The Building of a State: VII. The College of California [pp. 26-39]

The College of California.2
signed by John Bigler, Governor, S. H. Marlette, Surveyor General, and Paul K. Hubbs,
Superintendent of Public Instruction. It
made the Board of Trustees of the College
of California to consist of Frederick Billings,
Sherman Day, Samuel H. Willey, T. Dwight
Hunt, Mark Brummnagim, Edward B. Walsworth, Joseph A. Benton, Edward McLean,
Henry Durant, Francis W. Page, Robert
Simson, A. H. Wilder, and Samuel B. Bell.
All the property of the College School
now came into the possession of the Trustees
of the College, and the school itself went on
under their supervision. It gave thorough instruction in the various branches of an English education, and also provided a careful
training for the few who wished to fit for
college. From this time the College School
increased in numbers rapidly. Soon additions
to the first building had to be made. Then
new buildings were erected, till the institution seemed like a veritable hive of industry
all by itself among the oaks.
Meanwhile, regular classes began to form
in the three years' course to fit for college.
Mr. Durant's enthusiasm for college culture
was a constant stimulus to the boys, and held
them well to their purpose, even in those
wild and exciting times.
THE BERKELEY SITE.
In the year i856, attention began to be
directed to the selection of a site for the final
location of the College.
It was desired to make an early choice of
some spot ample in size, situated in a healthy
region, with fine outlook, having a copious
stream of running water, and, withal, accessible.
To aid us in making the necessary examinations for the purpose of finding the best
site, an unexpected and most competent
helper appeared. It was the Rev. Dr. Horace
Bushnell. He arrived in California early in
the year I856, in pursuit of health. He was
suffering from bronchitis, and wanted to try
the efficacy of our warm, dry climate. But
he was otherwise strong, and wished to live
here an out-door life.
We at once told him of our college plans,
showing him what we had done, and explaining to him what we now wanted to do in the
matter of finding the very best location for
the permanent home of the College. It interested him at once. Indeed, he became
hardly less enthusiastic than his friend Mr.
Durant, whom he had known years before at
Yale College.
As a result of many interviews and much
consultation between him and the Trustees,
it was determined to offer him the Presidency of the College, that he might be in the
best possible position to speak and act in its
behalf before the publiC. He was chosen
President, accordingly. In response to this
action, Dr. Bushnell promised to take the
matter of acceptance into consideration. If
he should find himself strengthened and restored by the climate here, so as to be able
to return to his pulpit in Hartford, he would
return there. If he seemed to be able to live
and be useful only here, he might accept the
office and undertake its duties.
Meanwhile, the traveling to search for the
best site was just in the line of his wish to
live out of doors, and would furnish him an
engaging motive for so doing. And so he
started, traveling sometimes in stages, and
sometimes on horseback, with many tramps
on foot between. He began on the western
side of the bay of San Francisco, looking
along through San Mateo County, then
through Santa Clara County, and around on
the eastern side of the bay in Alameda County. He made his home a good while at Mr.
Beard's, in the Mission San Jos6, examining
with great care the possible locations in that
vicinity, more particularly a choice one in
Sufiol Valley. Sometimes he traveled alone,
and sometimes some one of us Trustees went
with him.
He came up to what is now East Oakland,
noticing a splendid site on high ground lying easterly, but the defect was, it could not
have running water. He visited the Berkeley locality,' and found it admirable in all
1 I use the name "Berkeley" to designate this locality at this time, although it was not known by that name
till May, s866. Then, when a name had to be chosen,
and all the Trustees were making suggestions as to
1885.]
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