ANNADEL STATE PARK IN SANTA ROSA

AS A STATE PARK ARCHAEOLOGIST IN 1985 I WORKED AT MANY NORTHERN CALIFORNIA PARKS DOING SURVEYS. I WAS ASSIGNED TO SUPERVISE A GROUP OF ARCHAEOLOGISTS TO SAMPLE SURVEY THIS BEAUTIFUL PARK. WE FOCUSED ON RECORDING SOME SOUTHERN POMO PREHISTORIC BASALT AND OBSIDIAN QUARRIES AND SMALL TEMPORARY CAMPS. APPARENTLY THERE ARE SOME PERMANENT VILLAGES THERE AS WELL. THERE ARE MANY HISTORIC TRAILS AND CAMPS THAT THE ITALIANS MADE AS THEY CUT THE BASALT FOR PAVING STREETS IN PETALUMA AND SAN FRANCISCO. THERE WAS A RAILROAD AT THE BASE OF THE HILL HEADING SOUTH. THEY USED TRAMS TO SLIDE THE STONE DOWNHILL TO THE RAILS.

THE PARK HAS 5000 ACRES OF MODERATE HILLS AND A LAKE. IT IS FREQUENTED BY HORSEMEN, BIKERS, HIKERS, AND PHOTOGRAPHERS. WE SPOKE TO OTHER SCIENTISTS IN THE PARKS WHO SAID IT HAS ABUNDANT OAK WOODLAND. WE NOTICED IT IS PACKED WITH POISON OAK!

THERE ARE MANY TRAILS. HOWEVER OUR SURVEY INCLUDED TRANSECTS THROUGH MEADOWS AND HILLS. IN 1837 THE AREA WAS INCLUDED IN A MEXICAN LAND GRANT COVERING 19,000 ACRES. THE 1880'S SAW SOME SHEEP AND CATTLE GRAZING WHICH ENDED AS COBBLESTONES WERE MADE FROM THE BASALT, AFTER THE 1906 EARTHQUAKE, THIS MATERIAL WAS IN HIGH DEMAND. THE NAME ANNADEL COMES FROM A GRANDDAUGHTER OF THE PRINCIPAL OWNER IN 1900. SHE WAS KNOWN AS "ANNIE DELL'.

IN THE 1960'S A MAN BOUGHT SOME OF THE PROPERTY FOR MINING PERLITE, AN OBSIDIAN PRODUCT USED FOR INSULATION. IN 1971 THIS AREA BECAME A STATE. I WROTE UP THE SURVEY REPORT AND COMPLETED SITE RECORDS.

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