Park in the small gravel East Bay Parks lot near N 37 31.628 W 121 54.663. Circle around behind a small knob and climb up it. Look down into a gap framed by two hills, see Ohlone College and Mission San Jose down below. Washington Boulevard leads West to the bay. Lake Elizabeth is Northwest. I-680 and Mission pass are to the North.
In 1797 the Fathers at Santa Clara felt that the indians of the East Bay and Livermore valleys were wild and dangerous. They decided to build additional missions, the first being in the East Bay on the natural road to the Livermore valley.
Legend has it that soldiers were sent up Mission Peak to dislodge a huge boulder which came crashing down the hillside. The place where it came to rest was where God commanded the Fathers to build their new mission, "La Mision del Gloriosisimo Patriarch San Jose."
The truth is a bit different. Mission San Jose was built on the site of Orisom, a large Ohlone village that had been occupied for thousands of years.
Look down again and try to use your minds eye. Sweep away the tile roofs and paved roads. Imagine thatched huts and simple pathways. A stream of fresh water runs down the hillside year round. Acorn bearing trees stud the landscape. Filled with wildlife, the bay shores are a short hike to the West. A prolific freshwater marsh is to the NorthWest. The trade route from the great valley of the East comes out of the hills just to the North and runs through the village and South. Women grind acorns. Children pick berries. Meat comes from the woods. Life, food, worship is as it has been for longer than anyone can remember.
All that is gone. You know what is there now. Stop for a minute after you've signed your name. Look for the huts. Orisom was there far longer than we have been.
(Click the logo to visit TheGBA)