I recently read about a place known as the “secret sidewalk” located somewhere in the Niles Canyon area of the East Bay. Also in the area adjacent to this sidewalk were said to be the ruins of an old brick factory. Having recently acquired my upgraded camera body, this seemed a perfect location to break it in.
With unseasonably warm weather for mid-January reaching the mid 60’s, we set out on Saturday morning. Armed with a bit of internet research and a couple of GPS coordinates dialed into the trusty iPhone’s google maps, our goalof finding the secret sidewalk and Niles Brick Factory remains out near Fremont, CA had begun. As we drove south down 238 through Hayward, we spotted the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery and Mausoleum. It was a quick detour that we just couldn’t resist and had to stop in for a few photos.
After exploring the cemetery grounds and mausoleum interior, we continued on our way. Past Union City, we took Niles Canyon Road through the canyon, looking for easy access to our destination. Finding the primary access road fenced off and posted with many stern warnings to deter any form of trespassing or loitering, we continued on towards our secondary destination in hopes of finding alternate access points.
At the eastern end of the canyon is the Sunol Water Temple. The temple was designed by Willis Polk and built by the Spring Valley Water Company in 1910. It marks the convergence point of three subterranean water sources that were the primary source of potable water for San Francisco prior to the construction of the Hetch Hetchy Aqueduct. Unfortunately, it is only open to the public during the weekdays.
With no other convenient options available, we returned back to the western end of the canyon and parked in the Vallejo Mill Historical Park. From there we carefully followed a path running parallel to Alameda Creek until we found the access road again. About a mile from the park where we left the car we came to an old stone wall and a group of palm trees rumored to be property markers for the Joaquin Marietta Ranch. Through these trees we finally caught our first glimpses of the brick factory chimneys.
Alternately known as Niles Brick Factory, Mission Cay Tile Works, California Pressed Brick Company, and Mission Pottery, the exact history of the brick factory is unclear. Some reports date its initial construction to the 1849-1851 time period. However, clay deposits aren’t reported to have been discovered in Niles Canyon until as late as 1907. Further reports cite ceramic engineer John S. Smith as the designer and builder of this factory sometime during his employment with the California Pressed Brick Company between 1905 and 1910. The factory produced bricks up until its closure around 1913. Some time after this it was purchased by California Pottery Company. Sewer pipes were manufactured at this site until its eventual final closure and demolition sometime in the late 1990’s.
Along a ridge on the hillside just beyond the factory we finally discovered the secret sidewalk. Although it resembles a sidewalk running through the countryside, it is actually the remains of a square concrete aqueduct built by the Spring Valley Water Company during the first decade of the 20th century.
