Description: 12.19 acres. Open fields for soccer, lighted softball diamond with bleachers. Restrooms and parking lot.
Palo Alto’s oldest park was established in 1914 when city leaders wanted an open and attractive entryway into town off El Camino Real. The park is on Stanford property. Palo Alto signed a lease with the University in 1915 and to this day continues to lease the land from Stanford. Early on the park was called Highway or Community Park.(5)
...a slim plot of greenery wedged between El Camino Real and the Southern Pacific tracks just opposite Stanford Shopping Center.(6)
Several redwood trees were planted on the south side of the park in the 1980s to honor Palo Alto Olympic medal winners. (5)
"Grateful Dead playing for free at El Camino Park."(1)
Palo Alto’s oldest park was established in 1914 when city leaders wanted an open and attractive entryway into town off El Camino Real. The park is on Stanford property. Palo Alto signed a lease with the University in 1915 and to this day continues to lease the land from Stanford. Early on the park was called Highway or Community Park.(5)
...a slim plot of greenery wedged between El Camino Real and the Southern Pacific tracks just opposite Stanford Shopping Center.(6)
Several redwood trees were planted on the south side of the park in the 1980s to honor Palo Alto Olympic medal winners. (5)
"Grateful Dead playing for free at El Camino Park."(1)
"Embarcadero Park- all the Be-ins and concerts...making fun of Timothy
Leary behind his back (we were on acid, I'm sure) while he spoke at one
of them...the Dead played that day, too."(2)
"I remember going to a Be-In at El Camino Park and the Grateful Dead
played. I guess they were still the Warlocks then, but I was like 7 and
don't remember that well. My Dad took film of it and it's still around
somewhere. I remember wondering why the people were so into the chalk
drawings on the pavement. It took me years to realize they had been
tripping."(4)
Jerry performed here on
6/24/67 Grateful Dead(3)
6/8/75 Merl Saunders
1.)^ Sullivan, Jim, 2008-03-01, http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&t=551#add_comments
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| Jerry and Sara 6/24/67 photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| 6/24/67 Weir in El Camino Park photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| Pigpen 6/24/67 El Camino Park photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| 6/24/67 Weir, Pigpen photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| 6/24/67 Phil photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| 6/24/67 El Camino Park, Kreutzmann, Dawson photo by Ken Salisbury with Polaroid Swinger. |
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| September 29, 1968 |
Jerry performed here on
6/24/67 Grateful Dead(3)
6/8/75 Merl Saunders
1.)^ Sullivan, Jim, 2008-03-01, http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&t=551#add_comments
2.)^ Bell, Margaret, 2008-02-17, http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&t=551#add_comments
3.)^Arnold, Corry, comments, 2012-09-09, El Camino Park, 155 El Camino, Palo Alto, CA
4.)^ That Dave M. guy, 2007-07-02, http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&t=551#add_comments
3.)^Arnold, Corry, comments, 2012-09-09, El Camino Park, 155 El Camino, Palo Alto, CA
4.)^ That Dave M. guy, 2007-07-02, http://www.paloaltoonline.com/square/index.php?i=3&t=551#add_comments
5.)^http://www.cityofpaloalto.org/depts/csd/news/details.asp?NewsID=105&TargetID=14
6.)^http://cryptdev.blogspot.com/2010/09/mfu-be-in-el-camino-park-palo-alto.html
7.)^http://news.stanford.edu/thedish/?tag=ken-salisbury
6.)^http://cryptdev.blogspot.com/2010/09/mfu-be-in-el-camino-park-palo-alto.html
7.)^http://news.stanford.edu/thedish/?tag=ken-salisbury
Great photos, they were definitely taken at El Camino Park. However, I find it unlikely that the Dead played two Be-Ins at El Camino Park, although I suppose it's possible. May 31 was a Wednesday, and they played in Tompkins Square Park in NYC 24 hours later (June 1). I don't even think they played the HALO Concert (May 30), but that's another story.
ReplyDeleteI'm more confident of the June 24 date, although I admit I'm more confident because I'm the one who insists that the date is correct. I think the Dead only played once, on June 24, the week after Monterey, with equipment they had hijacked from the Monterey Pop Festival.
As to the vague memories of former Palo Altans, they were all there, so of course the memories are somewhat garbled. The Airplane never played a Palo Alto Be-In, although they did do a famous show at Frost Amphitheater right around that time (May '67).
As to the September '68 event, the bands had changed from the poster by the time of the show. Steve Miller Band ended up headlining, and Carlos Santana (then fairly unknown) showed up to jam.
ok, fixed the dates on the photos and when Jerry performed here, thanks Corry.
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