put up a false roof over the Higuera adobe
by putting up telephone poles around it. For about four years
successively we did that to save it because it was in private owner
ship. Developers kept starting to buy the property and then they
would go broke or something, and the owner didn't care. So we
saved it.
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation proposed and coordinated the
restoration of the Shinn House on a four-acre historical park and
continues to open it to the public. The list goes on. The Mission
San Jose, in the meantime, of course, had a restoration committee
we had formed. God, I don't know how we did all these committees!
Lage: [laughter] Think of all the meetings you had.
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
I was on HARB, I was the chairman of HARB, the recreation commission,
Mission San Jose Chamber.
Were you still practicing all this time?
physician?
You were still an active
Yes, I continued my practice. Also, the Committee for the
"Restoration of the Mission San Jose" was formed about that time,
and we started a campaign to raise funds to restore that. Somewhat
later the SPCRR [Society for the Preservation of Carter Railroad
Resource], which is the South Pacific Coast Railroad Organization
(local narrow gauge railroad company which started the town of
Newark), became a subsidiary, sort of, of the Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation. Bruce MacGregor, the author, had found an original
railroad car that was built by Carter Brothers in Newark. The
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Fisher: Mission Peak- Heritage Foundation bought it and had to leave it at
its site in a distant desert town. So the SPCRR organization was
started to bring the car back and restore it and publicize Newark's
history.
Lage : This isn't the car in use now at Ardenwood, is it?
Fisher: No, but the original car is back on the grounds. They've drawn up
plans from it and will make a reproduction. At any rate, the historic
horse-drawn railroad originally proposed by MPHF for Ardenwood is
included in the park. Did you want to know more about Mission Peak?
Lage: No, I think that gives us a good picture of what Mission Peak's other
interests were and how it got started.
Left: Entry hall of restored
G. W. Patterson house
Photo by Larry Milnes
Below: Ardenwood grounds and
G. W. Patterson house, 1968
Photo by Robert Fisher, M. D.
226
II PRESERVATION OF THE PATTERSON MANSION AND CREATION OF
ARDENWOOD PARK, 1971-1981
The Patterson Family, Singer Housing, and the Preservationists
Fisher: Getting down specifically to Ardenwood, at that time there was a
lot of instability. There was a chance that this place would be
lost. First, the burning of the William Patterson home in 1962 had
scared us to death because we recognized that the family had carried
out the commitment made by the will in destroying the other William
Patterson home. But they also had a lack of interest in saving this
building [George Washington Patterson mansion] .
Lage: Was there any indication of why it was stipulated in William
Patterson's will that the house would be burned if the family didn't
live in it?
Fisher: It was explained to me that they felt that it was a personal house
and that it should always be in the family. It was written in a way
that if none of the family came back to actually live in it, then
it would be destroyed.
Lage: It sounds almost as if he saw the possibility that it might become
a historical site or have another use, a public use. Is that a
possibility?
Fisher: I don't honestly know. I've never been able to explain that. While
there wasn't a direct statement by the family that they would
destroy this home, there was the sort of intimation that the same
thing should happen here. If they couldn't use it and have it in
the family, then it should be wiped out. No one else should —
Lage: I want to say here that we're in the George Washington Patterson
house now. So when we say "here" that's what we're talking about.
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Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher :
Here, right. So let's say either a lack of interest, other activities
that they were doing or, perhaps, pressure by other members of family,
I don't know. At any rate there was the state of flux that was
dangerous to saving the house. There was controversy as far as the
development around it . There was controversy between Newark and
Fremont as to boundaries. The developer [Singer Housing Company]
had bought, I believe, the four hundred acres of the 3,000-acre
Patterson Ranch, including the house, in 1971.
There was also the negotiation between the city and the developer,
in which the saving of the home and creation of the park figured
heavily. You were aware of all that?
Yes, but it takes time to do that. In the negotiation we knew that
things were cooking. The caretakers were changing over, the Mingeses
brought in the Hathhorns , who were their in-laws . It was obvious
that this place might be lost.
I have a letter here that I wrote to Mrs. [John] Adams in, I
think it was as early as '71, I believe, asking permission to
inventory the house and the attic. We knew that the attic was filled
with stuff, and the garages and so forth. The house itself still
contained some of the original furniture, as well as artifacts.
So after some delay she granted us the privilege of coming in,
sorting over the stuff, copying photographs, and whatnot. And
taking pictures of the interior so we would have a record, inven
torying the furniture, listing it. So that we would know what was
there because, again, there was danger of pieces going out and being
separated.
We found the attic to be a shambles. The roof was leaking, the
bees were destroying the paper material, and there were rats. It
was really in dangerous condition, so we got permission to remove
the delicate stuff, the documents and photographs and things, to the
city corporation yard. (By then we had an official storage area in
the corporation yard.) We suggested that she start thinking about
the furniture. We did get that permission and moved the business
records and photographs for safe keeping. It took about another
several letters and communication back and forth, and then around
1973 she agreed that the stuff should be kept together. We got the
final donation officially signed in '74.
This was after the house had been sold?
Yes, this was after the house was sold,
by her.
It then was not even owned
Lage: But the furniture wasn't sold along with it, was it?
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Fisher: Yes. Sure. The whole thing was sold. Brooks [and Singer Housing]
could have taken all the furniture. They owned the house.
Lage: You think when they bought the house, they also got everything in it.
Fisher: Sure. There was no separate agreement. Except for what we had set
aside. That was, of course, the reason we did it. So fortunately,
it was set aside, and it was donated to Mission Peak, and so Brooks
recognized by letters that it belonged to the Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation. Archival material was moved to storage. The more
important furniture pieces — the bedroom, living room, and so forth —
was moved to Shinn House, which by that time had been restored by
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation. It was used over there. So the
main pieces were saved and kept together; the other pieces were kept
here at the Patterson House. Some of it got lost in the shuffle.
Relatives had come in and removed it. Some of the caretakers had,
supposedly, been given pieces, which we couldn't prove to the
contrary. At any rate, basically most of the material was saved,
with Brooks 's cooperation.
Lage: Was there some controversy involving that, with Sally Adams?
Fisher: Only later. So, the only controversy was later, I guess two or
three years ago, with the other historical organization, the Washington
Township Historical Society, which has always been on our necks. This
is during the time that they were sort of influential with the council
members. There was a majority of three on the council that were
political buddies with this group. The Weeds — and several people in
that category — stirred up things about Mission Peak Heritage Founda
tion's use of the corporation yard, the fact that our organization
had that and was the officially designated historical organization. They
stirred up the question of whether or not this was the same organization
that had been given the corporation yard [laughter] because our name
was in the process of being changed (during its formation) . They
stirred up the ownership of the Patterson family furniture and
artifacts, all of which was thoroughly documented in all the records.
But it took about two or three months of my time to go through step
by step, show all the documentation, and prove it because the city
staff were put on the spot and the question was raised with the city
staff and it had to be proven. It was proven. But it just took
energy and time, and I could have been doing other things.
So, no, it was never controversial originally. The family
thoroughly understood. But the recent letter written in response to
the Weeds was written to Sally Adams from the staff in such a way that
it said, "The furniture is yours; please sign if you agree." She
probably had lost, by then, the original donation slips. We had to
show her again. Everyone knows the facts now, have from the beginning.
At any rate, what the hell's the difference? They're back here and
they're where they're supposed to be — safe and together.
229
Lage: So the things that were in the Shinn House have now been moved back
to Ardenwood?
Fisher: That was the original idea, of course, to keep it together until
things had settled down, and the house had an ownership. Finally,
when the city did own it, then it became obvious that it would be
saved. When the restoration took place, it was brought back to
Ardenwood. And we had to replace these pieces at Shinn House.
Lage: Then you had to find something for the Shinn House?
Fisher: Yes. [laughter]
Lage: Is there more to say about working with Jack Brooks on the particular
site?
Fisher: He is an extremely intelligent and creative developer. He is
certainly a power in the city of Fremont and owns a good share of
land and was always on the side of the developer. In the council,
I would say, cleverly and intelligently and properly, as a developer
he supported all sides. He contributed money to all the campaigns,
so no matter who was in power in the council he was a backer.
Lage: He wasn't identified with just one faction?
Fisher: He wasn't, as some of the others were. So he has diplomatically
wielded his power as a heavy developer in the area, I think. But
at the same time he's been a gentleman and has shown understanding
for the cultural things and supported the cultural activities of the
area. He doesn't suck all the land dry. That's my impression. I've
seen him in action over a period of years. So when it came to a
cultural activity in an area, he was cooperative.
Lawsuits and Negotiations:
Ardenwood
Background to the Establishment of
Lage: There was quite a controversy about this development, the surrounding
development here. It seemed to go on for several years and involved
lawsuits.
Fisher: That was part of the instability that worried us. Basically the
problem was — and this is oversimplifying somewhat — that fact that
development was outstripping the facilities to support it. In the
North Gate area schools had not been developed; there would need to
be, suddenly, schools built to support the large area of housing that
was to be built on the only remaining flat land. The water department,
sanitary district, fire department, all these had just simply not
caught up with that.
230
Lage: In this northern plains area?
Fisher: In the "North Gate," or north plain, area. The cities recognized
this; it was really part of Fremont, the whole strip that goes down
to the Dumbarton Bridge. So Fremont actually put a hold on all
development in this area.
Lage: After Jack Brooks and Singer had purchased it?
Fisher: After Jack had bought this. As a result, it stopped his development
cold, and my memory is that he was bringing suit against the city to
release that. Everyone recognized the facts and knew that this was
what was happening, that development was outstripping facilities in
this area. Part of the settlement between Brooks and the city of
Fremont, as I understand it, was that the city would buy the Patterson
house nucleus for a park, that Jack would withdraw his suit as one of
the leverages, and the development of the other parts of Brooks 's land
would be able to proceed.
At the same time, the ownership of the potential park area was
still mixed. In the first place, the strip of ranch land parallel
to the new Dumbarton freeway — maybe, oh, a thousand feet wide at one
point, then narrowing down to three or four hundred feet — was part
of Newark.
Lage: Do you know anything about why, during incorporation, the Patterson
Ranch got split like that? Is there a story behind that?
Fisher: I don't know. I think it used the natural boundaries. Somehow
Fremont got a corridor of land down to the point which was to be the
Coyote Hills recreation center at the slough. The same thing has
happened up in the Niles area; there, part of Union City is up in the
Niles Canyon hills. That's probably to do with the political voting
areas, also. Because it was voted in, in opposition to annexation by
Hayward.
The dividing line between Newark and Fremont was through the
south portion of the Patterson property, on the Patterson side of
Jarvis Road. There's always been a hassle between Newark and Fremont,
but the Dumbarton freeway was the straw that broke the camel's back.
Putting in the freeway changed the line, because it was coming right
across the dividing line, really right parallel to it. It isolated
Newark from this park which by that time was being considered as a
tri-city regional area.
Newark felt a need to be included in the freeway access and
wasn't. So they fought for the Lake Avenue overpass. Although it
went nowhere [laughter], it did give an access to the park, for one
thing, but, of course, there was access also at Newark Boulevard.
That was one of the controversies.
231
Fisher: The family itself had divided up the property so that it wasn't
all in one ownership. I'm not sure of the details, except that,
eventually, a corporate unit of all member of family was formed.*
ff
Fisher: During the state of flux with the cities, there was also reorganiza
tion, as I understand, in ownership of the three thousand acres that
was remaining of the Patterson property. They had been given,
apparently, by the various wills, to various groups of the family.
Marge, as I remember, had something like forty acres. Don owned
some. The Adams owned part, and I think there were even smaller
chunks. So at the time that the city was interested, I think it
was 160 acres that actually could be bought directly from Brooks.
The rest of it had to be negotiated with the different groups of
family members to coordinate it and develop a 200-acre park.
Lage: And eventually there was a trade of lands between Newark and Fremont
also .
Fisher: Apparently there was eventually a settlement of the suit by Brooks,
so that the city was able to buy a consolidated piece of property
through negotiations with the family group itself, as well as the
Singer outfit. Brooks, by that time, I think had been coordinating
with the family and had become a financial adviser, or at least
part of the corporate entity. So they worked it out together.
I think there was a moratorium of about two or three years on
the housing development. When it finally did open up, then Brooks
went ahead with his development toward the Coyote Hills and the
North Gate area. The land that is now Ardenwood Park was bought
by the city.
Developing a Proposal for a Multipurpose Historical Park
Fisher: Do you want to get into the regional park aspect?
Lage: Yes, I thought that would be the next topic to cover. How did the
East Bay Regional Park District [EBRPD] become involved?
Fisher: The regional park district, which had been buying up large tracts
of land for the future — not for immediate use but realizing that
it had to be kept open ground — was in the process of, each year,
sizing up the potential park sites, usually large properties on the
ridges and so forth. In 1970, or '71, because they had become owners
*See interviews with Leon Campbell, Robert Buck, and Jack Brooks
in this series.
232
Fisher: of Gar in Regional Park and a couple of others that were really
oriented toward historical parks, old farms, old ranches, and so
forth, they proposed a new category, which was to be Historic
Regional Parks. At that time, they sent around notices to the
cities and to the various historical societies, requesting these
groups to nominate potential park sites that might fall into this
category. The Mission Peak Heritage Foundation received one of
these notices and studied it, and I think suggested five possibilities,
including the Niles Canyon, Higuero adobe, Morrisson Canyon, Patterson
Ranch, and Hidden Valley area in Warm Springs.
Lage: Did you look favorably on the thought of having the regional park
district take over some of these instead of the city?
Fisher: Yes. Because they had proved themselves to be really creative, and
it was publicly supported, tax supported, and it took it out of the
local hassle for development. So it sounded like a great idea,
especially since this particular park was our prime one, of course,
that we were really pushing to be saved and developed. It's like
making a budget , you put in a lot of things that you know might not
make it, but you hope to get at least the important ones.
From the very beginning it was obvious that this was really the
nucleus of a historical park, because it had everything going for it.
It was the remnant of a ranch and family mansion with its old farm
buildings and old equipment. It was the nucleus of the "Rancho
Potrero de los Cerritos," the grant which was Alviso's Mexican
rancho, formerly the old pasture of the mission. It had all these
important things surrounding it immediately and associating with
it: the salt industry, the narrow gauge railroad, the town of
Newark, the town of Union City — site of the 1853 Alameda County
seat of government — all within a mile. And the ranch had remained
intact — three thousand acres.
Lage: And the Indian connection.
Fisher: Yes, the Ohlone Indian history, at the Coyote Hills portion of the
ranch, was already part of EBRPD . So it had all these things going
for it that could be incorporated. In promoting this, we drew up
a plan in cooperation with the city. Larry Milnes [assistant city
manager of Fremont] was very cooperative and interested. He was
one of the few people who recognized the potential, and he had heard
us so often that he knew where we were coming from and actually was
beginning to be interested himself, a lot, in the history. He had
done some work on the Vallejo adobe with us.
So the city, through Larry, actually helped us. They accepted
our proposal, printed a map, and we had an outline of a proposal.
Our idea was a multiphasic, multipurpose historic park, but it incor
porated all these aspects of history and the various ethnic interpretive
sites .
233
Lage: So from the beginning you had this broad concept.
Fisher: From the beginning the whole thing was a hundred and sixty acres, I
think, or a hundred acres, maybe, basic. The basic concept was an
old farm, a Victorian ranch. The periphery was an area to show
city people how things grow with relatively modern equipment,
leased out to farmers and growing cauliflower, and so forth, as
they have on the ranch for so long. The central nucleus, hidden
by the trees, hopefully, still, would show the original nucleus
of the ranch using horse-drawn equipment. It would include a
symbolic horse-drawn narrow gauge railroad car that at one time
ran between Centerville and Newark. It would have an area for a
"non-archaeological" Ohlone Indian center. (The Patterson mounds at
Coyote Hills are an archeological site.) At the ranch would be
created the Ohlones1 own idea of a campsite around the Willows,
which is the little lake that remained here and is historically
important.
Lage: Did you have Ohlone descendants working with you on this?
Fisher: Oh, yes. Phil Galvin is the heir apparent chief. His grandfather
was the last chief of the Ohlone. We brought him in on it. Instead
of a scientist from UC telling the Ohlone how they lived, it was a
chance for them to grow their herbs, demonstrate their skills, and
show their life as it really was.
Lage: Had they retained a tie to that life?
Fisher: By oral history; they had no written history, but by word of mouth,
their tradition had been handed down, and still is, but they were
scattered.
Lage: They hadn't intermarried?
Fisher: Yes. But there were maybe two or three full-blooded Ohlone. There
were a lot of people like Phil, who were a quarter Ohlone, a mix
of the various tribes, family members. So this was a chance for
their own interpretation.
We thought that equestrian activities were important because
nowhere else in the area could you connect the bridle path along
the creek with Coyote Hills, and this could be a stopping point.
You get on your horse, bring it here, leave it, and wander through.
I would have to look up all the ideas and plans that we had.
Lage: You had the idea of a historical town?
Fisher: Oh, yes. We had found that many of the historical houses in the
area couldn't be saved, but some could be moved. If someone would
pay for their removal, they would be saved. So, especially Dave
234
Fisher: Bentham and myself felt that these were "historic orphans" that
could be moved someplace. We had seen Bakersfield do it with a
pioneer village and other places. At the cost of moving, which
was tax-deductible, you could get the building saved. The idea
was to make a little village, I think we called it Washington Village,
a little town of rehab-ed houses that had been moved. But not just
have them a movie set, actually have them functioning. Recycled
into use by concessionaires, or people that wanted to make a print
shop or a hotel, or whatever. But private enterprise on a public-
maintained area. It had all the elements there. It would have a
school, a church, etc.
Lage: Now, is there -land enough for that?
Fisher: Yes. This was to be where the William Patterson place was, because
that was where there was a center of mature trees, there was a
natural village green in the middle of it. Then the field on the
other side would be a place to put the railroad activities — the
car barns, and the shop to work on the cars, the Carter Brothers
railroading museum and restoration shop.
Lage: Did you envision the historical farming area, with the blacksmith
and so on?
Fisher: Yes. The central part was strictly Victorian. It was suggested
as only horse-drawn. Nobody could see the outside, with the shield
of eucalyptus trees, and you could maintain the image of a Victoriar.
place, with no tractors in tb.* place. I'm forgetting some of the
elements that are on the list. [See appendix for Mission Peak
Heritage Foundation's proposal for Ardenwood.]
Lobbying for East Bay Regional Park District Involvement
Fisher: Anyway, the idea was there, and we felt so strongly that we gave
tours to promote this. We presented it to the recreation commission,
to the council, and really were pushing for this new category of
historical parks. In the meantime, East Bay Regional Parks hired
the Overview firm, a commercial professional group, like the urban
design group hired by the city.
Lage: I understand it was Stewart Udall's consulting organization.
Fisher: Yes, I believe you're probably right. At any rate, they were hired
by the regional park to, I suppose, investigate the sites and develop
this possibility of a historical category. In the process they did
a lot of investigation. They went through and rated the various
nominations, as to the land size and the property values and the
essentials. I'm not quite sure of this, but my understanding is
235
Fisher: that they formed a citizens' group, and Larry Milnes was the chairman
of the citizens' group, and it was from, I believe, Bay Area people.
Of course, everyone wanted to get in on this; all the historical
societies in Walnut Creek and Hayward and so forth had their nomina
tions and were fighting to get those categories.
The citizens' group took a tour of the main nominations [1973].
These had been sort of narrowed down. We went as Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation representatives. Dave Bentham of MPHF and I went with
the group and showed them our nominations — Morrisson Canyon and
Higuera adobe and so forth, and especially Ardenwood. We had one of
our docents posted in each room and took them through the house and
grounds. We have photos of that tour.
Lage: How large a group did you take through?
Fisher: Oh, gosh, I don't know, there must have been twenty or thirty.
Twenty-five, maybe.
Lage: And were there any directors of the district?
Fisher: There were directors. I remember Mary Jefferds was here; there were
several people that were from various areas of the park district and
favored their own area, of course. We wanted to have them see the
balance of this place. I think we convinced quite a few just on
sight., because .you just can't overlook this place, that this would
be great.
As a result of it, there was quite a lot of enthusiasm, but
suddenly, I guess, the historical park category collapsed. The reason,
as I understand it, had to do with the actual policies of East Bay
Regional Park District. It was spelled out, and shown to us later,
that they, by policy, cannot be responsible for restoration. Obviously,
this involved restoration of the mansion, and the barns, etc.
Lage: So their whole historical category was abolished?
Fisher: Yes. In the past, I guess Gar in Ranch, for instance, I believe,
was handled by other people, but the district leased the park. Now
that specific category of historical regional park was dropped.
The land and the potential for the park site at Ardenwood was kept
on the master plan. Eventually the idea of a "Historic Preserve" —
which got them off the hook on restoration but still preserved the
concept of a historic area — was developed and went through the process
of review involving the local citizens, the recreation commissions,
the councils, and so forth. I think the basic concept was followed
from our Mission Peak Heritage Foundation plan because it came out
looking the same.
236
Lage: Were there particular people in the park district staff that you
worked with in these early years who seemed most interested?
Fisher: I'm not very good at this kind of bigger politics, so I didn't get
too involved, but I made several presentations when they came up
at the park district board meetings. I really don't know the
players here very well because there were certain people that were
not favorable to the historic aspect of regional parks, and some
that were. I think I had better leave it off because I'm not sure
of my facts on that. I can't remember the general manager's name
at the time.
Lage: Trudeau?
Fisher: Richard Trudeau. Trudeau was very favorable and very cooperative
and liked the concept, and we worked closely with him. And there
were supporters of his plans. I think that, really, he started the
idea of historic preserve and got it going, if I'm not mistaken.
Also Howard Cogswell.
Lage: They needed more parks in southern Alameda County, didn't they, to
balance the district with more parks in this area?
Fisher: Yes, I think there had been a preponderance of East Bay Regional
Parks in the northern part of the bay.
Lage: Contra Costa.
Fisher: Contra Costa, and up in Tilden. Sunol was beginning, but not
involved. So the political balance made it favorable to now get in
a large park here to balance the acreage. So that worked out.
When the plans first came out they were not including some of
the multiphasic or multipurpose elements. They didn't, for instance,
favor a wilderness area, which is, to us, very important. A deer
park that had been here historically from the beginning of Ardenwood,
and a primitive area that was at the Willows — the old "suzal" or
marsh — goes back to Spanish times; that is the area down here next
to the ice house. That was a very primitive area; it was heavily
wooded with very old trees. It was a deer park, and ecologically it
was an environment which we felt strongly about saving as a primitive
area, not manicuring it.
Lage: Had it never been managed by the Pattersons?
Fisher: It never had been. It had been kept as a wild preserve and family
camp area.
Lage: So it wasn't an area that had just been neglected over the years.
237
Fisher: No. It was a preserve maintained by the family as a deer park, with
all the birds and small animals that go with it.
Lage: The park district didn't want to retain that?
Fisher: The park district saw it in a more practical manner, I suppose. They
saw a danger to people, I suppose liability, poison oak, and fires,
that type of thing. So that was one of the first things that they
eliminated in their plan. They were concerned, incorrectly, speaking
as a doctor, with the idea that people would get diseases from deer.
Of course, they're talking about tick fever and various things that
are endemic to certain areas only. But they, I think, didn't want
to take responsibility for deer. So they eliminated that aspect.
They eliminated teaching areas of wilderness, which was what we had
in mind. You go in there with classes and show them a real ecological
environment that was intact. They eliminated the pioneer village,
but in place of it thought there would be a need for a learning
center, a horticultural, agricultural learning center that college
students and classes could be invited to, and stay overnight, and be
instructed. That was a good idea.
I think somewhere along the line we started convincing them, why
not combine that concept with the pioneer village. Use that for your
teaching center. So they asked me to show them buildings that might
be moved here, and we took — I don't remember the year — we took a tour
of all the potential ones such as the Mowry Landing School, and
Newark's Lincoln School, and some of the buildings on Patterson Ranch
Road. There were some in Irvington and Union City. We took them
all around. Some of them, at that time, were just ripe for moving,
because they were going to be destroyed or were subject to loss. So
the idea, I think, finally caught hold that these buildings would be
moved, and they would be restored, and they could be recycled to a
functional use.
Lage: Is this an idea that's still current?
Fisher: The idea is still there, and somewhere along the line East Bay
Regional Park District has accepted some responsibility in restora
tion [laughter], which they denied first. The large barn has been
restored. As the thing moved along, it was obvious that the mansion
itself is in danger structurally. So we started a campaign to get
some basic structural restoration of the George Washington Patterson
House, a Fremont city responsibility. We worked with the city to
get a share of the new grants which were then being designated for
each city toward historic restoration. Part of that money was
divided between a roof for this house and for the Shinn House. Then
Fremont city and the corporate entity, I think, of the Patterson
family Rroup, shared the cost of paint. The Patterson House still,
of course, needs more structural work, on the foundation.
238
Lage: I don't think we've got on the tape the final arrangement, whereby
the house itself is not part of the East Bay Park.
Fisher: Okay. As the thing developed, a management agreement was developing
in the LUD, land use development process, which is a preliminary
investigation, deciding how the land was to be used, and what the
park was to represent, what the concepts were. This involved the
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation and various public contributions
toward the ideas. The preliminary idea was that, since Mission Peak
had been involved since the 1960s, they would continue the interpre
tive decent program aspect of the house; they would continue the
coordination of the restoration of the house that they had already
been sponsoring and fighting for. And the city would be responsible
for the structural integrity and maintenance, fire protection and
security, utilities, external maintenance and restoration. The
MPHF would be responsible for interior restoration and furnishing.
At that time there was a horticultural organization, Saratoga
Horticultural Foundation, which made an offer to develop a concession
that would have taken care of the garden, the lawn area, "concourse"
as we called it then (which, incidentally, was the other aspect of
the original proposal. The Victorian concerts and art festivals
that we started could be continued.) So this organization would
develop and keep up the grounds and help in the teaching and would
actually grow saleable products, horticultural products — orchids,
flowers, plants, etc. They would lease, I think it was twenty-five
acres, something like that, for this purpose. Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation, for a dollar a year, would lease the house itself, and
run the interpretive program and the restoration program. The East
Bay Regional Park would be responsible for the farming portion.
Lage: The modern farming portion or the horse-drawn farming?
Fisher: The historic farming as well as the modern crop products, sales from
leased peripheral acreage. This of course got into the confrontation
of things cultural versus commercial. How do you run a two hundred-
acre park with public funds and try and contribute money for upkeep
from something that's happening on the ranch? That's what prompted
ideas of selling crops and firewood and creating a general store at
the gate. Later, gate receipts should be adequate.
239
III ARDENWOOD MANAGEMENT: PLANS, POLITICS, AND COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Importance of Citizen Action
Fisher: Unfortunately, eucalyptus wood sales also began to be seen as a
source of funds. They were cut, I think, for more than just liability
problems and perhaps disease loss of trees.
Lage: You mean, there was pressure to log trees that perhaps weren't
damaged?
Fisher: Right. They were thinned out, and once they thinned out they began
to suffer from wind. That's my personal opinion. There were others
that saw the thing as it was originally with a thick, dense forest
that made a screen. It was a landmark historically and protected
the visitor from intrusion by the outside world. I object to land
mark trees being harvested commercially.
Lage: So the eucalyptus I see here are not as thick as they were.
Fisher: By one half at least. Do you want me to describe the way that
management agreement changed? I've been on the other end of this
thing, and I realize that there's really a strong need for somebody
to present the real picture. Because when you get into organizations
like East Bay Regional Park and Fremont city, a lot of people are
covering their tails, and a lot of people are needing to get credit
for things in order to save their job or to promote their job, and
history gets rewritten. When it does get rewritten it leaves out
the grass-roots element of people getting together and having an
idea and going for it and fighting the government — fighting the city,
fighting all these people to get it. Then when you read the little
work-ups from regional park, for instance, or the city, it doesn't
matter, you know, it's all the same kind of bureaucracy. They tend
to omit the importance of citizen commitments.
240
If
Lage: Well, that's what we should be focusing on. Not to try to get the
whole, official history, but to fill in, even if it's not completely
chronological.
Fisher: I feel so strongly about this because, when you get an organization
like East Bay Regional Parks and the city, you're moving ahead by
staff very rapidly, and you're packaging things and then presenting
them to citizen commission groups and say, "Is this okay?" You
bypass the citizens' input, unless it's slowed down and at the
meetings you bring up their ideas, incorporate them. In the case
of this park, a lot of people got bypassed. From Union City especially,
and Newark; Fremont did have its input a great deal — largely because
of what we [MPHF] were doing, because we were so involved originally
that we got other people involved.
Here's a for instance of actual history being rewritten by
East Bay Regional Park District staff. I think it should be noted
that, say, when there was an interview on TV with one of the staff,
Dave Lewton, who says, "I came through and saw food on the table,
a deserted place, and moved in." No way. This place had been
babysat for ten or twelve years by MPHF members. As a matter of
fact, what happened was that the caretakers had left in a huff
because the city had failed to grant them a right to keep a trailer
on the park. (When they went on vacation they wanted their in-laws
to be able to stay and protect the place.) MPHF wrote a letter
trying to help them to get that as a temporary measure. The city
refused it, and they left. They left the house unattended. We
found out about it two weeks later and came over and got our camper
over there and stayed here for some weeks until Dave Lewton moved in
as caretaker for the regional park. The city allowed him to stay
here. But for that interval MPHF members were watching this place.
Lage: When was this date?
Fisher: This was about '79 or '80. I would have to confirm the date.
Lage: Just prior to East Bay taking it over.
Fisher: Yes, it was actually before they had signed the papers, I think,
and were in the process of negotiations. The caretakers (Hathorns)
had left, and EBRPD-Fremont got Dave Lewton to bring his family here
and be the caretakers until things had been settled. But there was
an interval in between where we were still, as we had been for years,
watching, protecting the house and furnishings.
Lage: Were the caretakers paid by the city by this time?
Fisher: No, the Minges and subsequently the Hathorns were not paid. It was
not a very good arrangement for the caretakers, except you lived
rent-free in a beautiful house, and they had Christmas and weddings
241
Fisher: and so forth here. My memory was that the Ha thorns had to pay for
the utilities, and they didn't like that because they had to keep
the grounds flooded with lights. The water was free because they
had the well. But they earned their keep protecting the house and
kept up the grounds very well. A lot of work. Later, of course,
Dave Lewton was employed by EBRPD but lived there rent-free. It
wasn't a congenial thing; when the city took over, the caretakers
were pretty unhappy because they really weren't getting a fair
shake, I think, for the amount of work involved.
I bring that up as an example of rewritten history. When you
read the East Bay Regional Park's summary of the history of Arden-
wood — there is no mention of prior MPHF and citizen involvement.
Lage: It's manicured.
Fisher: It's manicured, yes.
The Washington Township Historical Society Steps In
Lage: We were talking about the development of the management plan.
Fisher: The plan was perhaps in the first draft. Everyone had had meetings,
and the principals had met, MPHF had met with them, the horticultural
group, and the city, and East Bay Regional Parks. It was pretty
well thrashed out. Trudeau was pretty much on top of it, and Milnes
was really negotiating the city part of it and doing a good job.
It was pretty settled. Everybody agreed. Suddenly the Washington
Township Historical Society [WTHS[ and politics jumped in. I don't
remember whether perhaps this was an election coming up or something
that stirred up the controversy, but the end result was that the
other group [WTHS] complained that they were not being involved with
Ardenwood. Well, frankly, they had not even been on the place and
weren ' t involved .
Lage; Had that organization become more active?
Fisher: Yes, in the meantime they had built up their membership, and there
was no controversy other than the principals involved — the Weeds,
who were in control of it. There was no controversy between the
organizations; we had members in both organizations. People liked
to go to both meetings. They were entirely different kinds of
groups. They were the group that had maintained sort of a silver-
service tea approach. They gave programs. We [MPHF] were the dirty
fingernails, and fight-' em-at-council meeting, running Shinn House
with docents, and things like that.
242
Lage: Were they more pioneer family-oriented?
Fisher: Originally in the forties and fifties, but by that time there
weren't that many pioneer family members left. They had originated
the Washington Township Historical Society, and as I said, I was
director when there were some of the older people of the original
group still involved. They were started by the Washington Township
Country Club, which is a women's club. It was the women's club
which wrote the History of Washington Township, in spite of the
fact that the historical society claimed to have written it.* At
any rate, I don't want to get into controversy because it's strictly
a personal thing between the Weeds and myself. Apparently, they
resented the fact that we started a new group at the request of the
council, in spite of the fact that they were there at our invitation
at MPHF's beginning. Now they wanted to be in on Ardenwood in spite
of the fact that there had been no previous involvement or concern.
MPHF had protected it, given tours, held annual art festivals, and
initiated park plans.
So this began to get sticky as far as the council was concerned,
because the council was dominated by the same group of political
backers. So it was obvious that something had to change, and rather
than lose the momentum that we had, I asked that a meeting be called
of our two groups. We met, and I presented a compromise that
basically became a mixed advisory board — instead of being Mission
Peak Board of Directors who would control the use of Patterson
House, we suggested a group made up of representatives from Washington
Township Historical Society, Mission Peak Heritage Foundation, the
Recreational Commission, a Patterson family representative, and the
remainder appointed at large.
Lage: This was your idea?
Fisher: This was our proposal to compromise and not let the thing get
stalled on political issues. So the advisory board did get passed
with that composition.
Lage: Now that's the Patterson House Advisory Board [PHAB]?
Fisher: Well, we worked on both aspects, the advisory board for the whole
park, ARPHC, and for the house, PHAB. Incidentally, to begin with
it was the city of Fremont that was really taking over and not
*Country Club of Washington Township Research Committee, History
of Washington Township, published 1904-1965.
243
Fisher: involving this as an East Bay regional park. They were controlling
it, and they were leaving out Union City and Newark. I think the
public meetings helped bring that back into focus with the proper
balance. So when the composition was made for the advisory committee
for the whole preserve [ARPAC], then it did include representatives
from all cities, fortunately. That brought into it representation
from the railroad people and other groups.
By that time the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation pulled out.
I can't remember why; probably they saw it getting too complicated
with too much political pressure, and they weren't going to have
a free hand in the proposals that they had made. So the EBRPD took
over that aspect of it. They took over the leasing of the entire
ranch, and then the East Bay Park District was responsible for the
farming part as wpll and gardens and concourse.
Lage: Now, does East Bay Regional Parks have the immediate grounds here?
Are they in charge of the immediate grounds?
Fisher: As far as I know now, the whole acreage — 200 acres, I think — is
leased, with the exception of the Patterson house, by East Bay
Regional Park District. The city owns and controls the house.
Operation of Citizen Advisory Committees
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
How did the Patterson House Advisory Board work out?
The Patterson House Advisory Board was started,
and I were appointed from MPHF when it started.
Joanne, my wife,
But it does more than give advice, doesn't it? What about the work
of guiding tours of the house?
Well, that's a long story. I'll get into it just a little bit, but
it was obvious from the beginning that this would be a problem
because in changing the composition of the advisory board, we got
into a requirement that there would be two from each group, WTHS
and MPHF, and one from the city recreation commission, one from
Patterson family, and three at large. It was divisive, and it was
obvious that there would not be a composition based on interest in
the project, but based on political appointments. So from the
beginning, appointments were made politically. Three were made from
the people at large, which weren't supposed to be on either of the
WTHS or MPHF groups; they were made, however, from the same group
[WTHS]. So at one time there were five or six people from Washington
244
Fisher: Township Historical Society that had been nominated by the Weeds
and had been passed because the mayor was their political compatriot.
It was almost impossible to get anything done.
I wrote a policy statement, which was finally accepted, to
outline the way we would agree to use the house; that is, a living
museum approach, and not to have recreational events in the house
and food in the house and all the things that had ruined the Moss
House in Oakland and the Meek House in Hayward. The Moss House
and so many others had been ruined by holding receptions and weddings
inside. And the Grau House in our city, Fremont, had been just
literally torn apart by insensitive usage, recreational wise.
So from the very beginning the chair dominated, and the two
people that were from Mission Peak, my wife Joanne and myself, were
easily outvoted. In fact, MPHF nominated people, and the people
MPHF nominated weren't even put on by the mayor. We [the two
historical groups] were supposed to each give nominations, and
they would okay them or not, and they didn't.
It became obvious that this was going to be a tough fight to
make progress because it wasn't an interest in the mansion, it was
interest politically — making points and so forth, and just lack of
attendance. We went through a phase where we weren't even notified
of the meetings and missed some. After we had finally got the
policy statement and a few things accomplished, we quit in frustration.
As replacements were made, some semblance of reality began to
develop. But all this time had been lost and the opening of the
house and park was coming up. I would have to look back, but I
think once they got the agreement organized and everybody signed it,
I think there was something like a year to get ready, and they had
set a date of July 27, 1985, I believe, for the opening. The PHAB
stalled and really accomplished nothing in the way of restoration.
Their duties were to set up the docent program and do the restora
tion; they were to raise funds.
Lage: And they had no staff?
Fisher: No staff, no secretary, no materials. They had to write their own
letters; they had to buy their own letterheads; they had to have
one of the members type up the minutes.
Lage: That's a tall order even if everyone is working well together.
Fisher: It was a low priority thing; the city council and city staff really
didn't give a damn about it at first. This was a project that they
could have cared less for. Larry Milnes was probably the sole staff
person who carried it through the city. So there was a year nothing
245
Fisher: was done, and then suddenly, when it became obvious the park was
going to open and be a success, it was the American flag, motherhood,
and apple pie, and nobody could fight it. Everybody agreed it was
great; it had no political opponents and no deterrents, with the
exception of this advisory board apathy. So it suddenly became a
safe campaign issue, and everybody wanted to get on the band wagon.
The Rotary club came out and worked; they had work days, and the
politicians made their speeches about how great it was, and how
they were the benefactors, and they didn't even know where the place
was, most of them.
The city had been asked for funds and wouldn't give any. When
I say funds, I'm talking about restoration, or anything to do with
the board activities. Finally, it came down to, I think it was
about three weeks, four weeks, before the opening. Everybody was
panicking; the East Bay Regional Park hadn't completed their work.
Nothing had been done to the house with the exception of what Dave
Lewton himself had finagled. To his credit, he really understood
the need to oare for the house, and had lived here, and under
stood the importance of it. But in starting some interior restoration,
there was no research done as to what were really the original
conditions, color, etc. There were some really stopgap measures
that had to be done — the leaks, septic tank, electrical repair, and
house settling; lord knows what else. Dave simply diverted funds
from the East Bay Regional Park District and had people come in from
his organization; he got help from court cases and youth groups and
so forth, to literally do the jobs that were the city's responsibility.
The city did very little.
In the process, some restoration things got done incorrectly.
A lot of things got done that were needed (maintenance), but some
restoration attempts merely had to be done over again, such as
taking off all the paint on the old bedroom woodwork panels that
were never unpainted. Walls were replaced there.
Lage: In this room, the woodwork?
Fisher: Yes, this room also. The woodwork was of utility redwood that was
put in in the 1880s when they did the new house and converted this
old parlor to a dining room. It was painted wood from the very
beginning, and Dave brought in staff people from the East Bay Regional
Park and took hours taking off the paint to get down to the redwood
which wasn't supposed to be exposed. I don't want to be critical
because he's the only one that showed interest, and he was doing a
job that was the city's job through the PHAB, using East Bay Regional
Park help and funds. Nothing would have been done at all, had that
not been.
246
Fisher: But at the last three weeks the board panicked, and they knew nothing
was being done, and Dave suggested that they hire me as a combination
restoration and docent coordinator temporarily until it opened.
By that time also the East Bay Regional Park naturalist at
Coyote Hills had been brought in again by different department
heads, all overlapping and confused in the bureaucracy. They had
done a great job of researching and had started some training courses
for docents. Up until now, when the house was shown, MPHF had
always used its own docents and had not regular days but had given
at least several tours per year and had put on three "Annual
Ardenwood Festivals," the first of which was started by Don
Patterson. Don Patterson brought a chamber music group from Palo
Alto in 1980, and they gave a concert on the concourse. It was a
huge success, and they had wine and cheese.
Lage: Was it a fundraiser?
Fisher: It was just a nice time. The first one. Everyone had wine and
cheese and sat on a blanket on the lawn, and it was just a pleasant
afternoon. So we really liked the idea, and the next year we put
it on. We had an art festival and wine tasting, and that one we
used to raise funds for the restoration. And three successive times—
we had a musical the next time, and then finally, at the third one,
we reproduced the original play As You Like It that was put on by
the Patterson's children's senior class and gave the name to Arden
wood from forest of Arden in Shakespeare's As You Like It. So that
was a thing that we had started.
Lage: You had developed docent programs?
Fisher: Well, we had an active docent program at Shinn House. It was open
twice a month regularly and then by appointment for groups, for more
than twelve years. So we had a docent program, and whenever we
opened this house we used our docents here. But once the park had
to do it — of course, we're talking about a tremendous difference;
we're talking about thousands of people coming through. In a place
like this, you have to have at least a minimum of eight or twelve
people just to cover the house. Or else you get things lifted and
damaged, and people bring food in and so forth. This meant a quick
training program for a large contingent of docents.
Lage: This is the last three weeks they're calling on you to do this?
Fisher: Yes. Fortunately, the docent training had already gotten started
with the naturalists, but it was a crash program also, and I think
they had had one class, and then they brought me in, and I was
going to take over. But it was obvious that they were on the right
246a
By Conn* Rusk
Staff writ*
Historical farm
ready for visitors
FREMONT — If everyone who had •
role in the story of Ardeowood Historic
Farm could be there this weekend. It
would be crowded with Indians, Spanish
settler* and Victorian-eta farmers -
and more recently, city officials, park
planners and volunteers.
It was once the site of an Ohlone Indi
an village, then a Spanish land grant
ranch. It was George Washington
Patterson's 6,000-acre pride and joy in
the last half of the 19th century.
Now it's going to be a public attraction
where visitors can ride a hay wagon and
a vintage train, tour the Patterson man
sion, and eventually live for a weekend
or longer to experience the old-time
fanning life.
The grand opening culminates 10
years of efforts to establish the park.
Ardenwood Supervisor Dave Lewton
credits Dr. Bob Fisher of the Mission
Peak Heritage Foundation with the idea
ef the park.
"He drew up plans for the park, and
about two-thirds of them are in place
now. (Fisher)'s here right now painting
rooms," Lewton said last week.
Officials of Fremont, Newark, the
East Bay Regional Park District, pri
vate citizens, area service clubs, 4-H
Club, Scouts and the Society for the Pres
ervation of Carter Railroad Resources
all contributed.
In the early 1970s, the Patterson fam
ily sold the iit« to • boosing developer.
But local history buffs and the park dis
trict already had their eyes on the site
and the City of Fremont blocked housing
plans, which led to lawsuits.
Out-of -court settlements resulted In a
gift of 4« acres, including the George
Patterson House, to the city, and 122
acres were bought for park purposes.
The final 39 acres were deeded as a
condition of development of the
Ardenwood Forest-New Town
development
About fl.3 million in state and federal
grants has gone into the park, plus
173,800 in matching park district funds,
said park district spokesman Ned
MacKay.
The land and bouse are owned by the
City of Fremont and Fremont Park Fa
cilities Corp. The East Bay Regional
Park District has leased the site for 25
years, with an option for renewal
Guiding the creation of the park has
been the Ardenwood Regional Preserve
Advisory Committee, which is responsi
ble to both the park district and the City
of Fremont
Committee members are appointed by
the cities of Fremont Newark and Union
City and by the park district.
It isn't Knott's Berry Farm
FREMONT — Don't expect Knott'i
Berry Farm when visiting Ardenwood
Historic Farm. There won't be cavort
ing cartoon characters, scream-in
ducing flume rides or blue cotton
candy
Walk to the park if you live nearby,
because most folks didn't have hone-
less carriages In the late 1800s when
George Washington Patterson fanned
the fertile ground north and east of
Willow Marsh.
Most of all, slow down when you
visit the park and find out bow South
ern Alameda County used to live.
Ardenwood. named after a forested
area of England, will be a place to
pitch hay. saw wood and ride a farm
wsgon that might have taken
Patterson's product to waiting barges
at Anderson's Landini to the north.
Visitors can see turn-of -the-century
.farm implements In action and oper
ate some of the tools themselves.
The Oakland Musenm plans to lend
the park Its circa 1904 Best steam
traction engine, adding to s collection
of tractors, horse-drawn balers,
wheat threshing machines and corn
buskers.
Pumpkins, vegetables, nuts, corn
and fruit will be sold from a fruit
stand once the farm's first harvest
comes in.
Artisans will demonstrate some of
the fanning and homemaking skills
used in Fitter-son's day. Visitors
watch as bread is baked, saddles are
made, tools are crafted by a black
smith and porcelain and glass is
painted
246b
JULY. 1985
A nonthly publication of
the Inter-County Parks Foundation
THE EAST BAY
Ardenwood Historic Farm Opens July 28
Ardenwood Historic Preserve, the park dis
trict's beautiful new facility recreating life
in 19th Century California, will have its grand
opening for the public on Sunday, July 28, from
10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
This unique regional park is being developed
as a living history farm, allowing visitors to
see and experience a prosperous estate of the
1880s.
At the grand opening, visitors will take a
trip into California's colorful past. They will
see draft horses at work in a wheat field, and a
blacksmith hammering at his forge. Rides will
be offered on a hay wagon or on a unique horse-
drawn rail car.
Visitors will be able to join in a square dance
or try their hands at goat milking and wielding
old farm tools.
There will also be tours of the historic Pat
terson Mansion, set amid handsomely landscaped
grounds, which is being restored to its 1880s
prime. Ardenwood was established by California
pioneer George Patterson, a gold seeker who
found his fortune in farming instead.
The public is encouraged to bring picnic
lunches, and dress in 1880s costumes if desired.
There is an admission fee.
Road construction is causing changes to the
entrance directions for Ardenwood during July and
August of 1985. There are two entrances to
Ardenwood: the couth entrance from Lake
Boulevard, which crosses the Decoto Road/Dum
barton Bridge Freeway; and the west entrance from
Ardenwood Boulevard (currently called Newark
Blvd.) north of the Dumbarton Bridge Freeway.
Visitors will need to watch changing road signs
and look for the Ardenwood Regional Preserve
entrance signs. The park is very distinctive
also because of its towering eucalyptus groves.
247
Fisher: track, and so they used my help in training. I helped them with
their identifications of the rooms, furnishing, etc., and the tours,
and so forth, until I knew that things were started. Then Frank
Jahns was hired as naturalist at Ardenwood and took over the organ
izing of the decent training and scheduling, and did a good job. I
was freed up to do the restoration only, except teaching on the
decent program.
So it was now down to three weeks when 1 was asked to step in
and got PHA Board's approval and presented a proposal that the
board approved: the concept and the specific way of restoring it.
In the meantime, I had been cheating; anticipating the need, I had
been doing some research on the building interiors and finding out
the paint colors, and the original paint surfaces, and things that
you have to do before you can get going on actual restoration work.
So I was sort of thinking that if they didn't ask me I would do it
alone. Anyway, they did ask.
This was a hard step, because the PHAB was controlled by
Washington Township Historical Society, and they were against my
doing it. And the council was going along with them. But to Harry
McLane's credit, by that time, he had seen the intrigue and was not
going along with the disruption from the Weeds. He had serious
concern for the docent and restoration program; he resigned from
WTHS.
Lage: Now who is Harry McLane?
Fisher: Harry McLane by then was the chairman of the board. The people that
had been controlling it had dropped out and appointees had changed,
so that those that were on the advisory board were at least indiff
erent; they weren't antagonistic, and he was able to, at the last
minute, after about three requests from the city, get some funds.
That, again, was I think, four weeks before opening. The council
voted an emergency $22,000 for restoration and for hiring a coordinator
of docent and restoration to get things moving.
Lage: Doesn't give you much time to get ready to open the house.
Fisher: No. So in those three weeks, by then, everybody recognized you
couldn't open the park without the house. Before that time the
East Bay Regional Park really, except for Dave, didn't recognize how
important the house was, that this was the focal point, and how
important it was to people coming. They wanted to see the house.
So it all came together, and we worked with EBRPD staff transferred
from other other parks, and volunteers. We worked seven days a week,
twelve hours a day on restoration and gradually got it into shape
so that it opened with, I think, six rooms. Not necessarily all
248
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher ;
Lage:
Fisher :
Lage:
Fisher:
complete, but the basics — the paint, the floors, and ceilings. The
original Patterson furniture in MPHF storage and in use at Shinn
House was finally able to be brought back to its original location
in the house for opening day!
That's impressive that that kind of work got done at the last minute.
I think it was to the credit of everyone who worked really endlessly
on it. This is tough work; this is the dirty fingernail work. This
is the scrubbing, painting, cleaning, etc.
It also is to your credit that you had done the research, so you
knew what to tell people to do.
Well, I had to keep one step ahead because I had done enough to
start with, but by the time we finished that, I had to match and
order the next paint. Incidentally, I bought all the materials,
and then got reimbursed later. There was no time for bureaucratic
purchase orders. So anyway, the house did open up and was enjoyed,
and from that time on we rested awhile, and then we came back and
did more.
Has the response to it within the community helped any with getting
further funds?
No, not funds, but once we opened and people came through, it was
presented very factually, that this historic house was in the
process of being restored, and we welcomed help, and we welcomed
donation of furniture and artifacts, and we showed them the thing
in progress. As well as some of the completed rooms, we had to go
through some of the rooms that weren't finished.
So this encouraged help, it encouraged the decent program
volunteers, and we began to build up that program. By then Frank
Jahns was fully involved in a good training program. They started,
I think, with about fifteen, and the next group was about thirty.
So it's gradually blossomed out, with a very dedicated bunch of
people. Incidentally, as far as I know, none of the WTHS members
were involved with either restoration or the decent program.
Did you have people who were here every weekend giving tours?
I don't think people realize the numbers of visitors that come through
this place. It starts Thursday and goes through Sunday. I know
from Shinn House experience that to carry on a docent program over
months and years is really tough. People have their own activities;
getting commitments to these hours is difficult. Not many people
are willing to do that, to be pinned down for two hours on Sunday.
249
Lage: That's right, for weeks on end.
Fisher: Right. So it's a difficult program, and they are responding to it,
But it's a program with a lot of turnover.
Lage: You have to continually recruit new docents.
Fisher: And continue to educate them. The people come in not knowing any
history of the family or the area, and they have to learn the art
of interpretation.
Lage: They have to learn to judge people, too, learn who to watch, and
how to relate to their questions.
Fisher: Yes. We started with people that would talk to the tour group for
an hour before they let them in the house, backing up the crowds,
[laughter]
Political and Personal Complications for Ardenwood Management////
Lage: Perhaps you can clarify something that wasn't clear to me. I don't
see why an operation like this, a historical park, would become a
political plum.
Fisher: There are two aspects of it. In the initial part where nobody's
interested, political appointments are made as favors and as rewards
for campaigns, political favors, and so forth. Appointments serve
as stepping stones, from minor boards and commissions to council
and planning commission; lots of people want to put on their credit
list, "I was on such and such board and commission for the city."
During the time of no interest — and I mean literally no interest in
Ardenwood — the fight to preserve Ardenwood was going on but without
help from city or other historical groups.
Once the East Bay Regional Park District historic preserve
proposal was publicized in the papers, that it would be this great
Bay Area facility, which would be noncontroversial, it would be a
plum in anybody's pie that had been connected with it. It was
recognized as a safe, positive, political accomplishment — especially
since it came right at the election time. So those people who had,
as I say, not even known where it was, let alone been involved, were
getting in on so-called volunteer days. They held VIP picnics, and
they had various ceremonies connected with publicizing the park.
The Rotary Club that had never known the place before became involved.
Politicians, of course, were visible members. They saw the value,
250
Fisher: and not only that, they were interested in service. So it was
legitimate interest, as well as a chance to publicize their
contributions and involvement.
But, of course, the speeches were made, and the people that
really did the early work were forgotten along the line. So I don't
think any of the original grass-roots organizations that were
involved getting it started or with the work, none of these people
were recognized in speeches or publicity blurbs. I'm not talking
about myself; I'm talking about when people were recognized it was
the heads of the service clubs, mayor, councilmen, etc. that had
done the corrals on "FUN" days (volunteer workdays) , and not the
people that had for years protected it. But that's the way it
works. Those were the usual two phases of such projects and now
there's a certain balance that has developed.
Recent Changes in Leadership
Lage: Are you back on the advisory board?
Fisher: No. Officially I am hired by the board. I wish I had never done
it, but I accepted a stipend that came with the decent and restora
tion coordinator position plus reimbursement of what I spent on
restoration materials. As I say, I wish I had not done it, because
I was perfectly happy volunteering for twenty years. The stipend
wasn't that much, and not worth the embarrassment of asking to be
reimbursed. At any rate, it's been a problem since I'm still owed
from three months back.
Anyway, I think the balance now is there. Harry McLane is
chairman of the board, and although there are not a lot of intensely
interested people on it, there are probably none that are actually
antagonistic. The Washington Township Historical Society hasn't
even shown up for volunteers or during the ceremonies; in other
words, they have been completely uninvolved and have gone back to
where they originally were before all the disruption.
Lage: That makes it a lot easier.
Fisher: Yes. The workable balance is, I think, there now. But the concern
now is how much will the public influence what they want here and
how much will be controlled by staff people of East Bay Regional
Park and city. As long as Larry Milnes is watchdogging it, there
will be support and proper balance from the city. Fortunately, the
election changed the situation on the council so there's now a
251
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher ;
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher :
Lage:
Fisher :
Lage:
Fisher:
supportive mayor and council majority, and that is beginning to
loosen up funds and grants and so forth. The East Bay Regional Park
District has had a tremendous turnover, and everybody is running
scared, and I'm a little worried about the new administration's
attitude toward Ardenwood, with Dave Lewton out of the picture.
He is out of the picture now?
Yes. As of a week ago.
He had done so much in bringing it all together.
He had done a tremendous lot to get the historic farm organized, a
sometimes controversial action, but he has used his own judgment,
and he's stuck his neck out. That made a lot of enemies.
Was he an East Bay park employee from the beginning?
He was supervisor of the seven area parks to begin with and then
was brought here solely as the development coordinator for Ardenwood.
So he was brought in for this project alone to get it started.
Then he was a park employee before coming to Ardenwood?
He had been a park employee for a long time, ten or fifteen years,
I think.
Is he out of the park district altogether now?
No, he's at the EBRPD headquarters now, but the project has been
taken out of his hands, and now Bruce Gillespie is in charge. He
served as manager of the grounds under Lewton and, when Lewton left,
moved into the Patterson House with his wife as caretakers.
Well, is the change in management a philosophical change?
been a change in the way the park is run?
Has there
That's what worries me most because Dave has a keen interest in the
historical angle. He's also a very astute manager. Management
involves, sometimes, as I said, economic (commercial) aspects to
make it work; that can interfere with the pure historically oriented
interpretation and amenities.
So I don't know, honestly, how it will be carried on. The
district management now is not — I would have to guess, but the
management is not necessarily oriented in the same direction as Dave
was, whereas before, he got the backing and support of the higher
echelon in the East Bay Regional Parks District, and I don't think
252
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher :
Lage:
Fisher:
Lage:
Fisher:
that support is there anymore. It remains to be seen how it carries
through. It can gradually be converted into a recreational activity
park instead of the concept of historical interpretation.
But they did have the master plan.
They had a master plan and a management agreement with city, and
it's protected, basically, with the concept if they continue to
follow it. Hopefully they will.
So it's up in the air now whether their plans for the farming center
at the old William Patterson house site will go forth?
No, I think that's written into the overall schedule there. All
these things are scheduled for certain dates, and I think those
will move forward. I think it's a matter of degree, more, how
consistently they stick to an illusion of a Victorian farm, and how
much they intrude utility and modern stuff in order to keep it
economically feasible — for instance, eucalyptus tree harvesting.
From the actual farming that's being done on park lands, is there
still a hope of selling the crop?
They're actually doing that now; they're selling corn and pumpkins —
Who does that farming? Is that a concession?
These are concessions. In fact, that's what it was all about before
the Pattersons sold the land anyway. Patterson leased the farming
operation to the L.S. Williams farming people and the walnut crop
to others.
Who is leasing it now; are they the area farmers?
I think the same L.S. Williams Company, I believe, leases the major
fields.*
The ones that are using the modern methods?
In the periphery, yes. I believe, I'm not sure about this, but I've
seen discussions with smaller leasers growing the corn and pumpkins,
for instance, for sale in smaller areas, demonstration areas. Then,
of course, East Bay runs the demonstrations with concessionaires —
the wagon pulling; the railroad is by the SPCRR group; and there are
the food concessions and whatnot.
*See interview with Mel Alameda in this series.
253
Lage: Do you know if it's an expensive park for the East Bay Regional
Park District to actually run?
Fisher: According to Dave, East Bay has spent more than the entire rest of
the East Bay Regional Park funds getting this preserve started.
That is part of the controversy. Probably the new management in
the regional park administration feels too much has gone into this
project. And yet I think everyone agreed, it's so unique that the
benefits to the East Bay, or to the entire Bay Area communities
are worth it.
Lage: It's very striking to me that such a short time ago there was an
actual working farm, and now, already, we're treating it like a
museum.
Fisher: That's the whole idea. Eventually there won't be any farming, and
this is the only patch, I believe, that's left. Now maybe there
are some specialized concentrated types — gladiolus, a "high yield"
different kind of farming — but none of the row crop farming anymore.
So this is the last, and it's the last place anybody will be able
to see the process as it was. High tax, land prices, and urban
sprawl have driven the farmers to rural areas. So it is a unique
type of preserve and park.
Lage: So we're ending with not a real conclusion because there isn't a
conclusion for this story.
Fisher: Well, I think it has enough of a start so that the momentum will
keep it rolling and if the citizens' committees can speak their mind
and have their input, I think the right things will continue, and
it will be here for the future.
Transcriber: Alexandra Walter
Final Typist: Elizabeth Eshleman
254
TAPE GUIDE - Robert Fisher
Date of Interview: September 9, 1986
tape 1, side A 212
tape 1, side B 221
255
APPENDIX— Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation Proposal for Historic
Preserve at Ardenvood, 1980
To: Fremont City Council
From: Mission Peak Heritage Foundation
Re: Ardenwood and its future use
September 1980
On August 13, '980, a meeting was he'd by Larry Milnes of the City staff
with interested organizations and agencies to discuss the future use of "Arden
wood", the George W. Patterson Estate. In answer to his request, the Mission
Peak Heritage Foundation is happy to forward the attached proposal first made
in 1972 and re-evaluated by this report.
BACKGROUND:
In I960, the Historic Resources Commission developed an inventory of historic
sites, structures, and horticulture within the City of Fremont. The Primary
Histor;c Resource lists and maps were officially adopted by the City Council «nd
designated on the Recreation, Area, and General Plan maps of the city. It was
clear that Ardenwood was second only to the Mission San Jose In its historic
community significance and pote^tia' for future generation's enjoyment. To this
end, this unique area and ;ts resources have been protected and .sponsored by
members of the Historic Resources Commission and subsequently by the Mission Peak
Heritage Foundation for the past 20 years. When the William Patterson Mansion,
also on the grounds, was destroyed at the request of the family, the Foundation
heloed to prevent a similar fate for the G.W. Patterson House until acquisition
by the Singer organization. That organization coordinated with the Foundation
and Recreation Department to incorporate the important historic elements Into
•the park dedication of their development. Meanwhile, the furnishings, archives,
and equipment of Ardenwood were donated by the family to the Foundation for
preservation.
In 1972, when the East Bay Regional Park District initiated a new park
category called "Historic Regional Park", the Foundation proposal for the
development of a multiphasic, cultural-recreational complex was given a high
priority by the city, EBRPD, the Citizen Task Force and Overview consultants.
256
The new* category did not survive, but Ardenwood was placed on E3RPD Master Plan
for oossible future acquisition. Fremont's concern with the North Plain urban
development outgrowing its facilities for sewer, fire protection, and school
se- /ices, deferred the Singer Housing development at Ardenwood. Through a
series of negotiations, 165 acres of Ardenwood are now under control or owner
ship of Fremont. Newark and Union City are aware of Ardenwood 's value as a
leisure resource and favor development of a regional use facility.
The MPHF proposal *or "Ardenwood Historical Regional Park" has been seen
by the tri-city and EBRPO staffs. Hundreds of citizens have expressed enthusiasm
for the potential of the proposal during guided tours of the estate by the Foundatlor
For those newly elected to council and appointed to commissions, we welcome the
opportunity to review the attached elements and maps of the proposal, as presented
in '9/2-3, and to re-evaluate its feasibility In light of recent developments.
Some of these developments which have an impact on Ardenwood will be discussed and
41 c briefly listed.
1. Single ownership and control of 165 acres of Ardenwood property (City of Fremont]
2. Continued and alarming loss of structural and horticultural historic resources
3. Development of Coyote Hills Regional Park and SF Bay Wildlife Refuge and
Alameda Creek Trail System.
k. Increased vandalism and difficulty of proper security
5. East Bay Regional Park District Master Plan for park acquisition favoring 200
acre "Model Farm" but disinterest in the house and other historical elements
6. Saratoga Horticultural Foundation Proposal and UC Berkeley and Alameda School
Districts Interests
7. Increasing problems of usable water
8. Restoration of G.W. Patterson House, the barn and SPC combination car
257
First, let it be clearly stated. The basis of the MPHF proposal rests on the fact
that Ardenwood has an unique qual i ty and potential . The attributes of large "open
space" with mature horticulture, identifiable landmark trees adjacent to three
cities and two major freeways, alone, would qualify this area for a city park, let
alone regional recreational usage. But its unique and potential value lies ?n the
fact that this nucleus of the old Rancho Potrero del los Cerritos, Itself filled
with historic resources, has the close proximity and historic relationship with
the fol lowing :
1. Ohlone village site and the original Mission San Jose embarcadaro at
Coyote Hi 1 Is
2. Early town and Alameda County seat origins at Alvarado on Alameda Creek
3. Early salt industry and commercial landings along the "sloughs"
k. Nearby sites of the adobe homes of Alviso and Pacheco, Rancho grantees
whose boundary ditch runs through the property.
$. The South Pacific Coast narrow gauge RR origin of Newark town, Paddle-
wheeler "Newark" at Dumbarton Point
6. A surviving rural Alameda County farm operation
Here then at Ardenwood is the unique opportunity to demonstrate and interpret
within a park complex the whole panorama of Alameda County and California heritage.
This legacy for future generations can only be preserved by recognition of its
significance and the gradual development, through sensitive coordination of Its
components and adjacent facilities. (Coyote Regional Park, S.F. Bay Refuge, Alameda
Creek Trail System) 5 ingle ownership by Fremont should simplify development of the
165 acre 'complex, but places the heavy burden of responsibility for preservation
and proper utilization for the benefit of al 1 Bay area citizens, squarely upon the
prooerty's present custodians— the Fremont City Council.
258
The HPHF strongly advises the preservation of thts unique resource intact.
but sees no objection, Indeed some cost-saving advantage to the use and development
ot its individual components through private enterprise le: Saratoga Horticultural
Foundation, concessionaires in transportation and Washington Village, agencies, le:
EBRPD -Model Farm, UC agricultural research and volunteer labor and funds, as well
as grants ie: Ethnic and historical groups. This could be accomplished properly
coordinated by its legal owners and custodians according to an acceptable time
schedule and over-all plan.
The Foundation foresees, in the not too distant future, the "Model Farm"
element of this proposal as the last remaining vestige of Alameda County's
agricultural heritage. This operation could be leased to EBRPO for develop
ment or simply remain in Its present relation of city to local farmers, modified
to a small degree for agricultural experimentation via UC and school district
participation with work-educational programs. Likewise, there is a growing na*4
to secure and protect "primitive" areas of ecological and environmental importance
(ie: eucalyptus grove and deer park) intact and un cent am mated by man except for
restricted study.
It Is Important to understand and perpetuate the culture (philosophy, crafts.
and traditions) of ethnic groups which reflect the heritage of Washington Township
ie: The IDES Halls, the Buddhist Temples, the Spanish-Mexican haciendas, the) Japan
ese schools — proudly highlighted within Washington Village area. For the Ohlone
a 1 i vlnq cultural center, not a reduplication of the excellent archeoloqlcal
center at Coyote Regional Park. The Oh 1 ones, themselves, need a place where they
interpret and demonstrate their rich heritage. The 'VI llows" "recycled" lake,
as proposed, makes an ideal environment for the Ohlone center and Is said by
Saratoga Foundation to be desirable for fire protection and reservoir use.
259
There is a healthy and growing trend to put historic building to • functional
and self-supporting use as in O'd Sacramento and San Jose. The "Historic Village"
concept which inspired the MPHF's "Washington Village" is well tested by other
cities. It gives rebirth and functional life to relocated and restored "historic
orphans" — bui 'dings threatened by, or inappropriate to certain areas of urban
development. The individual units are usually "free for the moving" which Is
done in the case of Bakersfield by use of tax exemption benefit for services.
They can 4e stored in "moth balled" state on location until private or agency
restoration.
The MPHF sees the Saratoga Horticultural Foundation proposal as a compatible
use of the kO acre nucleus of Ardenwood. It was, after all, the original use of
Patterson Ranch and offers greater and more consistent security and maintenance*
Possible garden restoration, open air amphitheatre are interesting bonuses to
consider. Compromise between public and Saratoga Foundation use for the G.W.
Patterson House and lawn concourse areas, and coordination of house tours and
public outdoor activities through the MPHF can be outlined In lease agreement
to serve both interests.
The equestrian area designated is not essential to the HPHF proposal although
lrmitation of motorized vehicles in favor of horse-drawn vehicles lends to the
vintage aura. Visitor transportation via a recreated rlorse-car railroad follow
ing a mutually agreeable alignment through the Saratoga project but connecting
with Coyote Regional Park and eventually the Alameda Creek Trail System remains
an excising and compatible idea. The large barn we now feel would more appro
priately serve as an agricultural and SPC railroad museum. An outdoor amphitheatre
probably in the swimming pool area with public restroom faci 1 i ties -would be useful
for public concerts and theatre as well as Saratoga Foundation seminars. MPHF
shares the Saratoga Foundation's concern In regards to fire hazard of ovarnlqht
camping and suggests deleting this element in favor of daytime play and picnic
areas, especially on 'Vashington Village" green. The old farm houses could
easily be recycled to barracks use for employees and class participants.
260
At the EBRPD Board meeting of September 2, 1980, there was unanimous
agreement among it's members that Ardenwood, with the addition of ^0 acres for
protective buffer, should be preserved intact to function as a regional park.
In addition to their original interest in the circa 1900 model farm, other
historic elements of the. Mission Peak Heritage Foundation proposal are now
being discussed as having significant interpretive and educational value ie:
demonstration of rural crafts, agricultural equipment museum, etc. The natural
outgrowth of a regional park that is historically oriented will eventually need
to provide such facilities as overnight accomodat ions, food services and a trans
portation system. To be consistent with the historical theme, we refer to those
suggestions made by Mission Peak Heritage Foundation, providing these facilities
in Washington Village and by use of the horsecar railroad.
The preliminary concepts outlined at this meeting suggest the sub-leasing
of the George W. Patterson house to Mission Peak Heritage Foundation with
activities such as tours and concerts to be continued. Under thts arrangement,
continued security could be provided by an EBRPD superintendent, or other employee's
residence in the house, in place of the present caretaker system.
•
CONCLUSIONS:
The Mission Peak Heritage Foundation again proposed that Ardenwood be
developed to its unique potential in affordable phases as an integrated complex
of historically oriented components with Alameda County heritage as the under
lying theme, coordinated by its legal custodian, with advice and support of
M'ssion Peak Heritage Foundation and other interested organizations. That it
utilize compatible private enterprise, agencies, and ethnic groups to develop
its functional and self-supporting elements for the recreational, cultural, and
educational enjoyment of the tri-city and entire bay area. Further, that this
conplex by integrated and connected to Coyote Hills Regional Park and Alameda
Creek Recreational areas by trail and a recreated horsecar railway transportation
system.
261
The responsibility for preservation and proper utilization of Ardenwood's
potentia1 lies with the City of Fremont. It should be Fremont's mission to act
as coordinators of these functions or to guarantee that coordination by trans
ferring this responsibf 1 ity to the appropriate agency. The Mission Peak Heritage
Foundation favors the placement of the entire 165-200 acres in the capable and
experienced hands of the EBRPD for overall future planning and management, and
pledges it's continued cooperation and support.
Robert B. Fisher, MD Chairman
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation
262 Map Of Rancho Portrero de los Cerritos,
included in 1980 proposal
263
264
APPENDIX A
Laurence W. Milnes
"Ardenwood Regional Preserve and the City of Fremont"
a selection from
THE MASTER PLAN, THE PARK ADVISORY COMMITTEE, AND THE
GROWTH OF THE PARK DISTRICT IN THE SOUTH COUNTY
an interview with Laurence W.
Milnes conducted in 1982 by
Carole Hicke of Oral History
Associates for the East Bay
Regional Park District
LAURENCE W. MILNES
1988
265
INTERVIEW HISTORY — Laurence W. Milnes
Larry Milnes, as assistant manager of the City of Fremont, was a key
figure in the negotiations which led to the creation of Ardenwood Regional
Preserve. The following excerpt from his 1982 interview for an oral history
project on the East Bay Regional Park District gives the story of those
negotiations and of the community effort to plan, prepare, and manage the
Ardenwood site as a historic preserve. It has been included in this volume
with the permission of Mr. Milnes and the East Bay Regional Park District
as a complement to the interviews of John Brooks and Robert Fisher. Following
is the preface to the 1982 interview:
PREFACE
The idea for an oral history of the East Bay Regional
Park District was born at the District's 45th Birth
day Party in the summer of 1979. Several of the
guests, Park founders and longtime Park supporters,
recalled events leading up to the formation of the
District, and it was decided that it was important
to capture the variety and richness of their recol
lections. Shortly thereafter the District's Board
of Directors authorized an oral history project, and
in early 1980 a program was launched to interview
Park District founders, supporters, employees, and
Directors.
Mr. Milnes is the Assistant City Manager for the
city of Fremont, and has worked diligently to pro
vide parks and recreation for the city. For the
East Bay Regional Park District, he chaired the
Public Agency Advisory Committee which advised the
District on its Master Plan. He also served as
Chairman of the Park Advisory Committee, which
evolved out of the citizens' role in the Master
Plan.
Mr. Milnes was interviewed in his office in Fremont
on December 7, 1982. He carefully reviewed and
corrected the transcript of the tape-recorded
interview.
The oral history project was conducted by Mimi Stein,
President of Oral History Associates, a firm special
izing in oral and written histories.
266
Ardenwood Regional Preserve and the City of Fremont
Hicke: Okay. Since we're on these parks, perhaps you can
tell me the story of Ardenwood Regional Preserve.
That's part of it.
Milnes: This is a long story. Ardenwood is conceived in
the Master Plan as an opportunity to develop an
historical farm park. Ardenwood consists of prime
agricultural land and has been farmed for years as
a major producer of truck crops, feeding Bay Area
families. It has long been recognized as being
in the path of development.
The initial view the city had in its Master
Plan was that the significant tree stands would
be preserved as a part of a park of some sort.
When the Park District Master Plan came along
the Ardenwood area was seen as possibly preserved
on a larger scale as a regional facility. Thus
it was designated in the Master Plan. The Park
District gave little attention to the acquisition
of this land in its early acquisition days. Back
in about the time that the Park District Master
Plan was being developed, these lands were acquired
by Singer Housing Company with the expectation of
developing it into homes.
The Fremont City Council, on recommendation
by its Planning Commission, adopted a motion
indicating the North Plain area of Fremont, of
which Ardenwood is a part, should be preserved
in agriculture for a period of at least 10 years.
The feeling on the part of the Planning Commission
and Council was the area was not really ready to
267
Milnes : develop — the city was not in a position to provide
services to it at that time. The more orderly
planning of the city would be to develop on an
in-fill basis where its infrastructure could be
used more efficiently.
Singer Housing Company and other property
owners filed a number of lawsuits against the city
because of this intended action the Council had
indicated. The lawsuits tied everything up for a
number of years. Singer Housing Company and the
city had made a number of attempts at settling the
lawsuits between the two parties. They had all
been unsuccessful. In 1976, the President of
Singer Housing Company approached the City Council
and proposed that John Brooks, former President of
Singer Housing Company serving as an independent
consultant in the housing field, along with his
other activities, represent Singer Housing Company
in negotiation. He further proposed that the City
Council designate one of its council members to
meet with Mr. Brooks for the two individuals to
attempt to negotiate a settlement.
The council asked its newest and just-elected
council member, Tony Azevedo, to represent the city.
The council's reasons for selecting Councilman
Azevedo were that he was a new face on the council,
had not been involved in any of the prior council
actions, and thus might be able to bring a new
and fresh look to the negotiations. Councilman
Azevedo agreed to accept the assignment on the
condition I would be made available to serve with
him and to assist him in those negotiations.
My position with the city at that time was
as Assistant City Manager with a daily working
responsibility of community/economic development
manager. Thus, I had managerial responsibility
for public works, planning, and economic develop
ment, all three of which were really central to
the settlement issue.
A great number of lengthy meetings were held
by the three parties. Out of those meetings
evolved some common goals. The Singer Housing
Company objective was to subdivide land and build
houses. The city's concern included the preser
vation of the Patterson house and significant
268
Milnes: parts of the Patterson Ranch. These concerns
interfaced with the Park District's goal of
establishing Ardenwood Park as an historical farm
park. The central problem was unsolvable in a
sense, insofar as Singer Housing Company's sub
division of the Patterson Ranch was prevented by
the city's inability to provide services to the
Ranch in its then-condition and location.
Fire protection was a primary concern. The
Dumbarton Freeway was to be built. The fire
department by policy does not operate its fire
fighting equipment on freeways for the reason that
there is too great a potential for freeway blockage.
The fire equipment then could be stopped in the
middle of a traffic jam and not be able to get to
the fire. Another access had to be built across
the freeway.
All of these concerns then fitted into a very
logical and potentially workable solution: Singer
owned some other lands. The Patterson family owned
other lands which, if they were in the hands of
Singer, could be served by the city with certain
corrective measures being taken. One of these
corrective measures included building a new bridge
across the Nimitz Freeway for the Paseo Padre
Parkway. Mr. Brooks had a close relationship
with the Pattersons, approached them, and proposed
a land exchange where the Pattersons would trade
land in this area, which could potentially be
developed, for lands which Singer owned and Singer
had previously purchased from Patterson. Patterson's
goal was to continue farming.
After a great deal of analysis by Patterson
and Singer and by the city, a settlement agree
ment evolved whereby Patterson and Singer
exchanged land. Singer then gave to the city of
Fremont 46 acres of land, which included the
Patterson Queen Anne Victorian house and the
significant groves of trees. One Hundred Seventy
Eight acres of land was to finally evolve under
city ownership or control; 46 acres of land was
a direct gift by Singer. The remaining 122 acres
was to be purchased from Singer Housing Company
by the Fremont Park Facilities Corporation, a
nonprofit corporation.
269
Milnes: It was agreed the purchase price would be at fair
market value, not to exceed the sum of $22,000
per acre. The $22,000 per acre figure was arrived
at by John Brooks on the basis of his valuation
and knowledge of land values as a reasonable and
fair price at the time of the negotiation, when
this plan had evolved. It turned out that the
fair market value of the land was $28,000 for the
land then in the city of Fremont and about $42,000
for the land involved which was then in the city
of Newark. So the $22,000 was an extremely fair
and reasonable price.
It was agreed in the settlement agreement
that Singer Housing Company would accept the bonds
from the nonprofit corporation. The bonds were to
be paid out over a period of 20 years. The
interest rate was to be 1/2 percent below the
market interest rate for tax-free bonds; it was
further stipulated in the agreement the principal
and interest would be paid strictly from proceeds
to the city collected as a $200 per dwelling unit
construction tax on each new dwelling constructed
in the city during the ensuing 20-year period.
A further provision was that if all the
bonds were not paid for at the end of that 20-
year period, that is if there were insufficient
funds flowing during the 20-year period, through
house building permits, to pay the principal
and interest, then at the end of the 20-year
period the bonds would all expire and there would
be no further obligation on the part of the city
or the corporation to pay off the bonds.
The settlement agreed on was approved by
the City Council and by Singer and has in fact
been put into action. So the city now owns 46
acres of that land and has a long-term lease
on the balance. It was agreed in all of the
documents the city could transfer its interest
by lease to another public agency such as the
Park District. It was specified that one of the
purposes of the city's acquiring the land was for
Park use and historical preservation. It was
contemplated all the way through that the land
ultimately would come under Park District domain
as a regional park. That has in fact now come
to pass.
270
Hicke: Was the Park District involved in the negotiations?
Milnes: The Park District was involved to a minor extent
only. One of the solutions searched for in the
settlement process was to try to develop a feasible
plan whereby the Park District might be able to
buy the land instead of the city buying it. There
was interest on the part of the Park District to
do so but it was advised not to by Jack Rogers,
as special counsel to the District in land
acquisition, for the reason that there was liti
gation pending between Singer and the city of
Fremont. He was concerned that if the Park
District involved itself in any way in negotiations,
the Park District through some means or other might
be brought into the lawsuit. So the Park District
dropped any involvement, but certainly continued
to maintain its interest in Ardenwood Park ulti
mately becoming a part of the Park District
system.
Hicke: I know they're all very excited about it.
Milnes: It's a tremendous opportunity. It's going to be
the one place .in the Park District, and really in
the Bay Area, where there will be this much prime
agricultural land used as a working farm. And it's
assured that it's going to be there for future
generations. It's a place where young people and
not-so-young people in the Bay Area can come and
see actual working demonstrations of farming as
it was done, in an historical sense as well as a
modern sense. They can see real produce grown.
People can see a real live cow.
Hicke: Not made of plastic.
Milnes: That's right. They can see a real live cow, see
where milk really comes from and see real live
horses tilling the soil. They can also see black-
smithing demonstrations.
Hicke: You mentioned the historic eucalyptus grove. Are
they some of the first trees planted in the Bay
Area, or why are they historical?
Milnes: I'm not certain they were the first eucalyptus
trees planted, but I wouldn't be surprised if
they were. The seeds were brought over from
Australia.
271
Hicke: For those actual trees?
Milnes: Yes. You see, Australia is really the home of
the eucalyptus tree, and the seeds were brought
over from Australia for the purpose of planting
eucalyptus trees to be used for furniture making,
as a source of wood for furniture. That did not
prove to be feasible because eucalyptus is simply
not that stable. So that experiment was not
successful, but they did then continue to exist
as a rather significant land form and windbreak.
It is really quite visible right here from the
office. If you look right out here where you see
the six light standards at the football field at
the high school, beyond it you'll see this distinct
land form of tall eucalyptus trees. That is
Ardenwood Park.
Hicke: I see it very clearly.
Milnes: The tree form has been identified in the city's
general plan for some time. One of the goals in
the North Plain area is to retain that tree form.
And there will be trouble for anyone who wants to
destroy it and not replace it in some significant
way.
Hicke: The wind brings parts of them crashing down but
they always spring up again.
Milnes: The Park District views them as a distinct
liability, although they seem a real asset in an
historical sense as a land form and windbreak.
But from the standpoint of bringing people in,
the District staff says that it's a distinct
liability. The Park District staff refers to them
as "widow makers . " Some of them do have the
potential of branches breaking off in the heat
of the summer as well as the high winds of the
winter.
Another feature of the management agreement
was the public hearings on the resource analysis
and land use development plans to be jointly
conducted by the Park District staff and the
Fremont Recreation Commission. A by-product of
that process has been a stimulation of interest
in Ardenwood Park by two members of the commission:
272
Milnes: one is John Baker, who is a past chairman of
the commission, and another is Commissioner
Robert Pitcher.
It's fortuitous perhaps that this year,
1982- '83, each of these two people serves
independently as president of two of the area's
service clubs. John Baker is President of the
Fremont Kiwanis Club; Robert Pitcher is President
of the Niles Rotary Club. Through their interest
along with that of another resident, Keith
Medeiros, who is President of the Fremont Rotary
Club — and Keith's particular interest in
historical preservation — the idea has evolved
to develop a tri-city service club work day at
Ardenwood Park.
Planning is going on right now. The
expectation is that on May 14, 1983 there will
be one work day in Ardenwood Park where the
service clubs of the tri-city area will come
together. Each of them will be working on
separate projects. Each of the clubs will have
made varying amounts of financial contribution:
buying materials, perhaps renting equipment if
necessary for their particular project. There
will be this one giant work day with perhaps
200-300 community leaders who are in the
Kiwanis, Lions, Optimist, Rotary, and Sorop-
tomist Clubs of these three cities working on
grassroots projects to start to put the park
into a condition where the Park District can
then carry it on to completion.
This will be a one-year, one-day project,
but it can very well and likely will lead to
subsequent projects either by individual clubs
or simply by participation on some sort of
voluntary basis by individual members of the
community who are stimulated by the potential of
Ardenwood Park. This club project is seen as not
only a great opportunity for the Park District to
launch its improvement of Ardenwood Park with
community efforts but also to build in an immediate
constituency of supporters for the park.
273
Milnes: It is anticipated that the media will be involved;
the press will be there, television stations will
be reporting on this massive community service
project. The clubs will obviously get benefit
from it in that they will be able to have some
publicity for what the individual clubs have done
and what they have done as a collective effort.
Hicke: What about Alameda Creek Quarries?
Milnes: Alameda Creek Quarries has been another interest
ing evolution. When I came to Fremont in 1959,
the quarry companies were hard at work mining
that very valuable ore with no end in sight as
to when the effort would be exhausted and
terminated. Nonetheless, the city's general plan
provided for the area to be an open space recre
ational area of some sort at some time; thus the
reason for including the quarry lakes in the Park
District Master Plan. It was seen as an oppor
tunity for an inland water recreational area.
I think that even then no one anticipated
that the quarrying would stop very soon and the
area come under public ownership. Well, it has
evolved, as I indicated, through the suggestion
by one of the Citizens Task Force members. The
District has now acquired close to 500 acres of
land.
The next task is to get a Land Use Develop
ment Plan prepared for it. The Park District has
been slow about getting that done. Again it comes
back to a major deficiency that this area suffers.
The area does not have a "cadre of little old
ladies in tennis shoes" to be "squeaking" before
the Board. So the Park District has done
virtually nothing about making that the jewel it
can be in the Park District system.
Out of fairness to the Park District, I
shouldn't say that they've done nothing. They
have a lease with the Alameda County Water Dis
trict for the Shinn Pond and a lease with the
City of Fremont for part of Fremont's Niles
Community Park. It has developed some fishing
piers and facilities in the Shinn Pond. It also
has the Kaiser Pit under its wing. But that's
a minor part of the potential of Alameda Creek
Quarries.
274
Milnes: I've expressed to the District staff and to the
Director from this ward the importance of getting
on with the Land Use Development Plan. Fremont
Central Park has evolved over a period of 23
years. The first acquisition was made in 1959:
13 acres in the Central Park. Through a combi
nation of actions of leasing land from the flood
control district, passing bond issues, and
incremental improvement , it has now developed
to where it's probably two-thirds improved. The
same thing can happen at Alameda Creek Quarries,
but a Land Use Development Plan must be adopted
first. Through the Park District's Master Plan
and work done by Overview and the committees, a
park planning process has evolved which is second
to none. It works. It's very thorough. It
ensures public input. It ensures a full evaluation
of resources and the bringing together of all
these into a meaningful Land Use Development
Plan. With a Land Use Development Plan, park
improvement and development can proceed on an
orderly basis through private efforts, through
public efforts, through grants.
End Tape 2, Side A
Begin Tape 2, Side B
Milnes: The Park District staff has not seen fit to place
a sufficiently high priority on developing a Land
Use Development Plan for the Quarries for them to
have undertaken this item of work. The tri-cities
of Fremont, Newark, and Union City perhaps have
been either negligent or ineffective in convincing
the Park District this needs to be given a higher
priority. Hopefully we will see some changes in
that direction in future months.
The success of and extreme popularity of
Fremont Central Park, a park totally owned and
developed and operated by Fremont, demonstrates
the need and value of another aquatic oriented
park in the regional park system in this area.
The Alameda Creek Quarries has the potential and
the purpose of serving that role. Meanwhile, in
the absence of the Park District carrying out its
275
Milnes: responsibilities at the quarry lakes, the city of
Fremont is finding itself in the position of
providing a regional facility, in effect, doing
what the Park District should be doing.
Here is another example of this area not
getting its fair share of Park District resources.
The Park District has made good strides in this
area. I don't want to sound like they have been
totally negligent, but I'm afraid the absence of
the cadre of people constantly bringing this area
before the Park District means the area is suffer
ing and falling behind some of the other areas:
Claremont Canyon is an example of major District
expenditure under pressure of a local constituency.
Hicke: I think that the Park District at least recognizes
this, because Mr. Trudeau mentioned how much the
people of the city of Fremont had done in contri
buting to the park system particularly in respect
to Ardenwood. You mentioned this just briefly
and actually alluded to it earlier: the requirement
for different kinds of parks for each area, such as
recreation, wilderness, that sort of thing. How
are we coming as far as Fremont? Would Alameda
Creek Quarries be the recreational one?
Milnes: Yes. Alameda Creek Quarries would be in the
regional recreation category.
Hicke: So that would be the most higly developed of
these. What about Mission Peak?
Milnes: Mission Peak is a regional preserve. It is
strictly a regional preserve, a pristine part
of the Park District system. People are certainly
encouraged to use it but not abuse it. There will
be no significant development.
Hicke: Ardenwood would be similar to Black Diamond Mines
Regional Preserve?
Milnes: Ardenwood would be in a category of its own, in
the sense that Ardenwood is not foreseen as an
intensive, active, recreational area. It's more
of a passive learning experience. Certainly there
would be recreational facilities; I've encouraged
in the Land Use Development Plan for that park
276
Milnes:
Hicke:
Milnes
Hicke:
Milnes;
that they recreate the kinds of recreational
facilities that the Pattersons had. As an
example, there is a drawing of the Patterson
Ranch in the 1868 Alaraeda County Atlas which
shows a very, very tall swing in the garden.
So
I would hope that kind of swing could be repli
cated.
That's a marvelous idea.
I want to see picnic facilities in there, not so
that it becomes a park where large groups go to
have a picnic as they do here at Central Park,
but where a family can go for a family outing.
They can take their lunch. There can be play
facilities, so that the youngsters who may not
really be interested in watching black smith ing
can play in a sandbox, on a swingset, or on a
slide. They can have their picnic and really
make a day of the farm experience.
They should have sarsaparilla instead of Coca
Cola.
Right. So that's really what I conceive for
Ardenwood Park. I think we have done a very
wise thing here at Ardenwood Park with the
management agreement with the Park District.
We have provided for two separate advisory
bodies : one is the Patterson House Advisory
Board. The city retains the ownership of the
Patterson House. The Park District does not
want it. The Patterson House Advisory Board
has a Park District representative as a member.
This Board will be responsible for the restor
ation and operation of the house. The house can
be used in the interpretive department of the
Park District through arrangements with the
Board .
The other is an Ardenwood Park Advisory
Committee. That committee will have four repre
sentatives appointed by the city of Fremont and
one each by the city of Newark, the city of Union
City, and the Park District. The Park District
representative would be the District Director
representing this area. The purpose of this
committee is to work as an advisory group to
the Park District in carrying out the Land Use
Development Plan, carrying out the operation
277
Milnes: and reporting to the city of Fremont on what's
happening. And it is also to serve as a cadre
of advocates to keep the Ardenwood Park in the
forefront of the minds of the District people.
The District will be constantly reminded it has
this facility, has responsibility for it, and
should carry out the development.
One other point that should be recorded in
terms of Ardenwood Park is the primary stimulus
which led to the negotiation and adoption of the
management agreement with the Park District.
There was an interest expressed by Saratoga
Horticultural Foundation in finding a new site.
In their search, they looked at Fremont, heard
of Ardenwood Park, and were quite impressed with
Ardenwood Park. They expressed a real interest
in leasing some or all of Ardenwood Park from the
city for the Foundation's use.
The city owned Ardenwood Park, and there was
a need to get on with doing something about and
with it. The Park District was concerned with
other problems and really was not getting around
to a serious negotiation for the park. With
Saratoga's interest, then, the Park District's
interest was elevated to a new level. There was
a sense of urgency. There was a series of meet
ings, and out of it all came the conclusion by
Saratoga that joint occupancy by Saratoga and
the Park District would not work out to Saratoga's
interest. They then backed away from it. Good
purposes had been served, however. The Park
District's attention had been directed to it, and
we were able to proceed in developing an appro
priate management agreement.
end of excerpt on Ardenwood
278
APPENDIX B
William D. Patterson
THE ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT. 1914-1955
an interview conducted in
1955 by John Caswell for the
Alameda County Water District
William D. Patterson
1940s
279
INTRODUCTION
In July 1955 the writer was commissioned to write a history
of the Alameda County Water District, the oldest county water
district in California. Only one member of the original Board
that was organized in 1914 remained. That member was William D.
Patterson. He had served continuously since 1914, and had been
President of the Board from 1932 to 195 . During his presidency
he was the actual administrative head of the organization, conduct
ing most negotiations regarding policy or involving other organiza
tions personally. Ue was also first president of the Alameda County
Flood Control and Water Conservation District, an organization
created in 1949 under entirely different legislative authority. At
the time of the interviews he was president of the Flood Control
District and a director of the Jtlameda Water District.
The first interview was conducted at his home on Ranoho Potrero
de Los Cerritos; the second interview was conducted at the writer's
home in Palo Alto, Mr. Patterson had had the opportunity to refresh
his memory by reference to abstracts of the Minutes prepared by the
writer, except for the five years after August 1949. Page references
in the second interview refer to these abstracts, a copy of which is
filed in the office of the District.
Mr. Patterson displayed a memory for the significant features
of a host of transactions that a man twenty years his Junior might
wet.], envy. Not a few questions were trivial in themselves, but de
signed to help the writer grasp the whole picture. Mr. Patterson
answered the small as well as the great.
The interviews were recorded on a Webcor tape recorder. In
transcribing, the questioner's interjections were normally omitted,
as were false starts. The transcript was then gone over by both
parties, Mr. Patterson adding clarifying detail at a number of points.
John E. Caswell
Palo Alto, California
August 20, 1955
The 1955 interview with William D. Patterson is reprinted in this volume with
the permission of the Patterson heirs, the Alameda County Water District, and The
Bancroft Library. — Ed.
280
THE ALAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT
By W. D. Patterson, Member of the original Board
of Directors, as told to John E. Caswell.
Interview I, August 4, 1955.
Formation cif the District
Q. Here is a oopy of the letter I wrote you, and a oopy of
my abstract of the Minutes. What about picking out some of the
questions you would like to talk about that I asked in the letter,
and then thumb through the outline of the Minutes and see what seems
worthy of comment. Perhaps first, what about telling me what eras
you see in the history of the District.
A. There was of course the first era, when the main problem
was struggling to gat the Spring Valley Water Co. to put sufficient
water down into the gravel strata underlying the surface. These strata
form our great storage reservoir for conserving otherwise waste flood
waters of Alameda Creek.
Q. And then there was a time when you started undertaking some
pumping. Later on you bought distribution works [note correction
to this idea], finally you bought the Alvarado pumping plant and
started pumping yourselves. I haven't gone through all the periods
when you made some major development in the operation. What ones
would you think were the major steps?
A. I think that in order to get a complete picture one would
have to start back in 1910 or 1911 before the formation of the Dis
trict, because the formation of the District was the result of what
Mr. Runckel saw was coming about because of conditions that were
growing up at thafe time. My brother and I forewaw that coming also,
because of our farming operations near the Bay. We discussed this
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2
for a number of years when we beard that the Spring Valley was going
to put up the Calaveras Dam, and what It would mean to have the
water shut off from our ranch. We had started about 1900 to put In
levees around an area of about 200 acres of salt marsh, first to keep
out the tide water and secondly to check the floods which spilled out
of Alameda Creek and over the country In times of high flood and were
building up the soil as a delta near the Bay shore.
This water went out through a gap In the Coyote hills, and by
putting a levee around this area, we hoped to check the flow of water
and thus allow the sediment to settle and build up the soil. We had
noticed this was happening naturally, and we were trying to speed up
the process. When the project of putting up the Calaveras Dam came
up, we saw that it would take away a large part of the flow of Alameda
Creek. Even though the water were -released, the special benefits would
be lost to us, for the sediment would settle in the reservoir. Wo
consulted our attorney for some time and decided to take action when
the first measures were taken to build the dam. I think it was in
1911, when the Spring Valley had shown that it intended to go ahead
building the dam. We sent a warning notice to them saying that we
would object to the diversion of the flow.
Mr. Chris Runokel, who was editor of the Washington Press, was
a very forward-looking, broad minded sort of a person. He had been
agitating In his paper, as well as talking personally to a number
of the interested landowners^, of the danger to the territory as a
whole that he foresaw. He got the idea of forming a protective dis
trict, and he got a number of the landowners of the area to get to
gether voluntarily end attempt to form a protective district. He
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3
personally got aotion through the Legislature in 1913 for the forma
tion of a new type of district which would have the powers necessary
to defend the rights of the community. That went under the name of
the County Water District Act.
Immediately after the Legislature passed that bill, he got this
Committee, which had been formed, to go ahead and organize under this
County Water District Act. That became the first County Water Dis
trict of the state. It was named the Alameda County Water District.
That caused a lot of confusion because it is assumed that it is a
water district under the control of the county. It happened that it
was named for Alameda Creek. It would be more accurate, except that
it is so cumbersome, to call it the Alameda Creek Watershed County
Water District.
That Committee was composed of six members. There were to be
five directors under the Courtty Water District Act. One of the
commit tae members was interested in a gravel works at Nilas, and was
also engaged in some litigation [with the Spring Valley Water Company]
already. We thought that there might be some conflict of interests,
so the other five were elected as the first formal directors of the
District in the spring of 1914.
Why Runokel was not a_ Director
Q. How was it that Runckel was not made one of the Directors?
A. That is quite a long story. It was realized that he was
being persecuted by special interests. That brings in a political
angle. He was very unpopular with the vested interests, because he
was attacking them. He was almost a radical. He was very liberal.
He was even too liberal-minded for some of us, but it was necessary
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4
to have a man like that or nothing would ever have been done. He was
an agitator and kept things going. lie wao persecuted all the way
through.
Q. Do you know why the County gang pioked him to be an editor
when he turned against them so quickly?
A. I think it was to try to win him over. They figured that he
would be susceptible to influence, but he was one of these rugged
individualists that gave in to no one or to any influence. They
tried to starve him out. He stuck it out and in so doing practically
starved for & while. He was supported by contributions of many peo
ple in the area. He lived through it, and finally saw the result of
his work. He was, I think, the one who was responsible for the suc
cess of the District. He was persecuted, but was strong enough to
stand up to it and become the real spark plug of the organization.
Shinn. the first Board President
Q. What sort of a man was Mr. Shim:?
A. He was a very conscientious man. He had interests in Alameda
Creek in that the Shinns had large properties bordering the creek.
His father had been compelled like other riparian owners to sell out
their riparian ownership rights. The Spring Valley had the right of
eminent domain, and threatened them with condemnation. The riparian
owners from Niles Canyon to the Bay had finally to take the price
offered by the Spring Valley, and it was mostly through private ar
rangement. I think there were no suits carried through to a conclu
sion, but it was known that they would lose In a condemnation suit,
so they got the best price they could and their riparian rights were
lost.
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5
Riparian rights extinguished
Q. In view of the price level at that time, was the settlement
reasonably fair, or was it a pretty tough settlement?
A. It was reasonably fair, I would think* That was a little
before my time. As to actual riparian rights, they were fair enough
as of that time* The landowners didn't know, of oourse, that the
water table would be sinking and that they would get into suoh a
condition as they are now.
From surplus to shortage
In a good many cases, such as ours down here and all around
Alvarado, the lowering of the water table was making the land. It
was a problem of getting rid of excess water. The land around here
was swampy. There were many ditches dug to lead the water off, so
this lower country had no reason to oppose the cutting off of the
water from up above, and was glad to get a little money and to get
rid of the water, as well....
In the 1890s, I would say that the condition was one of too
much water in this lower country. There was some need for irrigation
around Niles, inasmuch as there was the "Washington-Murray Township
Ditch Association," a local organization formed many years before to
distribute water. That was a condition of about balance of water
supply. After 1900 there began to be indications that water would
be needed. Then from 1910 on was the period of lowering water tables.
Irrigation had begun, by that time, because we were going from the
hay and grain era into that of vegetables, starting with sugar beets.
With alfalfa and other crops coming in, there was a growing demand
for water for surface irrigation. Also, the lowering of the water
table, which had shown at Nlles, had drawn water away from the roots
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6
of the orohards, which before that had not needed more than they
hfid got from natural percolation.
Q. Were quite a few orchards loat?
A. No, as far as I know, there waa a loss of production and
deterioration of trees, but no aotual loss of orchards.
Q. Between 1910 and the present, has the orchard area grown or
diminished?
A, The orchard area has grown with the development of irriga
tion. The irrigation has been increased by means of pumping. The
pumping has caused further lowering of the water table, but land
owners have followed that down with deeper pumps.
[The Shinn family had the first nursery in the area, on a
property adjoining the California Nursery Company.]
Further identifioation of the Board members
Mr. Trenouth was an orchardist from Irvington. He had a walnut
orchard and other property. Stevenson had large properties near
Centerville. He raised grain and sugar beets. He was a farmer, the
same as we here, and our products were a good deal the same, except
that we have never been in the orchard business. We have kept in the
more diversified farming on this ranch. Kmanuel George waa mostly
orchardist from the Alviso district. The Directors were scattered
so cs to cover the territory better. Mr. William Ford of the
original group dropped out because his Interests might become adverse
to the District. He was about to sue the Spring Valley Company beoaus
the stopping of the floods would prevent the renewal of the gravel
deposits on his property and that was entirely outside the Interests
of the District as a whole.
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i
The Early Staff
I knew Judge Nourse at Stanford. He was a olass ahead of me.
We played football together. I was '04. He may have been '02 and
taking graduate work. The Directors accepted ny recommendation and
asked him to serve as attorney. I think he felt It would have to b«
temporary, and he finally did feel that It was necessary for him to
withdra\7 as he was appointed Superior Judge In San Francis oo.
When he withdrew, Chris Runckel knew George Clark very favorably.
He was a partner of Congressman Blston, and he had had considerable
experience and Interest in water matters. He became attorney from
then on until recently, when his health failed after long and able
service.
Cyril Williams, Jr., becane engineer for the district. He had
done some work for us [Pattersons] in preparing material for our im
pending suit. The Water District took him as their engineer also,
because there were probably going to be the two parallel suits, and
we wanted to merge the interests for mutual efficiency and economy.
Suits against Spring Valley Water Company
In the meantime we had made a formal complaint and that grew
into a suit, Patterson vs. Spring Valley Water Company, in which the
District Joined. The District was not interested in the "flood water
phase" of our suit so the two had to be kept separated. The suit
came to a head in 1916, after a lot of legal formalities.
In 1916 the Spring Valley Company approached us and the Water
District for an arbitration agreement. After considerable negotia
tion we agreed to go into It, using the personnel of the State Water
Commission. The Water Commission did not want to act officially, and
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it was agreed that they should be arbitrators as a group. That was
the beginning of the attempt at compromise,
<4. In the dry years immediately after the award was made, it was
felt that the Bailey Formula was quite unfair to the District. Look
ing baok on it over the entire period that it has been in force, do
you think that the Bailey formula worked out fairly well?
A. I think it worked out fairly well as far as its intent is
concerned. We found out that during the dry years the District got
the Advantage, while in the wet years the advantage -we s with the Com
pany. That was the conclusion we came to, but that was not the com
plaint of the. Water District at all.
The verdict took the attitude that all that was required of an
appropriating concern--water user--was that it not interfere with
present conditions. The conditions as of that time were such that
there was a limited amount of water from each winter's runoff from
the watershed that was absorbed into the gravels... .The Bailey Formula
was very complicated, but it took into consideration the actual storm
periods of the winter. It took into consideration such things as
temperature. When temperature is high, water flows more freely
through gravel. If a storm occurred during a time of high tempera
ture, we would get a larger allotment... .It was a very fine-spun
idea, but quite correct, I think. But the point was that it didn't
allow for the controlling works that we were starting to put in to
get additional water. The decision was that we were entitled to get
this surplus water that belonged to no one, but it did not take into
consideration the fact that the Spring Valley had all of the storage
reservoir areas under their ownership. That shut us out and gave
them the power to shut off practically all of the flow of Alameda
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9
Creek. We thought we were entitled to future use aa well, and to
a proportion of that surplus water.
Q,. In other words, In building Calaveraa Dam, they had appro
priated all future use.
A. Yea. And also had bought the reservoir sites on other trlbu-
s
taries, so there was nothing left that had economic value.
Q. Hns the City of San Francisco Insisted on maintaining all the
Is gal rights of the old Spring Valley Company?
A. They have not given up any of the legal rights, but they have
been vary friendly and very liberal In their Interpretation of those
rights. They hove been generous with us and we hove cooperated with
them. TThen they have been In a Jam wo have given them water to be
repaid, and when they repaid, they repaid It with a lot more than
they took, so we have no complaint against the past actions of San
Francisco. ...
Alvarado Annexed
Q. I have noted that Alvarado was at first left out of the
district and later taken In.
A. Yes. That was because Mr. Williams, who was a very careful
engineer, didn't want to lay claim to any greater percolation area
than he could prove In court. He had not had time to make a thorough
study of the Alvarado area then. When he extended his study to that
area, he found unquestioned proof that that was affected very directly.
In fact, he found that the gravels were affected by the shutting off
of the flow about ten nilas father north, as far as San Leandro.
There Is a slight effect from the next creek north, but primarily In
the upper gravels. The deep gravels are affected most by Alameda
Creek and secondarily by Coyote Creek. He almost proved that Coyote
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10
Creek gravels mingle with Alameda Creek gravels at great depth,
and also with gravels aoross the Bay around Palo Alto. Studies show
that they are connected in some way,
Salt Water Intrusion
Q. After the water situation began to improve somewhat, around
1920, did that enable the farmers to go in more for row crops — vege
tables?
A. I think it must have had aome effect. I think the effect
as to row crops was more the increasing market for them. You could
always get water if you went deep enough. We have never been out of
water, but it became more expensive to get. The losses that have
occurred in the way of lack of water, or lack of usable water — the
salt sea water intrusion from the Bay... has put out of use hundreds
of wells in the area. Some of them could not be replaced because
they did not have deeper underlying gravel strata to go after.
Q. Roughly what proportion of the area of the district is at
present affected by salt water intrusion?
A* The intrusion has cone up to very roughly the line of High
way 17, Alvarado-Centerville-Irvington, with the addition of local
intrusion around Centerville.
ti. That would be close to 2/3 of the district, wouldn't it?
A. UTell, if you include the salt marshes, yes. But it wouldn't
be quite half the area of the producing land. But that is not a
total loss, because in many of these areas that are lost to salt
intrusion in the shallow gravels you can go through the shallow
gravels and cement them off and go down to the deeper gravels. In
this area from Highway 17 down, as a rough rule of thumb you can
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11
figure there is a olay stratum between the shallow and next deeper
gravels of nearly 100 feet, and that olay is impervious, practically.
There are a few oases where the water does get through in sandy lenses
end more particularly through old-time wells that have rusted through
and are transferring salt water to lower levels*
Q. Now if you go from the first gravels at perhaps forty feet
to a hundred feet farther on, don't you about triple your electric
bill for pumping?
A. No, because the water table is the same for the different
gravel strata. They have the same pressure head. They merge toward
the head of the Cone. Around Niles you get practically no clay, so
the head is about the same regardless of the depth of the wells.
The lowering of the general water table is what counts,
People's Water Company
Q. Do you recall the old People's V/ater Company? Do you recall
what areas they sold to?
A, They sold to Alvarado and the Mt. Eden area, both of which
were on their main. They had a 30" main, I think it was, running
from Alvarado in to Oakland, and through their ownership of another
company they were also serving Newark through a well system. I think
it was the old United Porperties Company. That old company was broken
up at the time of the first World War. They went into bankruptcy —
were all broken up, anyway.
United Properties Company
Q,. Was United Properties mainly a development scheme for indus
trial or agricultural property?
A. It was a combination of Tevls, Hanford and "Borax" Smith
interests to develop the whole belt of country between Oakland and
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12
San Jose, and they had started buying properties along the line of
an electric railway that they were going to put in. The United
•
Properties Company part of it was buying large tracts of land that
would benefit by the development.
<<. Was Tevis an eastern firm?
A. Mo. that was Lloyd Tevis, a San Francisco capitalist, and
"Borax" Smith, the old Twenty Mule Team borax man. They were wealthy
families. Hanford and Tevis were interested in the San Joaquin
Valley, too. They had big tracts there. The Henry Miller estate
and the Hanford-Tevis group were rivals in the San Joaquin.
•4. Did the electric railroad get down here, or did the World
Wer stop it?
A. It stopped it. The financing which was going on actively
at that time was stopped Immediately by the outbreak of the War, and
the firms were committed to such an extent that they were broken up
and took great losses. and gave up these schemes that were being startec
Local Water Companies
M.. I have noticed that almost every little town at one point
had a water company in it. Were these tied together by a syndicate,
or were they financed by local men?
A. They were local men, all of then, I think, except these
I speak about. ...
Calaveras Dam Collapse
Q. What happened when the Calaveras Darn collapsed? Did it
do a good bit of damage to the district, or was there not enough
water behind it?
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A. It was Just a fortunate circumstance that the dam slid out
through having an Improper core, a core of mud which didn't solidify
and that it slid on the upstream face of the dam, leaving a down
stream shell that held the water* If it had slid downstream it
probably would have been quite a catastrophe. ...
Q. That didn't materially affect the plans of the Water Dis
trict, then, did it?
A. It didn't affect them that way, but it did stir people up
and there was considerably more Interest because there was risk of
its going out at some other time, and particularly: because it was
known to have been built on an earthquake fault.
Arbitration. 1920
H. Were there any political aspects to the decision against the
District by the 'A'ater Commission? [Sitting unofficially as a
Board of Arbitration, the decision was rendered in 1920.]
A. At the risk of being considered a disgruntled loser in a
lawsuit, I still think there were political aspects.
*i. But there was nothing one could really pin down?
A. No, there is nothing you can pin down, because it was finally
affirmed by the State Supreme Court. But we feel that there was a
lot of influence improperly used in various ways. ... there were some
discrepancies that I think an opan-minded court would have consid
ered and ordered a new trial or a reversal.
i. There is one think that I have not looked into, and perhaps
you know offhand. Has the decision of thse court and the pattern of
the arbitration set precedents throughout California for later
decisions?
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A. Wall, that is another thing. Judge Olney, who was Supreme
Court Justice for a while — in fact he waa the Chief Justice--
Q. Was this the Olney who waa attorney for the Spring Valley
Water Company, or was this his father?
A. No, this was the same men. Warren Olney, Jr. He was in the
Supreme Court later. In the first place, he appeared to argue this
case. Then he became Supreme Court Justice, and later argued a
case in the San Jonquin Valley in which he took the opposite stand
from what he did in our case. Our case got no publicity at all,
although it practically overturned the Herminghaus Case. Then there
was the case that came up in the San Jooquin Valley and Judge Olney
took exactly the opposite point of view when he was retained by an
interest that was opposed to this decision, and the litigants were
successful in their argument to sustain the Herminghaus Case.
Citizens Support Board
Q.. One thing that I picked out from the Washington Press was
that Chris Runckel had virtually promised that there would presum
ably be no tax after. the first couplo of years, and only 10^ on
the tlOO then. Wos there any criticism when the District didn't Just
shrivel up end die on the vine after the first couple of years?
A. No. I think that there was no opposition to speak of.
None that we knew of. The people were with us right along. But
there was criticism when we bought up the East Bay Municipal works
at Alvarado. There was a faction that claimed v/e got hoodwinked in
that case and that we paid too much for it. We paid a quarter of a
million dollars for it, but there are two sides to that story. The
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15
group who criticized were mostly the remains of the old time politi
cal gang that were for the private utilities (remains of Hiram
Johnson's "S.P. gang").
Q. That brings us back to another of Runckel's articles which
he published in 1912 or 1913. He publiohed some quite unsavory
information about the tieup between the county political gang and
the Spring Valley Water Company as it affected the Pleasanton area.
Did this tieup affect the Alameda County Water District?
A. Yes, it was the same group. It was what we called the
county gang. It was the Southern Pacific up to the time of Hiram
Johnson, and then the Spring Valley. There was a very close con
nection there.
Foshar:." Company at Niles
;-'
Q. This is just an item of interest. What kind of a water
service did Foshay Company operate at Niles?
A. They acquired the Niles Water Company, which was a local
concern. It was run largely by iir. Shinn and some people in Niles.
The Foshay Company came in with ideas of expansion. I think the
thing was overcapitalized, and they combined with a local bank and
had all sorts of financial difficulties. They were bidding for the
East Bay's Alvarado pumping plant, arid there was a deadline we had
to meet to avoid the Foshay Company getting the Alvuredo properties,
which we figured would be disastrous. That was the reason we moved
so quickly: in order to head them off. VYe got the thing tied up,
through an agreement with ex-Governor Pardee, acting for Oakland,
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Water distribution systems , .
Q. One thing that I couldn't find in the Minutes was the refer
ence to the time when the distribution systems of Alvarado, Newark
and Mount Eden were taken over,
A. They were taken over with the purchase of the water rights
and pumping property at Alvarado. We tried to get Oakland to keep
the two systems. We didn't want them. They were a losing proposition,
and we didn't want to get drawn into the water distribution problem
of thio area, because we represented such a large area compared with
these two local distribution systems that were not paying costs. We
v.-ero forced into the water distribution business and that is what
has developed into this present system.
Q. You certainly made it profitable shortly, as I recall,
A. It is profitable in that it has developed the country into
a very prosperous and fast-growing area. But it is not yet profitable
as such, because we are having to put so much money into large dis
tribution mains running through only partly inhabited territory in
order to get to and tie together these towns where it would otherwise
pay. But it is knitting the area together, so that in a few years
it should be very profitable. That would be reflected, of course,
in lower water rates and taxes and such as that. We look forward to
prosperity, but it has been pretty hard sledding the last twenty years.
Future Subdivisions
£. Do you anticipate that a good bit of the area will be sub
divided?
A. Oh, yea, we consider that it is Inevitable unless there is a
big slump. You can't travel around the area without running into
real estate promoters.
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17
Q,. I imagine the north end of the district, around San Leandro,
Hayward and San Lorenzo will develop first,
A. The flood control problem is the one factor around the north
end. There is a big erea toward Alvarado that cannot be developed
before the flood control problem is solved, and it may be five to ten
years before growth can start in that area.
jfot a_ flood control district
Q. The water district is a conservation district also, isn't it?
A. Yes, it is a conservation district that has been drawn into
distribution obligations against its will.
Q. And you also have jurisdiction over flood control?
A. No, the Flood Control Commission is a subsidiary of the
Alaneda County Supervisors, while the Water District is a State or
ganization and not subject to the County. We cooperate very closely
with the Flood Control District. ...
In a good part of the area the problem is not flood control, but
surface drainage to take care of the accumulated flow from built-up
areas. It is hard to make a good many people who are a considemble
distance from Alameda Creek wee why they should support a flood con
trol measure, but the fact is that they cannot build unless something
is done to take care of the surface runoff. The Planning Commission
will not let them build unless they have the facilities for drainage....
Engineering Department abolished
Q. I noted that Williams was finally released, apparently
because he was so slow in getting some action taken in regard to
repairing a main that was carrying East Bay Municipal Utilities Dis
trict water down toward Alvarado.
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18
A. The ooat of the Bngineering Department was at the bottom of
that. He had an assistant who was getting rather arrogant — Nunea.
He was a bad influence, and Williams wouldn't give him up. It got
to be a hot-headed dispute, and one of the Directors suddenly said,
"I move we abolish the Engineering Department.11 Someone said, "I
second the motion." The motion was put to a vote and carried.
Q.. 1 suppose you did save money over a few years. Was .Richmond,
Williams' successor as manager, an engineer?
A. Ho, he had been in charge of the Alvarado pumping plant,
which was a big-scale steam pumping plant, ever since he was a young
man. iie was very efficient as a practical man, but with no engineer-
Ing training. At that time we were laying pipe and he was very good
at that. He served with us for a great many years and spent his whole
life in water affairs and was a great asset to the Water District.
Agricultural Statistics
[A portion not recorded introduced the question of agricultural
statistics for Washington Township and where they might be obtained.]
Q,. Do you recall what year Senator Sheridan Downey and Senator
Kerr held this hearing on agricultural produce?
A. 1 don't recall, but I have It in my records.
Q. Was this an agriculture committee hearing?
A. No, this was a committee to urge the Importation of water
into this area from outside sources. It was centered largely at
that time on the advisability of Bay barriers to Impound fresh water
and get it into this area.
Q. Was it about 1948 or 1950?
A. Yes.
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19
• %
Q. If I oan't get a printed oopy of the Congressional hearing,
do you have any idea of anybody who would have a report embodying-
those figures?
A. It waa one of those hearings that was carried on under the
auspices of the Army engineers and with the State Water Commission(?) .
299
THE AIAMEDA COUNTY WATER DISTRICT
1914 - 1955
By W. D. Patterson, Member of the original Board
of Directors, aa tald to John B. Caawell
Interview II
August 15, 1955
Q. What I have done today, Mr. Patterson, is to make
out a list of questions with page references to the abstract
of the Minutes. That may simplify things a bit. On page 39
[Hay 21, 1932} is the first one. You will note a reference
to the legislation concerning a State Water Plan, and some
reasons for opposing the Plan. W0re there phases of the Plan
that were believed to be adverse to the District's interest?
A. The reason for that was that the Plan as originally
advanced was to carry the water down the San Joaquin Valley,
which of course would have been of no benefit to us. 'e felt
that if the State was going to have a Water Development Plan, Pll
the areas of the State that were in need of water should be
considered. We felt that it was being monopolized by the San
Joaquin Valley.
Q. On page 40 [June 4, 1932} there is a reference to
power costs. The P. .0. and E. representative told the Board
that there was a hearing coming up. Was anything done about
lowering the rates? This was 1932.
A. No, there was nothing done. It was not carried through.
One of the Directors, George Lowrie, had had considerable argu
ment with the P. 0. and £. over their cates. It was the desire
of certain ones, including Mr. Runokel, to get power wholesale
300
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and distribute it by means of the District. That seemed a
little out of our line, so we discouraged it.
Q. On June 25, 1952 [p. 40], there is a reference to the
tax budget. Is there any sort of a summary that given figures
year by year on the distribution system and conservation work
of the District?
A. Nothing that I know of except what shows in the Minutes,
Q. Do you think that the Auditor's reports are in such
a shape that they could be tabulated quickly, and if so, would
it be worth while putting the figures into the history?
A. That information isn't in the Minute Book, is it?
Q. There is information similar to that on page 40 of
the Abstract, with details on such matters as salary. Then,
on occasional years something was done about putting down in
formation on the gross revenues and profits of the distribution
system—after 1930 of course. Do you think it would be a good
thing to arrange a statement of income?
A. Yes, if you could get hold of it. I Just don't know
if it is available.
Q.. Cn page 42 [May 6, 1933] there is a reference to
legislation — Senate bill no. 80, requiring that county water
districts buy out private water companies. I wonder who was
behind that.
A. I don't know who it was. It was some member of the
legislature.
Q.. It wasn't any concerted move, then, of any particular
group?
A. No, not in our district.
Q. On page 45 [March 31, 1934] we come to the time when
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the terms of the Director* ware split, and two were elected at
one time, and three two years later*
•
A. Tea.
Q. Waa that some new requirement of the atate law?
A. Yes,...
Q. Do you think It was an Improvement?
A. I think probably,
<1. On the next page [p. 46, May 5, 1934] there la a ref
erence to a Mr. Crozler wanting the District to buy out the
Centervllle Water Co. A little earlier Cyril Williams, Jr.,
had proposed the aame thing, What waa behind their move?
A. Mr. Willlama waa our former engineer. Ha felt free
to make thla deal on the outside with Ur. Crozler, who owned
the Centervllle A'ater Company. I waa at that time In favor
of getting away from the water distribution end of It. The
other directors were not, and I waa overruled. I think per
haps It waa Just aa well, because that has become a major In
fluence In the development of our area. I guess they were better
grounded than 1 waa.
£. At that time, as I recall, the District did not buy
the company.
A.. Not at that time. Later It grew Into a purchase.
Q. On page 48 [Feb. 12, 1935] In reference to water re
leased by San Francisco, It appeared that 25$ of the water that
waa being released went Into the gravels above the fault where
but 5jt of the land of the district lay. Was there some good
engineering or agricultural reaaon for giving them about five
times as much water as the ratio of the rest of the district?
302
A. Yea, there was. There were several reasons. In the
first place the Niles gravel basin was quite limited in depth.
It was- underlaid by bed rook, and after the water table got
down to a certain depth a good many of the pumps couldn't get
any water at all. Also, the main reason why it was advisable
was that if the small basin above the fault was over-supplied
with water, it leaked over the barrier of the Niles fault, and
so the lower part of the district got the surplus anyway. We
were sure it was better to keep their level' up, and then we
would get the water we needed anyway.
Q,. It assured them a supply, and you didn't suffer.
A. Yes.
Q. I'm not clear about two things: the 36" Spring Valley
main and the 30" Spring Valley main. They were both originally
built by Spring Valley, were they not? Or was one built by San
Francisco? This is on page 49 [Stay 4, 1935],
A. They were built by the Spring Valley.
Q. The 30" was abandoned at least by 1940 or 1941?
A« Yes. That was what they called their Alameda line,
and that was the original line. It was deteriorating so that
they had to give it up, before it crossed the Bay. No, that was
the 36° line. The 30" line, unless I'm mistaken, was the- line
of the East Bay Company, leading from Alvarado to Oakland, and
we bought that line as far as San Lorenzo with our purchase of
the water supply at Alvarado.
Q. Is that the one that was taken up during the war?
A. Yes. We took up that part of it that was above the
surface of the ground and sold it for pipe or Junk metal.
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Q. Is there any of the old 56B line sections operating
In the district? That is, the Spring Valley lines?
A. Yea, it'a atill operating. It was in very good ahape
from the hi lea Reservoir down to and through Centervllle to
the cannery just below Centervllle, and that la atill uaed both
to aupply the free water rlghta along Ita course and to carry
water when It la available from release, down to the Western
Pacific pit. We took some of the 5O" line and laid It to con
nect the lower part of this 56" Spring Valley line to the West
ern Pacific pit, which was about half a mile out In a field,
Q. On page 51 [Dec. 7, 1935], In reference to the District's
reply to Cahlll's letter, what had been done by the District to
capture a much larger amount of the Sunol water In 1936 than In
the summer of 1935? In 1935 and 1936 apparently you were making
preparations for the summer of 1936.
A. I think that that followed the clearing out of the chan
nel, the stirring up of the sediment that was deposited on the
gravels of the craek channel by bulldozer work, and loosening
them up. We had a pump which was spoken about, I think It was
at this time, too, that pumped from the channel of the creek
Into the other end of the Western Pacific pit, from that where
the pipe line Is.
Q. [P. 52, April 14, 1936] In your agreement regarding
your releases from the obligations of the water rights, was the
District to assume them permanently If It failed to return the
advanced water to £an Francisco within 15 years?
A. The free water rights were to be assumed permanently,
yes. This phrase about the 15 years, I don't know about. I
304
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don't remember that, and I intended to look it up to see Just
what it did mean. It was something new to me.
Q. My impression was that, if they had demanded the
water back within the 15-year period, presumably it would have
been their Initiative, then your obligations would have been
extinguished.
A. If they had canceled their obligation under this agree
ment, I think that would be so; but it may also mean that if
they kept up for 15 years , that was not to end our obligation.
We understood, when we made this agreement, that we were to take
over these obligations for free water service permanently, and
our only recourse was to buy the rights out or condemn them,
which we have gradually been doing.
Q. What proportion of the original free rights were actually
active when ycu bought it, and are still active?
A. The main right, which was that of the California
Nursery Company, is still active and we are continuing to serve
that through water which we pump, and which is also supplied
by the City of San Francisco as long as they have the water flow
ing down Alameda creek for whatever reason. They keep the
Nursery pipe full of water and available to them, and if they
should find it impossible to continue that, there would be some
legal question about whether we would still be required to
serve the Nursery.
In the original contract under which the Nursery gave up
their riparian rights there was a provision that required San
Francisco to supply them with water, but only so long as there
water in the "Stone Chute," which is an old Spanish diverting
305
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•
dam, onoa serving a ditch leading to the Vallejo flour mill
mt Niles. Whan water was not flowing at that point, tha Spring
Valley Company was not obligated to supply tha nursery. It i«
quite a complicated legal matter, but there was that limitation,
and it would probably have to be determined by tha courts aa to
just what was meant by that contract. It was a very long and
obscure type of contract. Nona of the attorneys have been able
to work it out to their satisfaction.
Q. How you have to supply water to the Nursery. Do you
have to do it fairly constantly?
A. Kvery year they take their 50 million gallons of water*
«t. Part of that comes from tha creek, am I right?
A, Part of it is a substitute for the water that would
otherwise flow down the creek, and that is supplied by the City
of San Francisco.
Q. Then that whole 50 million gallons doesn't come from
you?
A. No, but we are under obligation to see that it is
delivered to the Nursery.
Q. On page 52b [Sept. 5, 1936] there is a note about the
10 percent federal contribution from the WPA. Is that in addition
to the WPA labor supply?
A. That was 10 percent of the cost of the materials. All
the labor and 10 percent of the material was furnished by the WPA.
Q. On page 54 [Oct. 2, 1936], why did Cahill refuse the
permit to build the San Antonio Creek dem?
A. That was because San Francisco would not give up a
prior right to whatever was needed by San Francisco in an
306 •*-*<•*..
-8-
emergency, and they ware to define the emergency. If we had
built the dam and there was surplus water stored by the dam, we
oould have It so long as San Francisco didn't need it* He
refused to give it under any other circumstances.
Q,. In reference to the Hayward pipe connection [page 55,
Feb. 17, 1938], what is the present source of Uayward's water?
Does it have any large wells except at lit. Eden?
A. It has the old wells at Mt. Eden and other wells between
ttt. Eden and Hayward. The other source of supply at the present
time is a twenty or thirty inch line running from the Hetoh
Hetchy aqueduct which crosses the road between Niles and Mission
San Jose.
Q. Hayward still gets some water from underneath the
District, then, I would presume.
A. Yes, that is what we have been quarreling over for
a number of years, trying to settle their exact rights.
Q. On page 53 [Sept. 7, 1940], just a small item of
Interest: the Minutes speak of Corey fire hydrants and another
type whose name I forget. One seemed to have been used in cities,
and the other in rural areas. What were the particular virtues
of each one?
A. It was the Wharf hydrant that was used in rural areas.
That was a simple valve, like a garden hydrant, only of large
siza. It was not a very good type. There were a great many
mechanical features it did not have, and where there was a chance
of much use the Corey type of hydrant was considered by the Fire
Underwriters to be the more acceptable type.
Q. [Page 64, Jen. 4, 1941.] In reference to the service
at Sunol, was it the Raker Act that prevented the District from
307
-0-
taking over?
A* Ho, we had the power to take It over; it was a question
of expediency. The City of San Franolsoo had the distribution
system at Sunol, and they vare uncertain whether they wanted to
keep it or not. It was Espy 'a own idea that for a well rounded
system we should have the Sunol town system with ours, and relieve
San Francisco of any country service.
Q. Oh! I had assumed that it referred to the Sunol gravel
beds, filters and so forth.
Q. [Page 64, Feb. 1, 1941] Did you ever get the office
building built by WPA?
A. No. It was designed by a man who was working in the
WPA office, who had some training as an architect. WPA was
about over, and we didn't feel it necessary to go on.
Q. [Page 65, June 7, 1941.] In reference to the Niles
subdivision, what was to be the source of the water for that?
And was there danger of contamination? That seems to have been
higher up than most of your water system. ...You will note that
the water was to be delivered "as is," which I thought meant
that it might not be fit for domestic consumption.
A. No, that was the mechanical service end the leok of
pressure that would be there. It was one of the first subdivisions
and was located at the entrance to Niles Canyon, and at a high
elevation. We could not supply satisfactory pressure, but we
told him he could take it as it was then, which he did to start
with.
Q. How did you cure that? Put In a standpipe end pianp?
A. We put in a booster pump at the reservoir, which was
at the Nilea Canyon outlet and which was only a few hundred feet
308
•10-
from this development and almost at the same level, so that the
pressure without booster would have been unsatisfactory.
Q. [Page 66, Sept. 6, 1941.] Emanuel George passed away
and Louis Amaral was appointed in his stead. What area and
interest did Mr. Amaral represent?
A. He was a small farmer and lived very close to Emanuel
George. He was a close friend of the family and had ogricul-
tural and irrigating experience, so we thought he would do very
well as a substitute.
Q. [Page 68, Feb. 6, 1943. 3 It was reported in the Minutes
for 1943 that the building of Camp Parks near Pleasant on required
a large amount of water. VThat effect did the construction of
Camp Parks have on the District's water supply?
A. It didn't have much effect as far as we coujd make out,
because the water that was used, except for evaporation, was
returned to the Pleasanton gravels, and so made its way down to
our District. We also had a quarrel with them over the pollution
of the water. In case their septic tanks didn't operate or
overflowed. But Mr. Clark told us we couldn't do anything about
it. It was a wartime operation, and it was almost impossible
to bring a successful suit against the government. You had to
trust to the rulings of the Health Department to keep it in order.
Q. So far as you were able to discover, did they actually
contaminate the waters?
A. Not by any analysis that we got. The point where the
contamination would occur was about ten miles upstream from us.
The water ran over the gravels and we didn't pin down such
contamination as appeared to be occurring to come from Camp
Parks. There were too many other sources.
309
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Q. Did Camp Parka pat In standard sewage equipment?
A* Yea, but there were several reports from neighbors
that there waa raw sewage coming through at times*
Q.. [Page 70, Sept. 16, 1944.} I note that Prank Duster-
berry passed away In early September. He had been the customary
representative at the Irrigation Districts Association meetings.
Did Dusterberry make any distinctive contribution to the Board
that should be mentioned In the history?
A. He did a very good job at attending the various conven
tions. He was a retired banker and went to practically all the
water conventions and did a greet deal of good In keeping the
District well informed as to what was going on. His advice In
financial matters was very good, of course.
Q,. I should ask the same question about Emanuel George.
A, He was a very sound thinker, a practical man; a good
farmer and orchardlst. On practical matters he was very well
considered by the whole community.
Q. [Page 71, Nov. 4, 1944. J The Board proceeded to hold
an election to replace Frank Dusterberry and the Board split,
Grimmer and Patterson on one side, and Bernardo and Amaral on
the other. What was the basis of the split that balked an
election..*?
A* We didn't consider that the opposition's candidate had
sufficient grounding for the post. He had practically no
experience in water matters. His ownership of real estate in
the District was very minor, end we split on ths advisability
of the type of man.
Q.. What did the people who supported him have In his favor?
310
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A. The two directors felt that he had sufficient knowledge
of wator matters, and he was a union official at Newark*
Q. [Page 71, March 3, 1945.] In regard to the Ellsworth
water right. Dr. Grimmer was authorized to offer $10,000 for the
water right. Later on I discovered that Ellsworth had no inten
tion of selling because there was hard pan under his land and he
couldn't get any water by drilling. Was the Ellsworth tract
all in one piece at that time?
A. Yes. [It was later subdivided, and the District had
great trouble with its divided water rights. 3
Q. [Page 72, Oct. 13, 1945.] In regard to the annual
appropriation, new language was used. Why did the County Auditor
now notify the District as to what its appropriation was to be?
A. I think it was that the County Auditor set the rate that
we should have in order to produce the amount set forth in our
budget.
Q. So he didn't determine the amount, simply the tax rate?
A. Yes.
ft. [Page 72, Oct. 13, 1945.] Was a well drilled in the
Shinn subdivision in order to gat water for the California
Hursery?
A. Because of the obscure language in the contract between
the Spring Valley Water Company and the Nursery, the lawyers
had very much trouble with Interpretation. Y*e decided it would
be better to have a well next to the Nursery at the point of
delivery, so that in any case we would have a water supply which
could be substituted for that called for under the contract. So
we bought a lot adjoining the Hursery at the proper point on their
311
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border and drilled a wall that would be entirely sufficient
to supply the 50 million gallons a year. Wo hold that In
reserve.
Q. You don't ordinarily pump from that, simply in an
emergency?
A. In an emergency we could put a pump in and substitute
for the water they would otherwise get out of the flow in Alameda
Creek,
Q. [Page 76, Sept. 13, 1947, and elsewhere.} There are
references to the fault having been cut by Pacific Coast Aggre
gates Company. Has water ever flowed over the cut in sufficient
quantities to affect the water table above it?
A. Yes, I think it has. I think there was a lowering of
the water table above the fault by several feet. I forget just
how many.... That was partly corrected by later work on the fault...
We uncovered the place where this out had been made and did some
work in en attempt to seal it.
Q. [Page 78, May 8, 1948.] You and the Secretary testi
fied before the Dickie Underground Water Pollution Committee.
What was the Committee seeking to determine?
A. They were trying to find out the causes and possibilities
of preventing the pollution of the fresh water by the salt water,
not only in our case but in some other cases where salt water
was intruding.
ft. [Page 78, July 10, 1948.] In regard to pit purchases,
was the land that was to be purchased from Pacific Coast Aggregates
adjacent to that leased from Mrs. Shinn?
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A. The property waa adjacent and formed a aeries of pita
which could be used and is used for percolation.
Q. Are they called collectively the Shinn pits now?
A. Ho, they are separate.
Q* [Pago 79» Feb. 12, 1949.] To what extent do the duties
of the Alatneda County Flood Control and Eater Conservation District
overlap those of the Water District? And how have the conflicts
in Jurisdiction been resolved?
A. The Flood Control District, as we call it for short,
has not been formed very long, and as 1 waa the chairman of both
Boards, I recommended to both Boards that we attempt to prevent
any unnecessary overlapping of Jurisdiction of the two. I person
ally was in favor of eventually having the percolation part taken
over es much as possible by the Flood Control District, inasmuch
as they were attempting to get Alnmeda Creek straightened and
widaned, exposing a great deal of gravel which could be used for
percolation purposes. I thought there was no purpose in having
both bodies covering the one project and that we should separate
the duties and obligations of the two.
Q. BBS the Flood Control District been able to take over
much of that work?
A. Not as yet, because they have Just this year had passed
a bond issue of about 4 million dollars, which is to go into the
reconstruction of Aiameda Creek. The finishing of the project
has to wait on tha Army Engineers, which may take five or ten
years to complete, because it has to have the approval of Congress
and an appropriation bv Congress. So that ia only partly taken
care of.
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Q,. la any part of thia four million dollars going to
be apent before Congress oomea through?
A. Yea, they will a tart, I believe, thia winter. They
are going to work with the Army Engineers, and the Army Engineers
have just received an appropriation of £15,000 for a preliminary
survey of the project.
Q« I suppose this is to include channel straightening.
Will it also include additional percolation pita?
A. Only incidentally. The straightening and widening of
the channel will expose large areas of gravel, which will auto-
matically become percolation areaa. That is why I think coopera
tion between the two bodies is essential. The channel is something
less than a hundred feet wide on the average. They are making it
about 600 feet wide in the final plans, and that will make an
immense difference in the percolation of the flood waters.
Q. Will eny check dams be built along the channel?
A. That remains for the future to determine. The increase
in percolation will be so great that I think it will be tried
out first without check dams.
^. How much is being asked of Congress for the flood
control work?
A. Lets see, about five million dollars, I think it is.
Q. Making a total of about nine millions available.
A. YeE. It'll be a major project for our country,
Q. I auppoae that will save considerable loss from floods,
as well as assuring a better ground water supply?
A. Yes. The floods occasionally are very destructive.
Q. Do you have any rough notion of how many million dollars
worth of damage they've done in the last ten yeara?
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A. Mr. Crowle, the Chief Engineer of the Flood Control Com-
ni salon, has all of that matter available. So if you want you
can get it from him*
Q,. Do you think that it's essential to go into that in
any length?
A. I don't think so--a lot of detail.
Q. [Page 80, April 9, 1949] Why did the U. S. Engineers
suddenly ctart surveying the Arroyo del Valle?
A. They, I think, had been reached by Senator Sheridan
Downey who was very much interested in our problem here, and ha
wanted to get a report from the U. S. Engineers about the possi
bility of supplemental vtater out of the Alameda Creek watershed,
to try to cure the salt infiltration by filling the gravels with
fresh water and forcing the salt water out.
Q,. In forcing the,salt water out, suppose you were able to
flood the upper gravels very heavily, where would the selt water
depart froa? One of your first things, I presume, would be to
plug the wells which now permit intrusion.
A, That has pretty well been done, now, ar.d the forcing of
fresh water into the upper gravel which is the contaminated one
would, we hope, force the salt water out through the old spring
areas in the tidal flats, which used to carry fresh water out
into the Bay. This action was reversed whan the water table
dropped low enough. They formed channels to bring the salt
water in. '."ell, we hope to force another reversal. But the
problem there is whether we can force salt watsr out with fresh,
because the salt water is heavier and it lies on the bottom —
the fresh water might go right over tine top. But in such a
315
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case wo Intended to put big pumpa in and actually pump the
aalt water out over the surface into the Bay, and then it
would be replaced with freah water.
Q. Do you contemplate doing anything with that in the
immediate future?
A. If we can get a supply of freah water, yes. We Intend
to do that sa soon as possible, because it's a very serious
matter*
Q. Would the fact that more and more subdivisions are
coming in and requiring water of perhaps greater purity than la
being pumped— is that going to affect the situation?
A. Yes, we feel that It already Is speeding up the in
trusion of salt water, and we are using a considerable amount
of Hetch Hetchy water so as to reduce the draught on the under
ground supply.
£. So the result of bringing in the subdivisions is to
Increase the pumping?
A. Yes.
Q. Both for the subdivisions and that which is required
for agriculture?
A. Yes, the old rule was that a housing settlement took
about the same amount of water as agriculture did, which no
doubt was true 50 or 40 years ago. But (chuckle) people take
so many more baths now than they did then, and they have lawns,
so that in the Water District's experience the water demand has
doubled per capita, so that they're using about twice as much as
they did when we started.
Q. So the capita demand has gone up sharply, as well as
the number of heads?
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A. Yes.
Q. That would mean that your aore demand, when land was
converted from agriculture to subdivision, would go up perhaps
ten times, wouldn't it?
A. Yas. Yes, it could.
Q. [Page 80, May 14, 1948] Why did the State start inves
tigating this Livermore-Pleasanton area at the same moment the
Engineers started surveying the Arroyo del Velle?
A. That was an investigation that was asked by the Pleas-
anton-Livermore people, to see what could be done about getting
a water supply for their area. And we got the State to extend
that to cover our area, too. The Livermore and Pleasanton people
were ahead of us in that case.
Q, Is Binkley able to make good use of those figures in
hits present survey? [District's consulting engineer, T. C.
Binkley of Palo Alto.]
A. Oh, yes, they are cooperating closely with the State
authorities and exchange figures with them, and theyState is
very cooperative.
Q. [Page 81, August 13, 1949] What was the Flood Condi
tions of Alameda Creek Case that Senator Downey had arranged to
reopen? It sounded as if this was litigation and this was being
reopened by act of Congress.
A. That was not litigation. It was the investigation and
the bringing to life again of the original inquiry into the
possibility of getting water into Alameda, Santa Clara, and
San Benito Counties.
Q. Do you recall how long before the original authority
had expired?
317
-19-
A. I don* t know.
4. The original investigation, than, was some timo before
that?
A. Yea, it waa several years before that, but it had Just
died down. It was still somewhat active, and Senator Downey
held a number of meetings in San Jose and Alameda County— even
up in Contra Costa County, learning the facts of the salt water
intrusion and the laok of fresh water, and he was trying to get
congressional action on an emergency basis to speed it up.
Q. An aside, a note on the next page referring to the Flood
Control District; You were first on the advisory committee, and
then I gather you were the first chairman of the board of the
Flood Control District. Is that right? Are you still the
chairman?
A. Of the Flood Control?
Q. Yes.
A. Yes, I'm chairman of that.
Q. You were the chairman since it was first created about
1949, I gather?
A. Yes.
Q.. [Page 84, December 20, 1950] With reference to the
water supply, after acute concern with drought in 1947 and con
tinued concern in 1949, did 1950 actually mark a considerable
improvement in the weter supply?
A. When was that?
Q. 1950. I had noted along — this was at the very end of
the year, the very bottom note. When did the water situation
start to look up as far as the gravels were concerned?
318
-20-
A. I think that was In the flood of 1950. We had a
heavy flood then. Another one, not long afterwards, came in
1951. The two of them had a very marked effect on the water
table.
Q,. Has the water table wasted away again to about what it
was before?
A. Yes. It's back to an alarming situation now.
Q. Probably because of much heavier pumping, I presume?
A. That 13 it.
Q,. As far as irrigation goes, is the most efficient means
of irrigation to pump it in at one end of the valley and pump
it out wherever required?
A. Yes. That has been determined by the .engineers. The
cost of distributing either by ditches or pipes would be pro
hibitive because you would more or less have to follow the con-
toure, and in doing so you would cut through all sorts of private,
property. The values have gone now to $3000 to &5000 an acre,
and it would Just cost too much to distribute it that way.
Q. I see. That's a very interesting point.
A. And you get away from evaporation, too, when you store
it underground. Evaporation is quite high. It amounts to about
four feet per year in our area. Loss over the entire surface,
well it would be four acre feet per acre. And that's a lot of
water.
Q. Of course you store it to a considerable depth in a
reservoir. How mony acre feet do the crops over there average
in consumption?
A. I think that t eking the upper area which is much more
porous than down toward the Bay you would have perhaps one and
319
-21-
a half aore foot of uao.
Q,. Do you thick the District's records of the amount of
water pumped from the gravel? Is -reasonably complete and accu
rate, so that figures on percolated and pimped rater would be
really meaninsful?
A. Yea. The Engineers use those figures as a tasis for
their conclusions.
Q. [Page 86, November 14, 1951] There are several refer
ences to rain making. Although the Board is quite interested
in rain making possibilities, why has it never actually experi
mented *i th.lt?
A. We investigated several sources of rain making — the
personnel and the companies promoting then--and there was a good
deal of fear among the directors that we might be involved In
litigation. If ve promoted rain making over an ares that really
needed it, it could overlap into the vegetable ares where an
unseasonal rain will ruin a whole crop. It could run into very
high damages. I think that was whet scared them off.
Q. [Page 89, December 18, 1952] Why was the use of Stivers
Tule Pond for percolation first considered end then dropped?
A. That was partly because the Stivers family didn't want
the land flooded. They wanted to raise crops on It. Partly
from the difficulty of getting the water from Alaneda Creek to
the Stivers farm, vrtiich was perhaps a rnile awsy. And pertly
Just because it died for lack of promotion. It was too uncertain
Q. Could they hcvo gotten *ater from Mission Creek in
there?
320
-22-
A. Mission Creek does flow through the Stivers Pood but
the bottom of the pond ia almost impervious. It would have to
be combined with works to divert the water into the gravels,
whioh would be about 40 feet deep in that area, tie have put a
well down in whioh we are experimenting to see if it's practical
to put more wells or a big pit in order to conserve that water
that runs out of the Stivers Pond to the Bay.
4. That brings up the question of drain wells. Is there
sufficient water saved by the drain walls to make any substantial
contribution to the district?
4. We don't think so, and it's too dangerous because of
the chance of pollution from housing areas and also because the
drain wells, if they use untreated water, will 'gradually clog
up through the growth of algae. It would be necessary to
chlorinate the water before it was put in, and It juat doesn't
seem practical. The Aatur Listrict has forbidden any drain wells
being put in that will be permanent. It ia just an emergency
to get by the period before the Flood Control ditches go in,
which will take care of the drainage.
Q. Another five years will possibly see the elimination
of those?
%
A. I think so.
Q. [Page 91, April 27, 1953] W&s the lease of the 56"
pipe line from San Francisco ever consummated?
A. Be long considered purchasing the 36" pipe line and
San Francisco was not willing to give it up. Then we talked
with tir. Percy ana Ur. Espy, who had the greatest knowledge
of the needs of San Francisco in that respect. They suggested
321
-23-
that we offer to take a lease on the pi pa line, and that is still
under consideration.
£. I gather you* re not too keen on the lease?
A. No, because If we got It, we would want to put con
siderable capital Into itaklng It available for the purposes
that we foresaw. ?e wouldn't want to give It up on a lease
basis If we want Into the planning of our pipe line system—
the sizes snd so on, and then have an Important part of It good
for only a few years' time.
Q. [Page 93, February 24, 1954] In reference to a re
tirement plan, was one finally adopted—one that affiliates
the District either with the State or the Alameda County Retire
ment Systems?
A. We are still studying that problem, and other things
have come up that have put It off. We have a plan partly worked
out for the purpose.
Q. Would that take care of men like Richmond who have
long since retired?
A. It would do so, because although he and Mr. Barrold
have retired, we had an arrangement by which they are on call,
you ailght say, as advisers In lines that they covered, and they
are still In that category. The attorneys are trying to arrange
a plan that will Include them.
Q. That would save you from having to put up the money
that now goes for their semi-retirement.
A. Yes.
Q. [Page 97, July 9, 1954] Why did Messrs. Amaral and
Qrinsner feel the District should abandon underground pumping?
322
-24-
A. The basis of that, if I understand It, Is that the
underground water should bo conserved for tba purposes of
agriculture. Dr. Grimmer also believed that the Hetoh Hetobj
water was much superior from a health point of view. He was
an advocate of the use of the Hetoh Hetohy watar, so that he
got it in Irvington, which was his town, and reported very
favorably on its use, so it was left in there. Amaral, being
a farmer, was against any pumping for other purposes than farm
ing. But right now, just at the last meeting, Dr. Grimmer has
reversed himself and demands that the Hetoh Hetohy be given up,
so it's a little peculiar situation.
Q. Is It now a matter of price that's affecting him?
A. Yes, and at this time he was willing to pay the price
because he said the benefits were so great, and the saving of
sosp was one of his arguments. Soft water saves so much soap,
he said it would pay its own way, but he has quite violently
turned the other way now.
£. Why the violence?
A. Veil— you'd better ask him.
q.. [Page 98, November 10, 1954] In reference to the
Soito well. Has tba Solto well been used during this past
summer, 1955? And if so, hava there been any complaints by
the neighbors?
A. It's being used steadily, and I've been by there
several times recently and the neighbors are pumping lots of
water. So they are not complaining, naturally. Their claims
were entirely unfounded.
Q. [Page 100, January 6, 1955] Did I ask you a moment
ago how long it would take the Flood Control District's tiro-
323
-25-
proposed developments to eliminate the need for drain wells?
A. I think that it will be a matter of only a few years
before that ia taken care of. They will first take those areaa
that ere thickly built up and eliminate the drainage problem.
That is mostly In the area between Newark and Centervllle, and
one of- the first drain ditches, I think, will go through that
STOP and then those wells will have to be plugged.
£• [Page 101, Merch 2 and 9, 1955] In reference to the
Tri -County Authority, what Is the importation scheme that the
Tri -County Authority would principally back?
A. They have specifically said that they are not backing
cny particular scheme. Their first duty le to study all projects
end make up their minds as to whet is the beet,
Q. Does the District favor a scheme that ie probably not
the seme scheme that fan Benito and Santa Clara Counties would
favor?
A. Not unleee they should attempt to bring water in by
way of Pachecc Pass. In that case Alameda County feels it oan
bring the water in by Itself cheaper than to bring it clear up
north from the Pacheco Pass. They are in a position to put in
their owr pumping plant and to bring it into our valley and to
the Livermore-Pleasanton area to greater advantage, I think*
Q. Ifould it be an equally good route, so far as the lower
Santa Clam Valley end Sen Benito County ere concerned?
A. Eo far, the engineers who heve been working on it,
both local and state, say that that is advisable for all of
them, with the possible exception of San Benito County. It
will be better to carry it in through the Alt amont Hills some
where into the Livermore Valley and carry it on at an elevation
324
-26-
of about 500 feat, through tha Santa Clara and San Benlto areas.
But of oourae there hasn't been a final full study made, and it
oould change.
Q. What proportion of the underground storage ia lost by
the upper gravels being salty?
/.. I don't think that that aan be determined. I don't
think that it is sufficiently open to observation. It would
require endless computations and analyse* of water in wells to
see Just That was going on underground. But the mass of salt
water that is flowing gradually into this upper gravel haa de
stroyed the usability of the water in the upper gravel, and
what is happening to the lower gravels is simply beyond any
one's guess. The action of salt water, as it spills through
or rather over the impervious stratum of clay, in the area
towerds Niles, may be that it is dropping, because of its
higher specific gravity, clear to the bottom of our basin,
which is of unknown depth. It is probably beyond a thousand
feet. I don't know of any well that has gone deeper than a
thousand feet, but they haven't struck hard rock in the middle
of the valley. So salt water may be accumulating end rising
from the bottom, and if so it's a very bad situation. But we
can't compute it at all.
Q. Do you foresee a possibility of sealing off and flush
ing tho upper gravels?
A. I think so.
Q.. Is the water that's now intruding pest Newark of about
the same specific gravity as sea water? Or is it well diluted?
325
-27-
A. It beoexnes rrore and r.oro diluted as It progresses
farther Into the valley. There are wells that have analyzed
nearly eea water concentration. Others are on the margin
between usable and non-usable water for irrigation purposes.
Q. About how fur from Niles to Centervllle is that line
now?
A. It is lust barely paat the outskirts of Centervllle
to the east, and it doesn't seen to be advancing as a line.
But over the years it's increasing in salt content, which makes
me feel that maybe this salt water Is dropping down to the
lower grave In.
Q. /.a agricultural use diminishes and domestic use in
creases, may it be possible that Alameda Creek 'waters will re-
rcr.in sufficient to cere for pgricultural needs and imported
water be used as a prirary source of domestic water?
A. The two could be separated quite easily. ~e have our
present main reservoir nt the mouth of Niles Canyon, and as the
importation of domestic water under the present plan would come
in «t about the 500-foot level, it would be very easy to drop
thfit water both into that reservoir and into several others
that we ere planning -to build. It would be entirely feasible
to do so, and so leave all the water that comes down Alameda
Creek for percolation for Pgricultural use.
Q. Is the Niles reservoir right in the creek?
A. Bo, it Is at an elevation of, I suppose, about 50 feet
above the creek.
Q. An artificial reservoir entirely, then?
326
-28-
A. Yea. It's In conjunction with a San Francisco reser
voir of about 5 million gallons, and this is 100,000 gallons
that we constructed on San Francisco ground with their coopera
tion.
Q. Is there a littla dsun across the creek still?
A. Yes, there is the old stone chute dam, which wsa built
In old Spanish days to grind meal out of wheat at 5ilos--tha
old Vallejo Mill. The foundation Is still there, and thia atone
chute threv the water Into a ditch and flume and carried it at
a slight elevation to where it turned the mill wheel. That is
the stone chute that enters into the documents of the area
today, for it Is still there.
Q.. Is there any diversion work where you 'divert watar into
the Shinn Pits? .
A. Yes. We built a battery of pipes into a concrete foun
dation and a concrete stepping down of the flow of the water into
the Shinn Pit, which was very much deeper than Alaaeda Creek
itself.
Q. You didn't hsve to construct a dam across the creek
itself?
A. No. It flows In because of the head of water in flood
time thrftogh these pipes into the Shinn Pit,
Q. Have you built any reservoirs in the southern part of
the District?
A. No, except at Mission San Jose, where there is a
100,000 gallon reservoir on the old Wltherly Ranch, at an
elevation of about 500 feet. That was put in in order to have
a water supply for Mission San Jose. It is pumped from our
mains up into this reservoir Just to have storage at that ele-
327
-29-
Q.. I suppose that tea two reservoirs together are at
about the ssze elevation and ar« the principal source of your
pressure?
•A, Ho, the reason for the booster pump is that the Riles
reservoir is about 180-scrce feet, while the Mission reservoir,
I think, is nearly 500 feet, and so we took out the water from
the train at Irvlngton, for this reservoir at the L'ission, and
puxpod it with a booster pump to get that elevation; and also
there tvas a spring above that reservoir that flowed a consid
erable quantity cf water, and the surplus that was not used by
Mr. Tfltherly flowed into this tank. So It was an advantage to
hove it at that point.
Q. Well, I think I've Just about run out -of questions.
INDEX — Volume II
328
Adams, John, 195, 196
Adams, Sally, 195. 196, 221, 227-
228
agricultural community, political
strength, 69-77, 89-90, 129-136
Alameda, Tony, 72-73
Alameda County. See development,
southern Alameda County; water
issues, southern Alameda County;
Fremont, California; Newark,
California
Alameda County Flood Control
District, 55-56, 176-178, 312-314
Alameda County Water District, 13-
116, 279-327
annexations, 1-2, 15, 101-107,
112-113, 288-289, 293-295, 301,
306-307
board of directors, 13-18, 21-23,
24, 27-30, 36-37, 48-52, 60, 72-
75. 100-101, 111. 114-116, 309-
310
community relations, 19-20, 113-
114, 165
early directors and employees,
283, 285-286, 296-297
formation of district, 280-283
planning for growth, 18, 20-21,
26-30, 37-41, 52, 58-59, 61-62,
75, 164-165
role of general manager, 23, 37,
98, 114
See also Patterson, William D. ;
water issues, southern Alameda
County
Alameda Creek. See flood control;
water issues, southern Alameda
County, riparian rights
Alameda Creek quarries, 273-275
Amaral. Louis, 22, 34, 308, 321-322
aquifer reclamation program, 66-68,
81-83
Ardenwood Park Advisory Committee,
276-277
Ardenwood Regional Preserve,
citizen involvement, 271-273.
See also Fisher, Robert B.
establishment and plan, 182-183,
187, 229-238, 266-267
eucalyptus trees, 270-271
G. W. Patterson house, 182-183.
226-229, 237
management, 238-253
water quality problems, 80-83
Arroyo Del Valle, 41-44, 314
Azevedo, Tony, 267
Baker, John, 272
Balentine, James E. , 190-191
Banks, Harvey, 42, 53, 59. 85-87
Bay Area Regional Water Quality
Control Board, 90-91
Belli, Melvin, 202-204
Bentham, David, 235
Bernardo, Manuel, 22, 72-73
Binkley, Thad, 20, 27, 43, 53, 59,
316
Black, John, 95
Borghi, Frank, 73, 114
Brooks, Barbara Matthews, 151-152,
156
Brooks, Jack, 75, (Int.) 145-206,
222-223, 229, 267-269
Calaveras dam, 291-292
California nursery, 304-305, 310-
311
California State Department of Water
Resources, 42, 44, 53-54. 58-59,
61-63. 66, 316
California state water plan, 1932,
299
California state water project.
South Bay Aqueduct, 52-55, 61-62,
323-324
Citation Homes, 193
329
Citizens Utility Company. 101-107
Conway and Culligan, 37-39. 75
Cook. Lyle. 87
Coyote Hills Regional Park. 179-
180. 201
Crowle. Herbert. 55-56. 314
Davis. Al. 155-156
Del Valle reservoir. 42. 58
Democratic Party. 152-153
development, southern Alameda
County. 149-152. 295-296. 315-
316. See also Patterson Ranch,
development; Fremont, development
and planning; Washington Township,
development in
Dusterberry. Frank. 309
Dutra, William. 128
East Bay Regional Park District.
269-277. See also Ardenweod
Regional Preserve
Eastwood. Joe, 48-50
environmental impact review [EIR],
108-109
Esley. Bernadette. 217
Fisher, Robert B. . (Int.) 212-253
flood control. 31-32. 44-45. 55-56.
163-164. 176-179. 295-296. 312-
314. 322-323
fluoridatien. See water issues,
southern Alameda County.
fluoridation
Fremont. California
boundaries. 128-129, 166-167
city politics, 138-139. 169-170.
171. 174-175. 184-189. 195-200.
218
development and planning, 137-
138. 168-175, 180-181. 183-193.
216. 229-231. 266-277
Historical Architectural Review
Board (HARB) , 218. 224
Historical Resources Commission,
216-218. 221
Fremont. California (continued)
incorporation of. 127-137. 165-
167
parks and historic preservation.
214-225. See also Ardenwoed
Regional Preserve
Recreation Commission, 214-217
See also Washington Township;
Patterson Ranch
and water district, 34, 40-41,
54. 113
Gallegos water system, 1-2
George. Emanuel. 308. 309
Grimmer. E. M. , 13-15. 21. 29. 37,
321-322
Harding, Sidney, 41-42, 58-60
Harrold, Herbert, 15, 16
Ha thorn family, 227, 240-241
Hetch Hetchy water. See water
issues, southern Alameda County
historic preservation. See Fremont,
California, parks and historic
preservation; Arderwood Historic
Preserve
Howe, Juliane, 217
Hyman, Morris. 27, 43, 69
Johns, Frank, 247, 248
land-use planning
planned district [PD] . 170. 173-
175. 200
planned unit development [PUD] .
170-174
See also Patterson Ranch, master
plan
League of Women Voters. 114
Lewton. David, 240. 245, 251
Livermore Valley, water, 42, 58,
90-92. 93
330
McLane. Harry. 247. 250
MacViker. Len. 215
Mare Island Naval Shipyard, 9-11,
17-18
Matthews, Barbara. See Brooks,
Barbara Matthews
Medeiros, Keith. 272
Milnes, Larry, 113, 186-189, 232,
241. 244. 250. (Int.) 265-277
Minges family. 221, 227. 240
Mission Peak Heritage Foundation.
215. 221-225. 228. 232-235. 238.
241-244
Mission Peak Regional Preserve. 275
Mission San Jose. California, 4-5,
6-7, 214, 218
Mission San Jese Historic District,
218-220. 224
Newark. California, 128. 130. 166-
167. 184-185. 189-191. 224-225
Niles Sand and Gravel Company, 84-
88
Nixon, Stuart, 131-133
North Plain. See Fremont,
California; Patterson Ranch
Oakland Water Works (Company), 15,
20, 57
Ohlone Indians, 232-233
Overacker, Michael, 131, 134
Overview, Inc., 234-235
Pacific States Steel, 48-50
Patterson, Donald, 26, 158, 161,
194-196, 221. 246
Patterson, George Washington, house,
220. See also Ardenwood Regional
Preserve. G. W. Patterson house
Patterson. Henry. 133-135, 158,
160-161, 163
Patterson, Marjorie, 183, 221
Patterson, William D.
as Alameda County Water District
director/president, 13-14, 22-
24. 26-30. 45-46. 50-51, 60,
165. (Int.) 280-327
attitude toward develoment. 30-
31. 133-136, 157-163. 295-296
characterized. 24. 25. 205-206
home. 25. 226
interest in flood control, 44-45,
176, 295-296, 312-314. 317
Patterson House Advisory Board.
242-246. 276
Patterson Ranch, Livermore. 44
Patterson Ranch, southern Alameda
County
agriculture on. 196-199. 201-
202
development of, 157-162, 178,
182-195
family incorporation, 202-205
levees and creek diversion, 281
master plan, 195-202
parklands on, 179-180
relations with cities, 129,
187-188. 191
Patterson vs. Spring Valley Water
Company. 286-289. 292-293
People's Water Company, 290
Pihl, John, 48, 50, 75, 116
Pitcher, Robert, 272
planning. See land-use planning
Pond, Wallace, (Int.) 126-139
Potter. Roy. 170-173. 180-181
Prouty. Jack, 22, 48, 50-51
Public Utilities Commission,
California, 103-104
pump tax. See water issues,
southern Alameda County
Reber. John, 45-46
Reber plan, 45-47, 297-298
Redd, Al, 104
Redecker, Clark, 73, 114
replenishment assessment. See water
issues, southern Alameda County.
pump tax
331
Rhodes and Jamieson Company. 84-88
Richmond. Ed. 15-17. 19. 297
Rogers. John. 87-88
Runckel, Chris. 280-283
saltwater intrusion. See water
issues. Southern Alameda County
San Jose State College. 5-6
Saratoga Horticultural Foundation.
277
sewer district. 162-163
Shinn. J. C. . 283-284
Singer Housing Company, 183, 185-
193. 267-269
Smith. Francis M. "Borax", 290-291
Soito well. 47, 322
South Bay Aqueduct. See California
State Water Project, South Bay
Aqueduct
South Pacific Coast Railroad
Organization [SPCRR] , 224-225
Soviet Union, water treatment
plants, 98-99
Spring Valley Water Company, 293-
294
Strandberg, Carl, 74, 101
Tevis, Lloyd, 290-291
Trudeau. Richard. 236. 241
Union City. California. 128
United Properties Company. 290-291
United States Maritime Academy,
146-149
United States Navy, 9-11. 17-18
Washington Township (continued)
schooling in, 4-6
See also Fremont, California
Washington Township Historical
Society. 213. 216-217. 228, 241-
244, 248. 250
water issues, southern Alameda
County
drought. 1977. 109-113
fluoridation, 93-98
protecting water quality. 79.
83, 90-92. 308-309. 320
pump tax. 69-77
recharging ground basin. 33-34.
40. 56-58. 64-68. 84-88. 301-
302. 314-315. 317
riparian rights. 283-284. 292-
293, 302-306, 310-311
saltwater intrusion, 63-68. 78-
83. 289-290. 311. 324-325
softening. 35. 93-94
use of Hetch Hetchy water, 34-
36. 40. 54-55. 113. 321-322
See also Alameda County Water
District
water projects. See California
State Water Project
Weed. Cecilia. 228. 241-242, 244
Whitfield, Mathew Joseph (father of
Mathew P.), 1-2
Whitfield, Mathew P., (Int.) 1-
116, 164-165
Williams, Lee S. , 133
Williamson Act. 187-188. 194. 199
World War II service. 9-11. 17-18
Valley, Wayne, 154-156
Vincent, Irene. 104
Warne. William E., 53, 62-63
Washington Township
community, pre-World War II, 7,
213
development in. 127. 136. 157-165
ANN LAGE
B.A. , University of California, Berkeley, with major
in history, 1963
M.A. , University of California, Berkeley, history, 1965
Post-graduate studies, University of California, Berkeley,
1965-66, American history and education; Junior
College teaching credential, State of California
Chairman, Sierra Club History Committee, 1978-1986; oral
history coordinator, 1974-present
Interviewer/Editor, Regional Oral History Office, in the
fields of conservation and natural resources,
land use, university history, California political
history, 1976-present.
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