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"content": "\u003cp>Afifa Tawil works for the women’s and non-binary semi-pro ultimate frisbee team, \u003ca href=\"https://www.falconsultimate.com/\">the San Francisco Falcons\u003c/a>, and she’s noticed something: The Bay Area has a men’s pro football team, a men’s pro basketball team, a men’s pro soccer team, a men’s pro hockey team, and (at least for now) two men’s pro baseball teams.[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a lot of sports. But no women’s pro team!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she wants to know why. “Why isn’t there a professional women’s or non-binary team in the Bay Area?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afifa thinks our area has a lot going for it: a big, outdoors-y population and progressive values that would appear supportive of women’s sports. Other places have women’s pro sports teams. Why not here?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The good news first\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well, first off: There is one coming. The newest team in the National Women’s Soccer League, the Bay FC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952128/bay-areas-first-professional-womens-soccer-team-kicks-off-with-public-launch\">held a launch event last month\u003c/a> and they are getting ready for their debut season in spring 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it took a long time to make that happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Brandi Chastain, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-A1-Rz_pks\">of World Cup fame\u003c/a>, it took almost two years to get the team off the ground. Chastain, who grew up playing on the boys team in San José, is one of four founders of the Bay FC — all of whom grew up or live in the Bay Area, and all of whom played on the U.S. national team. They said it has taken years and multiple attempts to line up investment partners, media and interest. And that interest is finally building and momentum is shifting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has to be the right time and the right moment with the right people,” she said at the launch event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other piece of semi-good news: There actually have been women’s pro teams in the Bay Area before — from basketball to softball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the bad news: They all folded. The past attempts at women’s pro teams couldn’t survive. Which means Tawil’s question still stands. Why exactly did it take so long for the Bay Area to get this newest professional women’s team? Shouldn’t women’s sports be big here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In the beginning\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before professional sports — men’s or women’s — really existed in a modern form, elite women’s sports could be found throughout the Bay Area. In fact, the first collegiate women’s basketball ever played was here, between Stanford and UC Berkeley back in 1896.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956654\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1132px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2023/07/29/why-doesnt-the-bay-area-have-a-pro-womens-sports-team/sf-call-image-1132x917/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11956654\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11956654\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1.jpeg\" alt=\"an old-fashioned drawing of women on a basketball court\" width=\"1132\" height=\"917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1.jpeg 1132w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-800x648.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-1020x826.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-160x130.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1132px) 100vw, 1132px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist from The San Francisco Call captured the historic basketball game. \u003ccite>(San Francisco Call/Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sport had only been invented a few years earlier and you probably wouldn’t recognize it now. Nine women played on a half-size court, wearing the athletic clothing of the day: knee-length bloomers, tall socks, and long-sleeve sweaters. Still, it was a hard-fought battle. \u003cem>The San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> wrote, at the time:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“From the very first the game was snappy. The bewitched pigskin seemed to be everywhere and nowhere … Sometimes with a slump and a slide three girls would dive for the ball and end in an inextricable heap … In less time than it takes to read it they were all planted firmly on their two feet, flushed, perspiring … oblivious of everything except that ball.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>A crowd of 700 women cheered on the teams and, even though men weren’t allowed in the gym, many watched through the windows. Stanford won, and when they returned to campus they were greeted by crowds and the famous Stanford band.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were pockets like this throughout the Bay Area during the late 1800s and early 1900s, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.csueastbay.edu/directory/profiles/kpe/libertirita.html\">Rita Liberti\u003c/a>, a professor of sports history at CSU East Bay. “Softball was huge among a range of communities across class and race and ethnicity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Basketball was played in Chinatown and around San Francisco. Women’s swimming was big, especially in Santa Clara. San Francisco even had a pro co-ed roller derby team — called the Bay Bombers — who played mostly at Kezar Stadium and Cow Palace and, at one point, drew 1 million spectators a year along with television broadcasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there was running. For example, the Dipsea Race, in Marin County, was popular for elite competitive women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From 1918 to 1922, it was really an incredible run, hundreds of participants, thousands of people watching,” said Liberti.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2023/07/29/why-doesnt-the-bay-area-have-a-pro-womens-sports-team/i/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11956841\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11956841\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i.jpeg\" alt=\"an older black and white photo shows a crowd of women dressed in old-fashioned athlete gear gathered at a start line\" width=\"920\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i-800x450.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i-160x90.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dipsea ‘Hike’ for women drew huge numbers from 1918–1922. \u003ccite>(Dipsea Race Committee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It was called a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.dipsea.org/news/2018-02-11-womenshikehistory.php\">hike\u003c/a>” to get around bans at the time on women running competitively. But despite that, and even wearing long skirts and boots, the winning woman in 1922 covered the mountainous 7.5-mile course in one hour and 12 minutes. It’s a time that would place her in the top quarter of athletes at this year’s race. Her “hike” was most definitely a run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about girls and women who were kind of everyday athletes. But we’re also talking about elite athleticism, women who were really skilled,” said Liberti. “And all of this is happening in the San Francisco Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, we \u003cem>were\u003c/em> a place for elite women’s sports. But then came the pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A 50-year ban\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every time women found a place for elite athleticism in the first half of the century, there came periodic backlash. Just a few years after that first basketball game, Stanford put an end to all intercollegiate women’s sports for fear of the stress on women’s bodies. A conservative wave then pushed across the country starting in the 1920s, seen across all aspects of life. And, while small fringe pockets for women to thrive could continue to be found, the Bay Area was not immune to conservative fears.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[T]he reason why the Dipsea Hike, the race, ended in 1922, is that community leaders felt it was too harsh for women to continue running that race. And so there’s still those combination [of] fears about female frailty, like their ovaries are going to fall out or something if they run up and down a basketball court, or that they’ll become too mannish,” said Liberti. “The Bay Area may seem intensely progressive. But it carries with it ideas about gender, and we’re not immune from that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the last Dipsea women’s hike in 1922, the race wouldn’t open back up to women for five decades — until 1971.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This happened across many women’s sports, with many facing decades of being barred from participating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When that finally changed, after so many years of being banned or limited, building a foundation back up for women’s sports was slow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Title IX — the landmark legislation that banned gender discrimination — passed a year later, in 1972, it wasn’t until 1982 that the NCAA even added women’s basketball. That’s nearly 90 years after that first Stanford-Cal game was played.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And by the 1970s, modern pro men’s sports as we think of them were really taking shape with money, sponsors, tickets and TV deals. This is when we first see an attempt at professional women’s teams, too. But they were on the back foot, having to catch up to the audience and investment that men’s teams had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Meet the SF Pioneers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was then, in 1979, that San Francisco got a women’s professional basketball team: the SF Pioneers. They joined the brand new, first of its kind, women’s pro basketball league, which called itself the WBL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was like a dream come true for me, because I never thought the United States would ever have a women’s league,” said \u003ca href=\"https://thelegends.org/our-team/\">Cardte Hicks\u003c/a>, one of the women on that team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eBkMz2ix2_0\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hicks had played for CSU Northridge and had a 42-inch vertical jump. She was recruited to San Francisco by the coach, Frank LaPorte, who had heard of her and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/Inspiring-dunks-of-Stanford-s-Belibi-echo-16036458.php\">her famous dunking\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never even knew that dunking was something spectacular. I just thought it was fun to be able to get up that high,” she said, “He had heard a lot about me playing in AAU. I played for my brothers, because they wouldn’t allow women to play, so they’d dress me up like a boy, tape my boobs down, what little bit I did have,” she said. “And people would come out because they’d heard about that girl that could jump.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Pioneers played at the Civic Center and were supported by Willie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One thing I can truly say is that San Francisco showed some love, in the gay community, more so than any community. They were just so supportive. They wanted this to grow,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the players didn’t get paid much and, after the novelty wore off, they didn’t get much media attention or marketing either. “We didn’t get marketed like they do with the WNBA. We didn’t have a lot of money. Me personally, I’d have played for nothing, as long as I can get out there and play,” said Hicks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How much did she get paid? About $1,500 per month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956859\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11956859\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-800x1306.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white image of 4 women on a basketball court. Three of them wear dark uniforms, and one is in a white uniform. The 2 women in the middle ground are leaping into the air after a basketball that is above them out of frame.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-800x1306.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-160x261.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-941x1536.jpg 941w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847.jpg 992w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Pioneers, a women’s professional basketball team, playing a game in the first national league on Dec. 30, 1980. \u003ccite>(Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The players were good, though, she said. Imagine if they’d had the opportunities available now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the league folded, it was a heartbreaker for all of us,” she said. By 1981, the WBL was done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few years ago, many of those players, including Hicks, were honored by the WNBA and inducted into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbhof.com/\">Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame\u003c/a>. But back in the early ’80s, without enough capital or coverage, the WBL couldn’t last. The team and league shut down and Hicks went back to playing overseas where there were more opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This happened to a lot of the newly formed women’s pro teams during the ’70s and ’80s. They keep getting shortchanged and shut down, struggling to catch up to the head start the men’s teams had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these women’s pro sport leagues are short lived,” said Liberti, “Like they come and they go, they’re in and they’re out. They don’t have funding. There’s no capital. There’s no media following them at this point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This pattern continued for decades. There was the San Jose Sunbirds, a pro softball team, which was later followed by the California Sunbirds in Stockton, which were part of the on-and-off National Pro Fastpitch league. There was the FC Gold Pride, part of one of the early women’s pro soccer leagues, who played in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been a number of different women’s pro teams in the Bay Area over the years, but they haven’t lasted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Are things finally changing? Has the time finally come for one to succeed here?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A shift happening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back to the launch of the new women’s pro soccer team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just think sometimes people are resistant to understanding what is possible if they haven’t seen it done before,” said Aly Wagner, another one of the four founders of the Bay FC. Wagner also played on the national team and in previous women’s pro leagues — none of which lasted. “We’re in a very different place now than where we were then. And one of the things that I keep coming back to is that there were always gatekeepers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Wagner means is that for a long time the people who make the decisions in regards to sports funding kept saying: “No point in investing in women’s sports; no one wants to watch women’s sports; don’t put them on TV.” And so nothing happened. There was no investment, media or marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, though, in July 2023, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/2023-womens-world-cup-breaks-ticket-sale-records-viewership-way-up-over-2019/\">Women’s World Cup\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/232-million-watched-live-broadcasts-of-2022-tour-de-france-femmes/\">Tour de France Femmes\u003c/a> draw millions of viewers, it’s hard not to notice a shift happening globally. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/ncaa-womens-basketball-final-ratings-record-c8a9f218\">Almost 10 million people tuned in for the women’s March Madness final\u003c/a>. WNBA opening weekend viewership was up 100%. \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37630607/women-attendances-dominated-european-football-2022\">The three most attended soccer games in Europe last year were all women’s matches\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s clear there is money to be made — and that’s what’s changing. Investors now see there’s a market, an audience, an entire base of women’s sports fans who are not being served. And with the potential for profit, comes funding, which brings broadcast TV deals. And since you can’t be a fan of what you can’t see, that brings more viewers and more fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I think that people are starting to understand that the momentum is there, the data is there. Everything is signaling that this is the right time,” Wagner said. “It might have been the right time before, but now it’s \u003cem>really\u003c/em> the right time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956860\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11956860\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"A row of people smile at the camera, they are all wearing items of clothing with the logo for a women's soccer team called "Bay FC."\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sheryl Sandberg, Danielle Slaton, Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne and Aly Wagner pose for a photo with other attendees at a kickoff event for Bay FC, the Bay Area’s first team in the National Women’s Soccer League, at the Presidio in San Francisco, on June 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the Bay FC team launch event, fans were excited too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, I’m so excited,” said Deepa Patel. “I started watching the NWSL after the 2015 World Cup and since then I’ve just been waiting for a team.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Finally we have a women’s team in Northern California. We don’t have to fly to Portland, we don’t have to go to L.A., we don’t have to fly to San Diego. Finally we have something representing Northern California, and the Bay Area,” said Monica MacMillan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have always been women’s sports in the Bay Area. There are professional runners, cyclists, tennis players, swimmers, and ice-skaters. There are semi-pro teams here, too. But now it might really be time for a fully-fledged, fully-funded major pro team that lasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s just one last obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also efforts to bring a WNBA expansion team here, though the commissioner has said “\u003ca href=\"https://justwomenssports.com/reads/wnba-expansion-teams-timeline-cathy-engelbert-commissioner/\">not yet\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At issue is another factor that answers Afifa Tawil’s original question. It can be tough to start teams in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s often easier to start out and build in smaller markets, especially during the survival mode women’s sports have historically existed in. In small markets, you can sometimes build women’s teams as a kind of homegrown oddity attraction. The Bay Area, by contrast, is a little hard for people to get their heads around, a little hard to conquer for any one new team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the Bay Area is perhaps daunting to a lot of people because we have so much going on there,” said Wagner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s so spread out, so diverse, there’s so many other things to do besides sit inside and watch sports on TV. We’re not always considered a great sports market. But Brandi Chastain disagrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is the best sports town and we’re going to prove it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay FC starts play in the spring and after that, who knows. Maybe a WNBA team in Oakland. Or dream big: A softball team in Hayward; a women’s hockey team in San José. Momentum is building. As the women’s soccer fans like to say: LFG.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Afifa Tawil works for the women’s and non-binary semi-pro ultimate frisbee team, \u003ca href=\"https://www.falconsultimate.com/\">the San Francisco Falcons\u003c/a>, and she’s noticed something: The Bay Area has a men’s pro football team, a men’s pro basketball team, a men’s pro soccer team, a men’s pro hockey team, and (at least for now) two men’s pro baseball teams.\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That’s a lot of sports. But no women’s pro team!\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So she wants to know why. “Why isn’t there a professional women’s or non-binary team in the Bay Area?” she asked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Afifa thinks our area has a lot going for it: a big, outdoors-y population and progressive values that would appear supportive of women’s sports. Other places have women’s pro sports teams. Why not here?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The good news first\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Well, first off: There is one coming. The newest team in the National Women’s Soccer League, the Bay FC, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11952128/bay-areas-first-professional-womens-soccer-team-kicks-off-with-public-launch\">held a launch event last month\u003c/a> and they are getting ready for their debut season in spring 2024.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But it took a long time to make that happen.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Brandi Chastain, \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z-A1-Rz_pks\">of World Cup fame\u003c/a>, it took almost two years to get the team off the ground. Chastain, who grew up playing on the boys team in San José, is one of four founders of the Bay FC — all of whom grew up or live in the Bay Area, and all of whom played on the U.S. national team. They said it has taken years and multiple attempts to line up investment partners, media and interest. And that interest is finally building and momentum is shifting.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It has to be the right time and the right moment with the right people,” she said at the launch event.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The other piece of semi-good news: There actually have been women’s pro teams in the Bay Area before — from basketball to softball.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the bad news: They all folded. The past attempts at women’s pro teams couldn’t survive. Which means Tawil’s question still stands. Why exactly did it take so long for the Bay Area to get this newest professional women’s team? Shouldn’t women’s sports be big here?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>In the beginning\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Before professional sports — men’s or women’s — really existed in a modern form, elite women’s sports could be found throughout the Bay Area. In fact, the first collegiate women’s basketball ever played was here, between Stanford and UC Berkeley back in 1896.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956654\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1132px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2023/07/29/why-doesnt-the-bay-area-have-a-pro-womens-sports-team/sf-call-image-1132x917/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11956654\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11956654\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1.jpeg\" alt=\"an old-fashioned drawing of women on a basketball court\" width=\"1132\" height=\"917\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1.jpeg 1132w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-800x648.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-1020x826.jpeg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/SF-Call-image-1132x917-1-160x130.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1132px) 100vw, 1132px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An artist from The San Francisco Call captured the historic basketball game. \u003ccite>(San Francisco Call/Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The sport had only been invented a few years earlier and you probably wouldn’t recognize it now. Nine women played on a half-size court, wearing the athletic clothing of the day: knee-length bloomers, tall socks, and long-sleeve sweaters. Still, it was a hard-fought battle. \u003cem>The San Francisco Chronicle\u003c/em> wrote, at the time:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“From the very first the game was snappy. The bewitched pigskin seemed to be everywhere and nowhere … Sometimes with a slump and a slide three girls would dive for the ball and end in an inextricable heap … In less time than it takes to read it they were all planted firmly on their two feet, flushed, perspiring … oblivious of everything except that ball.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003cp>A crowd of 700 women cheered on the teams and, even though men weren’t allowed in the gym, many watched through the windows. Stanford won, and when they returned to campus they were greeted by crowds and the famous Stanford band.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There were pockets like this throughout the Bay Area during the late 1800s and early 1900s, said \u003ca href=\"https://www.csueastbay.edu/directory/profiles/kpe/libertirita.html\">Rita Liberti\u003c/a>, a professor of sports history at CSU East Bay. “Softball was huge among a range of communities across class and race and ethnicity,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Basketball was played in Chinatown and around San Francisco. Women’s swimming was big, especially in Santa Clara. San Francisco even had a pro co-ed roller derby team — called the Bay Bombers — who played mostly at Kezar Stadium and Cow Palace and, at one point, drew 1 million spectators a year along with television broadcasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And there was running. For example, the Dipsea Race, in Marin County, was popular for elite competitive women.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From 1918 to 1922, it was really an incredible run, hundreds of participants, thousands of people watching,” said Liberti.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956841\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 920px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2023/07/29/why-doesnt-the-bay-area-have-a-pro-womens-sports-team/i/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-11956841\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11956841\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i.jpeg\" alt=\"an older black and white photo shows a crowd of women dressed in old-fashioned athlete gear gathered at a start line\" width=\"920\" height=\"518\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i.jpeg 920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i-800x450.jpeg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/i-160x90.jpeg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 920px) 100vw, 920px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Dipsea ‘Hike’ for women drew huge numbers from 1918–1922. \u003ccite>(Dipsea Race Committee)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>It was called a “\u003ca href=\"https://www.dipsea.org/news/2018-02-11-womenshikehistory.php\">hike\u003c/a>” to get around bans at the time on women running competitively. But despite that, and even wearing long skirts and boots, the winning woman in 1922 covered the mountainous 7.5-mile course in one hour and 12 minutes. It’s a time that would place her in the top quarter of athletes at this year’s race. Her “hike” was most definitely a run.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re talking about girls and women who were kind of everyday athletes. But we’re also talking about elite athleticism, women who were really skilled,” said Liberti. “And all of this is happening in the San Francisco Bay.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For decades, we \u003cem>were\u003c/em> a place for elite women’s sports. But then came the pushback.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A 50-year ban\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Every time women found a place for elite athleticism in the first half of the century, there came periodic backlash. Just a few years after that first basketball game, Stanford put an end to all intercollegiate women’s sports for fear of the stress on women’s bodies. A conservative wave then pushed across the country starting in the 1920s, seen across all aspects of life. And, while small fringe pockets for women to thrive could continue to be found, the Bay Area was not immune to conservative fears.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[T]he reason why the Dipsea Hike, the race, ended in 1922, is that community leaders felt it was too harsh for women to continue running that race. And so there’s still those combination [of] fears about female frailty, like their ovaries are going to fall out or something if they run up and down a basketball court, or that they’ll become too mannish,” said Liberti. “The Bay Area may seem intensely progressive. But it carries with it ideas about gender, and we’re not immune from that.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After the last Dipsea women’s hike in 1922, the race wouldn’t open back up to women for five decades — until 1971.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This happened across many women’s sports, with many facing decades of being barred from participating.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When that finally changed, after so many years of being banned or limited, building a foundation back up for women’s sports was slow.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While Title IX — the landmark legislation that banned gender discrimination — passed a year later, in 1972, it wasn’t until 1982 that the NCAA even added women’s basketball. That’s nearly 90 years after that first Stanford-Cal game was played.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And by the 1970s, modern pro men’s sports as we think of them were really taking shape with money, sponsors, tickets and TV deals. This is when we first see an attempt at professional women’s teams, too. But they were on the back foot, having to catch up to the audience and investment that men’s teams had built.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Meet the SF Pioneers\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was then, in 1979, that San Francisco got a women’s professional basketball team: the SF Pioneers. They joined the brand new, first of its kind, women’s pro basketball league, which called itself the WBL.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was like a dream come true for me, because I never thought the United States would ever have a women’s league,” said \u003ca href=\"https://thelegends.org/our-team/\">Cardte Hicks\u003c/a>, one of the women on that team.\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/eBkMz2ix2_0'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/eBkMz2ix2_0'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Hicks had played for CSU Northridge and had a 42-inch vertical jump. She was recruited to San Francisco by the coach, Frank LaPorte, who had heard of her and \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfchronicle.com/sports/ostler/article/Inspiring-dunks-of-Stanford-s-Belibi-echo-16036458.php\">her famous dunking\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I never even knew that dunking was something spectacular. I just thought it was fun to be able to get up that high,” she said, “He had heard a lot about me playing in AAU. I played for my brothers, because they wouldn’t allow women to play, so they’d dress me up like a boy, tape my boobs down, what little bit I did have,” she said. “And people would come out because they’d heard about that girl that could jump.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Pioneers played at the Civic Center and were supported by Willie Brown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“One thing I can truly say is that San Francisco showed some love, in the gay community, more so than any community. They were just so supportive. They wanted this to grow,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the players didn’t get paid much and, after the novelty wore off, they didn’t get much media attention or marketing either. “We didn’t get marketed like they do with the WNBA. We didn’t have a lot of money. Me personally, I’d have played for nothing, as long as I can get out there and play,” said Hicks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>How much did she get paid? About $1,500 per month.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956859\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11956859\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-800x1306.jpg\" alt=\"Black and white image of 4 women on a basketball court. Three of them wear dark uniforms, and one is in a white uniform. The 2 women in the middle ground are leaping into the air after a basketball that is above them out of frame.\" width=\"800\" height=\"1306\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-800x1306.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-160x261.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847-941x1536.jpg 941w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/GettyImages-1206294847.jpg 992w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The San Francisco Pioneers, a women’s professional basketball team, playing a game in the first national league on Dec. 30, 1980. \u003ccite>(Steve Ringman/San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The players were good, though, she said. Imagine if they’d had the opportunities available now.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When the league folded, it was a heartbreaker for all of us,” she said. By 1981, the WBL was done.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few years ago, many of those players, including Hicks, were honored by the WNBA and inducted into the \u003ca href=\"https://www.wbhof.com/\">Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame\u003c/a>. But back in the early ’80s, without enough capital or coverage, the WBL couldn’t last. The team and league shut down and Hicks went back to playing overseas where there were more opportunities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This happened to a lot of the newly formed women’s pro teams during the ’70s and ’80s. They keep getting shortchanged and shut down, struggling to catch up to the head start the men’s teams had.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“All of these women’s pro sport leagues are short lived,” said Liberti, “Like they come and they go, they’re in and they’re out. They don’t have funding. There’s no capital. There’s no media following them at this point.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This pattern continued for decades. There was the San Jose Sunbirds, a pro softball team, which was later followed by the California Sunbirds in Stockton, which were part of the on-and-off National Pro Fastpitch league. There was the FC Gold Pride, part of one of the early women’s pro soccer leagues, who played in Hayward.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been a number of different women’s pro teams in the Bay Area over the years, but they haven’t lasted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Are things finally changing? Has the time finally come for one to succeed here?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>A shift happening\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Back to the launch of the new women’s pro soccer team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I just think sometimes people are resistant to understanding what is possible if they haven’t seen it done before,” said Aly Wagner, another one of the four founders of the Bay FC. Wagner also played on the national team and in previous women’s pro leagues — none of which lasted. “We’re in a very different place now than where we were then. And one of the things that I keep coming back to is that there were always gatekeepers.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Wagner means is that for a long time the people who make the decisions in regards to sports funding kept saying: “No point in investing in women’s sports; no one wants to watch women’s sports; don’t put them on TV.” And so nothing happened. There was no investment, media or marketing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Right now, though, in July 2023, as the \u003ca href=\"https://www.cbssports.com/soccer/news/2023-womens-world-cup-breaks-ticket-sale-records-viewership-way-up-over-2019/\">Women’s World Cup\u003c/a> and \u003ca href=\"https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/232-million-watched-live-broadcasts-of-2022-tour-de-france-femmes/\">Tour de France Femmes\u003c/a> draw millions of viewers, it’s hard not to notice a shift happening globally. \u003ca href=\"https://www.wsj.com/articles/ncaa-womens-basketball-final-ratings-record-c8a9f218\">Almost 10 million people tuned in for the women’s March Madness final\u003c/a>. WNBA opening weekend viewership was up 100%. \u003ca href=\"https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/37630607/women-attendances-dominated-european-football-2022\">The three most attended soccer games in Europe last year were all women’s matches\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s clear there is money to be made — and that’s what’s changing. Investors now see there’s a market, an audience, an entire base of women’s sports fans who are not being served. And with the potential for profit, comes funding, which brings broadcast TV deals. And since you can’t be a fan of what you can’t see, that brings more viewers and more fans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Now I think that people are starting to understand that the momentum is there, the data is there. Everything is signaling that this is the right time,” Wagner said. “It might have been the right time before, but now it’s \u003cem>really\u003c/em> the right time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11956860\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11956860\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"A row of people smile at the camera, they are all wearing items of clothing with the logo for a women's soccer team called "Bay FC."\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut-1536x1022.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/07/RS66033_06032023_bayfc-405-qut.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Sheryl Sandberg, Danielle Slaton, Brandi Chastain, Leslie Osborne and Aly Wagner pose for a photo with other attendees at a kickoff event for Bay FC, the Bay Area’s first team in the National Women’s Soccer League, at the Presidio in San Francisco, on June 3, 2023. \u003ccite>(Kori Suzuki/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>At the Bay FC team launch event, fans were excited too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oh, I’m so excited,” said Deepa Patel. “I started watching the NWSL after the 2015 World Cup and since then I’ve just been waiting for a team.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Finally we have a women’s team in Northern California. We don’t have to fly to Portland, we don’t have to go to L.A., we don’t have to fly to San Diego. Finally we have something representing Northern California, and the Bay Area,” said Monica MacMillan.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have always been women’s sports in the Bay Area. There are professional runners, cyclists, tennis players, swimmers, and ice-skaters. There are semi-pro teams here, too. But now it might really be time for a fully-fledged, fully-funded major pro team that lasts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s just one last obstacle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are also efforts to bring a WNBA expansion team here, though the commissioner has said “\u003ca href=\"https://justwomenssports.com/reads/wnba-expansion-teams-timeline-cathy-engelbert-commissioner/\">not yet\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At issue is another factor that answers Afifa Tawil’s original question. It can be tough to start teams in the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s often easier to start out and build in smaller markets, especially during the survival mode women’s sports have historically existed in. In small markets, you can sometimes build women’s teams as a kind of homegrown oddity attraction. The Bay Area, by contrast, is a little hard for people to get their heads around, a little hard to conquer for any one new team.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the Bay Area is perhaps daunting to a lot of people because we have so much going on there,” said Wagner.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s so spread out, so diverse, there’s so many other things to do besides sit inside and watch sports on TV. We’re not always considered a great sports market. But Brandi Chastain disagrees.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Bay Area is the best sports town and we’re going to prove it,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Bay FC starts play in the spring and after that, who knows. Maybe a WNBA team in Oakland. Or dream big: A softball team in Hayward; a women’s hockey team in San José. Momentum is building. As the women’s soccer fans like to say: LFG.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Why Can't You Get That Camping Spot?",
"headTitle": "Why Can’t You Get That Camping Spot? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, June 9, 2023:\u003c/strong> If you’ve ever tried to grab a spot at one of the state’s more popular campgrounds, you’ve probably experienced that frustrating moment: You log in at the exact minute reservations are opened and … everything’s already booked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s such a common experience that our original Bay Curious story from 2017 (below) about the possible use of bots to snag coveted campsites still attracts questions. So we went back to park officials to find out: Are bots still a problem in 2023?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Parks information officer Jorge Moreno says, not anymore. They were an issue back in 2017, after the state parks moved to a third-party online reservation system called \u003ca href=\"https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/\">Reserve California\u003c/a>. Campers complained about bots snapping up spots faster than a human could click a button. That’s why in 2019 Reserve America, the parent company, added a captcha and verification step to the process, said Moreno. In 2021, to be sure the new methods were effective, they did an analysis of the reservation IPs and time stamps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was determined that automated bots were no longer an issue,” he said. Additionally, any account caught using bots or reselling reservations will be banned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why are all the campsites already full the second they open up for reservations? “Demand is greater than inventory,” Moreno said. For some of the most popular spots — like the cabins at Steep Ravine in Mount Tamalpais State Park — there might be 100 people logging on for one of eight cabins. “It’s really like a lottery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, May 11, 2017: \u003c/strong>Abigail Johnston and Steve Fotter have been taking the same vacation for decades. For a week, twice a year, they pack up their car with sleeping bags, books and bug spray and drive an hour to Steep Ravine at Mount Tamalpais State Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nestled along the coast of Marin County, down beneath the cliffs of the Pacific, they make their way to one of 10 primitive wooden cabins. There’s no electricity or running water, but luxury is not why people visit Steep Ravine. They go for the sweeping views of the ocean and a secluded beach a few steps away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450574\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11450574\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-800x609.jpeg\" alt=\"Abigail Johnston inside the Steep Ravine cabins when they first opened to the public.\" width=\"800\" height=\"609\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-800x609.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-160x122.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-1020x776.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-960x731.jpeg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-240x183.jpeg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-375x285.jpeg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-520x396.jpeg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680.jpeg 1147w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abigail Johnston inside the Steep Ravine cabins when they first opened to the public. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Abigail Johnston)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Abigail and Steve, this state park is heaven on earth — a sanctuary they’ve been visiting since the cabins opened to the public in 1984. But it’s gotten tough to get a spot. Almost impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the registration window opens at 8 a.m. most cabins are booked by 8:01 a.m. Abigail and Steve have been trying to book a cabin for a year now, with no success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Are others beating them through the reservation system? Or are they falling short because they’re competing against something not quite human: bots?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450646 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Steep Ravine cabins\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z.jpg 500w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-375x281.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Steep Ravine cabins \u003ccite>(Bill Bo Braasch/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Bots\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bots are software that can automatically perform routine tasks on the internet. You’ve probably used a bot online and not even realized it, like when you search the web or look for cheap flights on sites like Kayak or Expedia, instead of having to check each airline yourself,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bots go and pull all that information into one helpful place. But bots can also be used nefariously, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/2016/01/hacker-lexicon-what-are-dos-and-ddos-attacks/\">taking down a website\u003c/a> by overwhelming its servers and making it impossible for legitimate users to access the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was unable to confirm if bots are reserving campsites, but they are certainly active on ReserveAmerica’s website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450604\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450604\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-160x123.jpg\" alt=\"A computer screen is filled with code.\" width=\"250\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-160x123.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-800x613.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-1020x781.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-960x735.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-240x184.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-375x287.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-520x398.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A computer screen filled with code. \u003ccite>(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Scraping for availability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chris Streeter is a software engineer living in San Francisco. He wanted a campsite for Easter weekend at another popular park, \u003ca href=\"http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin Redwoods State Park\u003c/a>. The place was 100 percent booked, but he kept checking the ReserveAmerica website for cancellations — a common strategy for snagging a last-minute spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It involves going to reserveamerica.com, checking to see if there’s a site available. There’s not, so you have to keep coming back super often. I decided to automate the process,” says Streeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He built a bot that looks for cancellations on ReserveAmerica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every 15 minutes [the bot] just checks. And if there’s a site, it posts a little notification in my Mac that says, ‘Hey, there’s a site available,’” says Streeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bot is not the only one of its kind. There’s a bot for Yosemite, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The code for the Yosemite bot is posted on GitHub, a code-sharing website. Anyone who finds the code and understands it can use it. It was written by Brian Hansen, another computer engineer based in San Francisco. Hansen is a rock climber and, like most climbers, he sees Yosemite as a mecca.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450576\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450576 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Yosemite National Park\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yosemite National Park \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Most climbers I know will set alarms early on May 15th,” wrote Hansen via email. “I personally prefer more spontaneous trips, and was told that my only recourse was to refresh the \u003ca href=\"http://recreation.gov\">recreation.gov\u003c/a> website repeatedly until a campsite opened up due to cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Hansen’s GitHub stats, people have been copying the bot.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is it legal?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/3183/all-info\">Better Online Ticket Sales Act\u003c/a> (also called the BOTS Act) targets bots used for ticket scalping at events over a certain size, so the non-commercial personal-use bots built by Streeter and Hansen don’t qualify. Specialists in internet law say that these bots fall into a legal gray area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bots do violate the website contractors’ \u003ca href=\"http://www.activenetwork.com/information/terms-of-use\">terms of use,\u003c/a> which prohibit the use of robots, bots and scraping. However, in similar cases the terms of use were not found to be legally binding unless agreement to the terms of use was\u003ca href=\"https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/cases/4518\"> prominently displayed\u003c/a> in a location where the users could not miss them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jeffrey Rosenfeld of KR Internet Law, “If users click to check a box saying they’ve read and agree to the terms and conditions, that would be considered legally binding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if it is legally binding, most prosecutors will only go after people who are trying to make money or steal business from the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unless you’re going to try to commercialize the website’s content, most businesses and website operators won’t care what you do,” says Rosenfeld.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When people do try to commercialize campsites, California State Parks has been quick to shut them down and threaten legal action under the \u003ca href=\"http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-537.html\">California Penal Code\u003c/a>. The last vendor the Parks shut down was called “Adventure Man.” Some vendors make big promises to get customers reservations at the most difficult campgrounds, but California State Parks representatives didn’t know if they used bots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450577 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Diamond Valley Lake, near Hemet, California. \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet, California. \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Andrea Matwyshyn specializes in technology and innovation policy at Northeastern University. She says Streeter’s and Hansen’s bots could also fall under unauthorized access, but that “in the 9th Circuit, it’s unlikely that this case would be pursued by prosecutors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansen has considered that his bot is in a legal gray area, but isn’t worried about prosecution because “it’s such a small project, but [the questionable legality] is why I haven’t made a real website out of this or pursued developing third-party reservation optimization much further,” Hansen wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is it fair?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some might say that Streeter and Hansen are problem-solving in an innovative way. Their bots create more free time and could potentially be the start of businesses that create jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others feel differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a fairness question. … It’s an act of creating technology haves and technology have nots,” Matwyshyn says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450578\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450578 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"A park ranger directs hikers in Yosemite National Park.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A park ranger directs hikers in Yosemite National Park. \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Image)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Streeter has thought about fairness. He says he could automate the whole process and have a bot that completes his booking for him. He says that program might exist, but he hasn’t built it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look at it as, I’m not doing anything a human couldn’t do. It’s the same thing as setting an alarm on your phone every 15 minutes,” Streeter says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If he made a faster or more advanced bot, no human could compete with it. And faster, more advanced bots have been built in similar contexts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2013, students at New York’s Baruch College created bots to get \u003ca href=\"http://college.usatoday.com/2013/02/07/opinion-smart-student-hackers-should-be-celebrated-not-punished/\">better registration times for classes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The student body was very divided over whether they thought the students were cheating or if they were simply using their skills in an innovative way,” says Matwyshyn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bots have been used to gain advantage in the Bay Area restaurant scene, too. Tables at San Francisco restaurant State Bird Provisions have been \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2013/7/25/6396753/techies-are-hacking-state-bird-reservations-updated\">a big target for bots\u003c/a>. One company, TableSweep, even scrapes OpenTable for cancellations at top restaurants and charges customers $5 for every successfully booked reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11450651\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chef's counter seating at State Bird Provisions on July 27, 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef’s counter seating at State Bird Provisions on July 27, 2013. \u003ccite>(City Foodsters/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Matwyshyn believes there needs to be space for innovation, but if not everyone has the same access to technology, it raises a lot of questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a debate that we need to have as a society. And these questions of scraping data and aggregating and reusing [data] are our very entry point to those questions that are going to show up on steroids in the next 10 to 20 years,” says Matwyshyn.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can we stop it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The contractor running \u003ca href=\"https://www.reserveamerica.com/welcome.do\">reserveamerica.com\u003c/a> would not return emails or calls requesting comment. But because they work for California State Parks, they did respond to Brian Ketterer, its southern field division chief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said they have software that screens for bots. They were not aware of any infiltration into our reservation system,” says Ketterer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A typical bot prevention measure might include adding a CAPTCHA (that’s the “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”), but programmers have gotten around it by hiring real people to fill them out. Artificial intelligence can also be trained to fill out a CAPTCHA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another preventative measure could be two-step authentication. That’s when a website texts you a number that you must type into the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parks could also move away from online reservations and back to booking things over the phone. Award-winning Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse said they’ve never noticed a bot problem and attribute it to the fact that most reservations are completed by phone. Paying for more man-hours could be costly, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450624\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11450624\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sur State Park\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Sur State Park \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This could also be tackled from the supply side. After all, these bots were a response to a scarce resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Increasing the supply\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“There are only 459 campsites in Yosemite Valley and over 4 million people visit the park each year,” says Yosemite ranger and representative Jamie Richards. “We are fully booked the entire summer and beyond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California State Parks system isn’t much better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The real story here is a lack of inventory,” says Ketterer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost 40 million people live in California and over 200 million visit the state as tourists each year. According to Ketterer, there are about 14,600 campsites and accommodations available by reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And if you look at those numbers, it’s not in your favor. It’s like playing the lottery” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has seen the number of reservations steadily increasing. In just the past year, reservations were up by 9 percent, says Ketterer, and parks can’t keep up with growing demand. They don’t have the budget to open and maintain new campsites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousbug]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It should also be noted that not all campgrounds are equally popular. According to Ketterer, coastal campsites with accommodations are the most difficult to snag. Even without bots, there is fierce competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve heard from people who have businesses using the employees in the office to sit by their computers and sit by their phones and try to get that reservation,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even Ketterer has trouble getting a spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have yet to visit Crystal Cove State Park as a visitor and I would love to do that. I’ve also tried for Big Sur and I have yet to get into there. And I’ve tried for about five years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have you heard of people using bots to get campsites? Have you heard of people using bots for other popular events or items? Send us an email at baycurious@kqed.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when the reservation window opens for the Steep Ravine cabins. It’s on the first of each month.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Some people used to use bots to snag campsites at state and national parks. Is it still a problem?\r\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Update, June 9, 2023:\u003c/strong> If you’ve ever tried to grab a spot at one of the state’s more popular campgrounds, you’ve probably experienced that frustrating moment: You log in at the exact minute reservations are opened and … everything’s already booked.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s such a common experience that our original Bay Curious story from 2017 (below) about the possible use of bots to snag coveted campsites still attracts questions. So we went back to park officials to find out: Are bots still a problem in 2023?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California State Parks information officer Jorge Moreno says, not anymore. They were an issue back in 2017, after the state parks moved to a third-party online reservation system called \u003ca href=\"https://reservecalifornia.com/Web/\">Reserve California\u003c/a>. Campers complained about bots snapping up spots faster than a human could click a button. That’s why in 2019 Reserve America, the parent company, added a captcha and verification step to the process, said Moreno. In 2021, to be sure the new methods were effective, they did an analysis of the reservation IPs and time stamps.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was determined that automated bots were no longer an issue,” he said. Additionally, any account caught using bots or reselling reservations will be banned.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So why are all the campsites already full the second they open up for reservations? “Demand is greater than inventory,” Moreno said. For some of the most popular spots — like the cabins at Steep Ravine in Mount Tamalpais State Park — there might be 100 people logging on for one of eight cabins. “It’s really like a lottery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Original story, May 11, 2017: \u003c/strong>Abigail Johnston and Steve Fotter have been taking the same vacation for decades. For a week, twice a year, they pack up their car with sleeping bags, books and bug spray and drive an hour to Steep Ravine at Mount Tamalpais State Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nestled along the coast of Marin County, down beneath the cliffs of the Pacific, they make their way to one of 10 primitive wooden cabins. There’s no electricity or running water, but luxury is not why people visit Steep Ravine. They go for the sweeping views of the ocean and a secluded beach a few steps away.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450574\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11450574\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-800x609.jpeg\" alt=\"Abigail Johnston inside the Steep Ravine cabins when they first opened to the public.\" width=\"800\" height=\"609\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-800x609.jpeg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-160x122.jpeg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-1020x776.jpeg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-960x731.jpeg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-240x183.jpeg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-375x285.jpeg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680-520x396.jpeg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/IMG_0260.JPG-e1494450774680.jpeg 1147w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Abigail Johnston inside the Steep Ravine cabins when they first opened to the public. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of Abigail Johnston)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>For Abigail and Steve, this state park is heaven on earth — a sanctuary they’ve been visiting since the cabins opened to the public in 1984. But it’s gotten tough to get a spot. Almost impossible.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the registration window opens at 8 a.m. most cabins are booked by 8:01 a.m. Abigail and Steve have been trying to book a cabin for a year now, with no success.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Are others beating them through the reservation system? Or are they falling short because they’re competing against something not quite human: bots?\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450646\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 500px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450646 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z.jpg\" alt=\"The Steep Ravine cabins\" width=\"500\" height=\"375\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z.jpg 500w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/380315703_a3c9f96a13_z-375x281.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Steep Ravine cabins \u003ccite>(Bill Bo Braasch/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Bots\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Bots are software that can automatically perform routine tasks on the internet. You’ve probably used a bot online and not even realized it, like when you search the web or look for cheap flights on sites like Kayak or Expedia, instead of having to check each airline yourself,\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bots go and pull all that information into one helpful place. But bots can also be used nefariously, such as \u003ca href=\"https://www.wired.com/2016/01/hacker-lexicon-what-are-dos-and-ddos-attacks/\">taking down a website\u003c/a> by overwhelming its servers and making it impossible for legitimate users to access the system.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I was unable to confirm if bots are reserving campsites, but they are certainly active on ReserveAmerica’s website.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450604\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450604\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-160x123.jpg\" alt=\"A computer screen is filled with code.\" width=\"250\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-160x123.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-800x613.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-1020x781.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-960x735.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-240x184.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-375x287.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1-520x398.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-466343185-1.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A computer screen filled with code. \u003ccite>(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Scraping for availability\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Chris Streeter is a software engineer living in San Francisco. He wanted a campsite for Easter weekend at another popular park, \u003ca href=\"http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=540\">Big Basin Redwoods State Park\u003c/a>. The place was 100 percent booked, but he kept checking the ReserveAmerica website for cancellations — a common strategy for snagging a last-minute spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It involves going to reserveamerica.com, checking to see if there’s a site available. There’s not, so you have to keep coming back super often. I decided to automate the process,” says Streeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He built a bot that looks for cancellations on ReserveAmerica.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Every 15 minutes [the bot] just checks. And if there’s a site, it posts a little notification in my Mac that says, ‘Hey, there’s a site available,’” says Streeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This bot is not the only one of its kind. There’s a bot for Yosemite, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The code for the Yosemite bot is posted on GitHub, a code-sharing website. Anyone who finds the code and understands it can use it. It was written by Brian Hansen, another computer engineer based in San Francisco. Hansen is a rock climber and, like most climbers, he sees Yosemite as a mecca.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450576\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450576 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Yosemite National Park\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541104090.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Yosemite National Park \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Most climbers I know will set alarms early on May 15th,” wrote Hansen via email. “I personally prefer more spontaneous trips, and was told that my only recourse was to refresh the \u003ca href=\"http://recreation.gov\">recreation.gov\u003c/a> website repeatedly until a campsite opened up due to cancellation.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Hansen’s GitHub stats, people have been copying the bot.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is it legal?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/3183/all-info\">Better Online Ticket Sales Act\u003c/a> (also called the BOTS Act) targets bots used for ticket scalping at events over a certain size, so the non-commercial personal-use bots built by Streeter and Hansen don’t qualify. Specialists in internet law say that these bots fall into a legal gray area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The bots do violate the website contractors’ \u003ca href=\"http://www.activenetwork.com/information/terms-of-use\">terms of use,\u003c/a> which prohibit the use of robots, bots and scraping. However, in similar cases the terms of use were not found to be legally binding unless agreement to the terms of use was\u003ca href=\"https://h2o.law.harvard.edu/cases/4518\"> prominently displayed\u003c/a> in a location where the users could not miss them.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>According to Jeffrey Rosenfeld of KR Internet Law, “If users click to check a box saying they’ve read and agree to the terms and conditions, that would be considered legally binding.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even if it is legally binding, most prosecutors will only go after people who are trying to make money or steal business from the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unless you’re going to try to commercialize the website’s content, most businesses and website operators won’t care what you do,” says Rosenfeld.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When people do try to commercialize campsites, California State Parks has been quick to shut them down and threaten legal action under the \u003ca href=\"http://codes.findlaw.com/ca/penal-code/pen-sect-537.html\">California Penal Code\u003c/a>. The last vendor the Parks shut down was called “Adventure Man.” Some vendors make big promises to get customers reservations at the most difficult campgrounds, but California State Parks representatives didn’t know if they used bots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450577\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450577 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Diamond Valley Lake, near Hemet, California. \" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-654194708.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Diamond Valley Lake near Hemet, California. \u003ccite>(David McNew/Getty Images)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Andrea Matwyshyn specializes in technology and innovation policy at Northeastern University. She says Streeter’s and Hansen’s bots could also fall under unauthorized access, but that “in the 9th Circuit, it’s unlikely that this case would be pursued by prosecutors.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hansen has considered that his bot is in a legal gray area, but isn’t worried about prosecution because “it’s such a small project, but [the questionable legality] is why I haven’t made a real website out of this or pursued developing third-party reservation optimization much further,” Hansen wrote.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Is it fair?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Some might say that Streeter and Hansen are problem-solving in an innovative way. Their bots create more free time and could potentially be the start of businesses that create jobs.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Others feel differently.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There’s a fairness question. … It’s an act of creating technology haves and technology have nots,” Matwyshyn says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450578\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11450578 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"A park ranger directs hikers in Yosemite National Park.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-800x534.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660-520x347.jpg 520w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/GettyImages-541356660.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A park ranger directs hikers in Yosemite National Park. \u003ccite>(Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Image)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Streeter has thought about fairness. He says he could automate the whole process and have a bot that completes his booking for him. He says that program might exist, but he hasn’t built it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I look at it as, I’m not doing anything a human couldn’t do. It’s the same thing as setting an alarm on your phone every 15 minutes,” Streeter says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If he made a faster or more advanced bot, no human could compete with it. And faster, more advanced bots have been built in similar contexts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2013, students at New York’s Baruch College created bots to get \u003ca href=\"http://college.usatoday.com/2013/02/07/opinion-smart-student-hackers-should-be-celebrated-not-punished/\">better registration times for classes\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The student body was very divided over whether they thought the students were cheating or if they were simply using their skills in an innovative way,” says Matwyshyn.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bots have been used to gain advantage in the Bay Area restaurant scene, too. Tables at San Francisco restaurant State Bird Provisions have been \u003ca href=\"https://sf.eater.com/2013/7/25/6396753/techies-are-hacking-state-bird-reservations-updated\">a big target for bots\u003c/a>. One company, TableSweep, even scrapes OpenTable for cancellations at top restaurants and charges customers $5 for every successfully booked reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450651\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11450651\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z.jpg\" alt=\"Chef's counter seating at State Bird Provisions on July 27, 2013\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/9383057464_5c4394a3a0_z-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Chef’s counter seating at State Bird Provisions on July 27, 2013. \u003ccite>(City Foodsters/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Matwyshyn believes there needs to be space for innovation, but if not everyone has the same access to technology, it raises a lot of questions.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“That’s a debate that we need to have as a society. And these questions of scraping data and aggregating and reusing [data] are our very entry point to those questions that are going to show up on steroids in the next 10 to 20 years,” says Matwyshyn.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Can we stop it?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The contractor running \u003ca href=\"https://www.reserveamerica.com/welcome.do\">reserveamerica.com\u003c/a> would not return emails or calls requesting comment. But because they work for California State Parks, they did respond to Brian Ketterer, its southern field division chief.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They said they have software that screens for bots. They were not aware of any infiltration into our reservation system,” says Ketterer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A typical bot prevention measure might include adding a CAPTCHA (that’s the “Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart”), but programmers have gotten around it by hiring real people to fill them out. Artificial intelligence can also be trained to fill out a CAPTCHA.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Another preventative measure could be two-step authentication. That’s when a website texts you a number that you must type into the site.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The parks could also move away from online reservations and back to booking things over the phone. Award-winning Berkeley restaurant Chez Panisse said they’ve never noticed a bot problem and attribute it to the fact that most reservations are completed by phone. Paying for more man-hours could be costly, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11450624\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11450624\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Big Sur State Park\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/05/RS19879_IMG_7064-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Big Sur State Park \u003ccite>(Rachael Myrow/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This could also be tackled from the supply side. After all, these bots were a response to a scarce resource.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Increasing the supply\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>“There are only 459 campsites in Yosemite Valley and over 4 million people visit the park each year,” says Yosemite ranger and representative Jamie Richards. “We are fully booked the entire summer and beyond.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The California State Parks system isn’t much better.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The real story here is a lack of inventory,” says Ketterer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Almost 40 million people live in California and over 200 million visit the state as tourists each year. According to Ketterer, there are about 14,600 campsites and accommodations available by reservation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And if you look at those numbers, it’s not in your favor. It’s like playing the lottery” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>California has seen the number of reservations steadily increasing. In just the past year, reservations were up by 9 percent, says Ketterer, and parks can’t keep up with growing demand. They don’t have the budget to open and maintain new campsites.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n What do you wonder about the Bay Area, its culture or people that you want KQED to investigate?\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Ask Bay Curious.\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It should also be noted that not all campgrounds are equally popular. According to Ketterer, coastal campsites with accommodations are the most difficult to snag. Even without bots, there is fierce competition.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’ve heard from people who have businesses using the employees in the office to sit by their computers and sit by their phones and try to get that reservation,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Even Ketterer has trouble getting a spot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I have yet to visit Crystal Cove State Park as a visitor and I would love to do that. I’ve also tried for Big Sur and I have yet to get into there. And I’ve tried for about five years.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>Have you heard of people using bots to get campsites? Have you heard of people using bots for other popular events or items? Send us an email at baycurious@kqed.org.\u003c/strong>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated when the reservation window opens for the Steep Ravine cabins. It’s on the first of each month.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "The Future Looks Bright for Children's Fairyland, as It Seeks to Better Reflect Oakland's Cultural Rainbow",
"headTitle": "The Future Looks Bright for Children’s Fairyland, as It Seeks to Better Reflect Oakland’s Cultural Rainbow | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/3Lw8Y51\">\u003cem>Read a transcript of this episode here. \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Rose Gelfand, Children’s Fairyland exists “outside of the bounds of time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gelfand grew up in Richmond and as a kid went regularly to the 10-acre storybook-themed amusement park on the north side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt. But even as a teenager, when Gelfand attended high school at Oakland School for the Arts, Fairyland’s rainbow-colored sign remained a destination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oftentimes I would meet friends at the Fairyland sign facing the water and sit in the sun and, you know, have long chats and make art together,” said Gelfand, who now lives in Portland, Oregon.[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[It] sort of always had this presence in our lives, even past the point where I was going as a kid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gelfand is certainly not the only person who grew up in the Bay Area, or currently lives here, who considers Fairyland an iconic East Bay institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park’s timeless charm may come from its elaborate play sets based on classic fairy tales — most of which were made in the 1950s and ’60s and have changed little since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the park approaches its 75th anniversary, in 2025, its leadership is pondering how to update it to better reflect Oakland’s ever-growing diversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948448\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948448 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A three little piggies-themed play set, with a small brick house with a low doorway, and a cut-out cartoon pig next to it. A couple high-rise buildings in downtown Oakland are visible in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gelfand has been wondering something similar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m kind of curious what their plan is moving into the future and if it will continue to exist as it is,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Kiddy tech’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’ve already been to Children’s Fairyland, you’ll know it’s nothing like a Disney theme park. There are no extravagant light shows, no giant castles and no Donald Duck mascots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park is a unique landscape of dozens of interactive play installations — ideal for kids 8 years old and under — to climb on or into or run through. The play sets are all based on popular kids’ stories: nursery rhymes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” classic children’s books like\u003cem> Peter Rabbit\u003c/em>, and folktales like those about Johnny Appleseed and Anansi the Spider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “magic” key — bought for a few bucks — unlocks the story of each scene through a colorful speaker box next to each story station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948449\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948449 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A little kid, around age 6, with poofy, coily hair and a blue puffer jacket turns a key in a light-blue wooden box. Beyond the box, which sits atop a turquoise-painted fence, is a little, light-pink house and flowers blooming amid paving stones.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Story boxes with speakers are next to each play set at Children’s Fairyland. Kids can unlock the story with a ‘magic key.’ \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The park’s structures are kid-size and slightly crooked, as if they were sprinkled with a bit of surrealist fairy dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything looks vintage, which makes sense because of when most sets were built. Many of the play areas could use a coat of paint or even an extra nail. But the veneer of the play areas is not the point, says Randal Metz, who has worked at the park for more than 50 years. It’s about the imagination the spaces provoke, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fairyland is a place for kids to lose themselves and to create their own fairytale fantasies,” said Metz, who was once the park’s artistic director, and is now a puppeteer and park historian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948450\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948450 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A tall, light blue clock tower has a set of stairs to the left, with a dark green banister, and an opening at the bottom where the end of a slide empties. The ground around the clock tower is paved.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Metz says the park’s style is intentionally “quiet” so that kids use their own creativity to add depth and detail to the stories through play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re low tech. We call it kiddy tech. We like to keep it simple, and so that things turn and they move for the children. But also they can understand how it happens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Parks within parks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland was born out of Oakland’s post-World War II period. Young soldiers returning from war were starting families and wanted a place to escape, Metz writes in his book \u003cem>Creating a Fairyland\u003c/em>, which he co-authored with Tony Jonick. At the same time, a landscape architect named William Penn Mott Jr. became the Oakland parks superintendent, with grand visions for expanding the city’s public green spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were approximately 950 acres of Oakland city parks in 1946, which was really low for a city of Oakland’s population and size,” said Mitchell Schwarzer, professor emeritus at California College of the Arts, and author of \u003cem>Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948454\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948454 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Three seemingly life-size statues of smiling little girls in white-and-blue pinafores. The girl on the far left appears Asian and has long black hair. The two girls to the right embrace happily; the girl on the left appears Black, with Black hair, and the third girl appears white, with red hair. They all stand in dappled sunlight beneath trees.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Mott wanted to build more, and he came up with all these ideas to increase the acreage of the park system,” Schwarzer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mott hit some roadblocks. He couldn’t create new parks because Oakland taxpayers didn’t have an appetite to pay more for them, according to Schwarzer, and Mott’s other idea, to create a fantasy-themed park for teenagers — with a mini train, boat and auto course — failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He had a kind of crisis of spirit in the late ’40s and thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to go a different direction,’” said Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His new approach? Create parks \u003cem>within\u003c/em> parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>If you can’t have lots of space, you can create space in people’s minds,” said Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mott didn’t launch Fairyland on his own. In fact, the idea to create the park was fueled by Arthur Navlet, a local business investor who had run a large plant nursery in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Navlet and his wife had no children, but still had a deep love for children, according to Metz. While in retirement, the couple visited a children’s zoo in Detroit and were inspired by the bright colors and “festive” environment for the animals, who were not confined to the industrial cages that were customary at the time. Navlet came back to the East Bay determined to create something similar in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948455\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948455 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A view of the anthropomorphic playing cards from Alice in Wonderland, arranged side-by-side to form a maze. Each red or black playing card has a flat head at the top, with various skin tones and facial expressions (although most look surprised).\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over the years, Children’s Fairyland has tried to be more racially representative by diversifying the skin tones of characters in the storybook playsets. Now, leadership wants to diversify the actual stories featured at the park. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Navlet was a member of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a civic-minded group of businessmen who were interested in development. He drummed up their support and, along with Mott, raised seed money to develop a plan for the new park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They hired local artist and industrial designer William Russell Everett, who sketched out the first 17 sets of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland officially opened in September 1950, presenting stories such as\u003cem> The Little Red Hen\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Three Billy Goats Gruff\u003c/em>, and the story of Noah’s ark, to nearly half a million people in the first year of operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fairyland soon inspired other cities, like Sacramento, to open their own children’s storybook parks. Metz says Walt Disney himself visited the park and was deeply inspired by it when he opened Disneyland in 1955.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Walt Disney Company says there’s no concrete evidence of Disney’s visit to the park, but records show that he did fly to San Francisco in 1954.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company also went on to hire Fairyland’s first executive director, Dorothy Manes, to head up youth activities for Disneyland in the 1950s, according to \u003ca href=\"https://d23.com/ask-dave/chris-alameda-california/\">former Disney archivist Dave Smith\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland started as a public park, and is now an independent nonprofit, operating with the financial help of memberships, donations and $16 entrance fees. It has endured over the decades, much like the timeless stories it recounts, says Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948456\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 603px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948456 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227.jpg\" alt=\"A black-and-white photo of dozens of children sitting on the ground, looking past the camera toward an unseen stage, and laughing really hard. The four boys in the foreground are dressed in cowboy gear, with Western shirts and one wearing a cowboy hat. Most of the children appear Latino and white.\" width=\"603\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227.jpg 603w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children being entertained at Fairyland in Oakland, California circa 1955. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is one of Oakland’s most innovative and lasting contributions to the whole country,” he said, about Fairyland’s ability to inspire other fantasy-themed storybook parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Lukas, a cultural anthropologist and author of the book \u003cem>Theme Park\u003c/em>, says Fairyland incorporates stories, fostering play and creativity, in a way that is pretty distinct from most other kids’ entertainment nowadays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast to Fairyland, “they’re not maybe being used for imagination and development of important skills in children, but they’re being used as properties, as brands, as commodities,” Lukas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he says, Fairyland is not trying to sell you anything or tell you what to think.[emailsignup newslettername=\"baycurious\" align=\"right\"]“Children get to complete the stories. It’s not about something preset,” said Lukas.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Controversy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Children’s Fairyland may be a point of pride for Bay Area residents, its history isn’t without controversy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the park first opened, its creators wanted to hammer home the idea that it was for all small people, including adult little people. So they hired Victor and Edna Wetter as host guides. The married couple, who starred as little people (or “munchkins”) in \u003cem>The Wizard of Oz\u003c/em>, were not much taller than the children who visited the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The couple would show groups of kids throughout the park and tell them the stories that they were seeing,” Metz said. “Unfortunately, the park decided that the job for getting a host guide in Fairyland had to be at a certain height.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City rules dictated that Fairyland hosts had to be of “small stature,” according to Metz. When another employee of average height contested the rule, the controversy got the attention of the mayor and parks director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Wetters just said, you know, we’re not going to be involved with that. So they moved on to something better. And Fairyland took that out of the job description,” Metz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The future of Children’s Fairyland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite Fairyland’s very multiethnic, multiracial clientele, about 90% of the play sets at the park highlight European folktales, according to the park’s leadership. Over the decades, the park has taken small steps to diversify: There is a Chinese dragon slide, a Japanese “party area,” and a mini Ferris wheel based on Anansi the Spider, the protagonist in folktales from Ghana in West Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The puppet theater, which presents daily shows, has featured more international stories over the years, including a Vietnamese Cinderella story, a Mexican folktale called “Perez and Mondinga,” and Baba Yaga from Slavic folklore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948451\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948451 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The narrow backstage of a puppet theater, with two people standing behind a curtain operating marionettes below them. The right side of the frame shows a strip of bright sunlight, where we assume the audience is sitting; behind the curtain are ordinary objects, such as books, a lamp and a painting.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The puppet theater at Children’s Fairyland has daily shows when the park is open. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The skin tones of characters in story sets have also been painted various shades of brown in recent years. Little Miss Muffet and the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, for example, are now portrayed as Latina and Black, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Fairyland prepares for its 75th anniversary, the park wants to tell more stories that better reflect and celebrate the diverse community it serves, says Executive Director Kymberly Miller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The park has always tried to be intentional to represent where it sits in Oakland,” Miller said. “I think what we’re looking for is a much deeper, wider intention now around that, because what it is right now is a little bit narrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948452\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948452 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-scaled.jpg\" alt='We see the backs of parents and children sitting on green, pink and yellow benches under yellow shade umbrellas, facing the front of the puppet theater, which has a blue awning and an ochre-colored arch lettered with \"Storybook Puppet Theater.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The puppet theater at Children’s Fairyland has daily shows when the park is open. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miller says the stories should reflect what kids of different cultural backgrounds hear as they grow up, both in Oakland and throughout the world. The park wants to install several more international sets and make stories accessible in more languages, she says. It’s even considering rotating out some installations, much like conventional museums do with their exhibits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the fundamental character of the park that families love — the low-tech, vintage experience that offers a departure from everyday life — won’t change, says Miller. Fairyland goers can look forward to some updated storytelling, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948453\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948453 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A view of six marionettes arranged on a high shelf, with varying styles, including a multicolored jester and a white-faced mime.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Puppets from the folktales and mythologies of different cultures at Children’s Fairyland. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s about being able to be representative enough as the world changes,” said Miller. Paola Lopez, who recently took her two youngest children to Fairyland, says it would be great to see the park present stories from more places and cultures around the world, like from Peru, where she grew up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Well, yeah, it’s Oakland … I mean, look around,” said Lopez one recent Saturday afternoon at the park. In addition to European tales, visitors could see “South American stories about the jungle,” she said, or just one other play set that makes more people say, “‘Hey, I grew up listening or reading this story.”’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Listener Rose Gelfand asked: 'What's the history of Children's Fairyland? It's such an iconic East Bay institution and I have no clue how it came to be.'",
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"description": "Listener Rose Gelfand asked: 'What's the history of Children's Fairyland? It's such an iconic East Bay institution and I have no clue how it came to be.'",
"title": "The Future Looks Bright for Children's Fairyland, as It Seeks to Better Reflect Oakland's Cultural Rainbow | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://bit.ly/3Lw8Y51\">\u003cem>Read a transcript of this episode here. \u003c/em>\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To Rose Gelfand, Children’s Fairyland exists “outside of the bounds of time.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gelfand grew up in Richmond and as a kid went regularly to the 10-acre storybook-themed amusement park on the north side of Oakland’s Lake Merritt. But even as a teenager, when Gelfand attended high school at Oakland School for the Arts, Fairyland’s rainbow-colored sign remained a destination.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Oftentimes I would meet friends at the Fairyland sign facing the water and sit in the sun and, you know, have long chats and make art together,” said Gelfand, who now lives in Portland, Oregon.\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“[It] sort of always had this presence in our lives, even past the point where I was going as a kid.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gelfand is certainly not the only person who grew up in the Bay Area, or currently lives here, who considers Fairyland an iconic East Bay institution.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park’s timeless charm may come from its elaborate play sets based on classic fairy tales — most of which were made in the 1950s and ’60s and have changed little since then.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as the park approaches its 75th anniversary, in 2025, its leadership is pondering how to update it to better reflect Oakland’s ever-growing diversity.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948448\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948448 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A three little piggies-themed play set, with a small brick house with a low doorway, and a cut-out cartoon pig next to it. A couple high-rise buildings in downtown Oakland are visible in the background.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6084-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gelfand has been wondering something similar.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I’m kind of curious what their plan is moving into the future and if it will continue to exist as it is,” she told KQED.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Kiddy tech’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>If you’ve already been to Children’s Fairyland, you’ll know it’s nothing like a Disney theme park. There are no extravagant light shows, no giant castles and no Donald Duck mascots.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The park is a unique landscape of dozens of interactive play installations — ideal for kids 8 years old and under — to climb on or into or run through. The play sets are all based on popular kids’ stories: nursery rhymes like “Mary Had a Little Lamb,” classic children’s books like\u003cem> Peter Rabbit\u003c/em>, and folktales like those about Johnny Appleseed and Anansi the Spider.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A “magic” key — bought for a few bucks — unlocks the story of each scene through a colorful speaker box next to each story station.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948449\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948449 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A little kid, around age 6, with poofy, coily hair and a blue puffer jacket turns a key in a light-blue wooden box. Beyond the box, which sits atop a turquoise-painted fence, is a little, light-pink house and flowers blooming amid paving stones.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6061-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Story boxes with speakers are next to each play set at Children’s Fairyland. Kids can unlock the story with a ‘magic key.’ \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The park’s structures are kid-size and slightly crooked, as if they were sprinkled with a bit of surrealist fairy dust.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Everything looks vintage, which makes sense because of when most sets were built. Many of the play areas could use a coat of paint or even an extra nail. But the veneer of the play areas is not the point, says Randal Metz, who has worked at the park for more than 50 years. It’s about the imagination the spaces provoke, he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Fairyland is a place for kids to lose themselves and to create their own fairytale fantasies,” said Metz, who was once the park’s artistic director, and is now a puppeteer and park historian.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948450\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948450 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A tall, light blue clock tower has a set of stairs to the left, with a dark green banister, and an opening at the bottom where the end of a slide empties. The ground around the clock tower is paved.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6073-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Metz says the park’s style is intentionally “quiet” so that kids use their own creativity to add depth and detail to the stories through play.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“We’re low tech. We call it kiddy tech. We like to keep it simple, and so that things turn and they move for the children. But also they can understand how it happens.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Parks within parks\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland was born out of Oakland’s post-World War II period. Young soldiers returning from war were starting families and wanted a place to escape, Metz writes in his book \u003cem>Creating a Fairyland\u003c/em>, which he co-authored with Tony Jonick. At the same time, a landscape architect named William Penn Mott Jr. became the Oakland parks superintendent, with grand visions for expanding the city’s public green spaces.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“There were approximately 950 acres of Oakland city parks in 1946, which was really low for a city of Oakland’s population and size,” said Mitchell Schwarzer, professor emeritus at California College of the Arts, and author of \u003cem>Hella Town: Oakland’s History of Development and Disruption\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948454\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948454 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Three seemingly life-size statues of smiling little girls in white-and-blue pinafores. The girl on the far left appears Asian and has long black hair. The two girls to the right embrace happily; the girl on the left appears Black, with Black hair, and the third girl appears white, with red hair. They all stand in dappled sunlight beneath trees.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6037-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children’s Fairyland has dozens of interactive play installations based on popular stories for kids. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Mott wanted to build more, and he came up with all these ideas to increase the acreage of the park system,” Schwarzer said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mott hit some roadblocks. He couldn’t create new parks because Oakland taxpayers didn’t have an appetite to pay more for them, according to Schwarzer, and Mott’s other idea, to create a fantasy-themed park for teenagers — with a mini train, boat and auto course — failed.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“He had a kind of crisis of spirit in the late ’40s and thought, ‘Well, I’ve got to go a different direction,’” said Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His new approach? Create parks \u003cem>within\u003c/em> parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cstrong>“\u003c/strong>If you can’t have lots of space, you can create space in people’s minds,” said Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Mott didn’t launch Fairyland on his own. In fact, the idea to create the park was fueled by Arthur Navlet, a local business investor who had run a large plant nursery in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Navlet and his wife had no children, but still had a deep love for children, according to Metz. While in retirement, the couple visited a children’s zoo in Detroit and were inspired by the bright colors and “festive” environment for the animals, who were not confined to the industrial cages that were customary at the time. Navlet came back to the East Bay determined to create something similar in Oakland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948455\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948455 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A view of the anthropomorphic playing cards from Alice in Wonderland, arranged side-by-side to form a maze. Each red or black playing card has a flat head at the top, with various skin tones and facial expressions (although most look surprised).\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6040-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Over the years, Children’s Fairyland has tried to be more racially representative by diversifying the skin tones of characters in the storybook playsets. Now, leadership wants to diversify the actual stories featured at the park. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Navlet was a member of the Lake Merritt Breakfast Club, a civic-minded group of businessmen who were interested in development. He drummed up their support and, along with Mott, raised seed money to develop a plan for the new park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>They hired local artist and industrial designer William Russell Everett, who sketched out the first 17 sets of the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland officially opened in September 1950, presenting stories such as\u003cem> The Little Red Hen\u003c/em> and \u003cem>Three Billy Goats Gruff\u003c/em>, and the story of Noah’s ark, to nearly half a million people in the first year of operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fairyland soon inspired other cities, like Sacramento, to open their own children’s storybook parks. Metz says Walt Disney himself visited the park and was deeply inspired by it when he opened Disneyland in 1955.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Walt Disney Company says there’s no concrete evidence of Disney’s visit to the park, but records show that he did fly to San Francisco in 1954.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The company also went on to hire Fairyland’s first executive director, Dorothy Manes, to head up youth activities for Disneyland in the 1950s, according to \u003ca href=\"https://d23.com/ask-dave/chris-alameda-california/\">former Disney archivist Dave Smith\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Children’s Fairyland started as a public park, and is now an independent nonprofit, operating with the financial help of memberships, donations and $16 entrance fees. It has endured over the decades, much like the timeless stories it recounts, says Schwarzer.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948456\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 603px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948456 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227.jpg\" alt=\"A black-and-white photo of dozens of children sitting on the ground, looking past the camera toward an unseen stage, and laughing really hard. The four boys in the foreground are dressed in cowboy gear, with Western shirts and one wearing a cowboy hat. Most of the children appear Latino and white.\" width=\"603\" height=\"454\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227.jpg 603w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/Oaklandpubliclibrary1955-e1683168812227-160x120.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 603px) 100vw, 603px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Children being entertained at Fairyland in Oakland, California circa 1955. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Center)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“This is one of Oakland’s most innovative and lasting contributions to the whole country,” he said, about Fairyland’s ability to inspire other fantasy-themed storybook parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Scott Lukas, a cultural anthropologist and author of the book \u003cem>Theme Park\u003c/em>, says Fairyland incorporates stories, fostering play and creativity, in a way that is pretty distinct from most other kids’ entertainment nowadays.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In contrast to Fairyland, “they’re not maybe being used for imagination and development of important skills in children, but they’re being used as properties, as brands, as commodities,” Lukas said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And, he says, Fairyland is not trying to sell you anything or tell you what to think.\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>“Children get to complete the stories. It’s not about something preset,” said Lukas.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Controversy\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>While Children’s Fairyland may be a point of pride for Bay Area residents, its history isn’t without controversy.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When the park first opened, its creators wanted to hammer home the idea that it was for all small people, including adult little people. So they hired Victor and Edna Wetter as host guides. The married couple, who starred as little people (or “munchkins”) in \u003cem>The Wizard of Oz\u003c/em>, were not much taller than the children who visited the park.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The couple would show groups of kids throughout the park and tell them the stories that they were seeing,” Metz said. “Unfortunately, the park decided that the job for getting a host guide in Fairyland had to be at a certain height.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>City rules dictated that Fairyland hosts had to be of “small stature,” according to Metz. When another employee of average height contested the rule, the controversy got the attention of the mayor and parks director.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The Wetters just said, you know, we’re not going to be involved with that. So they moved on to something better. And Fairyland took that out of the job description,” Metz said.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The future of Children’s Fairyland\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Despite Fairyland’s very multiethnic, multiracial clientele, about 90% of the play sets at the park highlight European folktales, according to the park’s leadership. Over the decades, the park has taken small steps to diversify: There is a Chinese dragon slide, a Japanese “party area,” and a mini Ferris wheel based on Anansi the Spider, the protagonist in folktales from Ghana in West Africa.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The puppet theater, which presents daily shows, has featured more international stories over the years, including a Vietnamese Cinderella story, a Mexican folktale called “Perez and Mondinga,” and Baba Yaga from Slavic folklore.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948451\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948451 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"The narrow backstage of a puppet theater, with two people standing behind a curtain operating marionettes below them. The right side of the frame shows a strip of bright sunlight, where we assume the audience is sitting; behind the curtain are ordinary objects, such as books, a lamp and a painting.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6030-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The puppet theater at Children’s Fairyland has daily shows when the park is open. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The skin tones of characters in story sets have also been painted various shades of brown in recent years. Little Miss Muffet and the Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe, for example, are now portrayed as Latina and Black, respectively.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But as Fairyland prepares for its 75th anniversary, the park wants to tell more stories that better reflect and celebrate the diverse community it serves, says Executive Director Kymberly Miller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The park has always tried to be intentional to represent where it sits in Oakland,” Miller said. “I think what we’re looking for is a much deeper, wider intention now around that, because what it is right now is a little bit narrow.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948452\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948452 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-scaled.jpg\" alt='We see the backs of parents and children sitting on green, pink and yellow benches under yellow shade umbrellas, facing the front of the puppet theater, which has a blue awning and an ochre-colored arch lettered with \"Storybook Puppet Theater.\"' width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6078-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The puppet theater at Children’s Fairyland has daily shows when the park is open. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Miller says the stories should reflect what kids of different cultural backgrounds hear as they grow up, both in Oakland and throughout the world. The park wants to install several more international sets and make stories accessible in more languages, she says. It’s even considering rotating out some installations, much like conventional museums do with their exhibits.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the fundamental character of the park that families love — the low-tech, vintage experience that offers a departure from everyday life — won’t change, says Miller. Fairyland goers can look forward to some updated storytelling, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11948453\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 2560px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11948453 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"A view of six marionettes arranged on a high shelf, with varying styles, including a multicolored jester and a white-faced mime.\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-scaled.jpg 2560w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2023/05/IMG_6028-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Puppets from the folktales and mythologies of different cultures at Children’s Fairyland. \u003ccite>(Pauline Bartolone/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“It’s about being able to be representative enough as the world changes,” said Miller. Paola Lopez, who recently took her two youngest children to Fairyland, says it would be great to see the park present stories from more places and cultures around the world, like from Peru, where she grew up.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Well, yeah, it’s Oakland … I mean, look around,” said Lopez one recent Saturday afternoon at the park. In addition to European tales, visitors could see “South American stories about the jungle,” she said, or just one other play set that makes more people say, “‘Hey, I grew up listening or reading this story.”’\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Uncovering the Real Story Behind the 'East Bay Mystery Walls'",
"headTitle": "Uncovering the Real Story Behind the ‘East Bay Mystery Walls’ | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was first published on Aug 31, 2018. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]F[/dropcap]or more than a century, people in the Bay Area — and especially the East Bay — have puzzled over the existence of stone walls scattered on ridges from near San Jose north through the Berkeley Hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the walls are built in long straight lines. Sometimes they form angles. Occasionally you’ll find rectangular or circular constructions.\u003cbr>\n[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003cbr>\nWho built these things? How long ago? And why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe voyagers from a lost continent built them. Or visitors from outer space. Or a vanished tribe of “superior” Native Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People have suggested these walls could have been meant for defense. Or as navigational aids for extraterrestrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started getting “mystery walls” questions almost as soon as Bay Curious opened for business, including one from Eric Haven. He’s an artist — he writes and draws graphic novels — and he’s been a producer on “MythBusters” as well as the reboot, “Mythbusters Jr.” So he’s someone who wants to get to the bottom of things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His query was pretty straightforward: “Who built the East Bay mystery walls? They appear to be ancient, many hundreds or even thousands of years old.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric came to the Bay Area in 1989. As we hiked up a steep, rocky trail in the Berkeley Hills to visit a wall segment there, he told me that’s when he first heard about a nearby “mystery wall.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And the way it was relayed to me was very much like urban myth or urban legend,” he said. “There are certain signifiers of that conversation — you know, the vagueness of it — and yet certain things are very specific. ‘No one knows who built it. No one knows why they built it.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11689988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-800x519.jpg\" alt=\"Segments of stone walls, like these on Monument Peak, in Ed Levin County Park near Milpitas, can be found throughout the hills of the East Bay.\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-800x519.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-160x104.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1020x661.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1200x778.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-960x623.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-240x156.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-375x243.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-520x337.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Segments of stone walls, like these on Monument Peak, in Ed Levin County Park near Milpitas, can be found throughout the hills of the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]T[/dropcap]hat “no one knows” refrain is a constant in the story of the walls from the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say precisely when locals might have started gossiping about the walls — or if they ever did — but the oldest published mention of the “mystery” appears to be \u003ca href=\"https://flic.kr/p/2aywx85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 8, 1896,\u003c/a> in the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Half a mile east of Grizzly Peak stand the remnants of stone walls which have long baffled the researches and curiosity of antiquarians,” the unbylined story said. “By whom they were erected, when and why is an unsolved mystery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same little essay goes on to drop a theory or two: that perhaps the walls were the work of what it called “a long forgotten race,” or maybe the Aztecs of Mexico, who might have used the walls for defense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For structures that have excited such feverish speculation for so long, most of them look pretty modest. The section Eric Haven and I tramped up to is actually kind of nondescript: about 100 feet long and just 2 or 3 feet high. The rocks used for construction — local limestone — are stacked or piled, not mortared or cut to fit. Most of the stones are small enough that one person could place them easily; some would have required a crew to put in place. Most are covered with lichens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we soaked in the atmosphere of the place — a spot with a sweeping view, but one we promised the property owners we wouldn’t disclose — Eric shared a friend’s idea about the origins of the walls. It’s a variation on the notion that Native Americans built these walls for a mystical purpose.\u003cbr>\n[baycuriousbug]\u003cbr>\n“His theory was that there was an earthquake here, and it opened up fissures in the ground,” Eric said. “And he thought these were purely ceremonial. They were here to appease whatever gods they thought were angered, or spirits, and this was a way to mark those fissures and to show those spirits they’d do whatever it takes so the earthquake doesn’t happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before we headed back down the trail from the wall, we observed that the wall runs parallel to a modern barbed-wire fence that pretty clearly marks a property boundary. So this wall, perhaps, was built as part of a property line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11690201 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-800x504.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of walls with the Diablo Range in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-800x504.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-160x101.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1200x756.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1180x743.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-960x605.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-240x151.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-375x236.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-520x327.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of walls with the Diablo Range in the background. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]L[/dropcap]ooking for an answer meant going through old newspaper stories, tracking down amateur sleuths’ accounts of the walls, searching old maps for evidence of the structures and finding out whether real live archaeologists had ever studied the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been many newspaper pieces over the years, starting with the Chronicle’s in 1896. Most have repeated the original article’s conclusion that the walls are an impenetrable enigma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, in August 1904, the Chronicle ran another story on the walls, this time, as a big spread in the Sunday paper. It featured a dramatic illustration of stereotype savage fighting with spear and bow and arrow and hurling big rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was written by a guy named Harold French — a hiker, writer and clerk at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11667314/this-s-f-fortress-is-full-of-money-that-will-never-be-spent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco’s U.S. Mint\u003c/a>. The prose sounds a lot like that in the 1896 piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Did a colony from lost Atlantis once populate the Berkeley hills?” the story asked. “Are the ancient rock walls which crown the Contra Costa ridges remnants of a Toltec or a pre-Toltec civilization? Are these remarkable walls really relics of the Stone Age?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks later, the Chronicle was back with another dramatic Sunday spread, announcing an amazing find unearthed by a University of California chemistry professor named Henry Coffinberry Myers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The headline declared that “stone age relics discovered in the Berkeley Hills … seem to change the accepted history of the Western world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The objects Myers said he’d uncovered during forays into the hills included a “five-faced stone image,” stone axes and pieces of pottery. Myers said that mineral deposits on the carved stone image proved it was 1,000 to 10,000 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Myers and other experts the Chronicle contacted said the artifacts and the walls in the hills were evidence that early hill dwellers — perhaps giants who had gained immense strength by lifting big rocks — had migrated from China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Myers’ find was almost certainly a hoax. The Chronicle doesn’t appear to have said another word about the professor and his world-shattering discoveries. Myers left Berkeley shortly afterward to manage a sugar refinery in Hawaii. He eventually donated his artifacts — telling \u003ca href=\"http://kaga.wsulibs.wsu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fclipping&CISOPTR=10799&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=0&DMOLDSCALE=16.35769&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&DMTHUMB=1&REC=1&DMROTATE=0&x=42&y=146\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a different story\u003c/a> about where they’d come from — to a \u003ca href=\"http://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bible college\u003c/a> in Spokane, Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1908, the Berkeley Hills walls were back in the news. “Professor” Joseph Voyle, president of the Berkeley Society for Psychical Research, identified some of the walls as \u003ca href=\"http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC19080622.2.60.11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">remains of a prehistoric civilization\u003c/a>. He was led to the site by a kind of divining rod, and newspapers delighted in telling the tale of Voyle leading a group on an expedition into the wilds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Voyle also claimed to have discovered a radium mine beneath San Francisco and reported he had invented an earthquake detector and figured out how to make non-intoxicating alcohol. He died an indigent in Alameda County’s public hospital in 1915, having succumbed to what one paper called “an infirmity of which he had long been a sufferer.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690204\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690204\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The stone walls wind through the landscape on Monument Peak.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The stone walls wind through the landscape on Monument Peak. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]W[/dropcap]hile Myers and Voyle departed the scene, Harold French showed up again and again in print over the years promoting the legend of the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I say “legend” advisedly. In published writings through the early 1920s, French never failed to describe the walls as “prehistoric” or “ancient.” But beyond the walls’ mere presence, the only evidence he ever cited was the testimony of unnamed old-timers who, he said, had told him that the walls had been a puzzle to both Native Americans and early settlers alike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not clear if trained archaeologists ever seriously studied the walls at the time French was writing. At one point, French reported he had spoken to a “certain teacher of anthropology” at the University of California about the walls’ origins. The anthropologist reportedly responded:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From time to time my students have come and told me about these walls … but I never took them seriously enough to climb way up there in that ‘Beanstalk Land’ to see them. I suppose they are either old sheep corrals or ranch boundaries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689477\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-4.16.31-PM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11689477\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-4.16.31-PM-1020x1172.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"735\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Oakland Tribune feature article on the East Bay Walls by writer and hiker Harold French.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Eventually, though, amateur researchers started trying to decipher the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One was Seth Simpson, who spent years documenting the presence of the walls and puzzling over their origins. His conclusion, \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4807539/East-Bay-Walls-Simpson-Pursuit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">summarized\u003c/a> in a 1972 number of Pursuit, the Journal of the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained, is classic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simpson said there was a possibility some of the walls had been erected by local tribes to trap and kill game. But for the rest, he said, “All I can suggest is that they were built by unknown persons, in an unknown year, for an unknown purpose … and very possibly they will remain a puzzle for the indefinite future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]O[/dropcap]ther wall fanatics were exploring the hills, too. Robert Fisher, a physician from Fremont, and a friend from Berkeley, Russell Swanson, took a lively interest in the walls, especially those in the hills near the south end of the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fisher and Swanson were inclined to see massive rock formations on the ridges and highlands as the work of unknown ancients they called “the Earliers.” The meaning of the walls, massive standing stones and outcroppings, was baffling. Fisher suggested some of the stone work could have served as navigational aids for extraterrestrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least one real live archaeologist joined Fisher to tour one area of the hills — Monument Peak, above Milpitas in Santa Clara County’s Ed Levin Park. It’s a dramatic site, with wonderful stretches of walls snaking along ridges about 2,000 feet above the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an answer to an email query relayed through the Society for California Archaeology, Breck Parkman, a now-retired state parks archeologist, said that in the late 1980s a friend prevailed upon him to visit Monument Peak with Fisher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fisher “wanted me to come and authenticate what he was finding,” Parkman said in an email. “… I said, show me the best you have. He did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parkman said the area featured “lots and lots of stone walls” he believed dated to sometime in the 1800s. Most were built, he felt, in the later years of the century, perhaps by Chinese workers, perhaps by Basque sheep herders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he found a handful of structures — possible hunting blinds and prayer circles — he thought could have been Native American in origin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was these features that convinced me that among the many late 19th century rock features in the East Bay Hills, we might find a few older features of importance,” Parkman wrote. “It would be worth checking out, but I don’t know who’d be interested in taking a systematic look at this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One reason that professionals may have stayed away from the walls, Parkman added, is “not wanting to be associated with the fringe element” responsible for the many wild wall hypotheses over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690202\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690202\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the stone walls found throughout the Berkeley Hills.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of the stone walls found throughout the Berkeley Hills. \u003ccite>(Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]A[/dropcap]nother archaeologist, Jeff Fentress, went up into the Berkeley Hills with me to look at the same section of wall I visited with our question asker, Eric Haven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress, now retired from his position as a professor of archaeology at San Francisco State University, was raised nearby and said he’d been hearing stories about the walls since his boyhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was growing up in Berkeley here, we were told the Lemurians built the walls, and the Lemurians were the inhabitants of the lost continent of Mu,” Fentress said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.crystalinks.com/lemuria.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mu\u003c/a> is said to have existed out in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. And Fentress said stories like that are still coming up. The History Channel asked him whether a Chinese admiral might have erected the rock walls, and British TV interviewed him about whether the West African adventurers might have put up the walls during a visit 30,000 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said the problem with all of those theories — Lemurians, Chinese, West Africans and extraterrestrials — is that there’s simply no evidence any of those real or imagined groups ever landed here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think you have to look at the walls in the context of who was actually here in the Bay Area,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690203\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690203\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-800x446.jpg\" alt=\"Archaeologist Jeff Fentress says it would take a lot of time and money to definitively determine when the stone walls were built and by whom.\" width=\"800\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-800x446.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-160x89.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1020x569.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1200x669.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1180x658.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-960x536.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-240x134.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-375x209.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-520x290.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Archaeologist Jeff Fentress says it would take a lot of time and money to definitively determine when the stone walls were built and by whom. \u003ccite>(Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Native American tribes have populated the Bay Area for about 10,000 years, according to the latest estimates. They were here long before the arrival of Spanish and Mexican colonists and the Gold Rush-era invasion of Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fentress said “there is no indication that Native American people built rock walls that extended for hundreds or thousands of feet. There are no accounts of them building massive wall structures or corrals or any of the other sort of rock features we see in the East Bay here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress and other archaeologists who have studied and recorded the walls agree that there is an explanation, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rock walls were the work of us — the people who pushed the native tribes off the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said some wall building may have begun in the Mission period, and walls like the ones in the hills followed. Some were likely built to mark property lines. Many others were put up as part of ranching and farming operations, such as those that were known to have existed both in the Berkeley Hills and the Monument Peak area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also points to the many European immigrant groups known to have ranched and farmed in the hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Did these people make rock walls in their countries?” Fentress asks. “Look at them all — Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and so on. \u003cem>Of course\u003c/em> they made rock walls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11689494\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-10.05.19-PM-800x487.png\" alt=\"Fentress says the most likely answer is that European immigrants built the walls as functional parts of their lives that didn't rise to the level of recording their purpose.\" width=\"800\" height=\"487\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fentress says the most likely answer is that European immigrants built the walls as functional parts of their lives that didn’t rise to the level of recording their purpose. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fentress and others also point out there was no shortage of labor — provided either willingly or unwillingly. Chinese crews, paid as little as a penny a linear foot, were hired to build ranch walls in Mariposa and Tehama counties, for instance. And many Native Americans, displaced from their lands and denied basic civil rights, were forced into indentured servitude to provide labor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fentress concedes his explanations for the walls are speculative and said you’d want to search for more evidence to back up what he and other researchers have observed and been told in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The main thing to do would be to systematically record and map all the walls,” he said. Once the walls were mapped, researchers could compare their locations to older maps showing historic property lines and other features.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said it could be useful to dig along the base of walls to study their construction and to look for artifacts. It would also help to study the rocks used in the structures to confirm what most people assume — that they come from the same area as the walls themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dating techniques could be useful, too. \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4807533/Proceedings-of-the-Society-for-California.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">One experimental study\u003c/a> that used the growth of lichens as a dating technique estimated that the surviving wall segment in the Berkeley Hills may have been built between 1850 and 1880.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said you’d want to do a more systematic study — a hundred lichen sites, say — to really come to a firm conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historical records — written accounts — could be important, too. But those are in short supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And really the reason is that, you know, we’re looking at — you could call it the archaeology of the common people, the archeology of the working class,” he said. “Back in 1850, if Mr. McGillicuddy cleared his fields and he built a wall between his property and Mr. Sousa next door, no one’s going to write a newspaper article about that. It’s not going to get in the history books. So all we have is the remains of these people showing their hard work and their ingenuity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690200\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Downtown San Jose rises in the distance behind a small collection of stones seen from Monument Peak.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downtown San Jose rises in the distance behind a small collection of stones seen from Monument Peak. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]S[/dropcap]o, at the end of all this, there is still some mystery left in the walls and more work to be done to come to definitive answers. Eric Haven, who prompted our own investigation, said he’s OK with that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People love a mystery,” he said. “And since this is an unsolved mystery, it’s naturally evocative and compelling. I still think about it — a lot. And part of me somewhat hopes that we never find the answers, so that the Berkeley walls can always be a mystery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Extraordinary structures of the ancient past? Or completely mundane piles of rock?",
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"title": "Uncovering the Real Story Behind the 'East Bay Mystery Walls' | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story was first published on Aug 31, 2018. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">F\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>or more than a century, people in the Bay Area — and especially the East Bay — have puzzled over the existence of stone walls scattered on ridges from near San Jose north through the Berkeley Hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sometimes the walls are built in long straight lines. Sometimes they form angles. Occasionally you’ll find rectangular or circular constructions.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cbr>\nWho built these things? How long ago? And why?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Maybe voyagers from a lost continent built them. Or visitors from outer space. Or a vanished tribe of “superior” Native Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People have suggested these walls could have been meant for defense. Or as navigational aids for extraterrestrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We started getting “mystery walls” questions almost as soon as Bay Curious opened for business, including one from Eric Haven. He’s an artist — he writes and draws graphic novels — and he’s been a producer on “MythBusters” as well as the reboot, “Mythbusters Jr.” So he’s someone who wants to get to the bottom of things.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>His query was pretty straightforward: “Who built the East Bay mystery walls? They appear to be ancient, many hundreds or even thousands of years old.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Eric came to the Bay Area in 1989. As we hiked up a steep, rocky trail in the Berkeley Hills to visit a wall segment there, he told me that’s when he first heard about a nearby “mystery wall.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And the way it was relayed to me was very much like urban myth or urban legend,” he said. “There are certain signifiers of that conversation — you know, the vagueness of it — and yet certain things are very specific. ‘No one knows who built it. No one knows why they built it.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689988\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11689988\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-800x519.jpg\" alt=\"Segments of stone walls, like these on Monument Peak, in Ed Levin County Park near Milpitas, can be found throughout the hills of the East Bay.\" width=\"800\" height=\"519\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-800x519.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-160x104.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1020x661.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1200x778.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-1180x765.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-960x623.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-240x156.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-375x243.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32665_19025042463_9119852fb9_o-qut-520x337.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Segments of stone walls, like these on Monument Peak, in Ed Levin County Park near Milpitas, can be found throughout the hills of the East Bay. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">T\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hat “no one knows” refrain is a constant in the story of the walls from the beginning.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s hard to say precisely when locals might have started gossiping about the walls — or if they ever did — but the oldest published mention of the “mystery” appears to be \u003ca href=\"https://flic.kr/p/2aywx85\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">March 8, 1896,\u003c/a> in the Sunday San Francisco Chronicle.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Half a mile east of Grizzly Peak stand the remnants of stone walls which have long baffled the researches and curiosity of antiquarians,” the unbylined story said. “By whom they were erected, when and why is an unsolved mystery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The same little essay goes on to drop a theory or two: that perhaps the walls were the work of what it called “a long forgotten race,” or maybe the Aztecs of Mexico, who might have used the walls for defense.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For structures that have excited such feverish speculation for so long, most of them look pretty modest. The section Eric Haven and I tramped up to is actually kind of nondescript: about 100 feet long and just 2 or 3 feet high. The rocks used for construction — local limestone — are stacked or piled, not mortared or cut to fit. Most of the stones are small enough that one person could place them easily; some would have required a crew to put in place. Most are covered with lichens.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As we soaked in the atmosphere of the place — a spot with a sweeping view, but one we promised the property owners we wouldn’t disclose — Eric shared a friend’s idea about the origins of the walls. It’s a variation on the notion that Native Americans built these walls for a mystical purpose.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n What do you wonder about the Bay Area, its culture or people that you want KQED to investigate?\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Ask Bay Curious.\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cbr>\n“His theory was that there was an earthquake here, and it opened up fissures in the ground,” Eric said. “And he thought these were purely ceremonial. They were here to appease whatever gods they thought were angered, or spirits, and this was a way to mark those fissures and to show those spirits they’d do whatever it takes so the earthquake doesn’t happen again.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Before we headed back down the trail from the wall, we observed that the wall runs parallel to a modern barbed-wire fence that pretty clearly marks a property boundary. So this wall, perhaps, was built as part of a property line.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690201\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11690201 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-800x504.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of walls with the Diablo Range in the background.\" width=\"800\" height=\"504\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-800x504.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-160x101.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1020x642.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1200x756.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-1180x743.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-960x605.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-240x151.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-375x236.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32679_19023508794_fb75164909_o-qut-1-520x327.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of walls with the Diablo Range in the background. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">L\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ooking for an answer meant going through old newspaper stories, tracking down amateur sleuths’ accounts of the walls, searching old maps for evidence of the structures and finding out whether real live archaeologists had ever studied the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There have been many newspaper pieces over the years, starting with the Chronicle’s in 1896. Most have repeated the original article’s conclusion that the walls are an impenetrable enigma.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For instance, in August 1904, the Chronicle ran another story on the walls, this time, as a big spread in the Sunday paper. It featured a dramatic illustration of stereotype savage fighting with spear and bow and arrow and hurling big rocks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It was written by a guy named Harold French — a hiker, writer and clerk at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11667314/this-s-f-fortress-is-full-of-money-that-will-never-be-spent\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco’s U.S. Mint\u003c/a>. The prose sounds a lot like that in the 1896 piece.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Did a colony from lost Atlantis once populate the Berkeley hills?” the story asked. “Are the ancient rock walls which crown the Contra Costa ridges remnants of a Toltec or a pre-Toltec civilization? Are these remarkable walls really relics of the Stone Age?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A few weeks later, the Chronicle was back with another dramatic Sunday spread, announcing an amazing find unearthed by a University of California chemistry professor named Henry Coffinberry Myers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The headline declared that “stone age relics discovered in the Berkeley Hills … seem to change the accepted history of the Western world.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The objects Myers said he’d uncovered during forays into the hills included a “five-faced stone image,” stone axes and pieces of pottery. Myers said that mineral deposits on the carved stone image proved it was 1,000 to 10,000 years old.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Myers and other experts the Chronicle contacted said the artifacts and the walls in the hills were evidence that early hill dwellers — perhaps giants who had gained immense strength by lifting big rocks — had migrated from China.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Myers’ find was almost certainly a hoax. The Chronicle doesn’t appear to have said another word about the professor and his world-shattering discoveries. Myers left Berkeley shortly afterward to manage a sugar refinery in Hawaii. He eventually donated his artifacts — telling \u003ca href=\"http://kaga.wsulibs.wsu.edu/cdm4/item_viewer.php?CISOROOT=%2Fclipping&CISOPTR=10799&DMSCALE=100.00000&DMWIDTH=600&DMHEIGHT=600&DMMODE=viewer&DMFULL=0&DMOLDSCALE=16.35769&DMX=0&DMY=0&DMTEXT=&DMTHUMB=1&REC=1&DMROTATE=0&x=42&y=146\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">a different story\u003c/a> about where they’d come from — to a \u003ca href=\"http://spokanehistorical.org/items/show/536\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bible college\u003c/a> in Spokane, Washington.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1908, the Berkeley Hills walls were back in the news. “Professor” Joseph Voyle, president of the Berkeley Society for Psychical Research, identified some of the walls as \u003ca href=\"http://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&d=SFC19080622.2.60.11\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">remains of a prehistoric civilization\u003c/a>. He was led to the site by a kind of divining rod, and newspapers delighted in telling the tale of Voyle leading a group on an expedition into the wilds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>(Voyle also claimed to have discovered a radium mine beneath San Francisco and reported he had invented an earthquake detector and figured out how to make non-intoxicating alcohol. He died an indigent in Alameda County’s public hospital in 1915, having succumbed to what one paper called “an infirmity of which he had long been a sufferer.”)\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690204\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690204\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"The stone walls wind through the landscape on Monument Peak.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32677_19597532225_92ce855207_o-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The stone walls wind through the landscape on Monument Peak. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">W\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>hile Myers and Voyle departed the scene, Harold French showed up again and again in print over the years promoting the legend of the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>I say “legend” advisedly. In published writings through the early 1920s, French never failed to describe the walls as “prehistoric” or “ancient.” But beyond the walls’ mere presence, the only evidence he ever cited was the testimony of unnamed old-timers who, he said, had told him that the walls had been a puzzle to both Native Americans and early settlers alike.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>It’s not clear if trained archaeologists ever seriously studied the walls at the time French was writing. At one point, French reported he had spoken to a “certain teacher of anthropology” at the University of California about the walls’ origins. The anthropologist reportedly responded:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From time to time my students have come and told me about these walls … but I never took them seriously enough to climb way up there in that ‘Beanstalk Land’ to see them. I suppose they are either old sheep corrals or ranch boundaries.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689477\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-4.16.31-PM.png\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-large wp-image-11689477\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-4.16.31-PM-1020x1172.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"735\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An Oakland Tribune feature article on the East Bay Walls by writer and hiker Harold French.\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Eventually, though, amateur researchers started trying to decipher the walls.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One was Seth Simpson, who spent years documenting the presence of the walls and puzzling over their origins. His conclusion, \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4807539/East-Bay-Walls-Simpson-Pursuit.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">summarized\u003c/a> in a 1972 number of Pursuit, the Journal of the Society for the Investigation of the Unexplained, is classic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Simpson said there was a possibility some of the walls had been erected by local tribes to trap and kill game. But for the rest, he said, “All I can suggest is that they were built by unknown persons, in an unknown year, for an unknown purpose … and very possibly they will remain a puzzle for the indefinite future.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">O\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ther wall fanatics were exploring the hills, too. Robert Fisher, a physician from Fremont, and a friend from Berkeley, Russell Swanson, took a lively interest in the walls, especially those in the hills near the south end of the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fisher and Swanson were inclined to see massive rock formations on the ridges and highlands as the work of unknown ancients they called “the Earliers.” The meaning of the walls, massive standing stones and outcroppings, was baffling. Fisher suggested some of the stone work could have served as navigational aids for extraterrestrials.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>At least one real live archaeologist joined Fisher to tour one area of the hills — Monument Peak, above Milpitas in Santa Clara County’s Ed Levin Park. It’s a dramatic site, with wonderful stretches of walls snaking along ridges about 2,000 feet above the bay.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In an answer to an email query relayed through the Society for California Archaeology, Breck Parkman, a now-retired state parks archeologist, said that in the late 1980s a friend prevailed upon him to visit Monument Peak with Fisher.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fisher “wanted me to come and authenticate what he was finding,” Parkman said in an email. “… I said, show me the best you have. He did.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Parkman said the area featured “lots and lots of stone walls” he believed dated to sometime in the 1800s. Most were built, he felt, in the later years of the century, perhaps by Chinese workers, perhaps by Basque sheep herders.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But he found a handful of structures — possible hunting blinds and prayer circles — he thought could have been Native American in origin.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It was these features that convinced me that among the many late 19th century rock features in the East Bay Hills, we might find a few older features of importance,” Parkman wrote. “It would be worth checking out, but I don’t know who’d be interested in taking a systematic look at this.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One reason that professionals may have stayed away from the walls, Parkman added, is “not wanting to be associated with the fringe element” responsible for the many wild wall hypotheses over the years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690202\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690202\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"A portion of the stone walls found throughout the Berkeley Hills.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-960x540.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-240x135.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-375x211.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32680_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.40.56-PM-qut-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A portion of the stone walls found throughout the Berkeley Hills. \u003ccite>(Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">A\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>nother archaeologist, Jeff Fentress, went up into the Berkeley Hills with me to look at the same section of wall I visited with our question asker, Eric Haven.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress, now retired from his position as a professor of archaeology at San Francisco State University, was raised nearby and said he’d been hearing stories about the walls since his boyhood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“When I was growing up in Berkeley here, we were told the Lemurians built the walls, and the Lemurians were the inhabitants of the lost continent of Mu,” Fentress said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.crystalinks.com/lemuria.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mu\u003c/a> is said to have existed out in the Pacific Ocean somewhere. And Fentress said stories like that are still coming up. The History Channel asked him whether a Chinese admiral might have erected the rock walls, and British TV interviewed him about whether the West African adventurers might have put up the walls during a visit 30,000 years ago.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said the problem with all of those theories — Lemurians, Chinese, West Africans and extraterrestrials — is that there’s simply no evidence any of those real or imagined groups ever landed here.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So I think you have to look at the walls in the context of who was actually here in the Bay Area,” he said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690203\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690203\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-800x446.jpg\" alt=\"Archaeologist Jeff Fentress says it would take a lot of time and money to definitively determine when the stone walls were built and by whom.\" width=\"800\" height=\"446\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-800x446.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-160x89.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1020x569.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1200x669.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-1180x658.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-960x536.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-240x134.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-375x209.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32682_Screen-Shot-2018-09-02-at-12.41.59-PM-qut-520x290.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Archaeologist Jeff Fentress says it would take a lot of time and money to definitively determine when the stone walls were built and by whom. \u003ccite>(Adam Grossberg/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Native American tribes have populated the Bay Area for about 10,000 years, according to the latest estimates. They were here long before the arrival of Spanish and Mexican colonists and the Gold Rush-era invasion of Americans.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fentress said “there is no indication that Native American people built rock walls that extended for hundreds or thousands of feet. There are no accounts of them building massive wall structures or corrals or any of the other sort of rock features we see in the East Bay here.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress and other archaeologists who have studied and recorded the walls agree that there is an explanation, though.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rock walls were the work of us — the people who pushed the native tribes off the land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said some wall building may have begun in the Mission period, and walls like the ones in the hills followed. Some were likely built to mark property lines. Many others were put up as part of ranching and farming operations, such as those that were known to have existed both in the Berkeley Hills and the Monument Peak area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also points to the many European immigrant groups known to have ranched and farmed in the hills.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Did these people make rock walls in their countries?” Fentress asks. “Look at them all — Portugal, Spain, Ireland, Germany, Switzerland and so on. \u003cem>Of course\u003c/em> they made rock walls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11689494\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11689494\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/Screen-Shot-2018-08-29-at-10.05.19-PM-800x487.png\" alt=\"Fentress says the most likely answer is that European immigrants built the walls as functional parts of their lives that didn't rise to the level of recording their purpose.\" width=\"800\" height=\"487\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fentress says the most likely answer is that European immigrants built the walls as functional parts of their lives that didn’t rise to the level of recording their purpose. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Fentress and others also point out there was no shortage of labor — provided either willingly or unwillingly. Chinese crews, paid as little as a penny a linear foot, were hired to build ranch walls in Mariposa and Tehama counties, for instance. And many Native Americans, displaced from their lands and denied basic civil rights, were forced into indentured servitude to provide labor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Fentress concedes his explanations for the walls are speculative and said you’d want to search for more evidence to back up what he and other researchers have observed and been told in the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The main thing to do would be to systematically record and map all the walls,” he said. Once the walls were mapped, researchers could compare their locations to older maps showing historic property lines and other features.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He also said it could be useful to dig along the base of walls to study their construction and to look for artifacts. It would also help to study the rocks used in the structures to confirm what most people assume — that they come from the same area as the walls themselves.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Dating techniques could be useful, too. \u003ca href=\"https://assets.documentcloud.org/documents/4807533/Proceedings-of-the-Society-for-California.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">One experimental study\u003c/a> that used the growth of lichens as a dating technique estimated that the surviving wall segment in the Berkeley Hills may have been built between 1850 and 1880.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Fentress said you’d want to do a more systematic study — a hundred lichen sites, say — to really come to a firm conclusion.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Historical records — written accounts — could be important, too. But those are in short supply.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And really the reason is that, you know, we’re looking at — you could call it the archaeology of the common people, the archeology of the working class,” he said. “Back in 1850, if Mr. McGillicuddy cleared his fields and he built a wall between his property and Mr. Sousa next door, no one’s going to write a newspaper article about that. It’s not going to get in the history books. So all we have is the remains of these people showing their hard work and their ingenuity.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11690200\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11690200\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"Downtown San Jose rises in the distance behind a small collection of stones seen from Monument Peak.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-160x107.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-960x640.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-240x160.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-375x250.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/08/RS32678_19457917600_a0745537be_o-qut-1-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Downtown San Jose rises in the distance behind a small collection of stones seen from Monument Peak. \u003ccite>(Dan Brekke/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">S\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>o, at the end of all this, there is still some mystery left in the walls and more work to be done to come to definitive answers. Eric Haven, who prompted our own investigation, said he’s OK with that.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People love a mystery,” he said. “And since this is an unsolved mystery, it’s naturally evocative and compelling. I still think about it — a lot. And part of me somewhat hopes that we never find the answers, so that the Berkeley walls can always be a mystery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "does-anyone-play-polo-at-the-golden-gate-park-polo-field-anymore",
"title": "Does Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore?",
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"headTitle": "Does Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published on April 26, 2018. It’s part of the Bay Curious series “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915065/take-a-very-curious-golden-gate-park-walking-tour\">A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a>.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate Park Polo Field and Stadium in San Francisco is probably best known as the home to music festivals like Outside Lands.\u003cbr>\n[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003cbr>\nBay Curious listener Cliff Bargar has been to Outside Lands, and he likes to bike and run on the track around the polo field, but he’s never seen an actual polo match there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If polo was happening I would probably check it out at least once,” Cliff says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which raises the question: Is polo still played at the polo field?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Like the Coliseum in Rome’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Stadium (as it was originally called) opened to the public in 1906, just after the massive earthquake and fire that ravaged the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People probably needed some celebration after all of the calamitous things that had happened,” says Christopher Pollock, historian-in-residence for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollock says it looks pretty much the same today as it did back then. It’s a big, grassy oval field a few hundred yards long with some bleachers on either side and a bike track around the perimeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11663344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11663344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The Golden Gate Park Polo Field is frequented by intramural athletes, runners and cyclists.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Golden Gate Park polo field is frequented by intramural athletes, runners and cyclists. \u003ccite>(Samantha Shanahan/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were big plans back then for what The Stadium would be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The grand vision was that this would become a stadium in the biggest imaginable sense, like the Coliseum in Rome,” Pollock says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan was for The Stadium to be a major site of the 1915 World’s Fair being held in San Francisco. It would be surrounded by bleachers with room for thousands of spectators. An arcade of arches would surround the field, and grand portals would act as entrances to the field itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the World’s Fair was relocated to the Marina District, and a lack of easy parking near The Stadium ended any chance of realizing that grand vision.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The polo field\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead, polo became The Stadium’s main attraction. In 1931, it was designated an official municipal polo field and, somewhere along the way, the name stuck: It became known as just “the polo field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next three decades, polo matches were a regular sight on the field, and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department hosted matches nearly every week into the early 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661187\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 509px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661187\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Enrique Alberdi (R) of the famed Argentine polo team plays alongside Larry Sherrin (L) of the Texas Hurricanes play polo at the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park on May 7, 1949.\" width=\"509\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut.jpg 509w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-240x189.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-375x295.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enrique Alberdi (right) of the famed Argentine polo team plays alongside Larry Sherrin (left) of the Texas Hurricanes at the polo field at Golden Gate Park on May 7, 1949. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661188\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 506px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661188\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"The California All-Star polo team plays the Texas Rangers at the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park on May 1, 1948.\" width=\"506\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut.jpg 506w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-240x190.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-375x296.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California All-Star polo team plays the Texas Rangers at the polo field at Golden Gate Park on May 1, 1948. \u003ccite>(SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 510px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661189\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A polo game between Australia and San Francisco played at Golden Gate Park Polo Field on January 3, 1948.\" width=\"510\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut.jpg 510w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-160x125.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-240x188.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-375x294.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A polo game between Australia and San Francisco plays at the Golden Gate Park polo field on Jan. 3, 1948. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But polo isn’t a cheap sport to play or host. Horses are expensive to keep, and a polo field requires constant maintenance to repair the turf after horses have galloped all over it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1970s, rugby had replaced polo as the primary sport on the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It died out gradually,” Pollock says of polo at the field. “It wasn’t one of these things that just dropped off all of a sudden. It happened over a very gradual amount of time as the sport really became less popular.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are still a couple of clubs in the North Bay and on the Peninsula where you can find old-fashioned polo matches, but there’s nothing in San Francisco. The polo field is the only place that could realistically host a match, but outside of the rare tournament or charity event, it’s all concerts and recreational soccer games there now.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>You don’t have to ride a horse to play polo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About five miles east of Golden Gate Park is Dolores Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11652193/theres-no-polo-at-the-polo-fields-but-there-is-at-dolores-park\">where bike polo matches happen\u003c/a> almost every night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/134147568\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nahbpa.gitbooks.io/nah-ruleset-2017/\">The rule book is 17 pages long\u003c/a>, but the basics are pretty simple: Teams of three play against each other, and the first team to score five goals wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The game looks more like hockey than it does polo. For instance, in polo, players aren’t allowed to cut off someone who has the ball because it would be dangerous for both the rider and the horse. But that’s fair game in bike polo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661034\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11661034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Bay Curious listener Cliff Bargar poses by the Dolores Park court where you can find bike polo being played almost any night of the week.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Curious listener Cliff Bargar poses by the Dolores Park court where you can find bike polo being played almost any night of the week. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnkbikepolo.com/History-of-Bike-Polo.pdf\">Bike polo has its origins in Ireland\u003c/a> from the late 19th century, where it was played on a grass field. In 1908, it was featured as an exhibition sport in the London Olympics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hard-court bike polo, like what’s played in Dolores Park, got its start in Seattle in the late 20th century and quickly spread from there. The \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/23/san-franciscos-bike-polo-league-finds-a-home-at-new-dolores-park/\">Dolores Park court was built in 2015\u003c/a> specifically for sports like hard-court bike polo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So should we expect to see our question-asker, Cliff Bargar, pedaling into a game anytime soon?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I find this a lot more interesting than horse polo, to be honest,” he said, “[but] I’m not sure yet if I’ll be back with my own bike … but I’ll definitely consider it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "We go back in time to the days when polo was king at Golden Gate Park.",
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"title": "Does Anyone Play Polo at the Golden Gate Park Polo Field Anymore? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published on April 26, 2018. It’s part of the Bay Curious series “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915065/take-a-very-curious-golden-gate-park-walking-tour\">A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a>.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Golden Gate Park Polo Field and Stadium in San Francisco is probably best known as the home to music festivals like Outside Lands.\u003cbr>\n\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cbr>\nBay Curious listener Cliff Bargar has been to Outside Lands, and he likes to bike and run on the track around the polo field, but he’s never seen an actual polo match there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“If polo was happening I would probably check it out at least once,” Cliff says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Which raises the question: Is polo still played at the polo field?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>‘Like the Coliseum in Rome’\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The Stadium (as it was originally called) opened to the public in 1906, just after the massive earthquake and fire that ravaged the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People probably needed some celebration after all of the calamitous things that had happened,” says Christopher Pollock, historian-in-residence for the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Pollock says it looks pretty much the same today as it did back then. It’s a big, grassy oval field a few hundred yards long with some bleachers on either side and a bike track around the perimeter.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11663344\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11663344\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"The Golden Gate Park Polo Field is frequented by intramural athletes, runners and cyclists.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30483_mayoraldebate-2-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Golden Gate Park polo field is frequented by intramural athletes, runners and cyclists. \u003ccite>(Samantha Shanahan/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>There were big plans back then for what The Stadium would be.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The grand vision was that this would become a stadium in the biggest imaginable sense, like the Coliseum in Rome,” Pollock says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The plan was for The Stadium to be a major site of the 1915 World’s Fair being held in San Francisco. It would be surrounded by bleachers with room for thousands of spectators. An arcade of arches would surround the field, and grand portals would act as entrances to the field itself.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But the World’s Fair was relocated to the Marina District, and a lack of easy parking near The Stadium ended any chance of realizing that grand vision.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The polo field\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Instead, polo became The Stadium’s main attraction. In 1931, it was designated an official municipal polo field and, somewhere along the way, the name stuck: It became known as just “the polo field.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the next three decades, polo matches were a regular sight on the field, and the San Francisco Recreation and Parks Department hosted matches nearly every week into the early 1960s.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661187\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 509px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661187\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut.jpg\" alt=\"Enrique Alberdi (R) of the famed Argentine polo team plays alongside Larry Sherrin (L) of the Texas Hurricanes play polo at the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park on May 7, 1949.\" width=\"509\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut.jpg 509w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-240x189.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30358_Polo-1-qut-375x295.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Enrique Alberdi (right) of the famed Argentine polo team plays alongside Larry Sherrin (left) of the Texas Hurricanes at the polo field at Golden Gate Park on May 7, 1949. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661188\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 506px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661188\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut.jpg\" alt=\"The California All-Star polo team plays the Texas Rangers at the Polo Field at Golden Gate Park on May 1, 1948.\" width=\"506\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut.jpg 506w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-160x126.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-240x190.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30359_Polo-2-qut-375x296.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 506px) 100vw, 506px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The California All-Star polo team plays the Texas Rangers at the polo field at Golden Gate Park on May 1, 1948. \u003ccite>(SAN FRANCISCO HISTORY CENTER, SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661189\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 510px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11661189\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut.jpg\" alt=\"A polo game between Australia and San Francisco played at Golden Gate Park Polo Field on January 3, 1948.\" width=\"510\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut.jpg 510w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-160x125.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-240x188.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS30360_Polo-3-qut-375x294.jpg 375w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 510px) 100vw, 510px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A polo game between Australia and San Francisco plays at the Golden Gate Park polo field on Jan. 3, 1948. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But polo isn’t a cheap sport to play or host. Horses are expensive to keep, and a polo field requires constant maintenance to repair the turf after horses have galloped all over it.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By the 1970s, rugby had replaced polo as the primary sport on the field.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It died out gradually,” Pollock says of polo at the field. “It wasn’t one of these things that just dropped off all of a sudden. It happened over a very gradual amount of time as the sport really became less popular.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There are still a couple of clubs in the North Bay and on the Peninsula where you can find old-fashioned polo matches, but there’s nothing in San Francisco. The polo field is the only place that could realistically host a match, but outside of the rare tournament or charity event, it’s all concerts and recreational soccer games there now.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>You don’t have to ride a horse to play polo\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>About five miles east of Golden Gate Park is Dolores Park, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11652193/theres-no-polo-at-the-polo-fields-but-there-is-at-dolores-park\">where bike polo matches happen\u003c/a> almost every night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://player.vimeo.com/video/134147568\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" frameborder=\"0\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://nahbpa.gitbooks.io/nah-ruleset-2017/\">The rule book is 17 pages long\u003c/a>, but the basics are pretty simple: Teams of three play against each other, and the first team to score five goals wins.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The game looks more like hockey than it does polo. For instance, in polo, players aren’t allowed to cut off someone who has the ball because it would be dangerous for both the rider and the horse. But that’s fair game in bike polo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11661034\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut.jpg\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11661034\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Bay Curious listener Cliff Bargar poses by the Dolores Park court where you can find bike polo being played almost any night of the week.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/04/RS29586_Image-uploaded-from-iOS-58-qut-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bay Curious listener Cliff Bargar poses by the Dolores Park court where you can find bike polo being played almost any night of the week. \u003ccite>(Ryan Levi/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://www.cnkbikepolo.com/History-of-Bike-Polo.pdf\">Bike polo has its origins in Ireland\u003c/a> from the late 19th century, where it was played on a grass field. In 1908, it was featured as an exhibition sport in the London Olympics.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hard-court bike polo, like what’s played in Dolores Park, got its start in Seattle in the late 20th century and quickly spread from there. The \u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/07/23/san-franciscos-bike-polo-league-finds-a-home-at-new-dolores-park/\">Dolores Park court was built in 2015\u003c/a> specifically for sports like hard-court bike polo.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So should we expect to see our question-asker, Cliff Bargar, pedaling into a game anytime soon?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I find this a lot more interesting than horse polo, to be honest,” he said, “[but] I’m not sure yet if I’ll be back with my own bike … but I’ll definitely consider it.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"slug": "whats-with-the-bison-in-golden-gate-park",
"title": "What's With the Bison in Golden Gate Park?",
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"headTitle": "What’s With the Bison in Golden Gate Park? | KQED",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of the Bay Curious series “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915065/take-a-very-curious-golden-gate-park-walking-tour\">A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a>.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: In our humble opinion, with so many treasures across almost 1,000 acres, it’s arguably one of the best urban parks in the world. There’s a \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatepark.com/windmills.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pair of windmills\u003c/a> that look like they belong in the Dutch countryside, and through an elaborate gate you’ll find the \u003ca href=\"http://japaneseteagardensf.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">oldest public Japanese teagarden\u003c/a> in the United States. But perhaps the wildest treasure in the park is the herd of American bison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In March 2020, for the park’s 150th anniversary, a birthday gift of five new bison calves were added to the herd.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7hbu_pGErw\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Seeing the bison in the park is unexpected, says Bay Curious listener Paul Irving. After all, bison aren’t native to San Francisco, and they certainly stand out in today’s urban setting. After years of cycling past the paddock, Irving asked Bay Curious: “What’s the story behind the bison in Golden Gate Park?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495865\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11495865 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Irving in front of the bison paddock.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Irving in front of the bison paddock. \u003ccite>(Jessica Placzek/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The answer goes back hundreds of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1500s, an estimated 30 million to 60 million bison roamed American prairies. They grazed all over the West, from northern Mexico up through Canada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As European colonizers moved into the West, the bison’s habitat was chopped up by railroads, or turned into farms. Imported cattle brought grazing competition and new diseases to the bison. But the greatest threat to bison was hunting. Bison meat was exported or eaten on the spot, skins were sent to commercial tanneries, and bones were ground up to make things like fertilizer and bone china.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495700\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495700\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-800x688.jpg\" alt='\"Map of Bison Distribution Over Time.\" Kentucky Geological Survey, 1876. ' width=\"800\" height=\"688\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-800x688.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-160x138.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-960x826.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-240x206.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-375x323.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-520x447.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Map of Bison Distribution Over Time,’ Kentucky Geological Survey, 1876. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Newberry Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, allegedly killed 4,280 bison over 17 months to feed construction crews of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bison also were killed for sport. Competitions were held to see who could kill the most bison (Buffalo Bill got his nickname at one of these competitions). Tourists on trains would shoot the animals from their seats, leaving the carcasses where they fell. In 1973, a railway engineer in Santa Fe said it was possible to walk 100 miles along the railroad by stepping from one bison carcass to another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495712\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 614px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11495712\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway.jpg\" alt=\"A collection of bison heads killed from the Kansas Pacific Railway.\" width=\"614\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway.jpg 614w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A collection of bison heads killed from the Kansas Pacific Railway. \u003ccite>(Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the U.S. government clashed with Native Americans over land, the army encouraged the rampant slaughter of bison, which were an important native resource. One colonel even said to hunters, “Kill every buffalo you can! Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1889, the estimated number of bison had dwindled to about 1,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495709\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495709\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Piles of bison skulls that would be ground up for fertilizer.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piles of bison skulls to be turned into fertilizer. \u003ccite>(Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The bison come to Golden Gate Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was around this time that work began on Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch2>Bison facts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A male bison tips the scale at 2,000 pounds, and females can weigh around 1,000 pounds.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>In 2016 President Obama named the American bison the United State’s official mammal.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Bison can use their heads as snowplows, allowing them to discover food beneath feet of snow.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>When bison were close to extinction, concerns about inbreeding led to many being bred with cows, which explains why most of the bison we see today look a little like cows.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Though their names are often used interchangeably, bison and buffalo are different animals. Buffalo are a species native to Africa and Asia, while bison are specific to North America and parts of Europe.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“When Golden Gate Park was created, the idea was to honor the Wild West,” says Phil Ginsburg, general manager of San Francisco Recreation and Parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To recreate the Wild West, the park needed bison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first bison was brought to the park in 1891. It was soon joined by more bison from private and public herds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bison and several other animals were actually first put in a paddock, which is very close to where Kezar Stadium is today,” Ginsburg says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The zoo had a captive-breeding program that produced more than 100 bison calves, though the program has since ended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the decades, conservation efforts (and, ironically, an increased interest in bison meat) have brought the North American bison population back into the hundreds of thousands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495873\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495873\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-800x378.jpg\" alt=\"Bison and white deer grazing in Golden Gate Park in 1944.\" width=\"800\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-800x378.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-1020x482.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-1180x558.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-960x454.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-240x113.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-375x177.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-520x246.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bison and white deer grazing in Golden Gate Park in 1944. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center/San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Today’s herd\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bison currently living in the pen in Golden Gate Park are not descended from the original animals brought to the park. The bison were replaced by a younger herd in 1984 and again in 2011. At the beginning of March 2020, the five new bison calves were added to the surviving 2011 herd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, all the bison in the paddock are female.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11497000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11497000\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The bison at Golden Gate Park.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bison at Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Erasmo Martinez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Having all females just keeps everything a little bit more calm,” says Ginsburg.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When there were bulls, the bison could get aggressive. One tried to maul a police officer on horseback, and another tried to escape by running into the Sunset District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Males become very aggressive around August because they’re fighting for dominance in order to breed with the females,” says Sarah King of the San Francisco Zoo, which takes care of the animals. “Then calves are generally born in the spring, nine months later, and that’s when the females get aggressive because they’re very protective of their offspring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though they may appear to be slow, bison are powerful creatures. They can run over 30 mph, jump up to 6 feet in the air, and swim over half a mile, says King.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days the paddock is calm. On any given day, you can see the bison either grazing or resting. Most of the excitement in the paddock is human-generated. For example: The streaker who was arrested for running into the paddock during Bay to Breakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A version of this article was first published on June 8, 2017. In the last few years some bison referenced in the original story have passed away.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "Just Don't Call Them Buffalo: Meet the Bison of Golden Gate Park | KQED News",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This story is part of the Bay Curious series “\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11915065/take-a-very-curious-golden-gate-park-walking-tour\">A Very Curious Walking Tour of Golden Gate Park\u003c/a>.”\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park: In our humble opinion, with so many treasures across almost 1,000 acres, it’s arguably one of the best urban parks in the world. There’s a \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatepark.com/windmills.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pair of windmills\u003c/a> that look like they belong in the Dutch countryside, and through an elaborate gate you’ll find the \u003ca href=\"http://japaneseteagardensf.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">oldest public Japanese teagarden\u003c/a> in the United States. But perhaps the wildest treasure in the park is the herd of American bison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">In March 2020, for the park’s 150th anniversary, a birthday gift of five new bison calves were added to the herd.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutube'>\n \u003cspan class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__embedYoutubeInside'>\n \u003ciframe\n loading='lazy'\n class='utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__youtubeShortcode__youtubePlayer'\n type='text/html'\n src='//www.youtube.com/embed/h7hbu_pGErw'\n title='//www.youtube.com/embed/h7hbu_pGErw'\n allowfullscreen='true'\n style='border:0;'>\u003c/iframe>\n \u003c/span>\n \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cp>Seeing the bison in the park is unexpected, says Bay Curious listener Paul Irving. After all, bison aren’t native to San Francisco, and they certainly stand out in today’s urban setting. After years of cycling past the paddock, Irving asked Bay Curious: “What’s the story behind the bison in Golden Gate Park?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495865\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-11495865 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Paul Irving in front of the bison paddock.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Question-Asker.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Paul Irving in front of the bison paddock. \u003ccite>(Jessica Placzek/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The answer goes back hundreds of years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In the 1500s, an estimated 30 million to 60 million bison roamed American prairies. They grazed all over the West, from northern Mexico up through Canada.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As European colonizers moved into the West, the bison’s habitat was chopped up by railroads, or turned into farms. Imported cattle brought grazing competition and new diseases to the bison. But the greatest threat to bison was hunting. Bison meat was exported or eaten on the spot, skins were sent to commercial tanneries, and bones were ground up to make things like fertilizer and bone china.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495700\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495700\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-800x688.jpg\" alt='\"Map of Bison Distribution Over Time.\" Kentucky Geological Survey, 1876. ' width=\"800\" height=\"688\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-800x688.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-160x138.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-960x826.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-240x206.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-375x323.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map-520x447.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-map.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">‘Map of Bison Distribution Over Time,’ Kentucky Geological Survey, 1876. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the Newberry Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>William F. Cody, aka Buffalo Bill, allegedly killed 4,280 bison over 17 months to feed construction crews of the Kansas Pacific Railroad.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bison also were killed for sport. Competitions were held to see who could kill the most bison (Buffalo Bill got his nickname at one of these competitions). Tourists on trains would shoot the animals from their seats, leaving the carcasses where they fell. In 1973, a railway engineer in Santa Fe said it was possible to walk 100 miles along the railroad by stepping from one bison carcass to another.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495712\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 614px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11495712\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway.jpg\" alt=\"A collection of bison heads killed from the Kansas Pacific Railway.\" width=\"614\" height=\"345\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway.jpg 614w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/A-collection-of-bison-heads-killed-from-the-Kansas-Pacific-Railway-520x292.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 614px) 100vw, 614px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A collection of bison heads killed from the Kansas Pacific Railway. \u003ccite>(Library of Congress)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>While the U.S. government clashed with Native Americans over land, the army encouraged the rampant slaughter of bison, which were an important native resource. One colonel even said to hunters, “Kill every buffalo you can! Every buffalo dead is an Indian gone.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>By 1889, the estimated number of bison had dwindled to about 1,000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495709\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495709\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Piles of bison skulls that would be ground up for fertilizer.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer-520x390.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/bison-fertilizer.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Piles of bison skulls to be turned into fertilizer. \u003ccite>(Wikimedia Commons)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>The bison come to Golden Gate Park\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>It was around this time that work began on Golden Gate Park.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignright\">\n\u003ch2>Bison facts\u003c/h2>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>A male bison tips the scale at 2,000 pounds, and females can weigh around 1,000 pounds.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>In 2016 President Obama named the American bison the United State’s official mammal.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Bison can use their heads as snowplows, allowing them to discover food beneath feet of snow.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>When bison were close to extinction, concerns about inbreeding led to many being bred with cows, which explains why most of the bison we see today look a little like cows.\u003c/li>\n\u003cli>Though their names are often used interchangeably, bison and buffalo are different animals. Buffalo are a species native to Africa and Asia, while bison are specific to North America and parts of Europe.\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>“When Golden Gate Park was created, the idea was to honor the Wild West,” says Phil Ginsburg, general manager of San Francisco Recreation and Parks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>To recreate the Wild West, the park needed bison.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The first bison was brought to the park in 1891. It was soon joined by more bison from private and public herds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Bison and several other animals were actually first put in a paddock, which is very close to where Kezar Stadium is today,” Ginsburg says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The zoo had a captive-breeding program that produced more than 100 bison calves, though the program has since ended.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Over the decades, conservation efforts (and, ironically, an increased interest in bison meat) have brought the North American bison population back into the hundreds of thousands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11495873\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11495873\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-800x378.jpg\" alt=\"Bison and white deer grazing in Golden Gate Park in 1944.\" width=\"800\" height=\"378\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-800x378.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-160x76.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-1020x482.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-1180x558.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-960x454.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-240x113.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-375x177.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock-520x246.jpg 520w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/High-Res-Mixed-paddock.jpg 1280w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bison and white deer grazing in Golden Gate Park in 1944. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of the San Francisco History Center/San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch2>Today’s herd\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The bison currently living in the pen in Golden Gate Park are not descended from the original animals brought to the park. The bison were replaced by a younger herd in 1984 and again in 2011. At the beginning of March 2020, the five new bison calves were added to the surviving 2011 herd.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Today, all the bison in the paddock are female.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11497000\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11497000\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"The bison at Golden Gate Park.\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-1180x664.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-960x540.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-240x135.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-375x211.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/06/Bison_2-520x293.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The bison at Golden Gate Park. \u003ccite>(Erasmo Martinez/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“Having all females just keeps everything a little bit more calm,” says Ginsburg.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When there were bulls, the bison could get aggressive. One tried to maul a police officer on horseback, and another tried to escape by running into the Sunset District.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Males become very aggressive around August because they’re fighting for dominance in order to breed with the females,” says Sarah King of the San Francisco Zoo, which takes care of the animals. “Then calves are generally born in the spring, nine months later, and that’s when the females get aggressive because they’re very protective of their offspring.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Though they may appear to be slow, bison are powerful creatures. They can run over 30 mph, jump up to 6 feet in the air, and swim over half a mile, says King.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These days the paddock is calm. On any given day, you can see the bison either grazing or resting. Most of the excitement in the paddock is human-generated. For example: The streaker who was arrested for running into the paddock during Bay to Breakers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>A version of this article was first published on June 8, 2017. In the last few years some bison referenced in the original story have passed away.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go?",
"headTitle": "There Were Once More Than 425 Shellmounds in the Bay Area. Where Did They Go? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published on Nov. 8, 2018. Since then, the California Court of Appeals ruled that \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2021/07/29/development-spengers-parking-lot-can-proceed-ohlone-shellmound-ruling\">a housing development could move forward on the West Berkeley Shellmound site\u003c/a>, despite arguments by the city of Berkeley and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan. Berkeley appealed the ruling, but the State Supreme Court declined to hear the case.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[dropcap]Y[/dropcap]ou may associate the Emeryville shoreline with shops, or the Scandinavian furniture store Ikea. But what you may not know is that before this place was a commercial area, a different human-made structure towered above Bay Area residents: a shellmound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving down Shellmound Street may tip you off, too. It did for Bay Curious listener Paul Gilbert, who used to live and work in Emeryville. He would cross Shellmound Street every day for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And somewhere along the way I’d heard the story that there used to be a Native American mound of shells somewhere along the shore,” Gilbert said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So he asked Bay Curious: “What’s the story behind Shellmound Street in Emeryville, and what happened to the Native American shellmounds that I heard it was named after?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are shellmounds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Shellmounds are human-made mounds of earth and organic matter that were built up over thousands of years. They were created by the people native to the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mounds served many purposes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Shellmounds are created by my ancestors as ceremonial places and as burial sites,” said \u003ca href=\"https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/staff-board/\">Corrina Gould\u003c/a>, tribal spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and co-director of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. The Lisjan are one of more than 40 native groups that call the greater Bay Area their home. As colonizers came to Northern California, they lumped these distinct Indigenous groups into one. These days this larger group is sometimes called the Ohlone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704735\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704735\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A shellmound in Mill Valley, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909. From Nelson's report "Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region."\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shellmound in Mill Valley, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909, from Nelson’s report ‘Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gould said innumerable burials were found in shellmounds: “Children buried with their mothers who had been lost in childbirth. Elders with babies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These bodies were then covered with layers of soil, shell and rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Mussel (like those pictured here), clam and oyster shells give shellmounds their name.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mussel shells (like those pictured here) and clam and oyster shells give shellmounds their name. \u003ccite>(David Gee/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing bigger over time, the shellmounds transformed the flatlands by the bay waters into an undulating, awe-inspiring scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shellmounds also served as an active space for the living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People would come and they would trade with each other, and they would have ceremony at the top of these mounds,” Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Archaeologists have found remnants of communal fireplaces, workshops and homes in the mounds. They were so central to community life that it seems there wasn’t even time for topsoil to build up or for grasses to grow, said UC Berkeley anthropology professor \u003ca href=\"https://anthropology.berkeley.edu/kent-lightfoot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kent Lightfoot\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their height, sometimes taller than 30 feet, served as a focal point to navigate across the bay waters, or to communicate with other tribes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could send signals to other people across the bay because you could see their fires,” Gould said, saying the signals could, among other things, warn groups about toxic red tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704736\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704736\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-800x617.jpg\" alt=\"A shellmound in San Rafael, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909. From Nelson's report "Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region."\" width=\"800\" height=\"617\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-800x617.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-160x123.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-1200x925.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut.jpg 1582w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shellmound in San Rafael, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909, from Nelson’s report ‘Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s all of these things that are in these mounds that tell us this rich history of our people for thousands and thousands of years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould is referring to remnants of daily Ohlone life, like remnants of the foods that sustained them: not only the mussel, clam and oyster shells that give the mounds their name, but traces of salmon and sturgeon, deer and acorns from the ample oak trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How many shellmounds were in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Bay Area was a popular place to live for Native Americans. Natural resources from both water and land were abundant here. The area from Point Sur in the south to the Carquinez Strait in the north was one of the most densely populated places for Indigenous people north of Mexico, with roughly 10,000 inhabitants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All these people meant a lot of villages, and therefore a lot of shellmounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704814 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392.jpg\" alt=\"Corrina Gould stands in front of the site of a former shellmound and village known to Ohlone as Sigorea Te. This place is also called Glen Cove Waterfront Park.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corrina Gould stands in front of the site of a former shellmound and village known to Ohlone people as Sogorea Te’. This place is also called Glen Cove Waterfront Park. \u003ccite>(Laura Klivans/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as colonizers came to California in the 1700s and 1800s, the native population was devastated. They were killed by newly introduced diseases, starvation and genocide. These killings were \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/books/review/an-american-genocide-by-benja.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at times funded by the state of California and the U.S. government\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native people began to disappear from their traditional land. When their houses of willow branches and tule reeds decomposed, the shellmounds were all that was left to mark where their villages once stood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 650px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11704710\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay.jpg\" alt=\"A map of shellmounds documented in 1909 by archaeologist Nels Nelson.\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay.jpg 650w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-160x160.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map of shellmounds documented in 1909 by archaeologist Nels Nelson. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Stanford's CESTA Spatial History Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1909, a UC Berkeley archaeologist named Nels Nelson counted 425 shellmounds around the Bay Area. He thought there had been many more, too, that already had been worn away by water, time and development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrina Gould believes that of the shellmounds Nelson documented in 1909, roughly four can still be seen, in such places as San Bruno, Fremont and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happened to the shellmounds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Let’s take a look at the Emeryville shellmound as an example of a larger trend. This shellmound was the biggest one recorded in the Bay Area, more than three stories high and 350 feet in diameter, Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704712\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 628px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704712 size-full\" style=\"font-weight: bold;background-color: transparent;color: #767676\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room.jpg\" alt=\"Demolition of the Emeryville Shellmound.\" width=\"628\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room.jpg 628w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-160x70.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-240x105.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-375x164.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-520x227.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demolition of the Emeryville shellmound. If you look for the shellmound today, you won’t find much above ground. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland History Room)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the late 1800s, developers sheared off the top to create a dance pavilion — people were literally dancing on graves. At the base of the shellmound, they constructed an amusement park. Decades later the shellmound was leveled completely to make way for a paint factory. And in the early 2000s, the site of this once-busy Native village became a busy outdoor shopping center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of destruction happened across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Gould emphasized that the shellmounds are still here, albeit underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important for us to preserve and protect what’s left,” Gould said. “Even if you as human beings can’t see it on top, we know that the layers of our shellmounds go way deep underneath the land.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The soil below where shellmounds stood is distinct. It’s a dark, rich color from organic material, with white pockets colored by remains of shells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rich soil from above-ground shellmounds was used to pave roads, fill in parts of the bay and fertilize gardens. Some of the human remains met similar fates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould said the shellmounds are beneath landmarks that Bay Area residents pass daily: a Burger King in downtown Oakland, or Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many skeletons have been unceremoniously unearthed. Construction crews and archaeologists uncovered human bones as recently as the early 2000s, while building the Emeryville shops. Gould said most of these were reburied in an undisclosed location on the original site. In the past, remains were treated differently. Professional and amateur archaeologists sought out human bones and artifacts and sent them to universities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has more than 5,000 sets of human remains from the Bay Area alone. A “set” could represent the remains of one or multiple people, or even just an isolated component of a person, according to a spokesperson for the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, Gould and other Ohlone people viewed the Hearst Museum’s collection of human remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the top of the ceiling to the floor there was all these trays with our ancestor remains up and down,” Gould said. “I’ll never forget that experience, that this institution is holding these humans, and for what purpose? And how many is too many?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were the ancestors, you know, my direct relations,” Gould said. She choked up as she spoke, describing her reaction after the visit: “I lay down in bed for three days and couldn’t move. And it still hurts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s happening with shellmounds now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gould and other Native American activists are fighting to acquire land where the oldest Bay Area shellmound, nearly 5,000 years old, once stood: West Berkeley. The space is privately owned and currently an asphalt parking lot at 1900 Fourth Street, between the Fourth Street shopping corridor and the bay. The location has been designated as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_LPC/COB_Landmarks_updated%20April%202015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">archaeological landmark\u003c/a> by the city of Berkeley since 2000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The landowners have sought to build housing here in recent years, but their proposals have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/09/05/berkeley-rejects-sb35-application-for-spengers-lot-development-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rejected by the city of Berkeley\u003c/a>. While the owners have challenged the city, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.com/2019/10/22/judge-rules-for-berkeley-in-developers-lawsuit-over-spengers-parking-lot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">judge recently ruled\u003c/a> in favor of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousbug]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould hopes eventually the land will be overseen by Ohlone and other Native Americans. She acknowledges this is just a dream right now, as the owners of the land are not willing to sell. But she said stranger things have happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her vision is a space with native plants, a circular dancing structure for Ohlone ceremonies, and a 40-foot-tall mound with a spiral path and information about the Ohlone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704720 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-800x550.jpg\" alt=\"A vision for what an open space at 1900 Fourth St in West Berkeley could look like. It would be a monument to Ohlone ancestors and the shellmound that once stood here. \" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-800x550.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-160x110.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1020x701.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1200x825.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1920x1320.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vision for what an open space at 1900 Fourth St. in West Berkeley could look like. It would be a monument to Ohlone ancestors and the shellmound that once stood here. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Corrina Gould)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gould and others regularly hold intertribal prayers here, on the current parking lot. Over her decades as an activist, Gould said Ohlone events have grown stronger, and the crowds have grown larger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She sees this as part of a larger Ohlone resurgence: consulting for the Hearst Museum that houses bones of their relatives, reviving dance steps no one has followed in 100 years, and learning traditional languages — not spoken in generations — from tape recordings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her hope is to renew more Ohlone ways, just as she hopes to build a new shellmound on the site of an old one, once flattened.\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"excerpt": "Shellmounds were used by Ohlone people as burial sites. People used them to navigate bay waters, and gathered on top of them. Now almost all the more than 425 shellmounds once in the Bay Area have been destroyed, paved over or built upon.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published on Nov. 8, 2018. Since then, the California Court of Appeals ruled that \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.org/2021/07/29/development-spengers-parking-lot-can-proceed-ohlone-shellmound-ruling\">a housing development could move forward on the West Berkeley Shellmound site\u003c/a>, despite arguments by the city of Berkeley and the Confederated Villages of Lisjan. Berkeley appealed the ruling, but the State Supreme Court declined to hear the case.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003cspan class=\"utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__dropcapShortcode__dropcap\">Y\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003cp>ou may associate the Emeryville shoreline with shops, or the Scandinavian furniture store Ikea. But what you may not know is that before this place was a commercial area, a different human-made structure towered above Bay Area residents: a shellmound.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Driving down Shellmound Street may tip you off, too. It did for Bay Curious listener Paul Gilbert, who used to live and work in Emeryville. He would cross Shellmound Street every day for years.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“And somewhere along the way I’d heard the story that there used to be a Native American mound of shells somewhere along the shore,” Gilbert said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>So he asked Bay Curious: “What’s the story behind Shellmound Street in Emeryville, and what happened to the Native American shellmounds that I heard it was named after?”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What are shellmounds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Shellmounds are human-made mounds of earth and organic matter that were built up over thousands of years. They were created by the people native to the San Francisco Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The mounds served many purposes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Shellmounds are created by my ancestors as ceremonial places and as burial sites,” said \u003ca href=\"https://sogoreate-landtrust.org/staff-board/\">Corrina Gould\u003c/a>, tribal spokesperson for the Confederated Villages of Lisjan and co-director of the Sogorea Te’ Land Trust. The Lisjan are one of more than 40 native groups that call the greater Bay Area their home. As colonizers came to Northern California, they lumped these distinct Indigenous groups into one. These days this larger group is sometimes called the Ohlone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704735\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704735\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"A shellmound in Mill Valley, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909. From Nelson's report "Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region."\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut-1200x900.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33756_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.57.48-PM-qut.jpg 1600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shellmound in Mill Valley, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909, from Nelson’s report ‘Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gould said innumerable burials were found in shellmounds: “Children buried with their mothers who had been lost in childbirth. Elders with babies.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>These bodies were then covered with layers of soil, shell and rock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704748\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704748\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-800x600.jpg\" alt=\"Mussel (like those pictured here), clam and oyster shells give shellmounds their name.\" width=\"800\" height=\"600\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-800x600.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/106958124_4623a24028_b.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Mussel shells (like those pictured here) and clam and oyster shells give shellmounds their name. \u003ccite>(David Gee/flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Growing bigger over time, the shellmounds transformed the flatlands by the bay waters into an undulating, awe-inspiring scene.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The shellmounds also served as an active space for the living.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“People would come and they would trade with each other, and they would have ceremony at the top of these mounds,” Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Archaeologists have found remnants of communal fireplaces, workshops and homes in the mounds. They were so central to community life that it seems there wasn’t even time for topsoil to build up or for grasses to grow, said UC Berkeley anthropology professor \u003ca href=\"https://anthropology.berkeley.edu/kent-lightfoot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Kent Lightfoot\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Their height, sometimes taller than 30 feet, served as a focal point to navigate across the bay waters, or to communicate with other tribes.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“You could send signals to other people across the bay because you could see their fires,” Gould said, saying the signals could, among other things, warn groups about toxic red tide.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704736\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11704736\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-800x617.jpg\" alt=\"A shellmound in San Rafael, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909. From Nelson's report "Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region."\" width=\"800\" height=\"617\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-800x617.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-160x123.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-1020x787.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut-1200x925.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/RS33755_Screen-Shot-2018-11-07-at-2.58.07-PM-qut.jpg 1582w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A shellmound in San Rafael, as photographed by archaeologist Nels Nelson in 1909, from Nelson’s report ‘Shellmounds of the San Francisco Bay Region.’\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>“There’s all of these things that are in these mounds that tell us this rich history of our people for thousands and thousands of years,” she said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould is referring to remnants of daily Ohlone life, like remnants of the foods that sustained them: not only the mussel, clam and oyster shells that give the mounds their name, but traces of salmon and sturgeon, deer and acorns from the ample oak trees.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>How many shellmounds were in the Bay Area?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>The San Francisco Bay Area was a popular place to live for Native Americans. Natural resources from both water and land were abundant here. The area from Point Sur in the south to the Carquinez Strait in the north was one of the most densely populated places for Indigenous people north of Mexico, with roughly 10,000 inhabitants.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All these people meant a lot of villages, and therefore a lot of shellmounds.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704814\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704814 size-full\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392.jpg\" alt=\"Corrina Gould stands in front of the site of a former shellmound and village known to Ohlone as Sigorea Te. This place is also called Glen Cove Waterfront Park.\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392.jpg 640w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-160x120.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-240x180.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-375x281.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/IMG_9392-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Corrina Gould stands in front of the site of a former shellmound and village known to Ohlone people as Sogorea Te’. This place is also called Glen Cove Waterfront Park. \u003ccite>(Laura Klivans/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>But as colonizers came to California in the 1700s and 1800s, the native population was devastated. They were killed by newly introduced diseases, starvation and genocide. These killings were \u003ca href=\"https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/29/books/review/an-american-genocide-by-benja.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">at times funded by the state of California and the U.S. government\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Native people began to disappear from their traditional land. When their houses of willow branches and tule reeds decomposed, the shellmounds were all that was left to mark where their villages once stood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704710\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 650px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11704710\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay.jpg\" alt=\"A map of shellmounds documented in 1909 by archaeologist Nels Nelson.\" width=\"650\" height=\"650\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay.jpg 650w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-160x160.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Shell-Mounds-in-SF-Bay-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 650px) 100vw, 650px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A map of shellmounds documented in 1909 by archaeologist Nels Nelson. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Stanford's CESTA Spatial History Project)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1909, a UC Berkeley archaeologist named Nels Nelson counted 425 shellmounds around the Bay Area. He thought there had been many more, too, that already had been worn away by water, time and development.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Corrina Gould believes that of the shellmounds Nelson documented in 1909, roughly four can still be seen, in such places as San Bruno, Fremont and Richmond.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What happened to the shellmounds?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Let’s take a look at the Emeryville shellmound as an example of a larger trend. This shellmound was the biggest one recorded in the Bay Area, more than three stories high and 350 feet in diameter, Gould said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704712\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 628px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704712 size-full\" style=\"font-weight: bold;background-color: transparent;color: #767676\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room.jpg\" alt=\"Demolition of the Emeryville Shellmound.\" width=\"628\" height=\"274\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room.jpg 628w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-160x70.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-240x105.jpg 240w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-375x164.jpg 375w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/oakland_history_room-520x227.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 628px) 100vw, 628px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Demolition of the Emeryville shellmound. If you look for the shellmound today, you won’t find much above ground. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Oakland History Room)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the late 1800s, developers sheared off the top to create a dance pavilion — people were literally dancing on graves. At the base of the shellmound, they constructed an amusement park. Decades later the shellmound was leveled completely to make way for a paint factory. And in the early 2000s, the site of this once-busy Native village became a busy outdoor shopping center.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This kind of destruction happened across the Bay Area.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But Gould emphasized that the shellmounds are still here, albeit underground.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“It’s important for us to preserve and protect what’s left,” Gould said. “Even if you as human beings can’t see it on top, we know that the layers of our shellmounds go way deep underneath the land.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The soil below where shellmounds stood is distinct. It’s a dark, rich color from organic material, with white pockets colored by remains of shells.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The rich soil from above-ground shellmounds was used to pave roads, fill in parts of the bay and fertilize gardens. Some of the human remains met similar fates.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould said the shellmounds are beneath landmarks that Bay Area residents pass daily: a Burger King in downtown Oakland, or Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Many skeletons have been unceremoniously unearthed. Construction crews and archaeologists uncovered human bones as recently as the early 2000s, while building the Emeryville shops. Gould said most of these were reburied in an undisclosed location on the original site. In the past, remains were treated differently. Professional and amateur archaeologists sought out human bones and artifacts and sent them to universities.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>UC Berkeley’s Phoebe A. Hearst Museum of Anthropology has more than 5,000 sets of human remains from the Bay Area alone. A “set” could represent the remains of one or multiple people, or even just an isolated component of a person, according to a spokesperson for the museum.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Two years ago, Gould and other Ohlone people viewed the Hearst Museum’s collection of human remains.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“From the top of the ceiling to the floor there was all these trays with our ancestor remains up and down,” Gould said. “I’ll never forget that experience, that this institution is holding these humans, and for what purpose? And how many is too many?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They were the ancestors, you know, my direct relations,” Gould said. She choked up as she spoke, describing her reaction after the visit: “I lay down in bed for three days and couldn’t move. And it still hurts.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>What’s happening with shellmounds now?\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Gould and other Native American activists are fighting to acquire land where the oldest Bay Area shellmound, nearly 5,000 years old, once stood: West Berkeley. The space is privately owned and currently an asphalt parking lot at 1900 Fourth Street, between the Fourth Street shopping corridor and the bay. The location has been designated as an \u003ca href=\"https://www.cityofberkeley.info/uploadedFiles/Planning_and_Development/Level_3_-_LPC/COB_Landmarks_updated%20April%202015.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">archaeological landmark\u003c/a> by the city of Berkeley since 2000.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The landowners have sought to build housing here in recent years, but their proposals have been \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.com/2018/09/05/berkeley-rejects-sb35-application-for-spengers-lot-development-again\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">rejected by the city of Berkeley\u003c/a>. While the owners have challenged the city, a \u003ca href=\"https://www.berkeleyside.com/2019/10/22/judge-rules-for-berkeley-in-developers-lawsuit-over-spengers-parking-lot\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">judge recently ruled\u003c/a> in favor of the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n What do you wonder about the Bay Area, its culture or people that you want KQED to investigate?\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Ask Bay Curious.\u003c/a>\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Gould hopes eventually the land will be overseen by Ohlone and other Native Americans. She acknowledges this is just a dream right now, as the owners of the land are not willing to sell. But she said stranger things have happened.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her vision is a space with native plants, a circular dancing structure for Ohlone ceremonies, and a 40-foot-tall mound with a spiral path and information about the Ohlone.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11704720\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11704720 size-medium\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-800x550.jpg\" alt=\"A vision for what an open space at 1900 Fourth St in West Berkeley could look like. It would be a monument to Ohlone ancestors and the shellmound that once stood here. \" width=\"800\" height=\"550\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-800x550.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-160x110.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1020x701.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1200x825.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/11/Ohlone-Vision-rev-June-2018-sm-1920x1320.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A vision for what an open space at 1900 Fourth St. in West Berkeley could look like. It would be a monument to Ohlone ancestors and the shellmound that once stood here. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Corrina Gould)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Gould and others regularly hold intertribal prayers here, on the current parking lot. Over her decades as an activist, Gould said Ohlone events have grown stronger, and the crowds have grown larger.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She sees this as part of a larger Ohlone resurgence: consulting for the Hearst Museum that houses bones of their relatives, reviving dance steps no one has followed in 100 years, and learning traditional languages — not spoken in generations — from tape recordings.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Her hope is to renew more Ohlone ways, just as she hopes to build a new shellmound on the site of an old one, once flattened.\u003c/p>\n\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"slug": "the-sounds-of-california-from-the-comfort-of-your-couch",
"title": "The Sounds of the Bay Area: Escape With 8 Sonic Stories",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Screech! Chirp, chirp. Bwwwwaaaaaa. Hyphy!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sounds of California are eclectic, and here at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a>, we’re pretty big fans of noise. So we dug through the Bay Curious archives to celebrate the soundtrack of the Golden State, from the sounds that guide us home, to the people who brighten up our day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is your excuse to stay in bed, snuggle deeper into your couch, and join Bay Curious on a truly immersive experience for your ears. So put on your headphones, follow along on our Spotify playlist below, settle in and turn up the volume.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3pnC5RuL20oLb74k2FoMt4?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11030282/why-are-bart-trains-so-loud\">\u003cstrong>Why are BART trains so loud?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11425097\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11425097\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-800x510.jpg\" alt=\"A BART train at Oakland's Coliseum station, where 40 to 60 youths took over a train car and robbed and beat passengers.\" width=\"800\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-800x510.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-1180x752.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-960x612.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-240x153.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-375x239.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-520x332.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A BART train at Oakland’s Coliseum station. \u003ccite>(Paul Sullivan/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area is full of sounds. But one sound, in particular, stood out to Bay Curious listener Eric Bauer: “Why does BART scream like a banshee?” he so vividly asked us. Eric’s no stranger to trains — he rode them all the time when he lived in Chicago. To figure out what makes the noises of our subway system so unique, we visited BART’s repair shop to ask the experts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11881696/how-hyphy-came-to-define-bay-area-hip-hop\">\u003cstrong>‘It’s pure energy’: How hyphy came to define Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11882075\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11882075\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 at DeFremery Park in West Oakland, Oct. 12, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Welcome to perhaps the most energizing history lesson you’ll ever have: how the hyphy movement created a distinctly Bay Area sound. We’re joined by Pendarvis Harshaw, host of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/rightnowish\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED’s Rightnowish podcast\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, to answer Bay Curious listener Lauren Tankeh’s question on how hyphy music started, and what the movement represented for Bay culture. Requirements for this episode: “Gig,” not just dance, to the hyperactive up-tempo beats while you learn about the pioneers and legacy of this hip-hop subgenre.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11272504/foghorns-who-presses-the-play-button\">\u003cstrong>Foghorns: Who presses the play button?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11272505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11272505\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"This Golden Gate Bridge fog horn points west on the concrete base of the bridge's south tower, guiding ships safely in the fog.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Golden Gate Bridge foghorn points west on the concrete base of the bridge’s south tower, guiding ships safely in the fog. \u003ccite>(Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Depending on where you live in the Bay Area, the sight of fog can also mean hearing foghorns. After Bay Curious listeners Andy MacKinnon and Jen Liu moved from San Francisco’s SOMA district to the Sunset, they realized foghorns were becoming a constant part of their lives — for better or for worse. They had so many questions for us, such as:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>1. Where are these foghorns?\u003cbr>\n2. How many of them are there?\u003cbr>\n3. Why do we still use them despite technology like radar and GPS?\u003cbr>\n4. Who, or what, turns them on?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We went out into the fog to help Andy and Jen get some much-needed answers.\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11719871/why-the-myth-of-the-san-francisco-accent-persists\">\u003cstrong>Why does the myth of the ‘San Francisco accent’ persist?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11720643\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11720643\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An accent is different from a word choice. It’s about how a word is pronounced. \u003ccite>(Kelly Heigert/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Is there such a thing as a San Francisco accent?” That’s what Bay Curious listener Jonathan Morton wanted to know. When you think of New Yorkers, Bostonians or Texans, you might have a pretty good idea of a general accent, down to the rhythms and tones. But that gets harder to do with San Franciscans. In this episode, we dive deep into accents, the myth of the “Mission brogue,” and how naming just one accent in San Francisco actually says more about who has political power than how people speak.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11795009/why-do-some-crosswalks-make-a-machine-gun-sound\">\u003cstrong>Why do some crosswalks make a machine-gun sound?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11795015\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11795015\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many of the accessible pedestrian signals in San Francisco look like this. \u003ccite>(Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The official name for the sound is the rapid tick. But one Bay Curious listener asked why so many crosswalks in the Bay Area sound like a “machine gun,” as opposed to the more commonplace cuckoo-chirp signals. Find out how the rapid tick was designed and how it’s meant to ensure accessibility for all pedestrians.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11825401/how-urban-renewal-decimated-the-fillmore-district-and-took-jazz-with-it\">\u003cstrong>Why is San Francisco’s Fillmore District no longer the ‘Harlem of the West’?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11825842\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 497px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11825842\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"497\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut.jpg 497w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut-160x129.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie with San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in 1957. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you were walking down San Francisco’s Fillmore Street in the 1950s, chances are you might have run into any number of stars, from Billie Holiday to Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk. The Fillmore was known as the “Harlem of the West” for fostering a booming jazz scene and a vibrant Black community. “It was just magic,” said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://marystallingsjazz.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">jazz singer Mary Stallings\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. These days, however, the Fillmore isn’t booming like it once was. In this story, which won a public voting round, we explore how the Fillmore came to be a cultural center, and why that ultimately changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11185731/where-did-the-wild-parrots-of-san-francisco-come-from\">\u003cstrong>Where did the wild parrots of San Francisco come from?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11187393\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11187393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"The parrots have been spotted from the Embarcadero, all the way down to Sunnyvale.\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1920x1277.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-960x638.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The famous parrots of San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill. \u003ccite>(Patrick Buechner/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They can be found from the Ferry Building in San Francisco all the way south to Sunnyvale, but you’ll likely \u003cem>hear\u003c/em> the cherry-headed conures before you \u003cem>see\u003c/em> them. Wild parrots are not what you would expect to find atop Bay Area trees and traffic signals, and Bay Curious listener Colleen McClowry wanted to know how they became Bay residents. “I think they’re probably not native to the city. But I’m interested to know how they got there,” Colleen asked. There are a lot of theories, and we start in San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill to learn more about these colorful cuties.\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755398/whats-it-like-to-navigate-the-bay-area-while-blind\">What’s it like to navigate the Bay Area while blind?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11755401\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11755401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, stands at a varnished wood podium in a blue suit, speaking at a gala put on for his organization.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, stands at a varnished wood lectern in a blue suit, speaking at a gala for the organization. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of LightHouse for the Blind)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This episode is a little different from most Bay Curious episodes. For this sonic experience, we’re joined by Sam Harnett and Chris Hoff, hosts of the podcast, \u003ca href=\"http://www.theworldaccordingtosound.org/\">“The World According to Sound,”\u003c/a> as they get a sense of what it’s like to navigate a chaotic city while blind. They’re guided by \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, on his morning commute.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n",
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"title": "The Sounds of the Bay Area: Escape With 8 Sonic Stories | KQED",
"description": "Screech! Chirp, chirp. Bwwwwaaaaaa. Hyphy! The sounds of California are eclectic, and here at Bay Curious, we’re pretty big fans of noise. So we dug through the Bay Curious archives to celebrate the soundtrack of the Golden State, from the sounds that guide us home, to the people who brighten up our day. This is",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ci>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Screech! Chirp, chirp. Bwwwwaaaaaa. Hyphy!\u003c/span>\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The sounds of California are eclectic, and here at \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a>, we’re pretty big fans of noise. So we dug through the Bay Curious archives to celebrate the soundtrack of the Golden State, from the sounds that guide us home, to the people who brighten up our day.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">This is your excuse to stay in bed, snuggle deeper into your couch, and join Bay Curious on a truly immersive experience for your ears. So put on your headphones, follow along on our Spotify playlist below, settle in and turn up the volume.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c!-- iframe plugin v.4.3 wordpress.org/plugins/iframe/ -->\u003cbr>\n\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3pnC5RuL20oLb74k2FoMt4?utm_source=generator\" width=\"100%\" height=\"380\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen allow=\"autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; fullscreen; picture-in-picture\" scrolling=\"yes\" class=\"iframe-class\">\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003col>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11030282/why-are-bart-trains-so-loud\">\u003cstrong>Why are BART trains so loud?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11425097\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11425097\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-800x510.jpg\" alt=\"A BART train at Oakland's Coliseum station, where 40 to 60 youths took over a train car and robbed and beat passengers.\" width=\"800\" height=\"510\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-800x510.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-160x102.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-1020x650.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-1180x752.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-960x612.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-240x153.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-375x239.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/04/BartColiseum-520x332.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A BART train at Oakland’s Coliseum station. \u003ccite>(Paul Sullivan/Flickr)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The Bay Area is full of sounds. But one sound, in particular, stood out to Bay Curious listener Eric Bauer: “Why does BART scream like a banshee?” he so vividly asked us. Eric’s no stranger to trains — he rode them all the time when he lived in Chicago. To figure out what makes the noises of our subway system so unique, we visited BART’s repair shop to ask the experts.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11881696/how-hyphy-came-to-define-bay-area-hip-hop\">\u003cstrong>‘It’s pure energy’: How hyphy came to define Bay Area hip-hop\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11882075\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11882075\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-800x535.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"535\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-800x535.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-1020x682.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery-1536x1026.jpg 1536w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/07/E-40.DeFremery.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">E-40 at DeFremery Park in West Oakland, Oct. 12, 2018. \u003ccite>(Pendarvis Harshaw/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Welcome to perhaps the most energizing history lesson you’ll ever have: how the hyphy movement created a distinctly Bay Area sound. We’re joined by Pendarvis Harshaw, host of \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/podcasts/rightnowish\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">KQED’s Rightnowish podcast\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">, to answer Bay Curious listener Lauren Tankeh’s question on how hyphy music started, and what the movement represented for Bay culture. Requirements for this episode: “Gig,” not just dance, to the hyperactive up-tempo beats while you learn about the pioneers and legacy of this hip-hop subgenre.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11272504/foghorns-who-presses-the-play-button\">\u003cstrong>Foghorns: Who presses the play button?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11272505\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11272505\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"This Golden Gate Bridge fog horn points west on the concrete base of the bridge's south tower, guiding ships safely in the fog.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-1020x680.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-960x640.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-375x250.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2017/01/RS23445_161219_GGFoghorns_bhs07-qut-520x347.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">This Golden Gate Bridge foghorn points west on the concrete base of the bridge’s south tower, guiding ships safely in the fog. \u003ccite>(Brittany Hosea-Small/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Depending on where you live in the Bay Area, the sight of fog can also mean hearing foghorns. After Bay Curious listeners Andy MacKinnon and Jen Liu moved from San Francisco’s SOMA district to the Sunset, they realized foghorns were becoming a constant part of their lives — for better or for worse. They had so many questions for us, such as:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>1. Where are these foghorns?\u003cbr>\n2. How many of them are there?\u003cbr>\n3. Why do we still use them despite technology like radar and GPS?\u003cbr>\n4. Who, or what, turns them on?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>We went out into the fog to help Andy and Jen get some much-needed answers.\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11719871/why-the-myth-of-the-san-francisco-accent-persists\">\u003cstrong>Why does the myth of the ‘San Francisco accent’ persist?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11720643\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11720643\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-800x450.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1-1200x675.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/BayCurious_opt1.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An accent is different from a word choice. It’s about how a word is pronounced. \u003ccite>(Kelly Heigert/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">“Is there such a thing as a San Francisco accent?” That’s what Bay Curious listener Jonathan Morton wanted to know. When you think of New Yorkers, Bostonians or Texans, you might have a pretty good idea of a general accent, down to the rhythms and tones. But that gets harder to do with San Franciscans. In this episode, we dive deep into accents, the myth of the “Mission brogue,” and how naming just one accent in San Francisco actually says more about who has political power than how people speak.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11795009/why-do-some-crosswalks-make-a-machine-gun-sound\">\u003cstrong>Why do some crosswalks make a machine-gun sound?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11795015\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11795015\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-800x530.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-800x530.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton-1020x675.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/01/1024px-PedestrianSignalPushButton.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Many of the accessible pedestrian signals in San Francisco look like this. \u003ccite>(Raysonho @ Open Grid Scheduler/Grid Engine)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">The official name for the sound is the rapid tick. But one Bay Curious listener asked why so many crosswalks in the Bay Area sound like a “machine gun,” as opposed to the more commonplace cuckoo-chirp signals. Find out how the rapid tick was designed and how it’s meant to ensure accessibility for all pedestrians.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11825401/how-urban-renewal-decimated-the-fillmore-district-and-took-jazz-with-it\">\u003cstrong>Why is San Francisco’s Fillmore District no longer the ‘Harlem of the West’?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11825842\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 497px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11825842\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"497\" height=\"400\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut.jpg 497w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2020/06/RS43798_MOR-0681-qut-160x129.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 497px) 100vw, 497px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Jazz musician Dizzy Gillespie with San Francisco Mayor George Christopher in 1957. \u003ccite>(San Francisco History Center, San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">If you were walking down San Francisco’s Fillmore Street in the 1950s, chances are you might have run into any number of stars, from Billie Holiday to Ella Fitzgerald and Thelonious Monk. The Fillmore was known as the “Harlem of the West” for fostering a booming jazz scene and a vibrant Black community. “It was just magic,” said \u003c/span>\u003ca href=\"http://marystallingsjazz.com/\">\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">jazz singer Mary Stallings\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">. These days, however, the Fillmore isn’t booming like it once was. In this story, which won a public voting round, we explore how the Fillmore came to be a cultural center, and why that ultimately changed.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11185731/where-did-the-wild-parrots-of-san-francisco-come-from\">\u003cstrong>Where did the wild parrots of San Francisco come from?\u003c/strong>\u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">\u003cbr>\n\u003c/span>\u003c/a>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11187393\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11187393\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-800x532.jpg\" alt=\"The parrots have been spotted from the Embarcadero, all the way down to Sunnyvale.\" width=\"800\" height=\"532\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-800x532.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-160x106.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1020x678.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1920x1277.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-1180x785.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-960x638.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-240x160.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-375x249.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2016/11/2924064112_df11d9e7ec_o-520x346.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The famous parrots of San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill. \u003ccite>(Patrick Buechner/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>They can be found from the Ferry Building in San Francisco all the way south to Sunnyvale, but you’ll likely \u003cem>hear\u003c/em> the cherry-headed conures before you \u003cem>see\u003c/em> them. Wild parrots are not what you would expect to find atop Bay Area trees and traffic signals, and Bay Curious listener Colleen McClowry wanted to know how they became Bay residents. “I think they’re probably not native to the city. But I’m interested to know how they got there,” Colleen asked. There are a lot of theories, and we start in San Francisco’s Telegraph Hill to learn more about these colorful cuties.\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003cli style=\"font-weight: 400\">\n\u003ch3>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11755398/whats-it-like-to-navigate-the-bay-area-while-blind\">What’s it like to navigate the Bay Area while blind?\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11755401\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-11755401\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-800x534.jpg\" alt=\"Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, stands at a varnished wood podium in a blue suit, speaking at a gala put on for his organization.\" width=\"800\" height=\"534\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-800x534.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154-160x107.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/06/LH18BlindAmbition-154.jpg 1000w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, stands at a varnished wood lectern in a blue suit, speaking at a gala for the organization. \u003ccite>(Courtesy of LightHouse for the Blind)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>This episode is a little different from most Bay Curious episodes. For this sonic experience, we’re joined by Sam Harnett and Chris Hoff, hosts of the podcast, \u003ca href=\"http://www.theworldaccordingtosound.org/\">“The World According to Sound,”\u003c/a> as they get a sense of what it’s like to navigate a chaotic city while blind. They’re guided by \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Bryan Bashin, CEO of LightHouse for the Blind and Visually Impaired, on his morning commute.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ol>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"title": "Why the Myth of the 'San Francisco Accent' Persists",
"headTitle": "Why the Myth of the ‘San Francisco Accent’ Persists | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was first published on January 24, 2019.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you think about America’s biggest cities, many have a recognizable accent — from the shifting vowels of Chicago to the dropped R’s of New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This early Joan Rivers standup clip provides a good example of what many people might identify as a New York accent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=EpPCFoXXhF0\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=EpPCFoXXhF0\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you ask people for an example of a San Francisco accent, some might say they hear it in San Francisco Mayor London Breed:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Breed.mp3\" br=\"\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003cbr>\nOr Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Garcia.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or comedian Ali Wong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Wong.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breed, Garcia and Wong are all San Francisco natives — \u003cem>born and raised\u003c/em> in the city. And they all have very different ways of speaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/baycurious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bay Curious \u003c/a>listener Jonathan Morton wants to know: “Is there still such a thing as a San Francisco accent? Or have migration and television erased it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So logically every single person has an accent, because everyone has some set of pronunciations that they use most of the time, and that’s going to be different from someone else’s set of pronunciations,” said sociolinguist Lauren Hall-Lew. “But there’s not really a way of speaking that identifies a San Franciscan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew comes from a Chinese-American family that goes back five generations in San Francisco. She’s currently based at the University of Edinburgh. She has spent years studying how people speak in her hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the many differences in locals’ speech patterns, Hall-Lew said the idea of a quintessential “San Francisco accent” still persists in some quarters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11720021\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11720021\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Linguist Lauren Hall-Lew.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-160x160.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1920x1920.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-150x150.jpg 150w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018.jpg 1936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Linguist Lauren Hall-Lew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Lauren Hall-Lew)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One reason for this, Hall-Lew said, is because of misunderstandings about the definition of the word “accent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people think it’s about localized vocabulary, like how Northern Californians are known to say “hella,” or the way locals say “S.I.” to refer to Saint Ignatius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But accent isn’t the same thing as word choice, Hall-Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unlike a dialect, which is referring to words and grammar, an accent is just about pronunciation,” Hall-Lew said. “So an accent is basically a set of pronunciations that people notice as being distinct from another set of pronunciations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mission Brogue: \u003cem>An\u003c/em> Accent, but not \u003cem>The\u003c/em> Accent\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When some think of a San Francisco accent, they imagine a particular way of speaking known as the “Mission Brogue,” which came to dominate the city in the 20th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This 1985 video, featuring “Tough Tony,” a San Francisco bus driver, provides a good sample of Mission Brogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lucky.McCarthys'85.Part2\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uN_to8ldnYc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tony’s accent is particular to Irish and Jewish people who started settling in the city during the Gold Rush days. Many of them originally spent time on the East Coast, which explains why they sound a bit like they’re from New York or Philadelphia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mission neighborhood was a big Irish enclave back in the day, which is how the accent came to be known as the Mission Brogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few people in San Francisco speak with this accent today, though you can hear traces of it in former California Gov. Jerry Brown’s voice. Brown comes from true San Francisco Irish stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"1976: The first time 60 Minutes met Gov. Jerry Brown\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/2TTF1-LoKn8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jerry Brown’s speech style is definitely reminiscent of that old Mission Brogue style,” said Hall-Lew. “The marker in this speech that stood out to me the most is probably the way he says the ‘r’ in ‘store.’ It’s a rather soft or even deleted ‘r,’ more like ‘stwah’ than ‘store.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew said other markers of this accent are things like dropping the “th” at the end of “South,” so it sounds like “sout,” or pronouncing a word like “third” as “thoid.” Listen to Tough Tony say third in this clip:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Tony.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Trouble With Defining Accents\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like New York, Chicago and other big cities, San Francisco was a total melting pot. Starting in the mid-1800s, the city attracted people from all over the world. Not only was English spoken in many different ways, but the language was only one of many languages spoken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew said the reason people came to view the “Mission Brogue” as \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline\">the\u003c/span> San Francisco accent in the 20th century — in spite of all this linguistic variety — has a lot to do with who wielded the most power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The idea of a San Francisco accent is usually framed in terms of a specific social group that was predominant at the time, in terms of political power,” Hall-Lew said. During the 20th century, Irish immigrants were more visible in public life than many of the other groups living in the city, dominating local politics and law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This might explain why some people, even today, see the Mission Brogue as the quintessential San Francisco accent — even though the city’s leadership is more diverse these days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lauren Hall-Lew said the very question of whether there is, or ever has been, a San Francisco accent is problematic in a city that’s long been so diverse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you honestly meaning to ask: Do the people from Chinatown talk like the Russians in the Richmond, talk like the Central Americans in the Mission? No of course not,” she said. “No, what you mean is, probably, is there a way of speaking that we associate with the middle-class white people of European heritage? That’s what that question usually means. And that’s the problem. That’s not actually representative of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to find out more about statewide California accent trends, click the play button below to hear Chloe Veltman chatting with The California Report’s Lily Jamali on the subject.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcr/2019/02/AudioforVeltmanCAEnglish2wayTCR1.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thanks to sociolinguists Lauren Hall-Lew and Teresa Pratt for their help with this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thanks also to \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jonathan Morton of Mountain View, who asked the Bay Curious question this week. \u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was first published on January 24, 2019.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you think about America’s biggest cities, many have a recognizable accent — from the shifting vowels of Chicago to the dropped R’s of New York.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This early Joan Rivers standup clip provides a good example of what many people might identify as a New York accent.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=EpPCFoXXhF0\">https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=EpPCFoXXhF0\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you ask people for an example of a San Francisco accent, some might say they hear it in San Francisco Mayor London Breed:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Breed.mp3\" br=\"\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003cbr>\nOr Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Garcia.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Or comedian Ali Wong.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Wong.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Breed, Garcia and Wong are all San Francisco natives — \u003cem>born and raised\u003c/em> in the city. And they all have very different ways of speaking.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/series/baycurious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Bay Curious \u003c/a>listener Jonathan Morton wants to know: “Is there still such a thing as a San Francisco accent? Or have migration and television erased it?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“So logically every single person has an accent, because everyone has some set of pronunciations that they use most of the time, and that’s going to be different from someone else’s set of pronunciations,” said sociolinguist Lauren Hall-Lew. “But there’s not really a way of speaking that identifies a San Franciscan.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew comes from a Chinese-American family that goes back five generations in San Francisco. She’s currently based at the University of Edinburgh. She has spent years studying how people speak in her hometown.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Despite the many differences in locals’ speech patterns, Hall-Lew said the idea of a quintessential “San Francisco accent” still persists in some quarters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11720021\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 250px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-11720021\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-800x800.jpg\" alt=\"Linguist Lauren Hall-Lew.\" width=\"250\" height=\"250\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-800x800.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-160x160.jpg 160w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1020x1020.jpg 1020w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1200x1200.jpg 1200w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-1920x1920.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-32x32.jpg 32w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-50x50.jpg 50w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-64x64.jpg 64w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-96x96.jpg 96w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-128x128.jpg 128w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018-150x150.jpg 150w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/5d389fd7-laurenhall-lew_2018.jpg 1936w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 250px) 100vw, 250px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Linguist Lauren Hall-Lew. \u003ccite>(Courtesy Lauren Hall-Lew)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>One reason for this, Hall-Lew said, is because of misunderstandings about the definition of the word “accent.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people think it’s about localized vocabulary, like how Northern Californians are known to say “hella,” or the way locals say “S.I.” to refer to Saint Ignatius.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But accent isn’t the same thing as word choice, Hall-Lew said.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Unlike a dialect, which is referring to words and grammar, an accent is just about pronunciation,” Hall-Lew said. “So an accent is basically a set of pronunciations that people notice as being distinct from another set of pronunciations.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>Mission Brogue: \u003cem>An\u003c/em> Accent, but not \u003cem>The\u003c/em> Accent\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>When some think of a San Francisco accent, they imagine a particular way of speaking known as the “Mission Brogue,” which came to dominate the city in the 20th century.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This 1985 video, featuring “Tough Tony,” a San Francisco bus driver, provides a good sample of Mission Brogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lucky.McCarthys'85.Part2\" width=\"640\" height=\"480\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/uN_to8ldnYc?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tony’s accent is particular to Irish and Jewish people who started settling in the city during the Gold Rush days. Many of them originally spent time on the East Coast, which explains why they sound a bit like they’re from New York or Philadelphia.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Mission neighborhood was a big Irish enclave back in the day, which is how the accent came to be known as the Mission Brogue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Few people in San Francisco speak with this accent today, though you can hear traces of it in former California Gov. Jerry Brown’s voice. Brown comes from true San Francisco Irish stock.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003ciframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"1976: The first time 60 Minutes met Gov. Jerry Brown\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https://www.youtube.com/embed/2TTF1-LoKn8?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen>\u003c/iframe>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Jerry Brown’s speech style is definitely reminiscent of that old Mission Brogue style,” said Hall-Lew. “The marker in this speech that stood out to me the most is probably the way he says the ‘r’ in ‘store.’ It’s a rather soft or even deleted ‘r,’ more like ‘stwah’ than ‘store.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew said other markers of this accent are things like dropping the “th” at the end of “South,” so it sounds like “sout,” or pronouncing a word like “third” as “thoid.” Listen to Tough Tony say third in this clip:\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/01/Tony.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch2>The Trouble With Defining Accents\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>Like New York, Chicago and other big cities, San Francisco was a total melting pot. Starting in the mid-1800s, the city attracted people from all over the world. Not only was English spoken in many different ways, but the language was only one of many languages spoken.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Hall-Lew said the reason people came to view the “Mission Brogue” as \u003cspan style=\"text-decoration: underline\">the\u003c/span> San Francisco accent in the 20th century — in spite of all this linguistic variety — has a lot to do with who wielded the most power.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The idea of a San Francisco accent is usually framed in terms of a specific social group that was predominant at the time, in terms of political power,” Hall-Lew said. During the 20th century, Irish immigrants were more visible in public life than many of the other groups living in the city, dominating local politics and law enforcement.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This might explain why some people, even today, see the Mission Brogue as the quintessential San Francisco accent — even though the city’s leadership is more diverse these days.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Lauren Hall-Lew said the very question of whether there is, or ever has been, a San Francisco accent is problematic in a city that’s long been so diverse.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Are you honestly meaning to ask: Do the people from Chinatown talk like the Russians in the Richmond, talk like the Central Americans in the Mission? No of course not,” she said. “No, what you mean is, probably, is there a way of speaking that we associate with the middle-class white people of European heritage? That’s what that question usually means. And that’s the problem. That’s not actually representative of the city.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If you want to find out more about statewide California accent trends, click the play button below to hear Chloe Veltman chatting with The California Report’s Lily Jamali on the subject.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003caudio controls=\"controls\">\u003csource src=\"https://www.kqed.org/.stream/anon/radio/tcr/2019/02/AudioforVeltmanCAEnglish2wayTCR1.mp3\">\u003c/source>\u003c/audio>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thanks to sociolinguists Lauren Hall-Lew and Teresa Pratt for their help with this story.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>Thanks also to \u003cspan style=\"font-weight: 400\">Jonathan Morton of Mountain View, who asked the Bay Curious question this week. \u003c/span>\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11894013\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png\" alt='Cartoon: a ghostly image of a Victorian-era woman floating above a dark, spooky lake. Text reads, \"The Lady of Stow Lake, is she out there?\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-1536x1536.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the day, Stow Lake is usually dotted with tourists and local families enjoying the beauty of Golden Gate Park as they float on \u003ca href=\"https://stowlakeboathouse.com/\">rented rowboats and pedal boats\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But tales of nighttime visits to the lake depict a markedly different ambience: \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/san-francisco-ghost-stories-white-lady-stow-lake-12247189.php\">For over 100 years people have recounted a range of very spooky happenings\u003c/a> near the lake’s watery depths (OK, it’s not that deep).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While accounts differ, \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatepark.com/stow-lake-ghost.html\">the general story of the Lady of Stow Lake\u003c/a> (the apparition is also called the “White Lady of Stow Lake”), is that long ago, a woman was visiting the lake while pushing her baby in a stroller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The woman turned away to chat with someone, then turned back to find that the stroller and baby had disappeared, presumably into the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some people say if you visit the area at night, you might see a woman — glowing in a white dress — variously lurking around the lake or levitating above the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People have also reported unexplained car trouble and other odd phenomenon near the lake at night.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Sounds like it’s time for a Halloween visit to the lake … or the car mechanic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003cem>If you want to explore more haunted sites in the Bay Area, \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11893685/ghost-stories-and-macabre-tales-to-binge-this-halloween\">check out what Bay Curious has to offer\u003c/a>.\u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11894013\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png\" alt='Cartoon: a ghostly image of a Victorian-era woman floating above a dark, spooky lake. Text reads, \"The Lady of Stow Lake, is she out there?\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1920\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02.png 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-800x800.png 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-1020x1020.png 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-160x160.png 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/stowe02-1536x1536.png 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>During the day, Stow Lake is usually dotted with tourists and local families enjoying the beauty of Golden Gate Park as they float on \u003ca href=\"https://stowlakeboathouse.com/\">rented rowboats and pedal boats\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But tales of nighttime visits to the lake depict a markedly different ambience: \u003ca href=\"https://www.sfgate.com/sfhistory/article/san-francisco-ghost-stories-white-lady-stow-lake-12247189.php\">For over 100 years people have recounted a range of very spooky happenings\u003c/a> near the lake’s watery depths (OK, it’s not that deep).\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>While accounts differ, \u003ca href=\"https://goldengatepark.com/stow-lake-ghost.html\">the general story of the Lady of Stow Lake\u003c/a> (the apparition is also called the “White Lady of Stow Lake”), is that long ago, a woman was visiting the lake while pushing her baby in a stroller.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The woman turned away to chat with someone, then turned back to find that the stroller and baby had disappeared, presumably into the water.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cp>Today, Bay Curious is releasing a special Halloween episode — and it delves deep into a few of the Bay Area’s local legends and supernatural stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can listen to our Bay Area Ghost Stories episode by hitting the play button above, or wherever you get your podcasts. The episode features stories from Wes Leslie of \u003ca href=\"https://thehauntghosttours.com/\">The Haunt Ghost Tours\u003c/a>, Tommy Netzband of the \u003ca href=\"https://hauntedhaight.com/\">Haunted Haight Walking Tour\u003c/a> and Bay Area storyteller \u003ca href=\"https://jpfrary.com/\">JP Frary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this audio special has got you in the mood for more macabre tales, read on for our seven suggestions on how to get into the Halloween spirit this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Livestream our Chilling Histories of California storytelling night\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11893728\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original-160x80.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, October 28, KQED is holding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">a live storytelling night of haunting and curious California tales\u003c/a>, with a lineup that includes Glynn Washington (Spooked, Snap Judgment), Ying Liu (The Haunted Bay) and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kevin Fagan, as well as several KQED storytellers. Bay Curious’s Olivia Allen-Price will also be making an appearance. (Proof of vaccination and masking will be requested from all attendees.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you can’t make the event in person, or aren’t ready to attend an event like this right now during the pandemic, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">livestream the night for free\u003c/a>. Just make sure to turn your lights down \u003cem>low\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">Get tickets or a livestream link for Chilling Histories of California.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Test your trivia knowledge of the Bay Area’s haunted history\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11893767\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11893767\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fog hovers over the Golden Gate Bridge at twilight. \u003ccite>(Eric Carlson/Unsplash)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From the San Francisco mansion that inspired horror writer Shirley Jackson to the secret buried under the Legion of Honor, the Bay Area has no shortage of macabre legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Test your knowledge of the darker side of local history with this trivia set compiled by our friends at KQED Arts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13888121/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-the-bay-areas-haunted-history\">Try the Bay Area Haunted History quiz for yourself.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Learn why your mind plays tricks on you deep in the Santa Cruz redwoods\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889342\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889342\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign.jpg\" alt='A large yellow-and-black sign reads \"Welcome to Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, California U.S.A.\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-1536x1153.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The iconic yellow-and-black sign welcomes visitors to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nestled under the trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies one of the greater Bay Area’s most beloved attractions: the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. And if you haven’t visited yet, you’ve almost certainly seen those ubiquitous bumper stickers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this place, your eyes and brain will play tricks on you, and make games of your powers of perception. But why does this happen? We dived into (some of) the possible answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://tools.applemediaservices.com/podcast-episode/1000539271730?country=us\">Listen to the episode\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889331/whats-behind-one-of-californias-most-ubiquitous-bumper-stickers\">read more about the Mystery Spot.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>From rumrunning to ghosts and speakeasies, uncover the many lives of Pacifica’s castle\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889778\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro.jpg\" alt=\"A blue sky and ocean behind a castle like building.\" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sam Mazza Castle sits high on a hill in Pacifica’s Sharp Pointe neighborhood. It has been here since 1908 and has had many lives. \u003ccite>(Robert Azzaro/Courtesy Sam Mazza Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ever driven Highway 1 through the city of Pacifica and wondered what that great stone castle is? You’re not alone: Many Bay Curious listeners wanted to know, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the tale of how that castle first came to have a reputation, how foggy Pacifica became a smuggler’s paradise, and why the castle’s historian is convinced these stones are haunted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889508/rumrunning-ghosts-and-speakeasies-the-many-lives-of-pacificas-castle\">Hear or read about the mysterious castle of Pacifica.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Uncover the famous dead of Colma\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795849\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 5760px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10795849\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"5760\" height=\"3840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg 5760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 5760px) 100vw, 5760px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible as far as the eye can see. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the early 1920s the land in the city of Colma, just south of San Francisco, was set aside specifically for cemeteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10779164/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco\">Over 100,000 bodies were exhumed and moved there\u003c/a> after SF evicted their dead to make room for more housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But who, exactly, is buried in Colma? It turns out there are more household names there than you might first think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891074/some-of-the-most-famous-people-buried-in-colma-with-map\">\u003cstrong>Read about the graves of Colma, and see the map.\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Descend into the dark tunnels below San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11782625\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11782625\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Megan Abadie in the San Francisco sewers. \u003ccite>(Sruti Mamidanna/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The myth of the underground — a silent world hidden under our feet — continues to fascinate people, not least because there are very real labyrinths under major world cities — like the infamous catacombs of Paris, lined with the bones of the city’s dead, or the terrifying catacombs under Odessa, in Ukraine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listeners told us they’d heard stories of secret passageways running under San Francisco, so we investigated — and what we found led us into the darkest stretches of the subterranean sewer network. Come with us if you dare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11782405/tunnels-under-san-francisco-inside-the-dark-dangerous-world-of-the-sewers\">See the story of the sewers with underground photos\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=726sQLKGAjk\">watch the video.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Discover a ‘haunted’ lighthouse on the Big Sur coast\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11701904\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11701904\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse.jpg\" alt=\"The Point Sur Lighthouse has been operating since 1889. It's one of California's oldest and most remote light stations.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Point Sur Lighthouse has been operating since 1889. It’s one of California’s oldest and most remote light stations. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Perched on the rocky coastline between Carmel and Big Sur, Point Sur Lighthouse has been guiding ships into the Pacific Coast since 1889. But the treacherous landscape and rough weather have meant the lighthouse also has seen many shipwrecks — and up to 11 ships have been lost near its coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People claim the lighthouse is haunted by the ghosts of people who died in those shipwrecks, as well as the ghosts of the former lighthouse keepers who lived and worked on the isolated station. KQED’s California Report Magazine went to investigate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701114/a-lighthouse-so-beautiful-ghosts-come-back-to-haunt-it\">Read or hear about the place that’s been called “one of the most haunted lighthouses in the United States.”\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n",
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"excerpt": "Get into the spirit of Halloween this week with our supernatural-themed story recommendations.",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>Today, Bay Curious is releasing a special Halloween episode — and it delves deep into a few of the Bay Area’s local legends and supernatural stories.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>You can listen to our Bay Area Ghost Stories episode by hitting the play button above, or wherever you get your podcasts. The episode features stories from Wes Leslie of \u003ca href=\"https://thehauntghosttours.com/\">The Haunt Ghost Tours\u003c/a>, Tommy Netzband of the \u003ca href=\"https://hauntedhaight.com/\">Haunted Haight Walking Tour\u003c/a> and Bay Area storyteller \u003ca href=\"https://jpfrary.com/\">JP Frary\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If this audio special has got you in the mood for more macabre tales, read on for our seven suggestions on how to get into the Halloween spirit this week.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Livestream our Chilling Histories of California storytelling night\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-11893728\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1000\" height=\"500\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original.jpg 1000w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original-800x400.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/https___cdn.evbuc_.com_images_165895179_367916542203_1_original-160x80.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\">\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On Thursday, October 28, KQED is holding \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">a live storytelling night of haunting and curious California tales\u003c/a>, with a lineup that includes Glynn Washington (Spooked, Snap Judgment), Ying Liu (The Haunted Bay) and the San Francisco Chronicle’s Kevin Fagan, as well as several KQED storytellers. Bay Curious’s Olivia Allen-Price will also be making an appearance. (Proof of vaccination and masking will be requested from all attendees.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But if you can’t make the event in person, or aren’t ready to attend an event like this right now during the pandemic, you can \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">livestream the night for free\u003c/a>. Just make sure to turn your lights down \u003cem>low\u003c/em>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/events/167829457425\">Get tickets or a livestream link for Chilling Histories of California.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Test your trivia knowledge of the Bay Area’s haunted history\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11893767\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1020px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11893767\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1020\" height=\"574\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/10/eric-carlson-xVvj8yvkWvo-unsplash_hauntedquiz-1020x574-1-160x90.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1020px) 100vw, 1020px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Fog hovers over the Golden Gate Bridge at twilight. \u003ccite>(Eric Carlson/Unsplash)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>From the San Francisco mansion that inspired horror writer Shirley Jackson to the secret buried under the Legion of Honor, the Bay Area has no shortage of macabre legends.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Test your knowledge of the darker side of local history with this trivia set compiled by our friends at KQED Arts.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/arts/13888121/quiz-how-well-do-you-know-the-bay-areas-haunted-history\">Try the Bay Area Haunted History quiz for yourself.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Learn why your mind plays tricks on you deep in the Santa Cruz redwoods\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889342\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889342\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign.jpg\" alt='A large yellow-and-black sign reads \"Welcome to Mystery Spot, Santa Cruz, California U.S.A.\"' width=\"1920\" height=\"1441\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-1020x766.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/Mystery-Spot-Entrance-Sign-1536x1153.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The iconic yellow-and-black sign welcomes visitors to the Mystery Spot in Santa Cruz, California. \u003ccite>(Amanda Font/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Nestled under the trees in the Santa Cruz Mountains lies one of the greater Bay Area’s most beloved attractions: the Santa Cruz Mystery Spot. And if you haven’t visited yet, you’ve almost certainly seen those ubiquitous bumper stickers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In this place, your eyes and brain will play tricks on you, and make games of your powers of perception. But why does this happen? We dived into (some of) the possible answers.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://tools.applemediaservices.com/podcast-episode/1000539271730?country=us\">Listen to the episode\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889331/whats-behind-one-of-californias-most-ubiquitous-bumper-stickers\">read more about the Mystery Spot.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>From rumrunning to ghosts and speakeasies, uncover the many lives of Pacifica’s castle\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11889778\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11889778\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro.jpg\" alt=\"A blue sky and ocean behind a castle like building.\" width=\"800\" height=\"537\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2021/09/pacifica-castle-azzaro-160x107.jpg 160w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Sam Mazza Castle sits high on a hill in Pacifica’s Sharp Pointe neighborhood. It has been here since 1908 and has had many lives. \u003ccite>(Robert Azzaro/Courtesy Sam Mazza Foundation)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Ever driven Highway 1 through the city of Pacifica and wondered what that great stone castle is? You’re not alone: Many Bay Curious listeners wanted to know, too.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>This is the tale of how that castle first came to have a reputation, how foggy Pacifica became a smuggler’s paradise, and why the castle’s historian is convinced these stones are haunted.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11889508/rumrunning-ghosts-and-speakeasies-the-many-lives-of-pacificas-castle\">Hear or read about the mysterious castle of Pacifica.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Uncover the famous dead of Colma\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795849\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 5760px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-10795849\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"5760\" height=\"3840\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg 5760w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-400x267.jpg 400w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 5760px) 100vw, 5760px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible as far as the eye can see. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In the early 1920s the land in the city of Colma, just south of San Francisco, was set aside specifically for cemeteries. \u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/10779164/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco\">Over 100,000 bodies were exhumed and moved there\u003c/a> after SF evicted their dead to make room for more housing.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But who, exactly, is buried in Colma? It turns out there are more household names there than you might first think.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11891074/some-of-the-most-famous-people-buried-in-colma-with-map\">\u003cstrong>Read about the graves of Colma, and see the map.\u003c/strong>\u003c/a>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Descend into the dark tunnels below San Francisco\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11782625\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1920px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11782625\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"1920\" height=\"1080\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut.jpg 1920w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-160x90.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-800x450.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-1020x574.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2019/10/RS39796_Tunnel_02-qut-1200x675.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1920px) 100vw, 1920px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Megan Abadie in the San Francisco sewers. \u003ccite>(Sruti Mamidanna/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The myth of the underground — a silent world hidden under our feet — continues to fascinate people, not least because there are very real labyrinths under major world cities — like the infamous catacombs of Paris, lined with the bones of the city’s dead, or the terrifying catacombs under Odessa, in Ukraine.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Bay Curious listeners told us they’d heard stories of secret passageways running under San Francisco, so we investigated — and what we found led us into the darkest stretches of the subterranean sewer network. Come with us if you dare.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11782405/tunnels-under-san-francisco-inside-the-dark-dangerous-world-of-the-sewers\">See the story of the sewers with underground photos\u003c/a>, and \u003ca href=\"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=726sQLKGAjk\">watch the video.\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003ch3>Discover a ‘haunted’ lighthouse on the Big Sur coast\u003c/h3>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_11701904\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\" style=\"max-width: 1200px\">\u003cimg loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-11701904\" src=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse.jpg\" alt=\"The Point Sur Lighthouse has been operating since 1889. It's one of California's oldest and most remote light stations.\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" srcset=\"https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse.jpg 1200w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-160x120.jpg 160w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-800x600.jpg 800w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-1020x765.jpg 1020w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-1180x885.jpg 1180w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-960x720.jpg 960w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-240x180.jpg 240w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-375x281.jpg 375w, https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2018/10/Lighthouse-520x390.jpg 520w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">The Point Sur Lighthouse has been operating since 1889. It’s one of California’s oldest and most remote light stations. \u003ccite>(Sasha Khokha/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Perched on the rocky coastline between Carmel and Big Sur, Point Sur Lighthouse has been guiding ships into the Pacific Coast since 1889. But the treacherous landscape and rough weather have meant the lighthouse also has seen many shipwrecks — and up to 11 ships have been lost near its coast.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>People claim the lighthouse is haunted by the ghosts of people who died in those shipwrecks, as well as the ghosts of the former lighthouse keepers who lived and worked on the isolated station. KQED’s California Report Magazine went to investigate.\u003c/p>\n\u003cul>\n\u003cli>\u003cstrong>\u003ca href=\"https://www.kqed.org/news/11701114/a-lighthouse-so-beautiful-ghosts-come-back-to-haunt-it\">Read or hear about the place that’s been called “one of the most haunted lighthouses in the United States.”\u003c/a>\u003c/strong>\u003c/li>\n\u003c/ul>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003c/div>\u003c/p>",
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"title": "Why Are There So Many Graves in Colma? And So Few in San Francisco?",
"headTitle": "Why Are There So Many Graves in Colma? And So Few in San Francisco? | KQED",
"content": "\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published Oct. 26, 2017. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you drive around the tiny town of Colma, just south of Daly City, you can’t help but notice a certain redundancy of scenery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tombstones. A florist …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More tombstones … another florist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Las Vegas is to gambling, Colma is to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad fullwidth]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly three-quarters of the 2.2-square-mile town is zoned for cemeteries — of which there are 17.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Colma is the last place you want to be when the zombie apocalypse goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriouspodcastinfo]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The town’s population is 1,431, says Pat Hatfield of the local historical association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of the living …,” I clarify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She nods. “Above-ground residents, we call them. Maybe a million and a half underground, so we’re a little bit outgunned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795849\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795849\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10795849\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible for as far as the eye can see.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-400x267.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible for as far as the eye can see. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The association’s headquarters sits quietly between two cemeteries. It doubles as a museum, with binders on display for each of the town’s final resting places. Flip through and your eye catches on bold-letter names like Joe DiMaggio and William Randolph Hearst. When death got the drop on Wyatt Earp, the legendary Old West lawman was buried in Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery. (\u003ca href=\"http://www.neatorama.com/2011/11/16/why-wyatt-earp-is-buried-in-a-jewish-cemetery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here’s why\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, if you want to browse graves in San Francisco, your choices are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/sanfrancisco.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco National Cemetery\u003c/a> in the Presidio, but that’s technically on federal land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lone cemetery in the city proper is at \u003ca href=\"http://cemeterytravel.com/2011/04/27/cemetery-of-the-week-13-mission-dolores-cemetery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mission Dolores\u003c/a>. But the cemetery is just one-sixth its original size, says Andrew Galvan, the Mission Dolores curator. Eleven thousand dead people were buried there from 1782 to 1898.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All right. That accounts for thousands of expired locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where’s everybody else?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco Graveyards of the Past\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>San Francisco was once \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full of cemeteries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the Gold Rush days they decided to build cemeteries in the western part of the city, where nobody would ever want to live,” says Michael Svanevik, a San Mateo County historian who’s the go-to guy on this topic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four huge cemeteries — Laurel Hill, Calvary, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic Cemetery — were established on land the University of San Francisco occupies today. These cemeteries took up between 60 and 70 square blocks. Golden Gate Cemetery, out by Lands End, took up a similar swath of space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10785902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?QuickSearchA=QuickSearchA&q=san+francisco+cemeteries&sort=pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date&search=Search\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10785902\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873.jpg\" alt=\"Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873\" width=\"720\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873.jpg 720w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873-400x285.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An 1873 map shows the ‘Big Four’ cemeteries in San Francisco. (David Rumsey Map Collection) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco’s population rapidly grew, homes were built on all sides of the cemetery complex. Streetcars had to navigate around these islands of the dead to transport residents to work and back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This now became very valuable land, and people turned against the cemeteries,” Svanevik says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when you think the living have a hard time holding onto their place in San Francisco, imagine how the \u003cem>dead\u003c/em> fared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10787031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/San-Francisco-Golden-Gate-Cemetery.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10787031\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10787031 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1440x879.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Gate, or City Cemetery, shown in an 1876 map by William P. Humphreys & Co.\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1440x879.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-400x244.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-800x489.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1180x721.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-960x586.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Gate, or City Cemetery, shown in an 1876 map by William P. Humphreys & Co. (David Rumsey Map Collection) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Public Opinion Turns\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>By 1880, San Franciscans had grown disenchanted with its burgeoning population of dead folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Headlines like “Cemeteries must go!” began to show up in local newspapers, and residents became concerned over hysterical claims about health hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Scientists warned that throat maladies constantly assume a malignant type … when the patients are exposed to a wind that blows from a crowded cemetery,” wrote Svanevik and co-author Shirley Burgett in their book “\u003ca href=\"https://books.google.com/books?id=A_AXAQAAMAAJ&q=city+of+souls+colma&dq=city+of+souls+colma&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWhai10srJAhUBUmMKHS-cAc4Q6AEIHDAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">City of Souls\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1901, San Francisco banned any new burials within city limits, part of what Svanevik and Burgett call a relentless assault on the city’s “belt of death.” For several decades, what to do with the cemeteries was a hot-button issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795858\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795858\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795858 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-800x606.jpg\" alt=\"With no endowments to pay for upkeep, cemeteries like Laurel Hill pictured here, fell into ruin. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"800\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-800x606.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-400x303.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-768x582.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1440x1091.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1920x1454.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1180x894.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-960x727.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With no endowments to pay for upkeep, cemeteries like Laurel Hill, pictured here, fell into ruin. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(CREDIT)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those who coveted valuable graveyard land could rely on at least one legitimate talking point: The cemeteries had become a real mess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After San Francisco ended new burials, there was no money to care for existing cemetery grounds, and many graveyards fell into ruin. Statues and gravestones were toppled. The valuable bronze doors on private mausoleums were stolen. People would reportedly wander in and get drunk, or have late-night sex orgies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Entire skeletons were carried away to be used as Halloween decorations,” says Svanevik.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s even met people who report playing soccer with skulls.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Colma: The Incorporation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The first to move out of San Francisco were two Jewish cemeteries, Hills of Eternity and Home of Peace. In the 1880s, they abandoned the plots of land that now make up Dolores Park for the open farm area of Colma. A few years later, the San Francisco Archdiocese, running out of room in San Francisco, established Colma’s Holy Cross Cemetery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As space for San Francisco burials grew tighter, more of San Francisco’s cemetery associations looked south, purchasing large plots of Colma’s farmland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10787086\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/San-Francisco-Jewish-Cemeteries.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10787086\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10787086 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1440x875.jpg\" alt=\"Until the 1880s, two Jewish cemeteries stood where Dolores Park is today. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"640\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1440x875.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-400x243.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-800x486.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1180x717.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-960x583.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Until the 1880s, two Jewish cemeteries stood where Dolores Park is today. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1924, 14 cemetery associations incorporated the town of Lawndale (Colma’s original name). It is the only city incorporated for the sole purpose of preserving and protecting the dead, says the historical association’s Pat Hatfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The founders had good reason to be explicit about the new town’s purpose. After all, many of the remains that came to Colma had been moved several times. A body could have first been buried in the Gold Rush cemetery, only to be moved to Yerba Buena Cemetery, on to City Cemetery by the Legion of Honor, and finally to the cemetery complex where USF now stands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t want living people in Colma,” says Svanevik. “Every time somebody came forth and wanted to open a store, the town council voted it down, unless it was a floral shop or something associated with a cemetery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco: And Then There Were Five\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>By the 1920s, the only San Francisco cemeteries remaining were the so-called Big Four as well as the one at Mission Dolores. In the face of public hostility, the Odd Fellows and Masonic cemeteries agreed to move to Colma, but 17 families went to federal court to block the Masonic move. Those bodies were transferred only after sale of the land was approved in a 1930 Supreme Court ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795864\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795864\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795864 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-800x508.jpg\" alt=\"Calvary cemetery from above in the 1930s. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"800\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-800x508.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-400x254.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-768x488.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1440x915.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1920x1220.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1180x750.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-960x610.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Calvary Cemetery from above in the 1930s. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Catholic Church successfully made the case that the Mission Dolores cemetery should be allowed to stay for historical reasons. Andrew Galvan of Mission Dolores says just 60 bodies were moved to Colma between 1930 and 1932.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Catholic Church also balked at uprooting Calvary Cemetery. The archdiocese didn’t like the idea of giving future plot owners in other cemeteries the idea that nothing is sacred or permanent — not even the place where you are laid to rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But eventually they relented, which left one cemetery — Laurel Hill. The rectangle of graves \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/laurelmap.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bounded by California, Geary, Parker and Presidio streets\u003c/a> was the lone holdout.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignleft\">\n\u003ch2>More on Colma\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/is-colma-actually-shaped-like-an-angel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://u.s.kqed.net/2015/12/16/colmaoutline.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Is Colma Shaped Like an Angel? Or Daemon?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/growing-up-in-colma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://u.s.kqed.net/2015/12/16/smallcemetery.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>What’s It Like to Grow Up in Colma?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Anti-cemetery activists made three unsuccessful attempts at ridding the city of Laurel Hill by putting the issue before voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1937 they \u003ca href=\"http://sfpl.org/pdf/main/gic/elections/November2_1937.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tried once more\u003c/a>. \u003cspan class=\"s1\">The official argument against the measure alluded to the many notable pioneers buried in the cemetery. “Gratitude and common decency should permit these dead to rest in honored peace,” it said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">On the pro-eviction side, proponents included photos of the decrepit graveyard marred by tumbled tombstones, above captions such as “Is this ‘respect for our dead’?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">This time, the measure to evict passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Removing the Bodies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Exhumation and transportation of the bodies was a very sophisticated operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the casket was in good shape, they moved it with the body. If the casket had deteriorated, the bones were placed in boxes. Remains were required to be brought by hearse on the same day as exhumation, says Svanevik. The Catholic Church also required a priest to witness the exhumation of any bodies from Calvary Cemetery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Condition of remains disinterred varied from ‘dust’ to almost perfectly embalmed bodies, the latter resulting from filling of cast-iron caskets with groundwater acting as a preservative,” wrote William Proctor, in a 1950 \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcpr.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Department of City Planning report\u003c/a>. “The smell of death was often present, even though the remains had been laid to rest from thirty to seventy years previously,” the head of the disinterment told Proctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795860\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3723px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795860\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795860 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg\" alt=\"Workers remove bodies from the Odd Fellows cemetery. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"3723\" height=\"1578\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg 3723w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-400x170.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-800x339.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-768x326.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1440x610.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1920x814.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1180x500.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-960x407.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3723px) 100vw, 3723px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers remove bodies from the Odd Fellows Cemetery. (Colma Historical Association)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>About 130,000 bodies were disinterred from the “Big Four” cemeteries and moved to Colma. Most were reburied in mass graves, with a single monument to mark their presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the 55,000 Catholic pioneers who were moved from San Francisco to Holy Cross in Colma, no marker identified them at their new resting place until 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where the Tombstones Went\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When the San Francisco cemeteries were moved, the bodies were transported for free, but survivors had to pay if they wanted to keep the tombstones. Many survivors couldn’t be found, and the majority of tombstones did not make the trip to Colma. Instead, they were sold for a few pennies each to be used in public works, says Svanevik.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some lined the gutters, which you can \u003ca href=\"http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/4840-the-gutters-in-buena-vista-park-are-made-out-of-old-headstones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">still see\u003c/a>, in San Francisco’s Buena Vista Park. Others were spread around the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Priceless crypts, tombs and private mausoleums were unceremoniously dumped in San Francisco Bay to create breakwaters at Aquatic Park and Saint Francis yacht club,” wrote Svanevik and Burgett in “City of Souls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And discarded tombstones were used to build a seawall along the Great Highway. They still resurface from time to time, as they did \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Tombstones-from-long-ago-surfacing-on-S-F-beach-3618805.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in 2012 at Ocean Beach.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Some Left Behind\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“They missed a lot of the bodies,” says Alan Ziajka, the University of San Francisco’s official historian, speaking of the mass transfer to Colma. “No one knew that until 1950, when we put up our first major building after the Depression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/virtual-tour/main-campus/gleeson-library\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gleeson Library\u003c/a>, which like much of the university was built over what was once Masonic Cemetery. At least 200 bodies were found during excavations, when a backhoe churned up a whole mausoleum. Since then, every time a major excavation has occurred on campus, remains have been found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A work crew breaking ground on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/housing/residence-halls/hayes-healy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hayes-Healy residence hall\u003c/a> in 1966 “came upon so many bones and skulls that they refused to continue working until the human remains were moved from the site,” Ziajka wrote in his book, “Lighting the City, Changing the World, a History of the Sciences at the University of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2011, when excavations began for the university’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/virtual-tour/main-campus/lo-schiavo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Lo Schiavo, S.J. Center for Science and Innovation\u003c/a>, roughly 55 coffins, 29 skeletons and several skulls were unearthed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Legion of Honor: Where Bodies are Buried\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>One of the most startling cemetery discoveries came in 1993, when the Legion of Honor was undergoing seismic renovation. As the dig began, about 750 bodies were discovered from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcit.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Gate Cemetery\u003c/a>, also called City Cemetery, which was used from 1868 to 1909. About 18,000 people were buried there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1718px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcitmap2.jpg\" alt=\"null\" width=\"1718\" height=\"1706\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diagram of where human remains were found during a seismic renovation at the Legion of Honor in 1993. ( From ‘Health and Disease in 19th Century San Francisco,’ published in Historical Archaeology, 2005.)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-12/news/mn-56166_1_san-francisco-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">L.A. Times reported\u003c/a> that remains included “a man who had a third arm buried with him, several medical-school cadavers and two coffins containing remnants of \u003ca href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-receive-patent-for-blue-jeans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">denim with rivets stamped \u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-receive-patent-for-blue-jeans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Levi\u003c/a>.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One person who got a close-up look at the Legion of Honor remains was photographer Richard Barnes. His \u003ca href=\"http://www.richardbarnes.net/still-rooms/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">exhibit on the discovery \u003c/a>has traveled around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the juxtaposition with the grand temple of art is pretty interesting,” Barnes says. “The idea of preservation of the past and what that represents. Whose past is honored and secured and whose is expendable?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barnes told \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/history-of-the-dead/Content?oid=2134634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SF Weekly\u003c/a> in 1997 that the original Legion of Honor contractors, working in the early 1920s, “just plowed through burial sites, and plumbers laid pipes right through bodies and skeletons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They threw headstones off the cliff into the ocean,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10789711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco/stillrooms_008\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10789711\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10789711 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008.jpg\" alt='From the Richard Barnes exhibit \"Still Rooms & Excavations\" (Richard Barnes)' width=\"750\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008.jpg 750w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008-400x305.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the Richard Barnes exhibit ‘Still Rooms & Excavations’ (Richard Barnes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10789712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco/stillrooms_009\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10789712\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10789712 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009.jpg\" alt='Remains found during renovation at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, 1993. From the Richard Barnes exhibit \"Still Rooms & Excavations.\" (Colma Historical Association)' width=\"750\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009.jpg 750w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009-400x315.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Remains found during renovation at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, 1993. From the Richard Barnes exhibit ‘Still Rooms & Excavations.’ (Colma Historical Association)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Lincoln Park Golf Course was also built where Golden Gate Cemetery once stood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/site/lincolnparkgolfclub/History-of-Lincoln-Park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> course’s website\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“What is presently the eighteenth fairway of the golf course was a burial ground, primarily for the city’s Italian community. The area that now constitutes the first and thirteenth fairway was the Chinese section of the cemetery and the high terrain at the fifteen fairway and thirteenth tee was a Serbian resting place.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003ch3>Can It Happen Again?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Some find the odyssey of San Francisco’s dead prior to the 20th century unnerving. Who knew that after you die, your body could be so peripatetic?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is a testament to the reality that your remains may \u003cem>not\u003c/em> remain … or that they may remain when they’re not \u003cem>supposed\u003c/em> to — and you’ll get a building on top of you to boot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ensuring that your final resting place is \u003cem>really\u003c/em> your final resting place was the very idea behind establishing Colma as a modern-day necropolis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even in Colma, the sanctity of the grave is not what it used to be. The needs and whims of the living have encroached over the years. For example, \u003ca href=\"http://smcgs.blogspot.com/2013/11/sunset-view-cemetery-sanfranciscos.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sunset View Cemetery\u003c/a>, a burial ground for paupers, in 1951 became a golf course. (\u003ca href=\"http://sflib1.sfpl.org:82/search/a?searchtype=X&searcharg=%22sunset%22+view+cemetery&SORT=D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Photos of the defunct cemetery\u003c/a> at the San Francisco Public Library.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question I get so frequently is: ‘Is Colma safe?’ “says Svanevik. “I want to say Colma is safe, but I’ve noticed since 1970 the largest auto row south of San Francisco is in Colma. They have a Home Depot. At one point a portion of Greenlawn cemetery was cut away to make a movie theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can stand in Colma cemeteries today and hear a PA system say, ‘Your car is ready to be serviced.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so it goes …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[ad floatright]\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>[baycuriousquestion]\u003c/p>\n\n",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003cp>\u003cem>This article was originally published Oct. 26, 2017. \u003c/em>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>When you drive around the tiny town of Colma, just south of Daly City, you can’t help but notice a certain redundancy of scenery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Tombstones. A florist …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>More tombstones … another florist.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>What Las Vegas is to gambling, Colma is to death.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"content": "\u003cdiv class=\"post-body\">\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Nearly three-quarters of the 2.2-square-mile town is zoned for cemeteries — of which there are 17.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Colma is the last place you want to be when the zombie apocalypse goes down.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003caside class=\"alignleft utils-parseShortcode-shortcodes-__bayCuriousPodcastShortcode__bayCurious\">\u003cimg src=https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/bayCuriousLogo.png alt=\"Bay Curious Podcast\" loading=\"lazy\" />\n \u003ca href=\"/news/series/baycurious\">Bay Curious\u003c/a> is a podcast that answers your questions about the Bay Area.\n Subscribe on \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/bay-curious/id1172473406\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Apple Podcasts\u003c/a>,\n \u003ca href=\"http://www.npr.org/podcasts/500557090/bay-curious\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">NPR One\u003c/a> or your favorite podcast platform.\u003c/aside>\u003c/p>\u003cp>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The town’s population is 1,431, says Pat Hatfield of the local historical association.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Of the living …,” I clarify.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>She nods. “Above-ground residents, we call them. Maybe a million and a half underground, so we’re a little bit outgunned.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795849\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795849\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-10795849\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg\" alt=\"In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible for as far as the eye can see.\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-800x533.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-400x267.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-768x512.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1440x960.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1920x1280.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/V0A9321-960x640.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">In many parts of Colma, neat rows of gravestones are visible for as far as the eye can see. \u003ccite>(Olivia Allen-Price/KQED)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The association’s headquarters sits quietly between two cemeteries. It doubles as a museum, with binders on display for each of the town’s final resting places. Flip through and your eye catches on bold-letter names like Joe DiMaggio and William Randolph Hearst. When death got the drop on Wyatt Earp, the legendary Old West lawman was buried in Hills of Eternity Memorial Park, a Jewish cemetery. (\u003ca href=\"http://www.neatorama.com/2011/11/16/why-wyatt-earp-is-buried-in-a-jewish-cemetery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Here’s why\u003c/a>.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>On the other hand, if you want to browse graves in San Francisco, your choices are limited.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>There’s \u003ca href=\"http://www.cem.va.gov/cems/nchp/sanfrancisco.asp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco National Cemetery\u003c/a> in the Presidio, but that’s technically on federal land.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The lone cemetery in the city proper is at \u003ca href=\"http://cemeterytravel.com/2011/04/27/cemetery-of-the-week-13-mission-dolores-cemetery/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Mission Dolores\u003c/a>. But the cemetery is just one-sixth its original size, says Andrew Galvan, the Mission Dolores curator. Eleven thousand dead people were buried there from 1782 to 1898.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>All right. That accounts for thousands of expired locals.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Where’s everybody else?\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco Graveyards of the Past\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>San Francisco was once \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">full of cemeteries\u003c/a>.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“In the Gold Rush days they decided to build cemeteries in the western part of the city, where nobody would ever want to live,” says Michael Svanevik, a San Mateo County historian who’s the go-to guy on this topic.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Four huge cemeteries — Laurel Hill, Calvary, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Masonic Cemetery — were established on land the University of San Francisco occupies today. These cemeteries took up between 60 and 70 square blocks. Golden Gate Cemetery, out by Lands End, took up a similar swath of space.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10785902\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 720px\">\u003ca href=\"http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/view/search?QuickSearchA=QuickSearchA&q=san+francisco+cemeteries&sort=pub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_list_no_initialsort%2Cpub_date&search=Search\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10785902\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873.jpg\" alt=\"Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873\" width=\"720\" height=\"513\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873.jpg 720w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/Cemetery-map-highlighted_1873-400x285.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">An 1873 map shows the ‘Big Four’ cemeteries in San Francisco. (David Rumsey Map Collection) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>As San Francisco’s population rapidly grew, homes were built on all sides of the cemetery complex. Streetcars had to navigate around these islands of the dead to transport residents to work and back.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“This now became very valuable land, and people turned against the cemeteries,” Svanevik says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Just when you think the living have a hard time holding onto their place in San Francisco, imagine how the \u003cem>dead\u003c/em> fared.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10787031\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/San-Francisco-Golden-Gate-Cemetery.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10787031\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10787031 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1440x879.jpg\" alt=\"Golden Gate, or City Cemetery, shown in an 1876 map by William P. Humphreys & Co.\" width=\"640\" height=\"391\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1440x879.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-400x244.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-800x489.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-1180x721.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023-960x586.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/00944023.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Golden Gate, or City Cemetery, shown in an 1876 map by William P. Humphreys & Co. (David Rumsey Map Collection) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003ch3>Public Opinion Turns\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>By 1880, San Franciscans had grown disenchanted with its burgeoning population of dead folks.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Headlines like “Cemeteries must go!” began to show up in local newspapers, and residents became concerned over hysterical claims about health hazards.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Scientists warned that throat maladies constantly assume a malignant type … when the patients are exposed to a wind that blows from a crowded cemetery,” wrote Svanevik and co-author Shirley Burgett in their book “\u003ca href=\"https://books.google.com/books?id=A_AXAQAAMAAJ&q=city+of+souls+colma&dq=city+of+souls+colma&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjWhai10srJAhUBUmMKHS-cAc4Q6AEIHDAA\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">City of Souls\u003c/a>.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1901, San Francisco banned any new burials within city limits, part of what Svanevik and Burgett call a relentless assault on the city’s “belt of death.” For several decades, what to do with the cemeteries was a hot-button issue.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795858\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795858\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795858 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-800x606.jpg\" alt=\"With no endowments to pay for upkeep, cemeteries like Laurel Hill pictured here, fell into ruin. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"800\" height=\"606\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-800x606.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-400x303.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-768x582.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1440x1091.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1920x1454.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-1180x894.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/lonehill-960x727.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">With no endowments to pay for upkeep, cemeteries like Laurel Hill, pictured here, fell into ruin. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(CREDIT)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>Those who coveted valuable graveyard land could rely on at least one legitimate talking point: The cemeteries had become a real mess.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>After San Francisco ended new burials, there was no money to care for existing cemetery grounds, and many graveyards fell into ruin. Statues and gravestones were toppled. The valuable bronze doors on private mausoleums were stolen. People would reportedly wander in and get drunk, or have late-night sex orgies.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Entire skeletons were carried away to be used as Halloween decorations,” says Svanevik.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>He’s even met people who report playing soccer with skulls.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Colma: The Incorporation\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>The first to move out of San Francisco were two Jewish cemeteries, Hills of Eternity and Home of Peace. In the 1880s, they abandoned the plots of land that now make up Dolores Park for the open farm area of Colma. A few years later, the San Francisco Archdiocese, running out of room in San Francisco, established Colma’s Holy Cross Cemetery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>As space for San Francisco burials grew tighter, more of San Francisco’s cemetery associations looked south, purchasing large plots of Colma’s farmland.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10787086\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 640px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2015/12/San-Francisco-Jewish-Cemeteries.png\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10787086\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10787086 size-large\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1440x875.jpg\" alt=\"Until the 1880s, two Jewish cemeteries stood where Dolores Park is today. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"640\" height=\"389\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1440x875.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-400x243.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-800x486.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-1180x717.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg-960x583.jpg 960w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/Jewish-cemeteries-lg.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Until the 1880s, two Jewish cemeteries stood where Dolores Park is today. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(David Rumsey Historical Map Collection)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>In 1924, 14 cemetery associations incorporated the town of Lawndale (Colma’s original name). It is the only city incorporated for the sole purpose of preserving and protecting the dead, says the historical association’s Pat Hatfield.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The founders had good reason to be explicit about the new town’s purpose. After all, many of the remains that came to Colma had been moved several times. A body could have first been buried in the Gold Rush cemetery, only to be moved to Yerba Buena Cemetery, on to City Cemetery by the Legion of Honor, and finally to the cemetery complex where USF now stands.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They didn’t want living people in Colma,” says Svanevik. “Every time somebody came forth and wanted to open a store, the town council voted it down, unless it was a floral shop or something associated with a cemetery.”\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>San Francisco: And Then There Were Five\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>By the 1920s, the only San Francisco cemeteries remaining were the so-called Big Four as well as the one at Mission Dolores. In the face of public hostility, the Odd Fellows and Masonic cemeteries agreed to move to Colma, but 17 families went to federal court to block the Masonic move. Those bodies were transferred only after sale of the land was approved in a 1930 Supreme Court ruling.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795864\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 800px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795864\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795864 size-medium\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-800x508.jpg\" alt=\"Calvary cemetery from above in the 1930s. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"800\" height=\"508\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-800x508.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-400x254.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-768x488.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1440x915.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1920x1220.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-1180x750.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/calvary-960x610.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Calvary Cemetery from above in the 1930s. (Colma Historical Association) \u003ccite>(San Francisco Public Library)\u003c/cite>\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Catholic Church successfully made the case that the Mission Dolores cemetery should be allowed to stay for historical reasons. Andrew Galvan of Mission Dolores says just 60 bodies were moved to Colma between 1930 and 1932.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>The Catholic Church also balked at uprooting Calvary Cemetery. The archdiocese didn’t like the idea of giving future plot owners in other cemeteries the idea that nothing is sacred or permanent — not even the place where you are laid to rest.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>But eventually they relented, which left one cemetery — Laurel Hill. The rectangle of graves \u003ca href=\"http://www.sanfranciscocemeteries.com/laurelmap.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">bounded by California, Geary, Parker and Presidio streets\u003c/a> was the lone holdout.\u003c/p>\n\u003caside class=\"alignleft\">\n\u003ch2>More on Colma\u003c/h2>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/is-colma-actually-shaped-like-an-angel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://u.s.kqed.net/2015/12/16/colmaoutline.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Is Colma Shaped Like an Angel? Or Daemon?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/growing-up-in-colma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" src=\"http://u.s.kqed.net/2015/12/16/smallcemetery.jpg\" alt=\"\">\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>What’s It Like to Grow Up in Colma?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp> \u003c/p>\n\u003c/aside>\n\u003cp>Anti-cemetery activists made three unsuccessful attempts at ridding the city of Laurel Hill by putting the issue before voters.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 1937 they \u003ca href=\"http://sfpl.org/pdf/main/gic/elections/November2_1937.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">tried once more\u003c/a>. \u003cspan class=\"s1\">The official argument against the measure alluded to the many notable pioneers buried in the cemetery. “Gratitude and common decency should permit these dead to rest in honored peace,” it said.\u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">\u003cspan class=\"s1\">On the pro-eviction side, proponents included photos of the decrepit graveyard marred by tumbled tombstones, above captions such as “Is this ‘respect for our dead’?” \u003c/span>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp class=\"p1\">This time, the measure to evict passed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Removing the Bodies\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Exhumation and transportation of the bodies was a very sophisticated operation.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>If the casket was in good shape, they moved it with the body. If the casket had deteriorated, the bones were placed in boxes. Remains were required to be brought by hearse on the same day as exhumation, says Svanevik. The Catholic Church also required a priest to witness the exhumation of any bodies from Calvary Cemetery.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Condition of remains disinterred varied from ‘dust’ to almost perfectly embalmed bodies, the latter resulting from filling of cast-iron caskets with groundwater acting as a preservative,” wrote William Proctor, in a 1950 \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcpr.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">San Francisco Department of City Planning report\u003c/a>. “The smell of death was often present, even though the remains had been laid to rest from thirty to seventy years previously,” the head of the disinterment told Proctor.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10795860\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 3723px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10795860\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10795860 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg\" alt=\"Workers remove bodies from the Odd Fellows cemetery. (Colma Historical Association)\" width=\"3723\" height=\"1578\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows.jpg 3723w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-400x170.jpg 400w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-800x339.jpg 800w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-768x326.jpg 768w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1440x610.jpg 1440w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1920x814.jpg 1920w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-1180x500.jpg 1180w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/oddfellows-960x407.jpg 960w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 3723px) 100vw, 3723px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Workers remove bodies from the Odd Fellows Cemetery. (Colma Historical Association)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>About 130,000 bodies were disinterred from the “Big Four” cemeteries and moved to Colma. Most were reburied in mass graves, with a single monument to mark their presence.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>For the 55,000 Catholic pioneers who were moved from San Francisco to Holy Cross in Colma, no marker identified them at their new resting place until 1993.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Where the Tombstones Went\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>When the San Francisco cemeteries were moved, the bodies were transported for free, but survivors had to pay if they wanted to keep the tombstones. Many survivors couldn’t be found, and the majority of tombstones did not make the trip to Colma. Instead, they were sold for a few pennies each to be used in public works, says Svanevik.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Some lined the gutters, which you can \u003ca href=\"http://www.thebolditalic.com/articles/4840-the-gutters-in-buena-vista-park-are-made-out-of-old-headstones\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">still see\u003c/a>, in San Francisco’s Buena Vista Park. Others were spread around the city.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“Priceless crypts, tombs and private mausoleums were unceremoniously dumped in San Francisco Bay to create breakwaters at Aquatic Park and Saint Francis yacht club,” wrote Svanevik and Burgett in “City of Souls.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And discarded tombstones were used to build a seawall along the Great Highway. They still resurface from time to time, as they did \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/Tombstones-from-long-ago-surfacing-on-S-F-beach-3618805.php\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">in 2012 at Ocean Beach.\u003c/a>\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Some Left Behind\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>“They missed a lot of the bodies,” says Alan Ziajka, the University of San Francisco’s official historian, speaking of the mass transfer to Colma. “No one knew that until 1950, when we put up our first major building after the Depression.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>That was \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/virtual-tour/main-campus/gleeson-library\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Gleeson Library\u003c/a>, which like much of the university was built over what was once Masonic Cemetery. At least 200 bodies were found during excavations, when a backhoe churned up a whole mausoleum. Since then, every time a major excavation has occurred on campus, remains have been found.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>A work crew breaking ground on the \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/housing/residence-halls/hayes-healy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Hayes-Healy residence hall\u003c/a> in 1966 “came upon so many bones and skulls that they refused to continue working until the human remains were moved from the site,” Ziajka wrote in his book, “Lighting the City, Changing the World, a History of the Sciences at the University of San Francisco.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>In 2011, when excavations began for the university’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.usfca.edu/virtual-tour/main-campus/lo-schiavo\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">John Lo Schiavo, S.J. Center for Science and Innovation\u003c/a>, roughly 55 coffins, 29 skeletons and several skulls were unearthed.\u003c/p>\n\u003ch3>Legion of Honor: Where Bodies are Buried\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>One of the most startling cemetery discoveries came in 1993, when the Legion of Honor was undergoing seismic renovation. As the dig began, about 750 bodies were discovered from the \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcit.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Golden Gate Cemetery\u003c/a>, also called City Cemetery, which was used from 1868 to 1909. About 18,000 people were buried there.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 1718px\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http://www.sfgenealogy.com/sf/history/hcmcitmap2.jpg\" alt=\"null\" width=\"1718\" height=\"1706\">\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">A diagram of where human remains were found during a seismic renovation at the Legion of Honor in 1993. ( From ‘Health and Disease in 19th Century San Francisco,’ published in Historical Archaeology, 2005.)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The \u003ca href=\"http://articles.latimes.com/1993-11-12/news/mn-56166_1_san-francisco-history\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">L.A. Times reported\u003c/a> that remains included “a man who had a third arm buried with him, several medical-school cadavers and two coffins containing remnants of \u003ca href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-receive-patent-for-blue-jeans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">denim with rivets stamped \u003c/a>\u003ci>\u003ca href=\"http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/levi-strauss-and-jacob-davis-receive-patent-for-blue-jeans\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Levi\u003c/a>.”\u003c/i>\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>One person who got a close-up look at the Legion of Honor remains was photographer Richard Barnes. His \u003ca href=\"http://www.richardbarnes.net/still-rooms/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">exhibit on the discovery \u003c/a>has traveled around the country.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I think the juxtaposition with the grand temple of art is pretty interesting,” Barnes says. “The idea of preservation of the past and what that represents. Whose past is honored and secured and whose is expendable?”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Barnes told \u003ca href=\"http://www.sfweekly.com/sanfrancisco/history-of-the-dead/Content?oid=2134634\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">SF Weekly\u003c/a> in 1997 that the original Legion of Honor contractors, working in the early 1920s, “just plowed through burial sites, and plumbers laid pipes right through bodies and skeletons.”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“They threw headstones off the cliff into the ocean,” he says.\u003c/p>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10789711\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco/stillrooms_008\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10789711\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10789711 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008.jpg\" alt='From the Richard Barnes exhibit \"Still Rooms & Excavations\" (Richard Barnes)' width=\"750\" height=\"571\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008.jpg 750w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_008-400x305.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">From the Richard Barnes exhibit ‘Still Rooms & Excavations’ (Richard Barnes)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cfigure id=\"attachment_10789712\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"max-width: 750px\">\u003ca href=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/2015/12/16/why-are-so-many-dead-people-in-colma-and-so-few-in-san-francisco/stillrooms_009\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-10789712\">\u003cimg decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-10789712 size-full\" src=\"http://ww2.kqed.org/news/wp-content/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009.jpg\" alt='Remains found during renovation at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, 1993. From the Richard Barnes exhibit \"Still Rooms & Excavations.\" (Colma Historical Association)' width=\"750\" height=\"591\" srcset=\"https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009.jpg 750w, https://ww2.kqed.org/app/uploads/sites/10/2026/12/stillrooms_009-400x315.jpg 400w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 750px) 100vw, 750px\">\u003c/a>\u003cfigcaption class=\"wp-caption-text\">Remains found during renovation at the Legion of Honor in San Francisco, 1993. From the Richard Barnes exhibit ‘Still Rooms & Excavations.’ (Colma Historical Association)\u003c/figcaption>\u003c/figure>\n\u003cp>The Lincoln Park Golf Course was also built where Golden Gate Cemetery once stood.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>From the \u003ca href=\"https://sites.google.com/site/lincolnparkgolfclub/History-of-Lincoln-Park\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"> course’s website\u003c/a>:\u003c/p>\n\u003cblockquote>\u003cp>“What is presently the eighteenth fairway of the golf course was a burial ground, primarily for the city’s Italian community. The area that now constitutes the first and thirteenth fairway was the Chinese section of the cemetery and the high terrain at the fifteen fairway and thirteenth tee was a Serbian resting place.”\u003c/p>\u003c/blockquote>\n\u003ch3>Can It Happen Again?\u003c/h3>\n\u003cp>Some find the odyssey of San Francisco’s dead prior to the 20th century unnerving. Who knew that after you die, your body could be so peripatetic?\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>San Francisco is a testament to the reality that your remains may \u003cem>not\u003c/em> remain … or that they may remain when they’re not \u003cem>supposed\u003c/em> to — and you’ll get a building on top of you to boot.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Ensuring that your final resting place is \u003cem>really\u003c/em> your final resting place was the very idea behind establishing Colma as a modern-day necropolis.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>Yet even in Colma, the sanctity of the grave is not what it used to be. The needs and whims of the living have encroached over the years. For example, \u003ca href=\"http://smcgs.blogspot.com/2013/11/sunset-view-cemetery-sanfranciscos.html\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sunset View Cemetery\u003c/a>, a burial ground for paupers, in 1951 became a golf course. (\u003ca href=\"http://sflib1.sfpl.org:82/search/a?searchtype=X&searcharg=%22sunset%22+view+cemetery&SORT=D\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Photos of the defunct cemetery\u003c/a> at the San Francisco Public Library.)\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“The question I get so frequently is: ‘Is Colma safe?’ “says Svanevik. “I want to say Colma is safe, but I’ve noticed since 1970 the largest auto row south of San Francisco is in Colma. They have a Home Depot. At one point a portion of Greenlawn cemetery was cut away to make a movie theater.\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>“I can stand in Colma cemeteries today and hear a PA system say, ‘Your car is ready to be serviced.’ ”\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>And so it goes …\u003c/p>\n\u003cp>\u003c/p>\u003c/div>",
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"info": "What kind of no sabo word is Hyphenación? For us, it’s about living within a hyphenation. Like being a third-gen Mexican-American from the Texas border now living that Bay Area Chicano life. Like Xorje! Each week we bring together a couple of hyphenated Latinos to talk all about personal life choices: family, careers, relationships, belonging … everything is on the table. ",
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"info": "Our flagship program, helmed by Kai Ryssdal, examines what the day in money delivered, through stories, conversations, newsworthy numbers and more. Updated Monday through Friday at about 3:30 p.m. PT.",
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"mindshift": {
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"info": "The MindShift podcast explores the innovations in education that are shaping how kids learn. Hosts Ki Sung and Katrina Schwartz introduce listeners to educators, researchers, parents and students who are developing effective ways to improve how kids learn. We cover topics like how fed-up administrators are developing surprising tactics to deal with classroom disruptions; how listening to podcasts are helping kids develop reading skills; the consequences of overparenting; and why interdisciplinary learning can engage students on all ends of the traditional achievement spectrum. This podcast is part of the MindShift education site, a division of KQED News. KQED is an NPR/PBS member station based in San Francisco. You can also visit the MindShift website for episodes and supplemental blog posts or tweet us \u003ca href=\"https://twitter.com/MindShiftKQED\">@MindShiftKQED\u003c/a> or visit us at \u003ca href=\"/mindshift\">MindShift.KQED.org\u003c/a>",
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"order": 12
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"info": "For decades, the process for how police police themselves has been inconsistent – if not opaque. In some states, like California, these proceedings were completely hidden. After a new police transparency law unsealed scores of internal affairs files, our reporters set out to examine these cases and the shadow world of police discipline. On Our Watch brings listeners into the rooms where officers are questioned and witnesses are interrogated to find out who this system is really protecting. Is it the officers, or the public they've sworn to serve?",
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"politicalbreakdown": {
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"title": "Political Breakdown",
"tagline": "Politics from a personal perspective",
"info": "Political Breakdown is a new series that explores the political intersection of California and the nation. Each week hosts Scott Shafer and Marisa Lagos are joined with a new special guest to unpack politics -- with personality — and offer an insider’s glimpse at how politics happens.",
"airtime": "THU 6:30pm-7pm",
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"possible": {
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"title": "Possible",
"info": "Possible is hosted by entrepreneur Reid Hoffman and writer Aria Finger. Together in Possible, Hoffman and Finger lead enlightening discussions about building a brighter collective future. The show features interviews with visionary guests like Trevor Noah, Sam Altman and Janette Sadik-Khan. Possible paints an optimistic portrait of the world we can create through science, policy, business, art and our shared humanity. It asks: What if everything goes right for once? How can we get there? Each episode also includes a short fiction story generated by advanced AI GPT-4, serving as a thought-provoking springboard to speculate how humanity could leverage technology for good.",
"airtime": "SUN 2pm",
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"pri-the-world": {
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"title": "PRI's The World: Latest Edition",
"info": "Each weekday, host Marco Werman and his team of producers bring you the world's most interesting stories in an hour of radio that reminds us just how small our planet really is.",
"airtime": "MON-FRI 2pm-3pm",
"imageSrc": "https://cdn.kqed.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/The-World-Podcast-Tile-360x360-1.jpg",
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},
"radiolab": {
"id": "radiolab",
"title": "Radiolab",
"info": "A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder. WNYC Studios is the producer of other leading podcasts including Freakonomics Radio, Death, Sex & Money, On the Media and many more.",
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},
"reveal": {
"id": "reveal",
"title": "Reveal",
"info": "Created by The Center for Investigative Reporting and PRX, Reveal is public radios first one-hour weekly radio show and podcast dedicated to investigative reporting. Credible, fact based and without a partisan agenda, Reveal combines the power and artistry of driveway moment storytelling with data-rich reporting on critically important issues. The result is stories that inform and inspire, arming our listeners with information to right injustices, hold the powerful accountable and improve lives.Reveal is hosted by Al Letson and showcases the award-winning work of CIR and newsrooms large and small across the nation. In a radio and podcast market crowded with choices, Reveal focuses on important and often surprising stories that illuminate the world for our listeners.",
"airtime": "SAT 4pm-5pm",
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"officialWebsiteLink": "https://www.revealnews.org/episodes/",
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"link": "/radio/program/reveal",
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"rss": "http://feeds.revealradio.org/revealpodcast"
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},
"rightnowish": {
"id": "rightnowish",
"title": "Rightnowish",
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