March 2004 - Society for California Archaeology

39
Articles
A Brief History of
Russell City, California
Megan Wilkinson
Presidio Trust, San Francisco
Russell City, California emerged as a small Danish
farming community in the mid-1800s. The
demographics of Russell City changed over time, and
by the late 1930s it became predominately African American
and Latino American. It was never an incorporated entity, had
no sewer system and residents relied on well water up until
the 1960s, yet Russell City provided some of its own civic
services. In its latter years, Russell City was considered a
blight to surrounding towns and in 1963 Alameda County
began the forced relocation of its tenants, bulldozed the
entire community, and turned it into an industrial park.
Post Spanish contact, the Yrgin territory fell under Mission
San Jose’s domain. While some Yrgin members participated
in the mission system willingly, others were coerced
(Milliken 1995: 1-2). Mission San Jose was
considered successful in its
founding intent so much
so that, “in the
number of its
No comprehensive history of Russell City existed prior to
this research. To chronicle the events leading up to the
town’s demise, I conducted interviews of ex-residents
and built an archive of newspaper accounts relating
to the city. I also created two maps, one of
landownership circa 1963-1968 and another
representing renter and business information.
This project is essential to reconstruct
Russell City’s past and is meant to provide
the background data for additional projects
that will help secure Russell City’s place
in history.
The Early Years of Russell City:
Pre-Contact Until 1900
The land that was to become Russell City
was originally home Yrgin Native Americans
(Milliken 1995: 261). They were members of
the Penutian linguistic group (Miller et al 1978:
6) and some historians have considered them to
be the same group later known as the Jalquin
(Milliken 1995: 261). Sustaining themselves on the
ample natural biodiversity of the Bay Area, the Yrgin
and the neighboring Tuibun coastal group also took
advantage of the naturally occurring salt ponds around
southern San Francisco Bay to help preserve their food
and cure hides (Sandoval 1945). Later, European settlers
milled the same ponds to initiate the town’s economy.
Figure 1: Joel Russell, 1866
Prohibitionist Party
candidate for Governor.
SCA Newsletter 38(1)