The San Francisco call., 1903-12-11
NOTED RESORT
CHANGES HANDS
Old "Fish Ranch" in Contra
Costa County Is Purchased
by the Realty Syndicate
RAILROAD RUMORS FLYING
This Place Was Once Famous
for the Cooking of Mem
bers of the Finny Tribe
Oakland Office San Francisco Can.

Oakland Office San Francisco Call,
111S Broadway, Dec. 10.
The famous Fish Ranch" on the
Contra Costa side of the hills back of
Oakland, has passed into the hands of
the Realty Syndicate from the posses
sion of Mrs. J. H. Olive, the widow
of the original owner of the place. The
property contains about 500 acres and
the sale price is said TO have been
$40, OOO
The Fish Ranch" is a very famous
piece Of property, and gives its name
10 the main road between Oakland, La
fayette and Walnut Creek, which road
was at one time the stage road that
connected tide water on San Francisco
Bay and the interior Of Contra Costa
County. The place was just exactly
what its name indicates, a fish ranch"
There is a live stream on the property.
1t flows all the year round. This was
one of the best trout streams in the
Contra Costa hills, and was discovered
by sportsmen who made their head
quarters at the ranchhouse on the
banks of the creek and the road from
Oakland. When the trout were nearly
gone the owner bethought himself that
he could grow fish, and this he did.
The little stream was fitted with
ponds. fish ladders. hatcheries and all
Of the necessary appliances for raising
fish of all kinds. and from that day the
property became the Fish Ranch"
From that day the place also became
a resort where the wealthy people of
San Francisco drove for the purpose
Of enjoying fancy fish dinners, and the
proprietor of the place made no small
amount of money by cultivating fine
fish and selling them to the wealthy
persons who wanted to regale their
friends with a fancy dinner and an
outing for a day or two. In the lively
days Of San Francisco, when the Com
stock was in full blast and fortunes
were made in a day and spent nearly
as quickly, the Fish Ranch" thrived
and made fortune itself.
But the glory of the place has long
since departed. The ponds have been
destroyed by the winter rains and have
not been repaired. The fish ladders are
broken nd in disuse and all the fish
that were not eaten have escaped down
the creek only to end their lives on
the hook of some angler Even TO this
day there is occasionally caught in the
waters Of the little stream descend
ant Of some Of the fish of high degree
that escaped during those wild and
early days.
The Fish Ranch" is now nothing but
a roadside house where the thirsty
teamsters that haul hay and grain and
fruit through the new tunnel into Oak
land stop for a long glass of sharp
steam Occasionally a party on its
way to a bulls head at Walnut Creek
will stop at the old resort, but there
are no more fancy dinners. and where
once flowed champagne the humble
whisky of commerce is the best that
finds its way down the throats Of trav-
elers.
The roadside saloon is now kept by
a man named Moraga, a son of the
original Moraga who owned all Of that
country and after whom Moraga Valley
was named.
The plans of the Realty Syndicate in
regard to this property are not stated.
1t is said that they want the water
rights. which are valuable. But it is
also intimated that the syndicate may
have plans for securing franchise for
an electric road through lie new tun-
mel, which would then make the Fish
Ranch" a valuable piece of property.
But whatever the plans. this purchase
augurs well for the development of the
Contra Costa side of the hills, which
has SO long been on a sidetrack.