Welcome back to a monthly column focused on local day hiking destinations, that with a little imagination, will take you back in time to when our local Native Americans lived in a garden of Eden we now call home. For more hiking ideas, go to www.eastbayhillpeople.com and read the “Travelogue Blog” tab.
It’s been interesting writing this column. I’ve had several people come up to me to tell stories about finding Native American artifacts in their yard, etc. A neighbor showed me a museum quality pestle they found putting in their drive way. Other anecdotes have been both interesting and sometimes a bit different…very cool. Please contact me if you have information or stories.
This month, we are going to stroll through our town of Benicia, staying close to the water to enjoy the cool breeze, just like the Patin Suisunes did thousands of years ago. We will be visiting village sites that most of us have likely walked right past.
July and August can get very hot. But in Benicia, the Suisunes enjoyed another day in paradise. The river water was fresh and cool. Kids and adults swam off rocks and a picnic at the 9th Street Park beach was common.
Several of these sites were identified by Nels C Nelson and published in his map of 1907. Nelson was an interesting guy. Born in Denmark in 1875, the eldest son was sent to Minnesota to work his uncle’s farm. He entered the first grade at age 17. Ten years later, in 1901 he rode a cattle car to California and was admitted to Stanford University, earning a Masters of letters in 1908. Apparently, a pretty bright guy.
He became interested in anthropology and started surveying middens or shell mounds. He said he walked over 3000 miles around the bay area and coast, mapping these large native middens that were located on site villages. He also pioneered several excavation techniques still used today.
I was given a copy of the 1907 “Nelson map” and sure enough, he noted several middens right here in Benicia.
So, on my walks around town, I tried to look at it with a fresh eye. Where would I camp? Where are the natural springs and creeks? Where is the best beach? Benicia has all of these requirements for a permanent village. Let’s go check them out.
Using the Nelson map, I went to the site of the first midden located at East H and East 3rd streets, right where the ball fields are. A perfect place to camp, I thought, out of the wind and the area had a nice gentle slope to the water.    The map shows a slight bay which I’m sure some of our old timers remember. The developer of the condos had to deal with problematic natural springs several times.    The low hills behind the ball fields provide a monitoring effect on the weather. I would definitely camp here. Perhaps the Suisunes played their own form of a ball game on this site as well.
Next stop on the Nelson map shows a midden at the end of West 3rd Street. Starting at the at the end of West H Street is a nice dog beach. If you walk south on the path there is an even better sandy beach. A private home now sits right where Nelson indicates a midden.

Mortars near 9th Street Park. (Photo by Richard DeGraffenreid)

The 9th Street Park is our last stop this month and has the most evidence of a permanent village. Sitting on the rocks, pocketed with mortars at the 9th Street Park is spectacular, especially at sunset. Its best to go at low tide to see more mortars.    However, many can be seen most of the time. Please be careful, spots can be very slippery. Simply access the rocks jutting out into the river from the trail next to the boat ramp, and you’ll see the mortars out on the point. I counted 41 on the main rock and 27 on the adjacent out cropping. The last time I was there, it was a beautiful day.    Fathers and their kids were having a great time. Chairs were set up and the kids sat on the warm rocks playing next to the water. Across the shallow bay, teenagers, off for the summer, played in the water off the best beach in town. Just like the Suisunes did for millennium.
Just a few yards down the 9th street beach, is a year round, large spring that tumbles down a 15 foot cliff providing a reliable source of good tasting artisan water. A nice back up during droughts that might have made the river water taste a bit brackish. I have found more evidence around 9th st., but I will not report there location or nature. I feel these are scared sites and must be protected.
For thousands of years, Benicia has been a great place to live and raise children. I hope that you will enjoy a walk back in time in your own hometown.
Seize the day.

Richard DeGraffenreid and his wife Anne are 34-year residents of Benicia. He is also a drummer/songwriter, photographer, cook, dad and grandpa. He can be reached at richarddegraffenreid@comcast.net.

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