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Health & Fitness

History Blog: Huge Snake on May Ranch

Reports of a large snake send out residents into the wilds of May Ranch to hunt it down.

On June 9, 1926, John Costa reported seeing a large snake on the May Ranch. When he stumbled on the snake, he said it was "big enough to be a tree, only it moved." Costa reported the snake to be 10-feet long. He was working on Dry Creek near the area used for picnics when he heard a rustling sound and there, right before him, was the large beast, at least eight inches around and with black, green and yellow colors.

Some years before this event, a circus stopped in Hayward and was rumored to have left behind a small 4-foot baby boa snake. Since then, reports of a large snake happened a couple times a year.

In this instance, Costa informed Mrs. May, who in turn called volunteer Fire Chief Walter Walker to come out and find the snake. Chief Walker organized a hunting party with "lassos, shotguns, and monkey wrenches."

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A total of 250 persons, including members of two fire departments, volunteered to comb the hillsides in and around the May Ranch.

After an all-night effort, everyone came back to Decoto, exhausted. Despite "every foot of the May Ranch" being search and thrashed, no snakes were found, not even small local snakes.

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As a point of reference, the May Ranch, also known as Meyers Ranch, is now Dry Creek/Pioneer Regional Park. Dry Creek comes out of the hills near the corner of Whipple and Mission Blvd.

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