THE FIRST PEOPLE IN UNION CITY

The first people in Union City were the Costanoan Indians.  They lived in villages along the two major watercourses, Alameda Creek and Dry Creek.  During the summer season when the flood run-off from the creeks was a low level, the Coastanoan Indians went to the mouths of the creeks and camped on the bay-front marshes where they were able to trap wild fowl, fish off shore in their balsa canoes, collect shell fish (oysters, clams, mussels, shrimps), and gather salt crystals from the marsh grass stalks or drift-wood deposits.

The Union City Costanoan Indians used balsa boats for transportation along the bay front,  These were made of dried grasses made into rolls, "about 10" in length, thickest in the middle and tapering off at each end  The Indians made short trips in these to gather seafowl eggs, shell-fish and abalone and even to cross the south part of the bay.  Double paddles were used to propel the craft.

Visit the Union City Historical Museum for photos and artifacts of the first people in Union City.