by Jeff
Bennett
I have been writing a series of articles about the Dry Greek Garden. In my first article, I introduced myself and my history with irises. In the second, I introduced readers to the land that encompasses Dry Creek Garden and its acquisition by the May family and then passed down to become a part of the Meyers’ estate. The third described the transition from cattle ranch to a summer retreat. In this fourth installment, I will share some of the parties that were held at Dry Creek Garden commencing in 1952 and ending in the final summertime bash in 1972.
The
gatherings at Dry Creek were held to benefit the Alameda Welfare Council, which
raised money for the needy in the Alameda area and still exists to this day. The
Meyers sisters were very generous to local causes and loaned their ranch for
the annual events for the Council which brought in thousands of dollars to help
families with physical, psychological and monetary needs. They were well known not
only for their kindness in helping the disadvantaged, but also for giving
generously of their resources and time.
Themed
parties at the Dry Creek Garden were planned well in advance of their August
date. The themes varied from things like national origin, Gold Rush Days, Colonial,
Victorian and the color pink. Yes, pink! For the pink party, they planted the
grounds with all kinds pink flowers available at the time. I’m guessing they
may have even found a pink iris or two to plant. Everything was pink, even the
clothing to wear was to be pink. This made for fun times for the ladies who gathered.
During these
events, a box lunch was provided with soft drinks. Booths were set up with
items for sale, and many of them were hand made. Jams, pastries, fruit,
clothing, and crafts were offered for sale. A nursery area sold plants nurtured
by Council members. Most items were sold out at the annual events. With 400 to
700 women attending, there’s no reason why there should not be a sell out of
the items.
The pictures
in this article are from published newspaper periodicals in the Oakland Tribune
under the sections of Women’s World and Feminine Sphere. The Alameda Times-Star
also published reviews of the events under Social Whir. According to newspaper
reviews, some party goers drove over 50 miles to attend the annual event and
the line of cars parked down Mission Boulevard was over a half mile long. No
tickets were sold at the gate—tickets had be purchased in advance. The pictures
show that all the ladies wore dresses and fancy shoes. This was the highlight social
event of the area every summer.
Gardens were
planted and full of summer blooming flowers: dahlias, roses, zinnias,
daylilies, hydrangeas, daisies, begonias, fuchsias, hollyhocks, snapdragons,
petunias, and others. Events started at 11 am and ended at 3 pm. Some years, it
actually rained and thundered during the event. These days, it would be quite
rare for it to rain in August. During parties at Dry Creek, visitors were free
to roam the approximately 4 acre site, see the fruit trees of citrus, apples,
plums, almonds, avocado, peaches and persimmons. They would also play bridge or
other card games. A dip in the swimming pool was also allowed for any that
wanted to.
The last of
these parties was held at Dry Creek Garden in 1972. Dr. Edith Meyers became ill
and passed away in 1971 at 70 years of age. With Edith gone, the remaining
sisters, Mildred and Jeanette, decided to donate the 1,200-acre ranch to the East
Bay Regional Park District. They kept the cottage and garden as their summer
home. Mildred, the architect, passed away in 1986 at age 88. In the later
years, Jeanette no longer traveled to the garden as often. Jeanette, the
gardener, passed away in November of 1993. In their will, the final 60-acre
parcel of Dry Creek Garden was passed to East Bay Regional Park in 1995 to be
preserved for the public to enjoy.
It took
until 2007 to get repairs done to the cottage and property to open to the
public. Thirty-five years after the last party in 1972, Dry Creek Garden was
once again open to the public for all to enjoy. Today, both parcels of land are
enjoyed by hundreds of people on a daily
basis. To this day, the 1,260 acres that Mildred, Edith and Jeanette donated is
the largest piece of land ever donated to the 121,000+ acre park system called the
East Bay Regional Park District.
In my next and final article, I will bring you to the development of the iris gardens at Dry Creek that were established for the 2019 American Iris Society Convention, “The Sun Sets on Rainbows”, headquartered in San Ramon, California
