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Family members tell Alameda County reparations commission a Russell City willow was cut down; commissioners pledge to press city and consider memorial
Summary
Family members told the Alameda County Reparations Commission that a willow planted in Russell City in 1963 and featured in a museum exhibit was cut down and ground to the roots; commissioners said the City of Hayward did not perform the removal, pledged to locate the private owner, and discussed letters to the Board of Supervisors and a possible memorial.
Chair Gore opened the meeting and moved item 5—discussion of the Russell City willow tree—up the agenda because the commission lacked a physical quorum for other business.
Marion Johnson, who identified herself as a member of Russell City and of the Johnson and Patterson family, said the tree was planted by a relative in 1963 and was a family landmark. “It was cut down intentionally, and they ground down the root of the tree,” Marion Johnson said, describing her distress at not having told an elderly relative that the tree was gone.
Carolyn Johnson, who said her great-great-grandfather planted the tree as a land marker and that the tree had appeared in films and the museum exhibit, urged the commission to identify who removed the tree and to memorialize the site. “There was no reason to cut that tree down and grind it to the root,” she said, and asked the commission to pursue an easement or some form of permanent public recognition so people can continue to visit the site.
Michael Johnson, another family member, described receiving a video showing the stump and said fences and restricted access have followed prior apologies and actions by the city; he characterized the removal as an effort to erase family and community history.
Commissioner Barry and staff said their initial inquiries indicate the City of Hayward did not cut the tree. “So far, what I have learned is that the city of Hayward did not cut the tree down,” Commissioner Barry said, adding that the city had contacted the private property owner and is awaiting a response. Rodney L’Oche, district director for Supervisor Marquez, said the supervisor’s office was tracking the issue and that once inaccurate claims in an early petition were corrected the office could more readily engage.
Commissioners and members of the public asked staff to do the following: (1) identify and confirm the recorded owner of the parcel, (2) determine whether any Hayward tree ordinance or permit process was applicable to that location, (3) ask the city for the record of inquiries and any response from the owner, and (4) consider drafting a formal letter to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors and to the City of Hayward seeking information and remediation. Several commissioners also discussed calling a special public meeting focused solely on the tree so family members and community witnesses could provide additional evidence and recommend a memorial.
Chair Gore said the commission can leverage its public voice and coordinate with Supervisor Marquez and Hayward Council Member Angela Andrews to pursue records and next steps. Commissioners requested that any letter reflect the family’s recommendations for how to memorialize the site and, if appropriate, request an easement or signage.
The commission took no regulatory action at the meeting; commissioners instructed staff to gather ownership records and factual answers, and to return with options—including a draft county letter and the possibility of a special hearing—once the facts are verified.
