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Hayward in Alameda County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)
 

A Chance Encounter

Un Encuentro Casual

 
 
A Chance Encounter Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, October 5, 2022
1. A Chance Encounter Marker
Inscription. Near this site, an Ohlone man traveling along a well-worn path encountered a group of armed men riding large four-legged beasts. The man, having never seen such men or horses, was startled. To show that he would not resist or threaten them, he lay down.

I tried to relieve his fright and to get him to stand up, but for a long time I was unable to succeed, for he had courage only to take weakly some glass beads, most of which he let fall. Seeing this, I thought it best to leave the unfortunate fellow alone, and if I had not done so I think he would have died.
- Juan Bautista de Anza, 1776


First meetings like this one in 1776 between Anza’s exploration party and a native man were common. Some California Indians greeted the newcomers warmly. Others were hostile, and many were distrustful. Even today the perceptions of those first encounters stir a mix of emotion.

Image:
“In the med-1960s I led the way to stop the desecration of Ohlone and Bay Miwok culture under the bulldozers of development and called for preservation of the Ohlones Indian Cemetery at Old Mission San Jose (Fremont). As a result of my family’s efforts,
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not only was Interstate-680 rerouted but also the proposed path of Paseo Padre Parkway was likewise altered. In 1971 the property was officially returned to the Ohlone Indian Tribe following the Tribe’s incorporation. This is the only price of former California Mission property returned to Mission Indian descendants by the Catholic Church in the state of California.
- Felipe “Phil” Galvan

Cerdo de este sitío, un hombre ohlone, viajando por un sendera muy usado se encontró con un grupo de hombres bien armados montando en bestías de cuatro patas. El hombre, sin haber visto nunea tales hombres o caballos, tuvo o miedo. Para mostrarles que no resistiría o los menazaría, se tendió en el suelo.

Yo traté de aliviar su [?] y que se levantara, pero por mucho tiempo no pude, pues él ánimo para solo debilmente tomar algunas cuentas de vidrio, dejando caer casi todas. Al ver esto, pense major dejar solo al pobre hombre, y si no lo hubiera hecho, pienso que él se habria muerto.
- Juan Bautista de Anza, 1776


Primeros enenentros como este en 1776 entre el grupo exploratorio de Anza y un hombre native eran comunes. Algunos indigenas de California
A Chance Encounter Marker image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, October 5, 2022
2. A Chance Encounter Marker
recibieron a los recién venidos afectosamente. Otros eran hostiles, y muchos eran desconfiados. Hasta hoy día, las percepciones de estos primeros encuientos causan una mezcla de emoción.

This project was funded in part by the National Park Service Challenge Cost Share Program.
Alameda Clean Water Program
Parks and Water Bond 2000
Hayward Area Recreation and Park District
Hayward Area Historical Society
Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail

 
Erected by National Park Service.
 
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: ExplorationImmigrationIndigenous Peoples and CommunitiesSettlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1776.
 
Location. 37° 40.693′ N, 122° 4.869′ W. Marker is in Hayward, California, in Alameda County. It is on City Center Drive near 2nd Street, on the right when traveling north. The resin marker is mounted to a metal stand in a small plaza on the side of the street. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Castro Valley CA
A Chance Encounter Marker on the Left image. Click for full size.
Photographed by Joseph Alvarado, October 5, 2022
3. A Chance Encounter Marker on the Left
94546, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area and on the Coast Ranges. It is also on the American Pacific Coast. Globally, it is in North America, on the Ring of Fire, in the Pacific Rim, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Search for Water (here, next to this marker); Legacy of Change (here, next to this marker); Hisako Uyama Partridge (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Friendship Monument (about 400 feet away); Juan Bautista de Anza Expedition Campsite #98 (about 600 feet away); I.D.E.S. Council Hayward #14 (approx. 0.4 miles away); The Palmtag Building (approx. 0.4 miles away); NSGW Hall - Eden Parlor No. 113 (approx. half a mile away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Hayward.
 
Also see . . .  Anza Trail Historic Sites in California. National Park service website entry:
San Lorenzo
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Creek and Expedition Camp #98 near the end of the page. (Submitted on October 10, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.) 
 
 
Credits. This page was last revised on October 12, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 10, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California. This page has been viewed 388 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos:   1, 2, 3. submitted on October 10, 2022, by Joseph Alvarado of Livermore, California.
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Aug. 2, 2026