“Forgotten East Bay Tracks” May 8th, 2026
Dr. Victor Wong presented “Forgotten East Bay Tracks: Honoring Chinese Builders of the Final Leg of the Pacific Railroad” on Zoom for the Chinese Historical Society of America.
From Monterey and Chicago to the Small Town of Centerville
Broderick “Guy” Moy came to us in January 2026 with the idea for a story about his family’s roots. Thanks to the great work put in by Guy Moy and Patricia Schaffarczyk, the story below has been preserved. Please join us in thanking Guy for his and his family’s contributions to our local history.
The Moy and Mar Legacies: A California Journey
By: Guy Moy and Patricia Schaffarczyk,
for the Washington Township Museum of Local History
05/12/2026
Printed online with the Tri-City Voice 05/21/2026
The story of the Moy and Mar families is a quintessential American journey—one defined by adjustment, hardship, and ultimate perseverance. While Guy Moy, a fifth-generation Chinese American resident of Fremont, has lost direct ties with China, his family’s rich California history serves as a testament to the strength of ancestors who navigated a changing nation. Today, the legacy continues, as Guy’s grandchildren represent the seventh generation of their family in America.
The family’s American story began well before the turn of the century. In the 1850s, the Mar family arrived in California, among the earliest Chinese immigrants to reach these shores. The Mars played a foundational role in the development of the Monterey fishing industry, establishing a presence that predates much of the modern state’s development.
The lineage traces back to Tom Gum Mar (1860–1915) and Kwong Quan Ho (1867–1917), both born in California. The pair lived in Point Alones, a Chinese fishing village near what is now the Monterey Bay Aquarium.
Tom Gum Mar was a man of many worlds: a fisherman, a ranch hand known as the “First Chinese Cowboy,” and a trilingual speaker of Cantonese, English, and Spanish. He was also a trailblazer in civic life, becoming the second Chinese American in California to vote. His father-in-law, Ah Tim, had been the first Chinese voter in Monterey, having resided there from childhood. Ah Tim’s political stance against immigration were controversial for his time and may even have led to his suspicious death in 1878.
Life in Point Alones was not without hardship. Rising racial tensions led to increasing restrictions on the Chinese fishing community, including limits on when and where they could fish. Many adapted by fishing for squid at night. In 1906, the thriving Chinese village at Point Alones was destroyed by fire, forcing the community—including the Mar family—to relocate to a new fishing area and home at McAbee Beach in Monterey.
As a result of the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, Tom’s son, Mark (Moc) Sun Mar, traveled to China to find a wife. He married Betty Lee, and they had four children. The marriage later dissolved, and Betty raised their children in Fresno, including their daughter, Boadecia Mar.
While the Mar family was rooted along the California coast, the Moy lineage was taking shape in the Midwest. Charlie Moy (Guy’s great grandfather) immigrated from China to Chicago in 1872, establishing a laundry business. In 1912, his son Fred arrived from China at the age of eleven to join the family business.
Meanwhile, parallel to the Moys’ journey was that of Mabel Ying (Soo) Lee (Guy’s grandmother). Her parents immigrated separately from China in the early 1890s. Mabel was one of fifteen children, and her early life was marked by the 1906 San Francisco earthquake. In the aftermath of the disaster, her family moved to Chicago, where Mabel grew up. She eventually met and married Fred Moy in Chicago. After their marriage, the couple moved West, living in San Francisco and Sacramento. They had five children, the oldest being Frederick (Fred Jr.) Moy, born in 1923.
The family’s trajectory changed forever during the 1939–1940 Golden Gate International Exposition. Fred Sr. and Mabel were working as concessionaires on Treasure Island when their car flipped in a devastating accident. Fred Sr. was killed, and Mabel was severely injured. Fred Jr., then only 16 years old, suddenly found himself the head of household, faced with the immense weight of supporting his siblings and grieving mother.
This hardship forged a profound resilience. Fred Jr. eventually met Boadecia Mar, who was working in Alameda for the war effort. Fred Jr. had served in the Navy and then settled in Oakland where he ran a small grocery store. Fred and Boadecia married in 1947. In 1954, they moved with their two children to the small farming town of Centerville (which would soon become part of Fremont). In 1955, their third child, Guy was born.
That same year, the Moys opened Thrifti Mart at 457 Thornton Avenue. It was more than a store; it was a neighborhood hub during a time when Centerville was transitioning from orchards to suburbia. The store hosted lively events featuring Mr. Peanut, Santa Claus, and All-Star Wrestlers, using giant searchlights to light up the suburban sky.
The Moys were known for innovation: They later opened China-Tessen, the first Chinese restaurant in Fremont, bringing in chefs from San Francisco to introduce new flavors to the community. And the Moys were part of a pioneer spirit. In 1960, the Moys were among only 115 Chinese residents in a city of 44,000.
Though Thrifti Mart eventually closed in 1963, after the influx of big chain grocery stores to the area, the Moy legacy remained. Boadecia co-founded the South Bay Chinese Club in 1965, an organization that continues to thrive today.
From the 1850s fishing villages of Monterey to the storefronts of Thornton Avenue, the Moy and Mar families have been a part of the California story for nearly 175 years. Today, Guy Moy’s story—and the lives of his grandchildren, the seventh generation—serve as a bridge between the earliest Chinese pioneers and the diverse, vibrant reality of modern California.
