The earliest land explorations to Alameda and Contra Costa counties were
those of Fages in 1772 and of Anza in 1776. Journals were kept of both
these trips; for the first by Crespi, for the second, by Anza himself
and also by Font. All are well known and are easily available in the
excellent translations by Herbert E. Bolton (1927; 1930). Therefore only
the significant points are abstracted and referred to here.
Coming up from Monterey, the Fages-Crespi expedition camped (Bolton,
1927, p. 284) on March 24, 1772, near Milpitas. On March 25 the party
moved north along the plain, which is described as being well-covered
with grass but treeless, as far as San Lorenzo Creek. Five villages of
natives were seen, situated on as many creeks, all concentrated within
three leagues.
On March 26 the region of Fruitvale was reached (Bolton [1927, p. 287]
says Mills College). Many deer were seen and also the tracks of elk. In
the four leagues traversed, five streams of running water were found,
and the vicinity of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary is noted as being
covered with oaks. No Indians were seen. On the 27th, after crossing a
grassy plain, the party reached Strawberry Creek. Seven arroyos were
crossed, but again no Indians were seen. On the 28th the party reached
Pinole. Six arroyos were crossed. At two leagues they reached Wildcat
Creek where "... we found a good village of heathen, very fair and
bearded ... they gave us many cacomites, amoles and two dead geese,
dried and stuffed with grass to use as decoys in hunting others, large
numbers being attracted in this way" (Bolton, 1927, p. 291).
On March 29, Crespi and Fages continued along the shore, reaching the
western end of Carquinez Strait, "traveling by treeless, grass-covered
hills." They continued along the steep bluffs on the south side,
probably nearly to Martinez. "In the whole distance we traveled on these
hills there was not a single tree. The bed of the estuary is very deep
and its shores precipitous; on its banks we did not see so much as a
bush ..." The last statement is interesting in view of the evidence
contained in the accounts of Font and Anza (see p. 133).
Several native villages were seen. "On the banks of the other side we
made out many villages, whose Indians called to us ... and many of them,
seeing that we were going away, came to this side, crossing over on
rafts, and gave us some of their wild food." On the south side: "In this
part of our day's march we came to five large villages of very wild
heathen ..." It is probable that the expression "this part of the day's
march" refers to the first portion, i.e., from Pinole through Rodeo and
Crockett. There the natives had "... pleasant faces, and were of a fair
complexion, bearded and white, all with long hair which they tied with
twine."
On March 30 the expedition set out and in two leagues crossed Pacheco
Creek (see Bolton, 1927, p. 295n), which was a "deep arroyo with much
running water" and bordered with trees. This reference to "running
water" raises the question of local water supply, a matter that will be
discussed more fully in connection with the Font-Anza descriptions. The
plain between Walnut Creek and Concord is described as being well
covered with grass and grown with oak trees. In this valley two Indian
villages were encountered. After crossing the low hills northwest of
Concord, Crespi and Fages entered the delta region of the Central Valley
and camped somewhere near Pittsburg or Antioch.
The next day, March 31, it was decided to return. Accordingly, the steps
of the preceding day were retraced as far as the area of Walnut Creek,
whence they turned south to the night's camp near Danville. (This
itinerary has been worked out by Bolton and is no doubt substantially
correct.) On April 1 the party reached Pleasanton via San Ramon and
Dublin, and on April 2 arrived near Milpitas.
The valley at and south of Walnut Creek is described as being covered
with grass with the stream beds overgrown with alders, cottonwood,
laurels, roses, and other shrubs. The same type of land, "covered with
grass and trees," continued as far as Pleasanton. Then: "It is evident
that the land is not so good now, but it all continues full of oaks and
live oaks...." Crossing the hills to the shore of the Bay the same
rough, wooded country persisted--essentially as it is today.
During the three days many signs of natives were encountered. Near
Walnut Creek "we came to three villages with some little grass
houses...." Between Danville and Pleasanton there were "numerous
villages of very gentle and peaceful heathen, many of them of fair
complexion." From Pleasanton to the Bay no new villages or Indians are
mentioned.
From Milpitas north, Crespi saw five villages, as far as San Lorenzo.
In Oakland and Berkeley he saw none. There was one "good village" on
Wildcat Creek and from Pinole to Crockett there were five "large
villages." In lower Walnut Creek Valley there were two more. The
total is thirteen, and it is surprising that no more were encountered.
Possibly the party kept too far inland to see the shell midden sites
along the Bay shore.
With reference to numbers of natives it should be remembered that Crespi
had seen Indian rancherias ranging in size from insignificant to the
semi-cities of the Santa Barbara Channel. Hence a "large village" to him
must have meant a really sizable place. If we ascribe 100 inhabitants to
an ordinary village and 200 to a "large" or "good" village, we get a
total of 1,900 persons.
On the return trip through the interior hills Crespi notes three
villages near Walnut Creek and numerous villages in the vicinity of
Livermore Valley. If we allow "numerous" to be half a dozen, there is a
total of nine villages. The size was likely to be smaller than on the
Bay shore, say 50 persons. Then the total population represented would
be 400-500. For those portions of Alameda and Contra Costa counties
visited a population of at least 2,400 is therefore indicated. Since
Crespi probably did not see all the villages, the actual value was no
doubt considerably greater.