Hi everyone! "Sheltering in Place' is giving me the opportunity to share some old photos and pass along some family stories. This little vignette is about my grandfather, Charles Ormstom Ralph. Take care and stay safe.....Bill
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WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?
Grandpa Ralph lived near the corner of Lake Chabot Road and
Seven Hills Road in Castro Valley from the 1930’s into the 1950’s and
in the early years operated a chicken ranch. Raising chickens in the
valley began early in the century by Portugese and Italian families
and became a thriving business with dozens of ranches covering the
rural countryside. At one point there were as many as 12 hatcheries
along Castro Valley Blvd. Serving the growing local industry by
providing chicks, equipment, supplies and locally grown kale. Our dad
worked at a small grocery store in the old section of west Castro
Valley during his teenage years delivering groceries and making runs
to Petaluma for supplies in the stores Model A truck. The white
leghorn chicken was “King of the Valley” in the 20’s and 30’s and the
valley proclaimed “We’re Crowing because we’re Growing”.
Unfortunately an epidemic wiped out Grandpa’s chickens and for a
few years he tried his hand at growing and selling colorful fuschia’s.
Dad built a chicken coop in our back yard on Forest Avenue with a
couple of chickens and for a few years we had a steady supply of
fresh eggs.
A couple of years ago Wendy took us to a large shopping center in
Yuba City that was populated with hundreds of chickens that refused
to leave the site of the original ranch that once stood on the property.
There were chickens in the trees, in the bushes and strutting carefree
through the parking lot dodging traffic and pedestrians.
Grandpa Ralph’s original home still stands on Lake Chabot Road but
the once sprawling chicken ranches of Castro Valley have long been
replaced with homes, and the hatcheries along the Blvd. with fast
food restaurants, gas stations and a Starbuck or two. Backyard
chicken raising is still popular in unincorporated Castro Valley and
feed and supplies can still be obtained local pet stores or on-line. And
surprisingly in a shopping center north of Sacramento these resilient
creatures have learned to flourish unmolested with shoppers and
autos. Oh yeah, TO GET TO THE OTHER SIDE...of course! -Bill
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