COMMISSION

mission of educating recreationists and the public about the need to protect the environment
while providing recreational opportunities.
Park staff set up outreach booths to provide
education and safety information at farmers’
markets, county fairs, community events, the
annual Oakland Supercross, and special events
held at the SVRA. Interpreters also visit schools
and present an animal program to kindergarten
or first grade students, a third grade history
program, or a career in parks program for
high school students. Carnegie SVRA offers
the Junior Ranger program and hosts the Off-
Highway PALs program. The SVRA also hosts
a variety of OHV special events at which park visitors are educated on the importance of
staying on trails, out of creeks and streams, away from wildlife, and out of closed areas.
Social media is the primary means for SVRA staff to connect with visitors on a daily
basis. Carnegie SVRA’s Facebook page enables staff to communicate park conditions,
educational opportunities, special events, and the status of park projects.
Park History
In 1855, railroad surveyors discovered coal in Corral Hollow that led to the building of
California’s first commercial coal mine and the town of Tesla. High quality clay was later
found in the area, leading to the construction
of the Carnegie Brick and Pottery Company
in 1902. Owner John Treadwell named his
newest enterprise after a man he admired,
philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. A small town
of about 350 residents sprung up that included
a hotel, two bunkhouses, a bakery, saloon,
slaughterhouse, school, and 17 homes. By
1910, as many as 110,000 bricks a day were
being shipped all over California stamped with
Carnegie Brick and Pottery Company plant
the name “Carnegie.” Despite high demand for the products, boiler explosions, repeated
floods, and a bank failure ruined Carnegie Brick and Pottery, and the company was sold to
a competitor in 1916.
2017 Program Report 185