USA > California > Contra Costa County > History of Contra Costa County, California, including its geography, geology, topography, climatography and description; together with a record of the Mexican grants also, incidents of pioneer life; and biographical sketches of early and prominent settlers and representative men > Part 48
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80
Grape crushing, stemming, elevating and pressing machinery, and han- dling appliances, with specially adapted stationary steam engines of several sizes, for operating the machinery, are among the specialities of this establish- ment; and those of the grape raisers who require any orall of the appliances for their work in wine making, will do well to inspect Mr. Heald's grape-work- ing mechanism. Heald's Roller Crushing Barley Mill has been amply tested, and does its work, as is claimed, better and more economically than any burr mill. It is simple and consists of two strong, plain cylinder rollers, eighteen inches in diameter by eighteen inches width of face, both driven by a belt upon the shaft pulley of one of them, the grain feeding down from the hopper between the two rollers. Running with a twenty-horse steam power threshing engine, this mill is said to have the capacity of sixty
418
History of Contra Costa County.
tons per day. Hydraulic presses of various sizes, for grape pressing or other purposes, are also among the specialities of the establishment. Besides the threshing, and the compact and handsome style of the stationary steam engines for grape crushing and pressing, almost every other description of stationary and portable steam engines, boilers and other machinery, are made at the establishment, as may be ordered; and at the present time there are two magnificent tubular boilers there, of great heating surface and steam- making capacity, for a large flouring mill at Marysville. The location of Mr. Heald's foundry and machine shops, with a side track of the trunk line of the two inter-state and continental railroads at its south-side doors, and deep water facilities at those of the north side, for receiving coal and other ma- terial, or shipping its wares for river or ocean transportation, must be of many hundred dollars advantage per annum, with only the present extent of his business; and with its probable expansion, in course of a few years the saving thus effected in drayage, tolls, and other incidental expenses, will reach the amount of thousands per annum. With the high reputation of his machinery, for its special purposes, his advantageous location, the already well-established qualities and large demand for his machinery, there is every reason to anticipate that Mr. Heald's business will soon expand to as large proportions as any in its line upon this coast. The advantages of the deep water frontage along the Straits, from Bull's Head to Vallejo Junction, with the railroad alongside all the way for large manufacturing industries, and especially for flouring mills, are so great and apparent that they cannot long remain unimproved, and we may look in a few years to see many of the available sites occupied for such purposes.
PINOLE .- This landing takes its name from the Rancho granted to Don Ignacio Martinez, in 1824, and which derived its peculiar cognomen, it has been already said, from the fact that here some famished Spanish soldiery, on their way to the mission of San Rafael, received a mess of pinole (corn meal) from some friendly Indians. The first foreign settler in the vicinity was Doctor S. J. Tennent, who still resides about a mile from the hamlet.
As early as the year 1850, however, Pinole was recognized as one of the landing places en route to the inner waters of the State. In that year, a man named Manuel Sueyras, who had located on Doctor Tennent's land, had a five ton sloop named the Citizen, plying between that point and San Francisco, making her headquarters at Pinole. It remained, however, for Bernardo Fernandez, to develop the trading facilities of the locality. In 1854, after having sailed along the much indented shore of the San Pablo Bay to fix a place for landing, brought up his sloop, aptly named Unexpected, and thus started a regular trade. So he continued until early in 1855, when he purchased the Beed Ruch, and kept her on the route for about twelve months. He next located on shore, the beach being then smooth, and water
419
Township Number One.
deep. In the year 1856, Mr. Fernandez erected a warehouse, which stood where now is the railroad depot, and in it, in partnership with H. Cruz, opened a store, or trading post. At the same time he constructed two small wharves, one thirty feet in length by twenty in width, and the other twenty feet long and eight feet wide. There was eight feet of water at the end of each. One of these wharves has disappeared ; that last mentioned has, in the intervening years, been from time to time extended, until to-day it has attained a length of two thousand three hundred feet, yet with this extension, in like ratio, so has the depth of water decreased, for, as an absolute fact, at the extremity of this jetty which in 1856, when only twenty feet in length, and where was found water eight feet deep, twenty- six years later only the same depth is to be found at more than half a mile from shore.
The original warehouse as constructed in 1856, was one hundred by twenty feet in dimensions, and served its purpose until partially carried away by a freshet, on January 4, 1862, destroying a large quantity of grain stored therein. From time to time, Mr. Fernandez has added to his property at Pinole. At the present writing he has four excellent warehouses, with a capacity of storing one hundred thousand sacks of grain, his entire premises covering fully five acres.
In 1861 he severed his connection in the store with Mr. Cruz, since when he has maintained that trade on his own account.
About a quarter of a mile from the depot and the store of Mr. Fer- nandez, is the blacksmith and carriage shop of Messrs. Boyd and Fraser, surrounded by a few buildings, all presenting a neat and thrifty appearance.
Situated as Pinole is, at the mouth of the rich and beautiful valley of the same name, with such facility of access, proximity to San Francisco, on the pebbly beach of the San Pablo Bay, there is no reason why the little hamlet should not, in the near future, become a favorite location for suburban residences, desirable building sites in the neighborhood being plenty and capable of high improvements.
HERCULES POWDER WORKS .- These works are situated in the vicinity of Pinole station, and like those of the "Vulcan," have had their share of accidents. A terrific explosion occurred January 11, 1882, at 11: 55 o'clock, A. M., in the mixing house of the Hercules Powder Works, at Pinole Station, which is about eighteen miles north of Oakland. The shock was perceptible at Oakland, and the cause was at once attributed to the blowing up of one of the powder works north of the City. Twenty minutes after the calamity, a telephone dispatch announced that the explosion had occurred at the Hercules Powder Works which are located half a mile northeast of Pinole Station. The buildings were erected in a series of gullies and ra- vines. In the first were the acid works. in the second were the mixing and packing houses, and in the third was the magazine, so that in the event of
420
History of Contra Costa County.
an explosion in any one, the others would escape injury. The cause of the trouble was the explosion of the steam chest in the mixing-house. There were twenty-five white men and twenty-five chinamen employed in that building, and just as soon as they perceived evidences of trouble, they all ran for dear life. When the works went up, they were all outside, making tracks for a place of safety. The concussion exploded fifteen hundred pounds of powder, and several boxes in the packing-houses adjoining ; the flying timbers killed one chinaman, and injured two others. The windows of all the dwellings in the vicinity of the place were also blown out. In the residence of the Superintendent, E. Scott, there was not even half a pane of glass left. Only one white person was in any manner hurt, and he received a cut from a flying piece of glass. The big still at the acid house, which cost fifteen thousand dollars, was entirely uninjured. The damage amounted to about twenty-five hundred or three thousand dollars. The works had only been up about five or six months. The body of the defunct celestial was taken in charge by the Coroner. The mongolians would not approach it, and would not suffer its removal to their quarters, and it was temporarily deposited in an adjoining warehouse. At San Rafael, the houses were shaken by the concussion, as if by an earthquake, and in Oakland the shock was so severe as to cause many, apprehending danger from an earthquake, to run out of their houses. In Livermore, the shock was distinctly felt, and was attributed to an earthquake. Another china- man since died, the others received injuries, but not beyond a few bruises and cuts.
SAN PABLO .- This village derives its name from the Rancho granted to Don Francisco Castro in 1823, and is one of the earliest settlements in the county. It is not authenticated who the actual first foreign settler in the place was. The residence of the Castros was the same as that lately occupied by Governor Juan B. Alvarado, who died there on July 13, 1882, aged seventy-three years and five months.
Governor Alvarado moved to San Pablo in 1849. He owned the greater portion of the large San Pablo Rancho, numbering thousands of acres, ex- tending south from the bay of that name to about what is now the Alameda county line. Many claimants have appeared for the land and contested the ownership. Gradually acres have been relinquished, until at present only about fifty acres remain about the homestead. There is an important suit of Joseph Emeric vs. the Alvarados at present before the Supreme Court, and it was thought that a decision would be rendered on Saturday, July 15th, the day of the defendant's burial. The Emerics have a large place in the village, and are now among the principal land-holders.
The homestead of the Alvarados at San Pablo is one of the oldest and most picturesque in the State. It was built about 1838, and was on the property at the time it was purchased by ex-Governor Alvarado. It is
421
Township Number One.
about a mile and a half from the railroad station. A winding country road leads to the place, through hay-fields most of the way, and stops abruptly in front of the romantic old house. At present the house stands about thirty feet back from the road. Formerly it stood alone in the center of the large Rancho. But now there are about its few acres the houses of the villagers, and directly opposite the old vine-covered house is the village saloon. The house is one-story in height, and is built of adobe. It is long and low, after the manner of old Californian houses. Across the outer front, about one hundred feet wide, and around the northern side and rear, is a broad porch. Over this grapevines and climbing roses trail in the wildest disorder, running up to the roof on the moss-covered stringers, and trying to force an entrance to the low windows. The walls are about two feet thick at one end of the house. On the outside is a stairway which leads to the attic above. Huge roof joists of hewn timber project at both ends of the house, and support the broad eaves. Many improvements were made when purchased by the Alvarados. The adobe walls were covered with clap-boards, and the interior was improved in many ways. The entire yard is overrun with shrubbery and flowering plants. Over the front path and winding walks about the house are low arbors covered with grapevines. Traces of former taste and care are visible in the arrangement of the yard, but now weeds and thistles are among the flowers, and a general appear- ance of ruin and neglect is about the entire place. Near the house is an old orchard of many hundred bearing trees. In the rear are old sheds and yards for poultry, and near by is the stable with tumble-down "lean-to's" about it.
The funeral ceremonies of the Roman Catholic Church were celebrated by Rev. Father Cummins, who is in charge of the San Pablo Mission. On the coffin were a few simple floral offerings, and at the head lay a cross of tea roses. The church is a plain little affair, and the ceremony was much simpler than is usual in the Catholic Church, the priest having only one assistant. A high mass was said, and at the head of the coffin the absolu- tion with the requiescat in pace was repeated, accompanied by sprinkling of holy water over the coffin. In the chancel, under a picture of Christ, six candles in brass candlesticks were burning at the side of a small crucifix. The Latin services were read and recited in a low monotone, while the small assemblage of villagers listened in respectful silence.
At one time in his life the deceased was a regular attendant at the little church, and during his lifetime was the priest's helper in many charitable works. He gave the parish several acres, on which the present church building and the school house and priest's residence are now standing.
We are informed by William H. Martin, who came to the State in Stevenson's famous regiment, that when he first saw San Pablo there was a store, kept by Weatherby & Poole, where now the Union Saloon stands,
422
History of Contra Costa County.
while John Proviso kept a like establishment on the opposite side of the street, which had, however, been first opened by a Chileno, whose name is now forgotten. In 1855, a hotel was conducted by Peck & Dohrmann, and known as the San Pablo Hotel. This was an adobe house, and stood next to the site now occupied by the above-mentioned saloon. John Galvin lived where his widow now resides.
On December 6, 1860, a meeting was held in the village for the purpose of organizing a joint-stock company to purchase a steamer, to run daily between San Pablo and San Francisco as a ferry-boat. On August 14, 1864, the new Catholic church was dedicated to St. Paul by Archbishop Allemany, the cost of the church being three hundred dollars.
To-day San Pablo is a quiet little town about twenty miles from San Francisco, with which it is connected by the Bay Shore Line of the Central Pacific. It is situated on the San Pablo Flat, about five miles from the bay. Around the railroad station are a few scattered houses, and farther east, nearer the ridge of hills, is a small group of houses in the neighborhood of the Alvarado place. The country is comparatively level, having a slight slope toward the water.
The place and vicinity is not in a very flourishing condition, owing hitherto chiefly to the unsettled condition of land titles. It is hoped, how- ever, that, owing to recent litigation, such may be at an end. No settler, although he may have resided on the land for many years, cares to expend much in the way of improvements until his title is perfected. The moment this difficulty is finally settled, San Pablo will improve rapidly, as its near- ness by rail to San Francisco makes it a desirable location. Now the village has few good buildings, the Roman Catholic Church and school property being the best. Here they have had an organization ever since the country was settled. There is also a Baptist Church in San Pablo, a commodious and well-appearing building.
VULCAN POWDER WORKS .-- This establishment is situated near Stege Sta- tion, on the San Pablo Rancho, where the company has extensive works and several buildings, established about three years ago. No less than three dis- astrous explosions have occurred on the premises, but the last has been the most terrific and lamentable. The tale of the harrowing accident is as fol- lows: At ten o'clock on the morning of March 27, 1882, the Vulcan Pow- der Works was running in full operation, engaged in making bank blasting powder, technically known as " BB " powder. There were two large build- ings, which are entirely destroyed. In a two-story building, known as the main building, in which the operation of granulating was conducted, the mixing was carried on and the engines were located. The other building was the dry room. This was a large frame structure about sixty by fifty feet, and forty feet high. An important addition was building to the dry room at the time of the tragic accident. The
423
Township Number One.
two buildings were separated and some distance apart, but a wooden elevator ran from the main building to that used for drying pur- poses. At five minutes past ten o'clock a fire broke out in the jig in the granulating room. The small amount of powder there blazed in an instant, and the fire was communicated to the wood work adjoining. A stream of fire rushed along the elevator to the dry room, in which three tons of pow- der were stored. When the fire reached this there was no loud report no- ticed at the works, and there seemed to be no concussion. No windows were broken, even in the houses within two hundred yards. The dry house was blown apart in an instant, wounding and killing the men engaged there. The main building did not fall until after the dry room had gone. A small building used as an office was also consumed. The officers at the Powder works call particular attention to the fact that the devastation was caused by a fire, and not by an explosion. There were five white men and six Chinamen killed. Four white men were injured. Following is a list of the killed. George Stansfield, engineer; Lamb (initials supposed to be H. C.), was a carpenter of Temescal, working on the improvements to the dry honse; L. W. Starr, a carpenter at work in the dry house; Thomas 'Mills, a carpenter at work in the dry house; Stewart, first name unknown, re- ported as a general assistant at the works.
Following are the men injured : Gottlieb Koch, carpenter at work on dry house, was wounded in the neighborhood of the liver, not thought to be ser- ious. W. B. Dales, foreman of the BB works, was fearfully burned about the face and head. Dales may not be fatally injured, but it is impossible to tell at this time the result. Peter Schafer, a carpenter, has severe and probably fatal injuries to the spine. He lives on Twenty-sixth street, be- tween Mission and Howard, San Francisco, and has a wife and two children. Ferris, first name unknown, a carpenter and partner of Lamb, was severely burned, and has internal injuries. The body of the engineer, Stansfield, was lying face downward, near the door of the main building. The clothing was entirely burned from the upper part of the body. The lower limbs were distorted terribly. The face was badly burned, and a string of clotted blood hung from the lifeless lips. Men who were at work on the dry roon when the fire occurred were probably killed by the fall. The bodies of Lamb and Starr were lying in the Pound, burned and blackened so that identification by any marks of feature or countenance was impossible. The bodies were recognized by the remnants of clothing, and by the position in which they were found. Starr is brother-in-law of the Superintendent of of the works, O. B. Hardy. The six Chinamen fell in the midst of the flames, and when the fire had burned over nothing but skeletons remained. Every trace of clothing, skin and flesh was gone. Lamb, whose name is Horace C., is a resident of Temescal, and a very well-known builder. His
424
History of Contra Costa County.
partner, W. H. Ferris, who is lying, very severely wounded, resides on Lin- den street, near Cherry, Temescal. Ferris says he fell a distance of forty feet, and the fire jumped from the main building to the dry room instant- aneously, and no chance for escape was given. Dr. W. Hilton, a physician of East Berkeley, went to the scene of the disaster and attended to the wounded men. Other physicians came from Oakland as soon as carriages could take them. The boarding-house of the Vulcan Powder Com- pany has been transformed into a temporary hospital. Koch, Dales and Schofer are lying on pallets made on the floor; Ferris is lying on a cot in the office of the Tonite Powder Company, which is separated from the works of the Vulcan Powder Company by about one hundred yards. O. B. Hardy, the Superintendent of the works, was not present at the time the fire began, but returned in twenty minutes. Men in adjoining works rush- ed to the rescue as soon as the fire began, and removed the wounded men as best they could. The fire was terribly hot, and it was almost impossible to approach the burning buildings. Whether the engineer and Chinamen were burned to death, or killed by concussion, or by falling timbers is not known.
No one can tell the cause of the fire. It is a mystery. The most pro- bable explanation offered thus far is that the friction at the jig in the granulation was too great, and caused such heat as to ignite the powder which was being worked at the time.
The Vulcan Powder Works Company is an incorporation, of which Sol. Heydenfeldt is President, and Julius Baum is the principal owner. The Superintendent is O. B. Hardy. The loss to the Company will be probably covered by twenty-five thousand dollars, and the works are situated in Contra Costa county, about nine miles from Oakland. They occupy a charming site near the water, on the slope from the hills to the bay. The Stege Station is on the Overland Railroad line, very near the works, to the east of the Vulcan Works, and separated by but a short distance are the Tonite Works. On the west side are the Eureka Works. No damage was done to any of the adjacent mills. The debris from the buildings was not thrown any distance, and the bodies of the men lay where they fell. The explosion, when the fire reached the powder, therefore, could not have been severe. The Coroner of Contra Costa county was notified by telegraph of the terrible event, and took charge of the bodies of the five white and six Mongolian victims of the disaster.
Every man who was at work at the mills at the time of the fire, was either killed or wounded. Not one escaped the fury of the powder. Dales, the foreman of the "BB" works, was burned in the face, and it is very likely that his .eyesight is destroyed.
425
Township Number Two.
TOWNSHIP NUMBER TWO.
Geography .- Township Number Two is bounded on the north by Townships One, Three, Four and Five; on the east, by Townships Three, Four and Five, and south and west by Alameda county.
Topography. - The topography of this township possesses all the varied scenery of fertile valley, undulating slopes, and high mountains. It embraces the productive vales of San Ramon, Tassajara, Green, Moraga and Lafayette, all of which are enclosed by hills that rise to a considerable alti- tude, whose slopes are well wooded and sheltered.
Soil .- The soil of this township is not a whit behind that of any other portion of the county, the rich alluvial lands of the level country possessing wonderful properties in the production of grain, while the higher lands afford ample pasturage for stock of every kind.
Products .-- The produce of this district is entirely in keeping with those of other portions of the county. Grain is grown in large quantities, the harvest each year apparently increasing; dairying is carried on to some extent ; while there is scarcely a house without an orchard, large or small.
Timber. - Before the settlement of the country by Americans, the valleys were covered to a greater extent than they are to-day, with different kinds of trees, such as white and live-oaks, sycamores, besides chemisal and a dense jungle of undergrowth ; with the advance of years, many of these prime trees have fallen victims to the woodman's ax, while indomitable perseverance has cleared away the brushwood, and left a park-like land- scape, dotted with umbrageous boughs.
Climate .- The climate of the entire township cannot be described as anything but pure ; warm days occur as they should, in their proper season ; the same may be said of the colder weather. Being within ken of the Bay of San Francisco, the general influence of the sea-breezes, without the strong trade-winds, is felt, while there is hardly any time of the year, from April till October, that out-door labor may not be conducted with profit to pocket and person alike.
Early Settlement .- Township number two has the honor of claiming the second oldest settler in Contra Costa county. In the year 1847 the Hon. Elam Brown, who had gone to the San Antonio redwoods from Santa Clara,
28
426
History of Contra Costa County.
learned that the Rancho Acalanes was in the hands of Wm. A. Leidesdorff, of Yerba Buena (San Francisco), for sale, the Spanish proprietor, Valencia, being in his debt. In due course the purchase of the grant was consum- mated, and on February 7, 1848, he brought up his family through the Moraga valley, and took formal possession ; that same evening, while Mrs. Brown was engaged in preparing the meal, the men were hard at work erecting a temporary covering, fashioned after the most approved pioneer method. With Mr. Brown came his son Clarence, Josiah Allen (a son of Mrs. Brown by a former marriage), Melissa Allen, and Elizabeth Jane Allen. Before this, however, Mr. Brown had disposed of one-tenth of his newly- acquired property for the insignificant sum of one hundred dollars, to Nathaniel Jones, who, about the same time, moved on to the tract.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.