Russell City

The City May Be Gone But The Memory Lives On

West Coast Blues Society

Russell City is known for its rich culture and the West Coast Blues Society commemorates the town as a landmark of blues history. In honor of this history, the WCBS held a Hayward Russell City blues festival in 2019. This commemoration of Russell City being the home of west coast blues shows the fantastic community that Russell City developed before its destruction.

Reconciling the destruction of Russell City

Mercury News Article

“I wouldn’t trade them years for nothing.”
– Sam Nava

“Love and care and mutual encouragement.” – Maria Ochoa

In a KQED Interview with Toni Wynn, she discusses her positive memories of visiting Russell City as a child. She also discusses the injustice that the city of Hayward committed to the last citizens of Russell City. They were threatened and forcefully relocated from their cherished community, so the city of Hayward could make use of the space.

The Russell City Blues:
Stories & Music of a Lost East Bay Community

West Coast blues flourished in long-gone Russell City, west of Hayward

“I tell the youth when we do blues in schools, the music they listen to, the roots of it, are right here in places like Russell City and West Oakland.”

– Ronnie Stewart

Russel City and the Blues

This picture shows Big Mama Thorton, Jimmy Mamu, and Billy Dunn performing at Russell City. Russell city had a deep blues culture which brought in many famous blues musicians.

In KQED’s interview with Gloria Moore, you notice how she discusses the difficult living conditions that people faced in Russell City. Even with all these negatives, she viewed Russel City as a self-sufficient community made up of hardworking people.

KQED Article

Remembering Russell City: A Thriving East Bay Town Razed by Racist Government

“We had horrid living conditions, but we had beautiful people who lived there, people who loved you and looked out for one another. We planted our own gardens, we picked our own food. We had chickens, we had hogs. You know, there was always the stench because, you know, from the hog ranches and animals just being everywhere….All kinds of people lived in Russell City. And you know, it was a Blues mecca, and people who lived there loved it and they loved each other. And I only wish that we had been able to develop the land and live there forever.”
– Gloria Moore

Whatever happened to Russell City?

Mary Tolefree Johnigan describes Russel City School as being a “fantasy land for children.”

When asked about Russell City’s only school, everyone interviewed had fond memories, including Mary Tolefree Johnigan. She described it as a “fantasy land for children.” This quote expresses the care the Russell City community had for the children. The school wasn’t a part of the Hayward School District but instead created and staffed by the community.