The Chung Mei Home for Boys

The drums began pounding at 2 p.m. A crowd of more than 1,500 people was gathered in front of El Cerrito’s city hall to mark a grand day in the city’s history.

It was opening day for the Chung Mei Home for Chinese Boys, said to be the only such orphanage in the United States.The year was 1935, and the 68 “Chung Mei boys” who were moving into the home, dressed in khaki uniforms ...story continues on The Patch

Dorothy & Sundar Shadi History Room

The El Cerrito Historical Society offers "open hours" at the Dorothy & Sundar Shadi Historical Room (located in City Hall on the 2nd floor) on the third Thursday of every month. You can also contact the Historical Society to arrange an appointment.

You can also call Tom Panas at (510) 526-7507 for more information. (Click here to see the Shadi Room Reference Policy (the rules and policies for the Shadi Room.)

Our Next Event:

The Anza Trail and the Spanish Settlement of the Bay Area

Wednesday, June 18, 2014
Time: 7 p.m. Free Admission
Location: Arlington Clubhouse
1120 Arlington Boulevard, El Cerrito

Hale Sargent of the National Park Service will discuss the Anza Trail and its legacy

In June 1776, an expedition of 30 families arrived in Ohlone homeland to establish San Francisco. These 240 children, women, and men had come overland 1,800 miles from present-day Mexico. Our nation commemorates their journey as the Juan Bautista de Anza National Historic Trail. The Anza Trail connects history, culture, and outdoor recreation throughout Arizona and California -- including the East Bay and El Cerrito.

To learn more about the Anza Trail, please visit the Anza Historical Trail website at: http://anzahistorictrail.org/