“Dumb Friends” Bench in Alameda, NOT Attributed to Jim Morrison

Hanging out in Alameda over the years, oaktownman kept hearing the story of the inscription on this bench that sits at the end of Jackson Park, which reads “In Memory of my Dumb Friends”. oaktownman kept hearing that this bench was donated to the city by Jim Morrison. The legendary lead singer of the Doors had indeed attended Alameda High School in the late 1950s while his dad was stationed at the old navy base for two years. Did he actually care enough about the Island City and his old buddies to have been so generous?

Well as it turns out, this bench wasn’t at all a gift from Jim Morrison commemorating his old high school classmates. It was actually installed in 1920, and the quote was a reference to the dumb (speechless) animal friends of the woman who had it placed there. The recent exposé of this myth can be found in this article in Alameda Magazine.

Oh well. The Jim Morrison story was exciting while it lasted. But do check out Jackson Park. It’s an easy walk from the Park St. business district and is a nice shady place.

"In Memory of My Dumb Friends"

Dumb Friends Bench at Jackson Park

1157-1199 Park Ave W, Alameda