By Tony Hicks – Like so many people who’ve grown up in Contra Costa County, Karen Mitchoff just figured Kirker Pass was named after a rancher who settled near the well-traveled road winding through the hills between Concord and Pittsburg.
“I had no idea,” said Mitchoff, the chairperson of the county Board of Supervisors and whose district includes the western portion of Kirker Pass Road. “I’ve lived here since I was a kid. I had no idea how despicable this person was.”
That person was James Kirker. And, while he settled in the area, and may have done some ranching, he was far from the average 19th-century settler. Which is why the board is exploring changing the name of Kirker Pass.
As municipalities all over the U.S. reevaluate the names put on schools, roads, and other local institutions, longstanding traditions are being challenged by a new unwillingness to turn a blind eye to the misdeeds of once-celebrated figures.
In Kirker’s case, the name has been uttered by locals for at least 130 years, since at least 1892, when county supervisors officially named the road and the steep hills around it after Kirker, who lived in the county for less than three years. Kirker came to Contra Costa in 1850 and died either in 1852 or 1853, depending on who you ask.
What’s not disputed is that Kirker was widely known as a “scalp hunter,” and a killer of hundreds of Native Americans, working for the Mexican government in the 1840s.
Some accounts say he was responsible for killing women and children. He reportedly came north to Contra Costa only after switching allegiances in 1846 to fight for the U.S. in the Mexican-American War, earning a bounty on his head from Mexico.
“I’m having a hard time even saying his name in public,” Mitchoff said. “There’s absolutely nothing redeeming about this individual.”
The issue came up at the board’s Feb. 8 meeting, at which Daniel Kelly spoke up about Kirker. Kelly, a retired San Francisco social worker and a master’s student in history at Arizona State University, wrote an op-ed in a Bay Area publication about Kirker.
Kelly accused Kirker of leading a raiding party in the Mexican state of Chihuahua during the night in 1846 and killing between 130 and 170 Apache men, women and children while they slept, after they struck a bargain with local officials to stay and trade in the area.
“They mounted their scalps on poles,” Kelly wrote. “A few months later, an English traveler passing through the capitol of Chihuahua found the plaza festooned with Apache scalps.”
The Contra Costa County Historical Society has in its archives an essay written by local historian William Mero, in which he describes Kirker as an Irish immigrant who fought the British as a privateer during the War of 1812. He later moved to the Southwest, working as a trapper and soldier, sometimes for the Mexican government.
In New Mexico, he “seems to have become friends with the first American settler in Contra Costa County, Dr. John Marsh,” Mero wrote. Kirker became a naturalized Mexican citizen until the Mexican-America War.
“He guarded Mexican copper mines of Santa Rita against raiding Indians,” Mero wrote. “He was a friend of young Kit Carson and found him a job at the mines. Kirker organized militias in many of the villages in Chihuahua State against growing Apache attacks.
“Later James Kirker led a large band of Mexican, American, Delaware and Shawnee warriors. They fought the Apaches, who were raiding deeper and deeper into northern Mexico. Kirker’s band was just one of many such mercenary gangs of American and Mexican Apache scalp hunters working for the State of Chihuahua. However there is no evidence that Kirker personally took scalps himself,” Mero wrote.
When Kirker moved to Contra Costa in 1850, he settled on land adjacent to Marsh’s, including the hills where Kirker Pass Road now connects Central Contra Costa with East County. The pass was known as “Kirker’s Pass” as early as 1856, according to Contra Costa County Supervisor John Gioia.
“I’m aware of his reputation of essentially being a mercenary — leading attacks against Indigenous groups of people,” Gioia said. “He was called a scalp hunter, not the kind of person you want to name a major county road after.”
Gioia is a history buff who is putting together a display of previous Boards of Supervisors for the relatively new county building to which supervisors will eventually return post-pandemic. He said his collection includes a book in which Kirker is personally attributed 487 scalps. Though he acknowledged the author didn’t show solid attribution for the accusation.
Either way, he said Kirker isn’t worthy of having his name on a county road.
“We’re clearly much more aware of our history, and we’re reevaluating place names and changing them where appropriate,” Gioia said. “And that’s the right thing to do. We don’t want to name important county places after racists and killers.”
Mitchoff said she requested a report from county staff outlining the necessary steps to rename the road, which she expects back soon. She said the process will likely take at least six months, including what will likely be a very public process of renaming the road. Mitchoff agrees with Kelly that a name honoring local indigenous people could be appropriate.
“I want to get this done as soon as possible,” Mitchoff said.
photo credit: Ray Saint Germain
191 comments
yawn……more of the people’s time, health, and money spent on inane absurdity no one cares about
+1
You need to write the supervisors and their staff. Supervisor Mitchoff is leaving her post this cycle (THANK YOU) and it appears she’s willing to burn down the house on her way out. I reviewed the people desiring to run for her seat however… CAN WE PLEASE HAVE A SANE PERSON STEP INTO THE RACE?
The Board is judging history by today’s standards.
That’s an errand for uneducated fools.
I wonder how the board would fare if a band of renegades attacked them. Would any of them even know how to defend themselves?
How would anyone on the board survive if they had to kill and butcher their own food?
What if anyone on the Board stubbed their toe and there was no Doctor within 100 miles. That’s a long ride on a buckboard.
I’d love to see anyone on the board saddle a horse.
Or better yet, kill something in order to eat.
This action shows us all just how self-serving and egotistical this Board is. There’s not an ounce of empathy in the group.
And they want to call themselves leaders.
They wouldn’t survive a week two hundred years ago.
How dare they judge those who did.
How many potholes will not be repaired so that the County can study, and then eventually change the name of this road? Has the Public Works Department given an estimate of the total cost to make the name change? I’m guessing north of $100,000.
OMG, I didn’t read all 136 comments but totally agree with the ones I read. WHO gives a Flying …………………….. People, no matter what you change, you can NEVER CHANGE History so leave it the ……. alone. Cyn is correct, Mitchoff is despicable and no better than Kirker.
it seems like our tax dollars could be better spent on something that matters.
i will still call the road kirker
Haven’t they heard that 3 SF school board members were recalled for – among other things – wanting to WASTE time and money changing school names. This is stupid and unnecessary and NOBODY freakin cares about the name of the street. Changing names of schools, sports teams or schools does not change history. It is what it is: some good – some bad. It’s a road – that’s all. If they are offended by it then take Bailey instead.
… Sorry – not intended as a reply …
I think Kirker Pass should be renamed Karen, in honor of Mitchoff and everything she has “accomplished”.
@mike ellis……is that you Tweedie Bird?
Do we have nothing better to do with our time and money? It’s the name of a road who cares?
I have such a hard time saying the name Mitchoff, as she is such a despicable human being and is no better than Kirker. She wanted to bring the hammer down on small businesses and didn’t give a damn about any of them losing their livelihood or lives. She’s nothing short of repulsive.
+1
This 100% ⬆️
+1
👍
+2
100% facts!!
Time for a deep dive i to the family history of each board member. Let’s see how clean their history is. Start with Mitchoff!!!
100%
I would like to see where she found this history. No one but her seems to know. Kirker Pass sounds good to me stop changing history. That long ago there were only rumors. 487 scalps, I doubt that very much. Maybe he took the scalps from a tribe collection. The guy could have been a humanitarian.
Reading the comments you can see the problem here. Saying “no one cares” or “concentrate on something that matters” erases Native Americans completey. I bet white dudes would be the first the be outraged if a street was named after someone that sought to eradicate them.
Thank you, I was surprised by the lack of empathy and caring in these comments.
You are wrong partner as a White dude I object to no names from history. Let me ask a question . Did the name squaw come from Native Americans or from White Dudes? If it came from NA then why change the name of Squaw Valley. I think the name is great and not derogatory. If someone named their street Lizzie Borden Ave. good for them. The name Washington Redskin is not derogatory it is a compliment to NA same with Chiefs. Take all their names away and they will be forgotten.
Nope. No one of any consequence cares about names from people who have largely been forgotten. We care about how our hard-earned money is being wasted y these Karens.
@Ricardoh
Squaw belongs to white folks, and was intended to disrespect Native American women. It’s frighteningly ignorant that you would try to defend this, with that.
Factssss! Thank you!
Nope! You’re wrong.
Squaw is an Algonquin Indian word, it means the totality of being female. Not derogatory unless you make it so.
1950’s western movies …. not the best source of info.
Thank you. I care and as a resident of Contra Costa County I would like to see the name changed.
I am Native American. I am not offended by History. It is what it is and you cannot change it. As for today and the future, STOP WASTING MONEY on HORSE SH*T! We can be empathetic without wasting money trying to Unoffend the world (something that will NEVER happen). That money would be better spent fixing our roads (Willow Pass Road HELLO!!), fixing our schools, paying Educators, or how about some just plain COMMON SENSE for F#%KS SAKE!!! STOP THE INSANITY!!!
@anonz
👍👍👍👍👍
Sounds like an absolutely horrific man. But as someone who has advocated for retaining the name of our beloved “Mt Satan” every time someone wants to change it, I must ask: Are we to perennially relabel all our maps for every event of social evolution we experience? I consider it a teachable moment. I was completely ignorant about Kirker’s grisly history, and more will remain ignorant if we change it to “Bay Point Vista Pass”. I’m noticing that most geographic names around the world stay the same despite hundreds and thousands of years of genocide, rape, and all manner of carnage. I don’t have a huge problem with canceling Kirker specifically, but I do have a problem with new maps not corresponding with old maps.
99.99 of the population have no idea about how a street got its name. Most of the other .01 percent don’t care.
Wasting our money and time once again!
Seems this guy was not a mass killer. He fought the natives who were stealing and attacking settlers. In the last line in the section about Mexico it is said in so many words facts are hard to find.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Kirker
Although Wikipedia isn’t the best and most reliable source of information, you beat me to posting this information.
How can these politicians be so sure about changing names of roads, cities, schools, etc from a time when few were educated enough to be able to read and write; additionally, reliable information gets lots in time due to people changing history to fit their ideas or needs.
These politicians are allowing crime to rise (homicides, burglaries, etc) and it costing lives yet they don’t see themselves as being despicable. Hope they, some time in the future, don’t have roads, schools, named after them despite allowing crime to rise because that is called hypocrisy.
I’m not shocked this is the most pressing issue these people are finding to work on. Let higher crime rates continue to rule.
Attacking “settlers” that statement says it all.
Lulu Both groups were guilty. The settlers were invaders but time marches on. It wasn’t as if the NA were all peace loving people between their nations.
Historians don’t always report facts because they weren’t there to witness the event. A lot of it is hearsay from publications, and journals, and guess work. A liberal historian will spin it one way, a moderate historian will spin it another way, and a conservative historian will spin it their way. History is interesting, but should never be taken as the gospel truth. Karen Mitchoff had no idea how despicable this person was, and is having a hard time saying his name in public. “There’s absolutely nothing redeeming about this person.” said Ms Mitchoff.
Look who’s calling the kettle black.
And an ethical historian provides a full picture of the possible ways to interpret the events and elucidates how those interpretations were reached. A trained historian must adhere to the same ethics and processes as any scientist. Their conclusions must be supported by evidence and sound methodology. Otherwise, their work is merely well-informed opinion, not an interpretation events based on facts.
+1
Well, considering how many scientists are in the pockets of politicians and pharma, I would say historians are THE SAME. Can’t trust someone with an agenda, whether that be publishing stuff that may not be 100% true to stay relevant or taking kickbacks to skew certain data. What Dawg says is true and it seems like SavaDude is pretty naive.
History if full of half-truths, embellished stories and lack of accurate facts to name a few.
Of course! We must sanitize our history. Can’t have anything that just might be un-woke or otherwise politically incorrect. They just expelled three SF school board members for getting sidetracked on this kind of silly crap.
+1
Mitchoff needs to go fly a kite. I can think of 100 other things that are way more important than this and more pressing to spend our money on.
@Ano
+1
@ Ano
Bitc….er, Karen needs to go fly a hang glider to Hawaii.
I just wonder who paid her and how much did she got paid to bring this nonsense into the light of day.
History is important to learn from. If you don’t know your history, you’re doomed.
As we are now.
Sounds like a bad guy, but it is exhausting to learn new names of every school, road, bridge, city, town, etc. Soon the Highway numbers will need to change because someone will equate the number with white supremacy. Soon they will want to change the name of China and Japan town. Just leave things alone worts and all and be careful naming new things.
I bet the name gets changed before the potholes get fixed.
Doesn’t matter to me what you call that road, but I didn’t see anything but hearsay in that article. Shouldn’t there be at least a little proof prior to your hanging.
Or you can change the name to honor your next creep-du-jour.
You know 150 years from now some historian will conclude that some of these local officials were idiots….
It will take MUCH less than 150 years. Maybe next week.
No need to wait!
A huge waste of money in time trying to erase the past. What a bunch of idiots. No one would have known or cared unless you want to dig something up. This area has so many other things to worry about besides a name that’s been there forever.
So we should name streets after the only sinless man that ever lived.
Christ Ct.
Son of Man St.
Dayspring Dr.
The Rock Rd.
Lamb of God Ln.
High Priest Pl.
Etc, there’s over 50 names to work with.
Didn’t school board members who did nothing but worry about changing names and being politically correct just get recalled? Isn’t it time for the people of Contra Costa to take action against this board?
What has Karen Mitchoff accomplished beside closing the main library which will now cost much more to rebuild while she fiddles around. It was a great deal for the purchasers of that land. The property values have gone straight up.
Other than cost businesses and citizens money and worry about politically correct causes that will cost more money, please tell me what she has done for the taxpayers.
Yeah, Michoff. Let’s ignore the crime rate, gangs, shootings, stabbings, rampant shoplifting, the county COVID garbage regulations, high taxes, bad roads, etc. because “Kirker man bad!”
This is merely another ploy to get the brain trust who vote them thinking they’re actually doing someting.
+1
How about allocating our tax money on getting the proper lighting on Highway 4 and Willow Pass Road before we waste 6 months of tax payer money on changing a street name.
And PROPER lighting on “KIRKER PASS”!
Absolutely STUPID,
that being said, I would advocate for changing Concord to “Todo Santos”
I think the name “Concord” should be changed back to ‘Drunken Injun’….just sayin’.
That’d be a great name for the county.
I would rather they spend their time and our taxes on the homeless PROBLEM in downtown Concord. Too many homeless, mentally disturbed, drug and alcohol addicts walking around yelling and screaming at citizens. They need the attention and resources and time spend to help them off the public and private properties around Todo Santos park. Instead of the name of a street. It’s called priorities.
They are. Brandon is fast tracking them crack pipes
They spend too much on the homeless anyways! Funding for the homeless is just a money fraud scheme. Hardly any goes to actually fix a problem. It is a lucrative problem for them to have so they can keep stealing our money. Instead of spending the money on the homeless, they need to herd them out. Every city just needs to herd them out because they DON’T want help. These are not people that will actually be helped. They are lost causes, leeches, and a financial drain. the best thing to do is to STOP spending money like we are flushing it down the toilet and use our tax money wisely for once. That includes leaving names be.
Funny how she sees “nothing redeeming about this individual”.
Kettle have you met Pot?
+1
Guess we need to rid ourselves of all MLK references:
https://www.businessinsider.com/fbi-tapes-allege-mlk-watched-rape-2019-5
Not to mention MLK’s history of blatant plagiarism. Is that the kind of example we want to set for our kids?
So what are we going to call it? Pelosi pass?
Obama overhill?
We better watch out about sanitizing history. The old adage is very true about those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it
Time for a public contest! I suggest Forward Pass (or Screen Pass, if you want to be specific). How about Meet Me at the Pass? Made a Pass? Hall Pass? I’ll Pass?
The “Hunter Biden Laptop Pass” as a nod to CNN and the rest of the Democrat media who give the Hunter scandal a ‘pass’ just before the 2020 election.
Phil, how about “Pass Gas” oh yeah sorry, that one stinks.
So, the only way I could justify renaming Kirker Pass Rd is if a freeway is built connecting highway 24 in Walnut Creek with highway 4 in Pittsburgh. We forget the offensive name and call it the Highway 24 extension. Problem solved! Plus the gridlock through Walnut Creek is eliminated. Stop and go traffic causes excessive pollution! I’ve been to your BAAQMD meetings in SF. You’d probably spend less money building the extension than you have spent trying to shut down the Bay Area Refineries. You have no problem going to court and spending tax payers money on rewriting EIR’s that didn’t come out exactly like you wanted. I think your comment was we are “Flush with Cash! So we can, right or wrong, pay for a lawsuit if we are sued. Imagine going from Clayton to Orinda in 20 minutes instead of 60 minutes. That’s 40 minutes less that a combustion engine would have to run! Multiply that by the thousands of cars that go down Ygnacio Valley Blvd. each day. Now that the Navy base is up for development why not add a road from Kirker Pass to Highway 4 at Willow Pass? I know…it just makes too much sense. Forget it! Keep traffic at a stand still and rename Kirker Pass after some do gooder…that 20 years from now will be found to be a pedophile and we’ll have change it’s name again…build the freeways and eliminate excess pollution, eliminate Kirker Pass Rd, and Hwy 24 extends to Pittsburg. That about 3 or 4 birds with one stone.
Agree
REALLY!? You have nothing better to do with your time & our money?
Leave it alone you stupid ass people.Find something better to do with your time and our money.I’m sure they are going to do it anyway.You can bet it will be after a black person or Native American.This country has gone to hell.
Agree Old Timer and it’s not going to get better. Ha ha ha, Let’s blame it on Covid since everyone wants to use it for their excuses on everything.
A road by any other name will still be dangerous. When I saw there was a change coming to Kirker Pass I had hoped it was a traffic light at Hess Road where my family got broad sided turning left out of Hess and where there are little bouquets strewn about to honor the families who weren’t as fortunate as mine. As to honoring a scoundrel or a devil mountain; it’s beyond my scope or thickness of skin to weigh in on these current name and shame controversies.
Monte Diablo is not Spanish for Devil Mountain. In 1805, the Spanish fought the natives in s battle that occurred near present day Buchanan Field at a Monte (Willow Thicket). It didn’t even refer to the mountain This thicket was thought to be evil and was named Monte Diablo. Thicket of the Devil. Over time Monte Diablo became associated with the prominent peaks. But in reality, it’s a misinterpretation.
No matter how bad a man Mr. Kirker was, he pales in comparison with el Diablo. Let’s get our priorities straight!
Leave My,Diablo alone Ken
How about THE BERG EXPRESSWAY …???
Do something for our children instead of erasing history
Isn’t that Cretan retired yet?
“Seeno Slideboard?
LOL
He sounds as bad as our current county board members.
How bout changing it to Seno Slope?
Forget it Bob!
If you name it after Seeno then no matter which direction you drive you will be going up on Seeno & after you pass the summit… well, you know where you’re going then.
As I read it, somebody back in the early 2000’s, local historian William Mero (I cannot find a specific date, but it seems clear that this author is still alive) wrote about Kirker, describing him as a scalp hunter (in spite of stating there was no evidence of this).
Included in the story is “He guarded Mexican copper mines of Santa Rita against raiding Indians,” Mero wrote. “He was a friend of young Kit Carson and found him a job at the mines. Kirker organized militias in many of the villages in Chihuahua State against growing Apache attacks.
“Later James Kirker led a large band of Mexican, American, Delaware and Shawnee warriors. They fought the Apaches, who were raiding deeper and deeper into northern Mexico. Kirker’s band was just one of many such mercenary gangs of American and Mexican Apache scalp hunters working for the State of Chihuahua. However there is no evidence that Kirker personally took scalps himself,” Mero wrote.
So the man organized or fought with a number of Indian tribes from NA and Mexico to fight specifically another tribe who were raiding territory.
Nice to see they want to follow the whole erase history because of unpleasantries. Better change Cesar Chavez Avenue in SF for using what is considered an offensive term. Stop changing names because a name from 1840 is now offensive in 2022. Think of how many names we have now that will have to be changed because someone finds them offensive. This movement to do this is sad.
In New Mexico, he “seems to have become friends with the first American settler in Contra Costa County, Dr. John Marsh,” Mero wrote. Maybe we need to cancel Marsh Creek Rd, too. Really seems like a ridiculous waste of my tax dollars.
It wasn’t too long ago on Claycord that I suggested a movie should be made about Kirker.
The man had a very interesting life.
He fought in the War of 1812 against the British and Mitchoff sez: “There’s absolutely nothing redeeming about this individual” OK…… guess we know which side the old girl was on… she didn’t say much about the Apaches killing families in Mexico & burning settlers to death or skinning them alive in the USA did she?
There are several good books about Kirker, people should read about him instead of letting Liberal D-Bags smear him and make up your mind for you!
Go ahead & name it Harvey Milk Hill for all I care…. Everyone will always call it Kirker Pass.
BTW- Lots of disparaging stories about Dr. Marsh too, better wipe his name off everything as well!
+1
Erasing history only fools the fools today.
History will show that people like Karen did far more damage than anything good.
Mitchoff has no redeemable character values and looks upon herself as a diety.
And hired by the Mexican government. I guess they ought to pass a resolution condemning the Mexican government. Of course, making that comment is gonna result in me being called “racist.” Guess she better demand that the Mexican government pay reparations to all descendants of the Apache tribe. Or is this just selective pandering? That was a rhetorical question BTW.
The BOS is putting forth their last ditch effort to do something “meaningful.” I would bet that less than 500 people in this county knew about Kirker in detail.
And Mitchoff says she says “hard time” saying his name??? Only since some “historian” wrote an opinion.
Mitchoff is nothing more than a political woke opportunist. And Gioia is no better.
Of course, now the moron is gonna play the victim….ever since she read that “letter” on public tv quoting all the swearing. Wonder if the FCC ever took her to task?
You disgust me!
Name it The Drunken Indian Expressway.
+1
He that is without sin cast the first stone.
Mitchoff and all of her staff have the same phone number listed…one which at all times of the day goes directly to voicemail.
Mitchoff’s chief of staff Lia Bristol has a Zoom info page. There her number is listed….the number turns out to be for the Martinez Library.
How much longer will she hide from the public, now that the “pandemic” is over?
I believe the Wokers refer to this type of expenditure as “Infrastructure”.
These people are bonkers.
I wonder who fed this idea to ‘Karen’ and the Board. Given the hard left turn that Contra Costa County has taken in the past couple of years, it’s likely to be some activist front group.
Im tired of the cancel culture crap already!
My suggestion is to rename it Karen Pass Gas Road.
The new name recommendation direct from County Staff is Mitchoff Gap….but yes it too is not acceptable.
Like the majority of Native American tribes, the Apaches took and kept slaves. Like the Comanches, the Apaches raped, tortured and murdered women and children in the most cruel ways. The tribes of the Southwest were the most vicious in North America.
Should we erase their history as well?
Should we erase [Apache] history as well? Our government tried that already. It ultimately didn’t work, so I wouldn’t trip over a street name being changed.
@Danged ineffectual Out government did to the Apaches and Comanches whet they did to weaker tribes for centuries. So, if anyone understands what happened, they did.
Oh, my bad. We didn’t take Apaches and Comanches as slaves like they did.
Recall! It worked for the SF Board of Supervisors who lowered standards for admittance to prestigious Lowell High School. It’ll work for suddenly woke Contra Costa hypocrites. You want to purify history? Take down that statue of Pacheco in Todas Santos Square, a man who built his house with slave indigenous labor provided by the Catholic Church.
I thought the Spirit Poles were symbolic of Kirker’s poles that he hung Indian scalps from….Geez, guess I got that all wrong. BTW, how much was the bounty for a Indian scalp was back then?
Let’s make a trade. Rename kirker, but put a TOLL BOOTH at the top! You know to help with funds……..
No Toll Roads!
I think they need to make a colored chart with some different tiers of badness to explain to the public just how important this is.
+1
Changing the name will not erase history, just bury it deeper.
Learn from it.
“Those that forget history are doomed to repeat it.”
George Santayana
And this one come to mind
“Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
JC
Changing the name is how it is becoming discussion, hardly a burial.
With all the horrible $#@% going on around here there has got to be more important thing to worry about.
Until it was brought up very few people knew of this guy James Kicker. Like others on this thread, there are far more pressing things that need to be taken care of. Again, those in power with no common sense.
This is what you get. Some woke idiot reading history with an agenda. Here’s a thought, put it to a public vote. Matter of fact, put the woke agenda to a vote. They wouldn’t dare tell you what the agenda is so the people could decide. Cowards every one of them
SOOOOOOOOOOOO OOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Indians did the same thing,but we give them a pass
So whats the point?
Apache pass has my vote
There were never any Apaches up here!
You might as well call it Hopalong Cassidy Pass
This is ridiculous.
Head’m off at the Pass
So does anyone else notice the mechanism of wokeness?
We’ve got real issues i.e. child mask mandates, inflation, illegal immigration, skyrocketing crime, et al.
Let’s not focus on any of our real issues. Let’s talk about Ukraine, (allegedly) bad people in history, state budget surplus (100% due to Federal bailout money) et al.
Transference of outrage is the liberal mindset to attempt to get the populous to ignore the problems these idiots created.
Seems Karen and the other woke politicians apparently fixated on the “Wizard” instead of the witch in an old movie. “Ignore that man behind the curtain!”
It’s my understanding that Mitchoff and her pantsuits are retiring this year!
It will be nice to get some new blood working for the taxpayers in this county!
And don’t get me started on the school board, Senate, Congress and Governor!
Since not one politician seems to be listening to their constituents it truly is time to vote them all out! Regardless of party!
Recall them all!
They’re all worthless piles of 💩💩💩💩!
They’re contemplating renaming it “Brokeback Pass”.
It’s a progressive thing……….
Contra Costa Voters, . . . here’s a hint !
https://tinyurl.com/ycknnprs
It probably started with that name just like blood ally got its name.
More virtue signaling from the board of stupidvisors.
Nowhere did I see one credible cite for all this hoo-haw.
Stupes, get a clue & take a hard “pass” on this one!
I know this is way too simplistic for someone who wants to spend the Counties money. But why can’t it then just simply be Ygnacio Valley Road? Is there some reason the name changes at a random intersection anyway?
I think changing the name of that road is a good thing for Contra Costa and the Pittsburgh and Concord cities not only the history of him being a mercenary Mr kirker that is. But many lives have been lost on that road it’s been associated to many accidents and missing persons not to mention even ghosts have been seen in the area by many local people so changing the name is a good thing. I was born and raised in Pittsburgh and the thought of kirker pass road has always been a negative thought I had a childhood friend that ended up being killed because of her pass road it being so steep the truck’s brakes went out and he crashed into a local building in Pittsburgh trying to avoid other cars driving a big rig he saved many lives but in the end losing his own yes changing the name we give a different outlook on the road
Sure – let’s change the name.
And that’ll solve ……what?
Not one damn thing!
They can’t work on real problems- so they take the easy way out to make it look like they’re doing something “important.”
These are not “leaders” by any stretch of the imagination….just political opportunists pandering to a perceived “problem.”
Only the people without real jobs think about the name on the street they drive down. Get a real job and you won’t have time to think about the name of the street your on . We should ban 1st street because everyone is equal you can’t be second street.
If you don’t bother to think about a road’s name, how do you read a map?
Clearly, she has nothing better to do with her time left in office, and, at this point, is completely useless. Leave now Mitchoff and save us a couple bucks.
DID ANYONE READ THE ESSAY. READ THE ESSAY THIS DANIEL KELLY CITES.
https://cocohistory.org/frm-tales.html
Thank you for the link. These will be fun to read.
Myths, Legends and Facts, the Final Days of James Kirker
Thank you savagette.
I looked this up before and found Kirker’s ranch was near the Antioch Municipal Reservoir (not Contra Loma, the other one by the golf course) but I was wondering where they buried Kirker…. anyone know?
@Albert Holmes….Born in “Pittsburgh”, funny to not know how to spell the city you were born and raised. Sorry about your friend but the reason you want to change the name is not a valid one, IMO.
There is also the Old Kirker Pass Rd. Are they going to change that name too? there are many street and city signs that will have to be changed and will be costly. The property owners along these roads will need to buy into the name change. Sounds like a terrible way to spend our tax dollars.
I’m going to guess that most are like me, who never once wondered where the name came from , why it was called that. It’s just a name that I don’t attach to anyone.
👍👍👍👍
It took 170 plus years for someone to notice? Somebody here just wants to have their name in print.
How timely – since she claims to be retiring this year.
Haw!
https://www.cocohistory.org/essays-kirker.html
Change the name to James Kirk Pass. Everyone loves James Kirk.
STUPID!! ASSININE! WORTHLESS!! Just like Biden and his clan!
It is ARMY STREET off and not Cesar Chavez! Another one is MLK off from 580!
And the despicable change for Lowell High!!!
This guy sounds like soldier that was in the the war. So me being a Veteran will I be seen this way 100yrs. from now being in Iraq and fighting for my country. Will some Karen want to cancel me because shes offended by my action of survival for surviving war? So the name Mitchoff is Irish/British name and so was Kirker probably a high probability that they are related. So mind your business care it’s not your people so why are you offended.
James Kirker (Kirker Pass) worked for John Marsh (Marsh Creek) as a hired gun or enforcer to keep the Indians on “Marsh’s land” in line. John Marsh was most likely murdered by Ygnacio Sibrian (Ygnacio Valley). Looks like all three roads need to go.
Does anyone remember the the original advertising for the Concord BART station? “From Black Bart to BART” Probably need to rename that too.
Ygnacio may have paid for the murder, but he did not commit the murder.
“It was claimed that shortly before Marsh died, Ygnacio Sibrian put out a $500 contract on John Marsh following a bitter court trial. One of the Marsh assassins was Sibrian’s brother-in-law. Two of John Marsh’s killers were tracked down and brought to trial ten years after the murder. The third was never caught. Charles Marsh, John Marsh’s son by an earlier marriage was deputized in order to arrest his father’s murders. One killer turned state evidence and was freed after the trial. The other served 25 years in San Quentin for second-degree murder before being pardoned by an outgoing Governor”.
(Doctor Marsh was kind of an A-hole and there was not alot of sympathy for him).
https://www.cocohistory.org/essays-marshlet.html
I’m still irritated they got rid of Army Street in SF.
….. especially since Army Street went between two parts of an ARMY base!
That said, I do respect and admire Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..
How about Cesar Chavez..
Maybe we should re name it after someone that did something for our country like the veterans. We could name it Veterans Rd, or how about just The Road Over Kirker Pass.
Don’t you get a hoot out of how the county supervisor and the social worker gloss over the Mexican Government’s policies of contracting mercenaries and quotas for Apache scalps?
The greater atrocity by a governing body is intentionally ignored.
With eyes glazed over already patting each other on the back. Idiots..all of them
I’m sure there’s a process to remove all these idiots for “No Confidence”. In fact I believe it can be done for the governor and the president. Not a recall or an impeachment, a simple no confidence statement from a percentage of the population should do it
Just their luck— they’ll change the name to an indigenous people/chieftain that practiced slavery but might’ve been genderfluid according to recent woke scholarly interpretations.
I can understand some people’s thoughts that changing the name Kirker Pass Road to something else because of who it was named after and the horrible things he supposedly did. But no matter what you change the name to will cost taxpayers a lot of money. Did the Supervisors think of how a name change to the road will affect whole lot of people, businesses, maps, etc. and that money spent could be used so much better. Having lived in Concord 57 years I will always call that road Kirker Pass no matter what and if it’s name changes.
+1
Just call the rest of it Ygnacio Valley Road. The two are connected anyways. It doesn’t make sense why both streets have two different names anyway. Is it just because Clayton Road cuts through them? It’s never made sense to have to different names.
I’m sure at some point, it will be revealed that Ygnacio Sibrian somehow slighted the Native Americans of the time, and that road will have to be renamed as well.
Maybe cities that just give all the streets letters and numbers are on to something.
Will it be called Scalp Hunter Byway? How about Rollover Highway? What was I thinking… The “Karen’s” Pass… of course!
A Fun Read from 1995 about changing street names: https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/S-F-Street-Name-Game-Has-Long-History-3048545.php
It ain’t a cheap fix 😉 But the Karens will make us pay anyway.
The word “road” is very triggering. It was created in the Middle Ages English language, which was a time of great suffering, serfdom, lack of civil rights, and sharp pointy spike things used in war.
I had no idea history was full of nasty and brutish behavior until I looked it up and then I decided to delete the history so I could forget about it.
Next she’ll want to convert the whole thing to bicycle lanes surrounded by low income housing.
This manufactured drama is about creating some sort of legacy.
Imposing your will on others is nothing to be proud of, or to be remembered for. In fact, it’s not important to be remembered. Although I see the appeal for the insecure.
Since we all live near SATAN MOUNTAIN, let’s rename it to Heavenly Pass. Or Eileen Gu Way.
Actually Mt Diablo was named after a Native shaman, according to a main historical account.
Why don’t we fix the problems we have today and leave the past the past.
Crime, education, jobs, health, families. Spend the funds where it will do the most good. Karen.
ahhh the cancel culture at work. No one seems to know the real story other than historically, this guy settled the area….
So what documented PROOF exists that this really happened? No firsthand documentation? Then it’s a non-issue.
Proof is NOT what some historian wrote. Everybody has a bias, so I would immediately suspect this to be someone with an ax to grind…. And something for mitchoff to latch onto.
C’mon mitchoff – provide the proof . Or resign in disgrace.
And btw – since he was presumably paid by the Mexican government to do this, I expect the BOS to extend this to its logical conclusion. Are you now gonna condemn the entire Mexican population based on this? If not, you’re just another hypocrite.
Leave it.
Stupidy at its best. JUST LEAVE IT ALONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Karen – Changing a name does nothing.
Changing YOUR behavior does something.
Learn from it.
That being said, I expect you’ll ignore everyone who’s against this change . You really don’t give a crap – as long as it gets your name in lights.
Resign now for the good of the county.
Changing names allows us to forget. If we share the story and keep the name then we will remember how awful this man was and how far we have come.
@FPN ~
OK, tell me how awful he was, but please cite proven evidence. Legends and rumors aren’t proof.
For all you know Kirker may have saved hundreds of families from slaughter by Apaches.
He may have been indispensable in the War of 1812…. or in the Mexican – American War.
Enlighten me with your “facts” (and I’m sure you have them, since you’ve already passed judgement on Kirker).
“Allows us to forget?”
What kinda psychobabble are you into?
Nobody knew up until the last week. Now all of a sudden, the snowflakes are getting butt-hurt. …. All over an unproven rumor that has the liberals’ panties in knots. Up to now, nobody cared; and frankly, I’ll bet that 99.9%+ of the people here STILL don’t care.
You wanna forget? Then forget . Nobody is “forcing” to to remember $hit, miss snowflake.
With all of the other problems in this county, the BOS wants to do THIS?
Obviously they (and you) have no sense of priority… if you wanna feel good, then just go downtown and sing kumbyah all day long.
Idiot!
@ Glen223
As a doctor I feel I should point out that having knots in your panties are the most likely cause of being “Butt Hurt”.
Kirker Pass and Bailey Road look like landfills and we are wasting funds changing names. SMFH. Priorities. You people are lost in your own arrogance.
That was then this is now. Leave it alone. No one really cares; it will always be Kirker Pass as long as anyone local and old enough to remember is still alive. Don’t waste our money.
Wow, those where the way of the times!!! Why are you sho led!!! We killed off the native Americans women and children all the time and now you put in my reservations and now you act also I can bother about corporate pass road get over yourselves what a waste of money don’t rename the road leave it be it’s history that none of us knew and I don’t care to rechange the name.. And if you’re all that about change the name you better name it after an American Indian and Apache went at that!!!
I agree with those saying this is a waste of time and money. Rather than trying to erase history, shouldn’t we attempt to learn from it? I’m sure those funds can be used so much better elsewhere. Time for our supervisors to think of those of us who live in the real world for a change.
Ironic that you would argue that changing the name would be erasing history when, in fact, no one even knew the history about Kirker. Seems what y’all so mad about, is RECOVERING history that was previously erased. That said, I do agree that changing names of streets can be a slippery slope. Keep it Kirker Pass and put up a historical signage about how atrocious the California settlers were and how they committed mass genocide against the Native Americans. That would be the best solution and save taxpayer money also.
YOU MEAN TO TELL ME THIS IS WHATS BEING DONE AT THOSE BOARD MEETINGS? Couldn’t possibly address lying politicians, blown budgets, embezzlement, HOMELESSNESS ON KIRKER PASS, GARBAGE dumping, road rage, crappy roads, prolonged construction wasting tax $. I could go on. Karen Mitchoff please resign early and out your hard detective work into a worthy cause. The name of a road is hardly a pressing issue. This is our world today folks- haughty privileged elected supervisors who do nothing for their constituency but appease the woke mob. GO TO WORK HELPING YOUR COMMUNITY!
It would seem that due to the political crisis on changing names of many places across the country is causing politicians to take time and resources (money), to keep the political correctness regime alive.Had it not been brought to our attention, who would care? I’m appalled at the connection to this person whose mission it was to appease the growing country and its ideals , without a whimper. Forgotten history, does not imply celebration for the name and individual(s) whose names Grace institutions country wide. It’s just a name. Now if there’s a Hitler pass or highway, that’d be different. The time and money, from taxes should be spared until after well after this pandemic nonsense is put to rest. Spending money on issues that insult some are not a priority nowadays. Politicians ought to be busy tending to the issues that affect all of us. Not just a few sensitive types whose priorities are a waste of time energy and money. When the world is right and freedom is number one, then it might be the time for such lunacy.
Good report. Thank you.
Just like the City Council to waste our tax dollars on something that is irrelevant. Why don’t they use it on our streets or get a permanent place for the homeless?
They will regret changing the name of that road.
I predict road signs with the new name will be the most vandalized/stolen signs ever…. and the people will applaud those actions!
Guess they ought to remove the Catholic Churches; wasn’t Fr Juniperro Serra a catholic missionary?
Wasn’t Kirker being paid by the Mexican government?
Why not include the source?
Hypocrites!
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