Prior to 1850

(Al Norman's words)

The first known inhabitants of this Metropolitan Oakland area were Indians named the Costanoan or coastal tribes. Their shellmounds in the environs of San Francisco Bay are almost the only witnesses of a practically unknown period in the early history of this region. Friar Fagas, the first traveler through this county, when travelling along the eastern shores of the bay in 1770 and again in 1772, visited the Indians at what was later called Shellmound on the banks of Temescal creek, close to the Bay of San Francisco and just above what is now Park Street in the town of Emeryville. Here he and his companions also found a Temescal, meaning sweat house along side the mound. Between Richmond and Alameda, there were twelve shellmounds at Point Richmond, upon Brook's Island, near Ellis Landing, north of Stege near Seavers Ranch to the west of Stege; on Point Isabel in West Berkeley; in Emeryville and in the eastern section of Alameda, between Mound Central and Lincoln Avenues. It le told that there was one on the east side of the canal between Oakland Harbor and Lake Merritt.

The Shellmound most familiar of these was the one in Shellmound Park a public playground created by Mr _____ wiard in Emeryvllle in _____. On top of this mound Mr Wiard built a dance hall where many of you can remember having had a good time. As a reminder this playplace was created by Mr and Mrs Edward Wiard who leased the place to Mx Capt Ludwig Siebe in 1878 and it will be remembered for it's shooting range. Here William Siebe, who has served as city clerk of the Town of Emeryville was born in 1881. The last of this park came October 5, 1924 and the shellmound made way for industrial growth of the community.

Alternate and additional information:

Native Legacy of Emeryville:

https://emeryvillehistorical.org/centennial-essays/early-history/the-native-legacy-of-emeryville/

John McHenry sold the Emeryville property to William Y. Patch, then San Francisco’s Tax Collector, in 1858. A little over a year later. Patch turned around and sold the property to Edward Wiard who proceeded to develop both an “amusement resort” named “Shell Mound Park” and a race track called the “Oakland Trotting Park.” Shell Mound Park (the shellmound being a prominent feature within the park) was located on the bay side of the property, while the race track lay on the inland (east) side. (Please see Journal of the EHS. Vol. V, No. I, Spring 1994 for a detailed history of the race track by Donald Hausler.)

The race track was operating by the early 1870s, and Shell Mound Park was largely a rifle range in early 1876. In late 1876, Wiard began to make extensive improvements to the park. Plans were made for an octagonal dance pavilion on the summit of the shellmound, and work was underway in early 1877. Completed at the end of February, the pavilion was 90 feet in diameter with a floor-to-ceiling height of 40 feet. No less than 35 group picnics were scheduled for that year’s picnic season.

Back at Shell Mound Park, Wiard leased the park to Captain Ludwig Siebe in 1879. Siebe proceeded to make further improvements to the park, including a second dance pavilion (at ground level), a bowling alley, etc Because of the easy train connection on Oakland’s long wharf, many of the park’s patrons came from San Francisco. Capt. Siebe even established a branch office in San Francisco so that the various organizations and societies there could easily book their annual picnic dates.