Assignment 3

For secondary sources, I found one author in particular that really broke down the area known as Mt. Eden Today, And that is Author John Sandoval and his book Mt Eden-the cradle of the salt industry. Mr Sandoval was a great secondary source due to the fact that he got all his information from very credible sources; It is first hand from the pioneers families who have allowed mr Sandoval to sift through their collection of family heirlooms to tell the story. He knew these people, The Olivers, the Mohrs, through been a member of the Mt. Eden Lyons club.
The Most important topic that Mr sandoval wrote about in this book is the way the salt industry evolved into what it was before developers bought the land and built it over. The Salt industry in the area began almost immidietly after the first resident of Mt. Eden, John Johnson, a Scandinavian adventurist who left his country at a young age, squatted on 14 acres of land on what is known as Mt Eden. Johnson, who was more of a business man than a gold miner, noticed the medittereanan weather, soil, and shoreline and saw potential in salt mining.(Sandoval 20). Eventually other pioneers settled in Mt eden, including the Russel City area, and ran the salt industry of the Bay Area, one that would put "Little Copenhagen" on the map.
Mt eden was not a one crop area, however. Grain was a huge part of the industry, as it was shipped to san francisco for processing, and a good resting spot for those looking to venture up north.
Sandoval will be a great help to me because not only has he laid the foundation of what I needed. the history of a little town which thrived on the backs of immigrants who came from nothing, and made it into a huge empire. Many of the houses and huge lots remain in this part of town, and to me they tell a story. What was the use of the huge windmills that are still present today do the wells still work? Why have owners of land in russel city been reluctant to sell their stakes to developers? I want to know all these answers, and that is how i will contribute to the work of Mr. Sandoval. I want to know the story behind the people buried in the Mt. Eden Cementary (I swear I used to have a ghost in my house.. I lived in Waterford Apts, right behind the cementary!) Mohr, Gading, Barton,.... I want to know how these people managed to run this little township on their own ...schools, post office.... These are all questions in need of answers. I will be putting up pictures at the very latest by sunday, I will let the class know when their posted

Juan Barajas

Assignment 2

Upon Doing my research, i have managed to actually find books that are directly related to my topic.!! Mt. Eden, the cradle of the salt industry in California by John Sandoval is a historical context of Mt Eden, and manages to explain the history and important figures of the area! many names that we see in Mt. Eden , such as Clawiter, are simply overlooked as a simple street name, but historical context is never tied into it.Clawiter was a large land owner in the region, who came to this country in hopes of making it big. Indeed big he made it, as Sandoval writes about the 500 acre purchase Mr. Clawiter made of land in the Mt. Eden region in 1877 . The purpose of this land was to grow wheat, and the wheat was then transported to San Francisco. Most of the settlers of the time knew that they would never strike it rich with the gold rush, and the smart ones struck it rich by having businesses and other things that helped maintain society. Mr Clawiter even helped form a cementary for the people of Eden, Which today is located right behind the waterford apts and Chabot College off 92! Him, together with other familiar names such as Gading, and Petermen, hepled establish this fine community, and their names on every other street sign are whats to show. Mt eden sustained itself so well, that the post office still bears its name to this day! You guys should read this book, its a small book, but tis so interisting, you might jsut read it all in one day!

Welcome- Assignment 1

The Topic that I have chosen for research is the history of Mt. Eden here in Hayward, Ca. There were a few reasons for which I chose this topic for research. First, I lived in the area for 2 years, and always wondered how such beautifull place can flourish without fluorescent minds. Second, is the funny history behind how this small "Town" Began. It is said that a a group of people from kentucky came to try and strike it rich in California, only to have gone through enough by the time they hit the area. The settlersthen split their supplies and headed seperate paths, but a few remained and inhabited the place illegally through squatting. They then hung up their wagon cover, which read Mt. Eden Company, which is the town they were from, in between two trees and this part of history began. To me this is very significant in American history because at the time, transportation was a major issue, and people didnt inhabit the west due to poor modes of transportation. What the Eden Company managed to accomplish was an actual voyage in which they traveled almost the entire lenght of the country, and managed to end up in the Bay Area. I also find it amazing how various immigrant groups came to from one city. In Mt Eden , it was people of Dutch and German heritage, but the Portuguese, Japanese, Mexicans, all had a part in forming this great city.