USA > California > Contra Costa County > History of Contra Costa County, California; with biographical sketches of the leading men and women of the county who have been identified with its growth and development from the early days to the present > Part 36
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A fast Oakland, Antioch & Eastern train crashed into an automobile near Moraga on May 27. Four women and one man were instantly killed : Miss Gladys Mortimer, Mrs. A. E. Richmond, Miss Eva Walker, Mrs. F. J. Canin, and A. J. Hawkins, all of Oakland.
A recruiting station for Company H, 2nd California Infantry, was opened on May 30. Lieut. M. O. Ballard is in charge, with Captain Suth- erland as assistant. They aim to bring their company up to its maximum strength.
Mortimer Veale, Cullom Hadapp, Malcolm Borland, Earl Soto, and Ralph West, on the eve of their departure for war service, were banqueted by Martinez citizens.
Home Guards ready for any emergency: E. W. Jensen, Martinez ; J. N. Feeley, Hercules ; E. H. Shibley, Port Costa ; Otto Hasenpuch, Val- ona; W. Matheson, Cowell; W. R. Wood, Walnut Creek; G. B. Putnam, Pleasant Hill; Alex Burrick, Brentwood. Eighty men have signed the Home Guard roll.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
June 9, 1917 .- 6298 young Contra Costa County citizens sign the roll for the draft, the various towns being represented as follows :
Walnut Creek
68
Selby 46
Concord
109
Richmond
1907
Avon
18
Rodeo
146
Alamo
22
San Pablo 167
Martinez
393
San Pablo Creek
24
Moraga
34
Hercules
143
Clayton
39
Pinole
157
Lafayette
50
Vine Hill
35
Cowell
68
Giant
48
Danville
107
Alhambra
76
Tassajara
28
Stege
128
Port Costa
94
Nichols
102
San Ramon
23
Bay Point
105
Crockett
363
Valona
190
Pacheco
28
Pittsburg 390
Antioch
326
Lone Tree
70
Oakley
91
Jersey
110
Knightsen
89
Orwood
17
Brentwood
94
Byron
130
June 16, 1917 .- Contra Costa County subscribed $856,350 to the first Liberty Loan call.
On Saturday, June 23, the Concord Library, the third of the Carnegie Foundation Fund buildings for this county, was opened to the public.
The entire county is now thoroughly organized in all departments for the work of winning the war.
July 7, 1917 .- As a member of Ambulance Unit No. 2 of the Uni- versity of California, Malcolm. Mckenzie, son of Judge and Mrs. A. B. Mckenzie of Martinez, left with 118 other members of that unit for Allentown, Pa., Wednesday afternoon, the first Martinez boy to start on the journey across the seas to the battle front.
The ferry boat City of Martinez made its first regular run in the Martinez & Benicia service on July 6.
August 11, 1917 .- John Hansen, of Jersey, was the first man from Contra Costa County who successfully passed all requirements of the draft board and was passed into the conscription army of the United States.
By order of the board of supervisors District No. 17 was created, which includes Knightsen and Oakley.
September 8, 1917 .- Monday's fire record in Martinez: National Hotel; S. Barlettani, blacksmith shop and residence; Mrs. M. Brosch, residence ; S. Barlettani, cottage; G. Stewart, grocery; J. W. McClellan, residence ; L. Bulger, residence. The loss was $30,000, partly covered by insurance.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
October 20, 1917 .- The regimental organization of the Contra Costa Home Guards has been completed and the captains of the three most proficient companies in the organization have been elevated to higher rank. Captain E. W. Jensen has been made Lieutenant Colonel; Captains Long of Richmond, Jack Kasch of Cowell, and Frank Thompson of Lafayette have been elevated to the rank of Major.
Election of officers was held Thursday for the Martinez company. First Lieut. B. E. Stotts was made Captain; Second Lieut. Gould was made First Lieutenant; and First Sergeant Richmond was made Second Lieutenant.
December 8, 1917 .- A deal was closed Monday in Martinez for the transfer of the Wallace water-front lands lying west of the Grangers' wharf to George W. McNear, Inc.
January, 1918 .- Justice of Peace C. H. Hayden resigned. Rex L. Boyer was appointed as his successor for township No. 1.
January 19, 1918 .- Raymond F. Gavin, the first Contra Costa boy to make the supreme sacrifice, was laid to rest beside his parents in Sunset View, Richmond.
February 2, 1918 .- Three lost their lives in the fire which destroyed Miller's Hotel at Fairview.
The Martinez sewer and water bonds were carried by a majority of over three to one; $200,000 was the amount voted on.
The first Martinez boy to give up his life in France was Private Henry A. NcNamara, who died accidentally. He was buried at Suresnes, France, April 3, 1918.
A letter from a Richmond boy, J. M. Masiel, private, Company D, 6th U. S. Engineers :
"My regiment has been attached to the British for two months, and we have been in the active service ever since, from the third line up to the front, where we were lucky to have our first chance with the British to prove our ability. If you have heard anything about the engineers helping to hold back the wild bull-headed Hun, it was us (cut by censor ) . Believe me, we sure knocked them over while they lasted.
"The Tommies, Australians, Canadians and all of them will never forget us, being engineers, doing what we did. We built steel bridges across the Somme so fast it made their heads swim. We took prisoners and killed the enemy like a mowing machine cuts grass. I never saw such a mess in my life. It will take him a good many nights to bury them.
"They came over ten to one. We were in the front line seven days and nights. We gave him his! If you see my mother, ask her to let you see the thanks we received from the Fifth Army General of the British.
"I've seen everything over here. An American aviator brought down a Fritz two-seater yesterday, that dropped about two Richmond blocks from us. The pilot and observer were both lucky they did not get killed.
"We wear our steel helmets all the time, day and night-so much shrapnel about when we start shooting at his planes.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
"I think I'm the first Richmond boy to be in the front line at the right time, and also the first one to get a Fritzie. I've got a souvenir from him for luck."
June 8, 1918 .- Bert Curry of Richmond was appointed coroner by the board of supervisors to fill the vacancy left by Dr. C. L. Abbott.
June 15, 1918 .- The San Francisco Milling Company's local plant at Pittsburg was totally destroyed by fire last night, with all the machinery, raw and finished products, one car of wheat, and one car barley.
The first Contra Costa boy to meet death in action on the battlefields of the Marne was Private Sidney Severns, U. S. Marine Corps, who was killed on June 7. The message was received by his mother in Martinez the same day she received a "Mother's Day" note from her boy, which said, "Don't worry about me. I have not been anywhere near the great drive yet. I have not fired a shot out of my rifle since I have been in France."
Martinez pays $34,004.53 for a. water system from the Port Costa Water Company, including the system, pumping plant, site, excepting the main pipe-line to Port Costa and Crockett. The deeds were delivered to the trustees, and the plant will be turned over on July 25.
Reclamation projects in the great San Joaquin island delta region have been set afoot since January 1, amounting to $3,000,000. Foremost of these have been the Delta Farms Company, and the Lee Phillips and subsidiary interests.
July 27, 1918 .- The Martinez Canning Company's plant, on the Martinez water-front between the C. T. and Grangers' wharves, is ready for business with the first season's run. The building and equipment cost about $300,000.
The first Crockett man to make the supreme sacrifice on the battle- fields of France was Corporal Ora Alfred Sweet, Company D, 26th Infantry. He was killed in action on the French front on July 21.
On August 20, the old Briones home, on the corner of Estudillo and Thompson Streets, was destroyed by fire. It was one of the oldest existing landmarks in Martinez, having been erected sixty years ago by Casmido Briones.
At the age of eighty-six years, Mrs. Ingraham, of Vine Hill, is proud of the work she has done for the Red Cross.
September 14, 1918 .- On Thursday the Liberty Union High School at Brentwood was totally destroyed by fire, starting from chemicals in the school laboratory. The building and annex were well insured, but the loss of books to the pupils will be heavy. School opened two weeks ago.
November 9, 1918 .- Corporal Peter Byer, Jr., of Tassajara, and Simon Anderson, of San Ramon, made the supreme sacrifice on the field of battle in France. They were among the first Contra Costa boys to enter service.
November 30, 1918 .- 2,000,000 tins is the 1918 pack of the Martinez Cannery.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
January 11, 1919 .- The gelatin plant at the Hercules Powder Works blew up on January 7, killing four men.
On January 6, the news flashed over the country of the death of Ex-President Theodore Roosevelt.
The Martinez-Benicia Ferry & Transportation Company bought from Mrs. Helen Muir Funk nine acres and the old wharf of the Grangers' property at the foot of Berrellessa Street for $10,000.
February 22, 1919 .- United States Congress appropriates $64,500 for widening and deepening of Suisun Bay and the San Joaquin River channel from Antioch to Martinez. This was obtained through Con- gressman C. F. Curry.
During 1918 the Martinez-Benicia Ferry transported 83,280 auto- mobiles, 296,574 passengers, 965 teams and 3115 motorcycles. The directors reelected are : J. J. McNamara, J. W. McClellan, of Martinez ; W. H. George, of Cowell; and A. J. Pementa, J. R. Chisholm, R. H. Mann, and Gus Gnauck of Benicia.
On Sunday, March 9, the reorganized Martinez Band of twenty-six pieces gave a very enjoyable concert at the City Hall Park.
May 3, 1919 .- At the recent reorganization of the Gazette Publishing Company, the following officers were elected : W. A. Rugg, president and general manager; B. E. Stotts, vice-president and assistant general man- ager; J. K. Cushing, secretary and general news editor.
May 24, 1919 .- John Weaver, an aged recluse living near Clayton, was found murdered on Friday morning. He lived alone in a small cabin. Robbery is believed to have been the motive, for he was in the habit of keeping money and valuables in his cabin. He was over sixty, and a pioneer of this section.
July 12, 1919 .- Practically the entire central portion of Brentwood was destroyed by fire Tuesday morning, when a blaze started in the store of O. H. Jansee. The loss was estimated at $15,000.
July 19, 1919 .- The bond issue for $125,000 for the high school building was carried at Wednesday's election.
July 26, 1919 .- A phenomenal vote was cast throughout the county in favor of the $2,600,000 good-roads bond issue. The vote showed 3852 for and 169 against-22 to 1.
Andrew Carnegie died at his home in Lenox, Mass., August 11, 1919.
Three hundred people were present at the opening of the Concord Farm Center Club-house on August 16.
August 30, 1919 .- Life imprisonment was given Peter D'Amico, who was found guilty of the killing of Frank Bradon in a Pittsburg saloon several months ago.
In one of the most blood-curdling wholesale .murders that has ever been committed in Contra Costa County, three Hindoos were chopped to pieces in their cabins on Jersey Island early Tuesday morning, Bran Singh, Bhetan Singh and Iber Singh. The report of the murder was made by Lachman Singh, who was occupying the same cabin with one of the
342
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
murdered men. According to his story, he was in the hut with Bran Singh at Camp 8 on the property of the Jersey Island Company, on the op- posite side of the island from the headquarters of the company. He said he heard someone trying to force entrance to their cabin, and fled through the back window to another Hindoo camp. He summoned his friends and together they went back to the cabin and found Bran Singh dead. They went at once to Camp 13, where other friends were, and found the other two men in the same shape. Lachman Singh reached headquarters about daybreak, and officers were summoned.
September 27, 1919 .- The Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railway will hereafter be known as the San Francisco-Oakland Railroad.
The Contra Costa County Exposition, which continued for eight days, was participated in by many exhibitors from various localities in this part of the State. The Tommasino Royal Italian Band was hired for the duration of the big show. The attendance broke all records for the first day's attendance.
Estimated cost of the proposed concrete highways to be constructed out of the $2,600,000 bond issue is as follows: |
Bay Point to Pittsburg.
8.46 miles.
$261,800
Martinez to Bay Point.
5.50
156,000
Martinez to Dublin
23.00
687,816
Pacheco to Concord
1.50
66,600
San Pablo Creek
12.00
390,664
Franklin Canon
9.00
296,748
Crockett Straits.
1.50
50,000
Richmond to Giant
5.00
140,000
Knightsen
3.25
,“
51,000
Brentwood East.
3.70
92,372
72.91 66
$2,223,000
PROPOSED SECONDARY ROADS
Ygnacio Valley.
5.50 miles
$55,000
Concord to Clayton.
5.50
55,000
Clayton East.
12.50
125,000
Tassajara Road
10.00
66
100,000
Old River
27,000
33.50
$362,000
SUMMARY
Maintenance Equipment
$ 15,000
Concrete Highways
2,223,000
Secondary Roads
362,000
$2,600,000
343
CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
The Associated Oil Company starts preliminary work at Avon to double the size of its plant at the cost of $2,000,000. The company has gone to considerable expense the last few years in providing recreation for the employees with a fresh-water swimming pool, bowling alleys. billiard and ball-rooms.
The contract has been let for the Brentwood High School to Hannah Brothers, of San Francisco, for $63,795.
The closing of the first annual Contra Costa County Exposition. October 13, marked the sixtieth anniversary of the closing of the first County Fair ever held in Contra Costa County.
The success of the Exposition is largely due to the various Farm Bureaus of Contra Costa County; 10,000 attended the big show Sunday.
October 18, 1919 .- John Tait, of San Francisco cafe fame, and his associates purchased Byron Hot Springs Hotel Thursday, October 16. It is said that $100,000 will be spent in refitting the hotel. C. J. Brun has been installed as manager.
December 20, 1919 .- Active work has been started by the Founda- tion Company, one of the largest concerns of its kind operating in this country, upon the construction of mechanical shops for the Standard Oil Company which will cost $1,000,000.
On Wednesday, December 24, Charles Butters purchased the site of the old Peyton Chemical Company, including 127 acres of land, for $65,000.
John Barleycorn passed away peacefully on January 23, 1920, at 10 o'clock. His death struggles were not overly hard, but in Martinez there are many mourners.
On January 26, in a Byron bank robbery, $50,000 in currency, liberty bonds, jewelry and securities were stolen from 154 safe-deposit boxes. The robbers burned a hole through the Bessemer steel plates around the combination to the safe-deposit vault.
January 24, 1920 .- The Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railway was sold at public auction today on the courthouse steps by Sale Commissioner A. E. Dunkel. The purchasers of the road were the members of the reorganization committee composed of the directors of the Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railway. The price was $1,200,000.
January 31, 1920 .- Improvements on a large scale will be made by the San Francisco-Sacramento Railroad Company, according to General Manager H. A. Mitchell. $90,000 for ballasting rock will be spent; and other improvements are a branch line from Clyde to the shipyard of the Pacific Coast Ship Building Company at Bay Point, reconstruction of the tunnel between Shepherd Canyon and Redwood Canyon, erection of additional substations, and new electrical motor equipment for installa- tion on passenger cars.
At Brentwood, January 31, the board of directors of the Bank of Brentwood elected R. Wallace Jr., president; F. Ludinghouse, vice-presi- dent ; Alex Burness, treasurer ; R. G. Dean and R. F. Macleod, directors.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
The Building and Loan Committee of the Chamber of Commerce of Martinez, consisting of D. L. Hilson, chairman, L. Bonzagni and Ralph Wight, enlarged the committee to include E. A. Majors, R. H. Latimer, J. H. Wells, M. W. Joost, J. R. Baker, A. N. Sullenger, M. H. Hurley, G. O. Meese, Dr. E. W. Merrithew, T. B. Swift, Frank Roberts, Joe Sparacino, J. W. McClellan, E. R. Lasell, J. J. McNamara, G. P. Keller, F. L. Glass, E. R. Colvin and J. E. Colton. The committee as a whole met and selected Hilson, Wells, Bonzagni, Colvin and Wight to prepare by-laws for a Martinez Building & Loan Association.
F. Rolandi, contractor, who was awarded the job of constructing the Martinez-Dublin highway, has started work; and O'Brien Brothers, who have the contract for the Franklin-Canyon road, are placing equipment on the ground.
March 8, 1920 .- Antioch's new city hall was formally accepted by the trustees.
The Brentwood Post of the American Legion was organized on March 20; W. F. Wooley, president; R. J. Wallace, secretary-treasurer ; Charles Forbes, first vice-president; Fay Donaldson, second vice-president.
April 3, 1920 .- A complete confession of the triple murder on Jersey Island last September has been made by Maher Singh, who was arrested in San Francisco. Sheriff Veale took Singh into custody as he was about to board the liner Korea Maru for Calcutta, India.
March 27, 1920 .- Thursday was a red-letter day in the history of the Columbia Steel Company, when the great rolls, together with the majority of the units of the new rolling mill, were put in action for the trial run.
April 24, 1920 .- J. E. Colton, for the past four years mayor of Mar- tinez, was reelected to that office.
May 1, 1920 .- Crockett Encampment No. 43, I. O. O. F., was insti- tuted April 8, with fifty-three charter members.
May 1, 1920 .- The Antioch Bank buys the controlling interest in the Bank of Brentwood, when the entire stock held by the Balfour-Guthrie Company, C. and R. F. Macleod, and Alex Burness was purchased. Macleod and Burness have been succeeded on the board of directors by R. E. Davis and Mr. Mahaffey.
May 8, 1920 .- The theatre constructed by Enea Brothers in Pitts- burg was opened to the public on May 4, when a large crowd of local people attended the dedication ceremonies. The new building cost $100,000.
June 18, 1920 .- L. A. Crowell, a banker of North Dakota, and P. Henitz of Minneapolis, Minn., took over the controlling interest of the First National Bank at Bay Point. L. A. O'Brien, vice-president, retains his interest and will become field auditor for Crowell. The new direc- torate will be C. B. Johnson, L. A. Crowell, L. A. O'Brien, A. E. O'Brien, and C. E. Howes.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
Richmond gets big $2,000,000 plant of the National Products Com- pany, which has bought an entire block on the inner harbor for plant and warehouse purposes.
July 12, 1920 .- J. A. McVittie, for eight years city auditor of Rich- mond, was appointed city manager at a salary of $4000 per year.
September 25, 1920 .- The new $60,000 high school at Brentwood was opened with a large attendance. The district from which students are drawn are Byron, Byron Springs, Excelsior, Deer Valley, Brentwood, Knightsen, Oakley and Lone Tree.
September 27, 1920 .- Maher Singh was sentenced to death by Judge Mckenzie, for the killing of the three Hindus on Jersey Island. December 17 was set for the day of the execution at San Quentin. The last murderer to be sentenced to death and executed in Contra Costa County was Mar- shal Martin, January 23, 1874, by Sheriff M. B. Ivory. Martin was convicted of murdering Valentine Eischler of Brentwood on November 16, 1872. At that time executions were not conducted at the penitentiaries ; the hanging was held in Martinez in the presence of the sheriff, district attorney, a local preacher, and a few residents.
October 2, 1920 .- The bond election in Richmond for progressive harbor policies was carried by an overwhelming majority. For com- pleting the harbor at a cost of $400,000, the vote stood 2872 for and 459 against; for the construction of warehouses at a cost of $150,000, the vote was 2781 for and 459 against. The adoption of the second propo- sition makes available at once the sum of $328,000 appropriated by Congress to assist in the development of Richmond Harbor. The city has already spent $100,000 on a municipal wharf.
October 9, 1920 .- Robert Clark, wharfinger and agent for the Martinez-Benicia Ferry Company, and his family, narrowly escaped death from drowning Thursday morning when the warehouse and a portion of the Benicia municipal wharf collapsed from the effects of teredos undermining the piles.
October 30, 1920 .- The county superintendent of schools, W. H. Hanlon, appointed Rachael K. Miller as county nurse, who will have charge of health conditions in all schools of the county. She will be paid by the county and by the Red Cross organizations, furnishing her own transportation about the county.
November 1, 1920 .- W. K. Cole, of Concord, has sold his stock in the Concord Bank to B. G. Ensign, of Berkeley, and Albert Smith, of Rodeo.
February 19, 1921 .- There are 100 stockholders in the Martinez & Benicia Ferry & Transportation Company.
The board of trustees of Benicia have granted the Ferry Company a forty-year franchise for East Fifth.
The affairs of the Ferry Company have been satisfactorily arranged, with J. J. McNamara, president; Grant R. Allen, general manager.
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
March 5, 1921 .- The board of trustees of the local Martinez High School opened bids for the construction of a new building, for which bonds had been voted in the amount of $175,000.
Through reorganization of the sugar firm of Crockett, the California & Hawaiian Sugar Refining Company will hereafter be known as the California & Hawaiian Sugar Refining Corporation. The directors of the new corporation met in San Francisco and purchased the physical properties and assumed all liabilities. The capitalization is $20,000,000; $5,000,000 is 8 per cent preferred stock, the balance common stock. The stockholders will provide $10,000,000 for readjustment.
On March 24, ground was broken for the new $175,000 high school building on Smith Street. Munson Brothers, of San Francisco, have been awarded the contract.
The ferry steamer Avon J. Hanford, of the Rodeo-Vallejo Ferry Company, entered service March 29, and made her first trip in eleven minutes. She is 186 feet long and can carry sixty-five automobiles. A half-hour service will be maintained.
May 3, 1921 .- The Bank of Martinez increased its capital stock from $100,000 to $125,000, and also increased its surplus to $281,500.
June 16, 1921 .- Antioch dedicated her $100,000 grammar school building with appropriate ceremonies Thursday evening. Addresses were made by Superintendent W. H. Hanlon and R. J. White.
July 9, 1921 .- Dedication ceremonies for the opening of the new I. O. O. F. building in Martinez were held on July 6 with the joint instal- lation of Odd Fellows and Rebekahs.
An increase of $2,405,070 in the assessed valuation of Richmond property is shown by the City Assessor, J. O. Ford. The assessment this year is $26,722,370.
The Episcopal Church work was organized April 2, 1862, by Mrs. Martha Coffin and Miss Caroline Fish in Martinez, with six women and five men. The first recorded services of the Episcopal Church were held in Benicia by Major Townsend, U. S. A., September 24, 1854. On Sunday, July 10, 1870, Grace Church of Martinez was consecrated by Bishop Kipp. The fifty-first anniversary of the founding of the church will be held on July 10, 1921.
August 10, 1921 .- A fund of $25,000 to erect a memorial building on a site near the city hall, purchased last year by the city for $30,000, was appropriated by the Richmond city council. The memorial will be erected in honor of Richmond's service men.
On August 21 the Franklin Canyon Highway was opened for travel. Miss Margaret Tinning christened the road with a twenty-year-old bottle of champagne. Many people from the surrounding towns were present.
August 27, 1921 .- In 1912 the assessed valuation of Antioch was $538,000; it is now, 1921, $1,199,325.
A $100,000 exploitation campaign for Richmond through the East and Middle West, covering a year and including motion pictures, lectures,
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CONTRA COSTA COUNTY
newspaper articles and display advertisements setting forth the industrial and home building opportunities of the city, is to be carried on. The re- sult will mean great industrial and commercial growth for Richmond.
Engineers and road-builders from every section of the country gath- ered at Pittsburg on November 9 for the formal opening of the experi- mental highway constructed here by the Columbia Steel Company to de- termine the most durable type. The highway is built a quarter of a mile in length in circular form, with sixteen different types of construction. The tests have been in progress for several weeks with delicate instruments, in tunnels and under the road, where the effects of atmospheric changes on concrete have been recorded. Today thirty-six Government trucks, each weighing 14,500 pounds, were put in operation on the road. These ma- chines will be operated over the road until the slabs of concrete have been destroyed. When the test is finished that section of the highway which best withstood the tests will be selected as the most durable. There were about 500 present.
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