History of Vallejo City Park
City Park is located in the St. Vincent's Hill Historic District which was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
City Park is not only the oldest, and most historic, park in Vallejo, it is the oldest city park on the west coast!
It is built on a parcel of land donated to the city in 1868 by the founder of Vallejo, John Frisbie.
"General" Frisbie, as he was known, was the son-in-law of General Mariano Guadalupe Vallejo, being married to his daugher Epifiana.
"General" Frisbie donated numerous parcels of land to build churches in the city as well as the park. He originally offered to donate two city blocks to the park, but the City Trustees of the time refused to accept more than one block due to the perceived expense and nuisance of maintaining it. Apparently the local residents had a habit of pasturing their milk cows there!
Complaints about the situation in the park actually date to before the park was even completed. In an article in the January 1, 1869 Vallejo Evening Chronicle, the editor chastisted the city for their lack of action "...thus far to fence or place trees therein, so necessary both for use and ornament, and the expense for which would be so small compared to the benefit to the people." After several years of neglect, General Frisbie finally donated the services of his gardeners from White Sulphur Springs Resort to develop an informal, English garden.
The stone structure symbolizing a well that is located in the middle of the park was erected in 1906 by the Vallejo Women's Improvement Club to honor the memory of John Frey. Mr. Frey is considered the father of the Vallejo Water System. In 1890 he sponsored legislation to demand the Vallejo Water Company, which then held the monopoly to supply water to Vallejo, "...secure an unfailing supply of good wholesome water." The Vallejo Water Company elected to ignore this and so Mr. Frey constructed the city's first reservoir at Green Valley Falls. The reservoir there bears his name - Lake Frey.
The structure was once a drinking fountain but no longer functions as one.
Also in 1906, it is reported that tents were erected in City Park to house citizens fleeing the Great Earthquake in San Francisco. Even back then, the ferry was a convenient way to arrive in Vallejo!
At one point, there was a Band Stand in City Park located where the sub-station is now. We are not sure when this was torn town, but have seen pictures dated as late as 1919 that show it still there.
We are indebted to James Kern, Executive Director of the Vallejo Naval and Historical Museum, his staff, and the Vallejo Architectural Heritage Foundation for the information above. They are both invaluable resources for our community.
We are working on gathering as much history of Vallejo City Park as we can. If you have any information, especially personal stories or pictures from the past please share them with us!
Links to further information on Vallejo's history:
Vallejo Architectural Heritage Foundation
Vallejo Naval & Historical Museum
Mare Island Historic Park Foundation
Links to information on historic preservation:
California Office of Historic Preservation
Secretary of the Interior's Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings