May 10, 2005 > Wild West lecture series at Sunol-Ohlone Regional Park

by Lance Dwyer

Visitors to the Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness Park may be able to appreciate its splendor through its beautiful creek, 4-mile trails and wildflower crop, but as naturalist Erica Oudeboon-Herron hopes, everyone who steps onto the grounds can also learn to love the park for its fascinating history.

Oudeboon-Herron, along with volunteer Patricia Schaffarczyk will give a talk on the families of Mission Peak on May 17. The talk will highlight the history and contributions of the many families who originally lived on the site of Mission Peak, including the Higuera, Columbet, Stanford, Moore and McClure families. The talk will include stories from descendents of these families.

Oudeboon-Herron will also explore the Mission Peak area all the way back to its earliest inhabitants, from American pioneers to the Spanish Missionaries and Ohlone Indians.

The upcoming talk is the third installment of the Wild West lecture series. Previous talks included a discussion of the Geary family and another on the grizzly bear.

Future talks will offer a historical lecture on the Vargas Plateau Hills by Fremont and another documenting the "banditos" and gunfighters such as Joaquin Muiretta and Juan Soto, who were present within the Tri-City and Tri-Valley area during the 1800s.

The Wild West lecture series is part of what Jo Frisch, the park's secretary for 30 years, says is the naturalists' wish "to educate the public about the historical significance of the parklands that has to do with cultural and natural history."

The Families of Mission Peak
Tuesday, May 17
7 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Old Green Barn Visitor Center
Sunol-Ohlone Regional Wilderness Park
Southeast end of Geary Road, Sunol
(925) 862-2601
www.ebparks.org
$5 per person ($7 non-residents of Alameda & Contra Costa Counties)