Tilden Regional Park: A History

by Richard Langs

Overview

A jewel in the hills above Berkeley, Tilden Park is one of the premier recreational centers for the San Francisco Bay Area. Spread across more than two thousand acres, the property's thirty-nine miles of trails, two lakes and nature area offer an escape from urban life. Entertaining amenities include a golf course, a carousel and a miniature steam train. The rich history of this special place features native tribes, eucalyptus growers and secret military operations. Author Richard Langs presents the stories and the people behind the development and preservation of one of the oldest and most beloved regional parks.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781467142144
Publisher:	Arcadia Publishing SC
Publication date:	03/04/2019
Series:	Natural History
Pages:	240
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.90(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

After retiring from a thirty-year career providing financial expertise to the transportation industry, Richard returned to his two favorite hobbies: photography and golf. Tilden Regional Park Golf Course became the center of his new world. He has run the all-volunteer Ambassador Program at the Tilden course for the past decade and has provided his photographic skills for Northern California charity events run by local golf course operators. He lives in Oakland, California.

Table of Contents

Preface 9

Acknowledgements 11

Introduction 13

Part I Two New Regional Agencies Are Formed

1 How Water Saved the Hills 19

2 The Campaign Lo Acquire a Ten-Thousand-Acre East Bay Hills Park 30

3 Founding Board of Directors and First District Manager 46

Part II Early Park Development

4 Federal Government Support of Regional Park District 59

5 Along Tilden Trails 73

6 Tilden Golf Course 81

7 Creating Lake Anza 106

8 The Brazilian Room 117

9 The Regional Park Botanic Garden 124

10 History of Military in Tilden Park 140

Part III Postwar Years: New Attractions

11 Remembering Richard Walpole 153

12 Exploring the History of the Tilden Nature Area 159

13 Story of the Tilden Merry-Go-Round 175

14 All Aboard the Tilden Steam Trains 185

Part IV Preparing the Park for the Future

15 Remembering William Penn Mott Jr. 199

16 Managing Vegetation and Operating Tilden Park 204

17 Tilden Park and the East Bay Regional Park District Today 216

Notes 219

About the Author 237