THE JOHN MARSH HOUSE
	OCTOBER 2003

by Chris Scott

Few of us ever know the history of the area we live in. We drive down Marsh Creek Road and it never occurs to us to wonder where the name came from. Most of us probably imagine that there was some swampy area with a creek flowing through it. As a matter of fact, the word “marsh” doesn’t come from a swamp, but comes from a man’s name. Dr. John Marsh was the first citizen of the United States to make his home in Contra Costa County. The story of what he did, of the home he built, and what is happening to that home today is an exciting story and one worth knowing about.

John Marsh and his stone house Dr. John Marsh, MD came to sunny California from Minnesota, after a doubtlessly laborious trip over the Santa Fe Trail. He entered the tiny village of Los Angeles in 1836 at age 37. After a short time in the L.A. area, Marsh moved to Northern California and purchased Rancho Los Meganos, located east of Mount Diablo, from land grant holder Jose Noriega for less than $500. Marsh started a thriving cattle ranch and a medical facility.

Marsh built his Brentwood ranch in the 1850s and subsequently built his landmark home in the midst of the Brentwood wilderness in 1856. He dedicated the house to the memory of his wife, Abby Tuck, who had died the year before. Marsh ultimately had a few “firsts” to his credit. The stone house he built was the first home in Contra Costa County to be built by a European.

Waiting for the renovation

Marsh had previously entered the record books as the first graduate of Harvard University to reside in California as well as the State’s first physician. He entered the record book at least one other time by planting Contra Costa County’s first vineyard. Sadly, Marsh was destined to live for only a few weeks in the beautiful house he had built. Before he could settle in it, he was killed by some disgruntled employees. (Perhaps we could also enter him into the record books as the first employer in the County to be involved in a labor dispute.) Marsh strategically located his house and ranch between the military bases on the coast and the exploding populations in gold mining towns scattered across the Sierra foothills.

Leading the Pioneers
Dr. John Marsh was not the first American land owner in East County. That distinction belongs to a man named William Welch, who had bought a ranch before Marsh moved into the area. However, Welch was apparently a prudent man and thought the area too dangerous and too far from civilization to provide a suitable home. Instead he played the role of a gentleman farmer and ran the ranch remotely through foremen who lived there and ran the day-to-day business on his behalf. So Welch left the initial pioneering efforts to be carried out by John Marsh, who did so with a great deal of enthusiasm. Marsh advocated European settlement in California by supporting settlers in their journeys to their new homes in the West. For example, he wrote letters, praising the climate in California, that were published in Eastern newspapers and read by poor people and politicians alike, extolling the “regularity and uniformity” of the region’s climate.

Brentwood staging area for Settlers
Marsh’s ranch became a popular staging area for pioneers entering California. In fact, the first pioneer wagon train to reach California arrived in 1841, stopping at Brentwood.The settlers came here first because they were following directions that Marsh had given them.

Marsh was a firm believer in President Polk’s Manifest Destiny doctrine, which held that America’s borders should stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific. He worked with important leaders like General Vallejo who were seeking emancipation from the government in Mexico City, and in 1845 wrote a letter calling for a Fourth of July meeting to, “promote the union and harmony and best interests of all the foreigners resident in California...” No cultural chauvinist, Marsh also appreciated the traditions of the local American Indian populations and, with great faculties as a linguist, took time to learn and to translate their languages.

The Cowell family’s ownership
In 1924 the ranch became one of the many land purchases made by the Cowell family who had made a fortune by creating a large limestone industry. At its height the Cowell family owned mines, plants, and farmland in 14 counties in California. Besides the Marsh House, the family owned the rest of Marsh’s ranch, which was now called the Cowell Ranch. The property eventually developed into 4,200 acres of grasslands and 300 acres of orchards.

The last Cowell family heir, Samuel Henry, died in 1955 leaving the land to the Cowell Charitable Foundation. The California Parks and Recreation Department has owned the Marsh House and surrounding 14 acres since 1978, but has not opened it to the public. Public trust or corporate resource?

The land surrounding the Marsh House includes 128 acres of wetlands, streams, and ponds that are home to several threatened species, including:
– The California Red-Legged Frog
– The California Tiger Salamander
– Fairy Shrimp
– San Joaquin Kit Fox
– The Alameda Whip Snake

In 1991 the Cowell Foundation proposed a development of 6,800 homes, 1.5 million square feet of commercial space, and a four-lane road that would have passed within 150 feet of the historic John Marsh House.The proposed development got the Greenbelt Alliance up in arms and so far it has fought for over ten years to protect the Cowell Ranch and the Marsh House from developers. The Alliance banded together citizens, environmental organizations, government agencies, and unions to fight for the preservation of the historic area.

The Cowell Foundation responded by having the land annexed to the city of Brentwood and proposed a compromise that would trade permanent protection of 4,000 acres for turning 400 acres over to Brentwood for possible development.

Greenbelt Alliance rejected the compromise and continues to fight for the protection of the entire property. They were recently joined by the Trust for Public Land (TPL) and funds were raised to acquire the entire property for the purpose of converting it into a new state park. Funds for this purpose, currently totaling almost $13 million dollars, came from a number of sources:

In 2002 the State acquired nearly 4,000 acres adjacent to the Marsh House. Senator Tom Torlakson has authored SB 978 for the purpose of developing the central 1,400 acres as an official state park, repairing the Marsh House, and providing public access to the area. The new park will be named The Marsh House State Park. Besides providing open space and parklands for East Bay residents, the new park will have a number of other features, including:

– The restored Marsh Home
– 4,000 acres for recreation and preservation
– Interpretive areas for the purpose of teaching about landowners, American Indians, cowboys, and the early pioneers
– A restored Bolgones Indian village
– A new community college. The text of Bill SB 978 predicts that a number of organizations will be stakeholders in the new park, including:
– The State Department of Parks and Recreation
– Coastal Commission
– Wildlife Conservation Board
– East Bay Regional Park District
– City of Brentwood
– The Delta Science Center
– California State University system
– Contra Costa Community Colleges
– Many nearby local school districts

The project has the possibility of becoming a valuable community resource. The Marsh House State Park will provide opportunities for education, recreation, and environmental preservation for those of us residing in East County. As Sen. Torlakson, himself, put it: A new park, anchored by the new historic John Marsh home, can provide recreational, historic, and cultural opportunities.

Or, in the even more direct words of John MacKenzie, President of the John Marsh Historic Trust. (The Marsh House State Park) retains the historic character of the land around the house as best as we can. It comes a lot closer than a subdivision.

I guess most of us reading this would agree. However, if the subdivision came with a little shopping area complete with a Long John Silvers or a really first-class Dairy Queen/Brazier, it might be a little more difficult a pill for some residents to swallow.