USA > California > Contra Costa County > The history of Contra Costa County, California > Part 33
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The Southern Pacific Company runs eighty-one trains daily to and from Richmond, employing hundreds of men and paying them good wages ; many of them live and have property interests here and distrib- ute their wages around among the local merchants.
The Western Pipe and Steel Works employs many men, ships its products all over the country from San Francisco to the Missouri River, from Puget Sound to the Gulf, and the cash is returned to Richmond, where it goes into the local markets and channels of trade.
The Porcelain Works makes fine porcelain ware, which is in great de- mand all over America. There are three factories in Richmond, the only ones on the Pacific Coast, and about two hundred men are em- ployed.
The smoke rises from the tall chimneys of a dozen other manufactur- ing concerns, and the busy hum of industry goes on day and night.
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Among these may be mentioned the Western Pipe and Steel Works, a very large manufacturing industry with a big pay-roll and employing upward of one hundred men on an average.
Richmond Pressed Brick Works furnishes a splendid product in its line for the building of Richmond and other towns and cities for hun- dreds of miles around.
Metropolitan Match Factory supplies the trade of this section of Cal- ifornia and the west with a grade of matches that are well known all over the Pacific Coast.
The California Cap Works, turning out caps and cartridges day and night, furnishes work for a large number of men and women. At this writing this industry is especially busy on account of the unusual large demand for all kinds of munitions in the European war.
The latest addition to Richmond's manufacturing industries is the General Roofing Factory, which company has another large plant in New Jersey. It came to Richmond in 1916, and now has a plant cover- ing several acres in the northern section of the city, with an investment of over a million dollars and employing about two hundred men.
All of the manufacturing industries of Contra Costa County may be said to be in a way tributary to Richmond, for the reason that Rich- mond is the metropolis and main shipping-port of the county. Among these are the following: California Paper Mills, Antioch; California Fruit Packers' Association, Oakley; Columbia Steel Company, John- son-Laterni Shipyards, Redwood Manufacturing Company, Diamond Brick Company, American Fish & Oyster Company, Pittsburg; Gen- eral Chemical Company, Nichols; C. A. Smith Lumber Company, Bay Point; Associated Oil Company, Avon; Mountain Copper Company, American-Oriental Oil Company, Shell Oil Company, Martinez ; Port Costa Brewing Company, Brick Works, and Grain Company, Port Cos- ta ; Selby Smelting & Lead Company, Selby ; Union Oil Company, Ole- um; Cowell-Portland Cement Company, Cowell; Hercules Powder Works, Pinole; Giant Powder Works, at Giant.
Some sections have climate, others have industry, and still others have cash. Richmond is blessed in the possession of all three. With a climate unequaled anywhere in the world, an industry that has built up a town in fifteen years of nothing, beginning with a wheat-field and ending at this date in a city of 23,000 inhabitants, Richmond is doing a
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strictly cash business with countries far and near, attracting their money as a magnet does steel.
BANKS
There are three splendid banking institutions in Richmond-the First National Bank, the Bank of Richmond, and the Mechanics Bank, each of which has its savings department in connection with its main bus- iness. Every one of them is strong financially, backed by ample capital and having the confidence of the people.
PUBLIC UTILITIES
One of the things of which Richmond is proud, and deservedly so, is its street-car system. Starting with a single track between the Standard Oil plant and the Southern Pacific depot, the first car was operated in July, 1904. The car was an old one of an obsolete type, purchased by the infant company from the United Railroads of San Francisco, and has long since passed into oblivion, being succeeded by cars of modern de- sign.
The men responsible for the promoting and building of the line first known as the East Shore & Suburban Railroad were W. S. Rheem, Clin- ton E. Worden, and W. S. Tevis, the late E. A. Gowe, and others. But to Colonel Rheem more than to any other belongs the credit for the suc- cessful promotion and operation of what has since become one of the best-patronized and best-paying semi-interurban lines in the State.
In January, 1905, the company began the extension of its line from the Southern Pacific depot in Richmond to the county line, the work being completed and the first car operated over it in May of the same year. The same year also saw the completion of the Ohio-Street line, which made connections with the main line at Ohio Street and the San- ta Fe right of way, but which has since been merged with the A and Eighth Street line, which line was completed in 1907.
The original line between the Southern Pacific depot and the county line ran by way of Macdonald and San Pablo avenues, and the com- pany in 1905 built a branch line to the town of Stege, connecting with the main line at a point which has since been known as Stege Junction. In 1908 the company built a line from Macdonald Avenue, starting at Twenty-third Street and paralleling the Southern Pacific to Potrero
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Avenue, where it made connection with the Stege branch, opening up a new territory which has been a strong factor, as the Pullman Company has erected a mammoth plant, employing hundreds of men, most of whom ride back and forth on the cars of this line, which pass directly in front of the gates.
Since the completion of this extension the cars operating between Richmond and Oakland are routed that way, that portion of the original line from Twenty-third Street to San Pablo Avenue being now a part of the San Pablo-East Richmond line, which runs from the town of San Pablo to East Richmond, or Grand Cañon Park. The line from Mac- donald Avenue to the town of San Pablo was built in 1905, and fur- nished means of transportation to an enterprising people who had been wont to hitch up and make the long drive into Oakland.
The extension from the junction of Macdonald Avenue to East Richmond, completed in 1910, serves a scattered community which is rapidly filling up with small homes, creating a consequent increase in traffic, and carries during the summer season thousands of persons to Grand Cañon Park, a beautiful natural pleasure ground located right at the end of the car-line.
In February, 1911, the East Shore & Suburban Railroad was pur- chased by the United Properties Company, which also absorbed the Oakland Traction Company, the California Railways, and the Key Route lines, this system becoming known as the San Francisco-Oakland Terminal Railways.
In the spring of 1912, the United Properties Company, in pursuance of its progressive policy, began a series of improvements, chief of which was the double-tracking of San Pablo and Potrero avenues from the county line to Pullman, completed that year, the laying of track on Ashland Avenue and the improvement of that thoroughfare, the com- pletion of which necessitated the removal of the original line, which was laid on the Santa Fe right of way. In 1914 the double-tracking and macadamizing of Macdonald Avenue in Richmond was completed.
Where a few years ago there was a twenty-minute service to Oak- land, with a change of cars at the county line, requiring an hour and ten minutes to make the trip, there is now a ten-minute through ser- vice, which is accomplished in forty-five minutes.
T. S. Walker was the first superintendent, holding that position until
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March, 1906, being succeeded by C. H. Robinson, formerly of the United Railroads of San Francisco, who resigned January 1, 1912. His successor, C. F. Donnelly, also formerly connected with the United Railroads, is still in charge of the Richmond division, and his capable management and genial manner have been strong factors in cementing the friendly relations between the company and the people it serves.
From a small beginning the business of the Western States Gas & Electric Company in Richmond has increased wonderfully. At the pres- ent time it operates in the territory comprising Richmond, Stege, Pull- man, San Pablo, and Rust, and has approximately one hundred miles of distributing lines, a modern plant, and all the latest improved machinery for supplying an up-to-date service to the city and its annexed and sur- rounding territory.
The Pacific Gas & Electric Company is another large corporation of the city of Richmond, supplying the community with gas for cooking and heating. The lines of this company also bring electric power to Richmond, where it is wholesaled to others.
The People's Water Company has been supplying Richmond and vi- cinity with an ample supply of water for domestic and municipal use for some years. At this writing the company is expending $2,000,000 in the construction of a concrete dam on San Pablo Creek back of Rich- mond, with a capacity of 20,000,000,000 gallons.
RICHMOND SCHOOLS
As soon as Richmond's little dot began to appear on the map of Califor- nia an effort was made to provide ample school facilities. And as the city grew by leaps and bounds, the same effort to keep the school sys- tem apace with its growth continued. From the little ungraded school of but a few years ago, with one teacher, there is now a city school sys- tem with a corps of nearly half a hundred instructors, and a high school with a corps of nearly a score.
To provide buildings and equipment for such an institution within a period of fifteen years was in itself a stupendous task. However, the issue was met, and Richmond now has a high-school building costing $95,000, besides five grammar and elementary school buildings totaling in value over a quarter of a million dollars, with arrangements and ap- pointments most modern in school construction and architecture. No
HARISOOK
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city of its size in the West excels Richmond in the excellency of mod- ern schools.
It has been the aim of those in charge of the school department of Richmond to make it one of the strongest feaures of the city-to make those who have selected Richmond for their future home feel that in doing so they have not deprived their children of educational advan- tages. They have endeavored to be progressive and to adopt such of the modern advances in education as experience has justified, and to avoid such fads and fancies as are always springing up in all lines of en- deavor.
RICHMOND CHURCHES
Having broken all records of cities of its age and size in the way of building up a splendid public-school system, sparing neither time nor money in the accomplishment of great results, Richmond turned its at- tention to no small extent in building up and helping out its churches, its ministry, and its church workers, and the results show that the city heeds its spiritual welfare as well as the education of its children and the commercial success of its enterprises.
The city now has within its limits fourteen church organizations, as follows: Two Methodist, three Roman Catholic, two Baptist, one Christian, one Presbyterian, one Christian Science, one Episcopal, one German Lutheran, one Unitarian, and one Congregational.
All of the churches of Richmond are increasing in membership and influence, and all have flourishing Sunday-schools, young peoples' so- cieties, men's Bible classes, and other auxiliary organizations, in which are enrolled a large number of the leading influential business men of the city. All have strong boards of trustees, and all have splendid work- ing societies among the women of the church world.
The missionary organizations of the various churches are also good workers in the Lord's vineyard. The salaries and current expenses paid by the church organizations of Richmond amount to over two thousand dollars monthly.
Richmond is justly proud of her churches and her clergy. Where strangers are looking for homes where churches and schools are among the leading factors in the life of a city, Richmond bids them enter her open door.
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In the past few years wonderful strides have been taken in the up- building of the churches and the church work, and the future is bright with promise of a continuation of this work so necessary to the life and the welfare of all mankind.
SOCIAL AND FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS
Of secret society organizations and civic and social clubs, Richmond has its full quota, there being no less than thirty of such institutions, all enjoying a good membership and financial prosperity. All the main se- cret societies are represented, and two of them-the Elks and Knights of Pythias-own their buildings. Both of these are imposing structures and modern in every way. The Elks building cost over eighty thousand dollars.
There are two leading women's club organizations-the Richmond Club and the West Side Women's Improvement Club. The former owns its own club building, a magnificent two-story structure, and the latter plans to build this year (1917). In addition to these are numerous civic improvement clubs and women's auxiliaries of the same, the Grand Army of the Republic, and the Women's Circle of the G. A. R.
This would not be complete without mention of the Native Sons and Daughters, both of which have strong organizations here.
EVOLUTION OF JOURNALISM IN RICHMOND
The editor is under obligations to Juan L. Kennon, an old-time printer and newspaper man of Richmond, for much of the data contained in this article. Kennon was connected with the early-day Record, and fol- lowed its career for many years, later establishing a job-printing plant of his own, which was purchased in 1916 by the writer and merged into the Daily News plant. Later Kennon was foreman of the News, but to- ward the end of 1916, owing to failing health, he was forced to retire from all active work and business.
The history of Richmond's newspapers is as interesting as the history of the city. Richmond's present greatness is, in a measure, due to the indefatigable efforts of those who came here in early days and started the first newspaper, together with those who have entered the field in later years.
It was on the 7th of July, 1900, that the Record, a weekly publication at that time, made its initial bow to the then sparse population of this
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municipality. Lyman Naugle, the pioneer newspaper man of Richmond, came to what was then only a small community of some 250 inhabitants and cast his lot with what his prophetic vision told him would some day become one of the principal industrial communities of the Pacific Coast. He had a small printing outfit, which consisted of a few cases of type and an Army press ; the press could have been conveniently carried un- der one's arm without much difficulty. He rented a small room near Wanske's saloon, on what is now Barrett Avenue. In those days the Record office faced on the county road.
The first issue of the paper was six columns in width and was set by hand, as were many other subsequent issues of the Record. Richmond had no post-office in those days and the first issue of the paper was mailed at Stege post-office. In the first issue Editor Naugle had this to say relative to the lack of post-office facilities : "We are looking every day for the establishment of our post-office. The demand for mail fa- cilities is very pressing. It is to be hoped the department will not keep us waiting very long. This issue of the Record will have to be mailed at Stege, as well as all future issues until we get a post-office."
It may not be amiss to retrogress a little in order to explain that the original town-site in this vicinity was called Point Richmond, and took in that district now bounded by the property of the Santa Fe Railway Company, Barrett Avenue east as far as Sixth Street, and the lands lying north between First and Sixth streets. This was the original town of Point Richmond. Subsequently the John Nicholl Company laid out what was then known as the First, Second, and Third additions to the town of Richmond. William Mintzer afterward subdivided what is now known as the Fourth addition to the city of Richmond. The John Nicholl and the Mintzer holdings were included in what is now known as the Point, or west side.
Naugle issued the Record regularly every week for several months in his location on Barrett Avenue, and the paper was mailed regularly at Stege. The department finally gave Richmond a post-office and Lyman Naugle was appointed as the first postmaster. He combined the duties of attending to the mail for the Government with the editing of his newspaper. As the Point began to show signs of growth, Naugle con- ceived the idea of moving over to the west side. He packed the post- office up in a soap-box and with his small plant opened an office on
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Richmond Avenue, near the present location of the Bank of Richmond.
The next day after moving a United States post-office inspector ar- rived in town, and he gave Editor Naugle just thirty minutes to move the post-office back to its original location. It is needless to add that Naugle lost no time in complying with the demand of Uncle Sam's rep- resentative, and he had time to spare at the end of the job.
Although the post-office was moved, Naugle remained with the plant in his new location. Steps were immediately taken to induce the Gov- ernment to establish a new post-office. After several months the Point people secured a post-office and it was named "Eastyard, California," in order that there would be no conflict in names.
We herewith reproduce the editor of the Record's salutatory from the first issue of this paper : "The Record is glad to look the people of Rich- mond and Contra Costa County in the face. It makes no pretense of greatness. It is very humble. Point Richmond is yet but a budding vil- lage, but its future is bright and the Record will keep pace with its prog- ress. The mission of the Record will be to record the local news, to write a history in weekly installments of the growth and grandeur of this community. The Record is not in politics. More important and more material affairs claim its attention at the present time. It will throw its weight toward building up a little city here that will honor its neigh- bors on either side. It solicits the patronage of every resident of the val- ley and of everyone interested in building up Point Richmond. Every one who lives here will take it, and it will be indispensable to those who own property here and live elsewhere. It will faithfully report the progress of the town and strive to be enterprising and truthful. The Record would love to visit the homes of San Pablo, Stege, and Schmidt- ville, our neighbors on either side, and to this end will have representa- tives at these places to furnish the local news. It is the only newspaper between Berkeley and Pinole. It lays claim to all that territory and will endeavor to merit support therein."
The daily edition of the Richmond Record was launched on February 8, 1902. Lyman Naugle continued as editor. Frank Hull, the present managing editor of The Record-Herald, was its first city editor. The writer laid out the first forms and made the first issue of the paper up for the press.
The Record was several years afterward moved to the east side. In
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1910 J. L. Kennon established the Weekly Herald. Subsequently the Herald was merged with the Record, hence the hyphenated title, Rec- ord-Herald.
The Richmond Daily Leader was established by G. A. Milnes in Richmond in March, 1902. That paper's first editor and business man- ager was B. J. Baker, now a prominent official of Imperial County. In the fall of 1911 F. J. Hulaniski, the editor of this history, moved to Richmond from San Francisco, and took editorial and business manage- ment of the Daily Leader for Milnes, the owner, and, finding that the business did not warant the publication of three daily newspapers in Richmond at that time, it was upon his advice that a consolidation was affected between the Daily Leader and the Daily Record-Herald in March, 1912, and he became editor of the consolidated publication, and so remained for three years, during which time he established the Con- tra Costan, a weekly publication which is still being issued from the office of the Record-Herald.
In August, 1914, the writer established the Thinkograph Magazine, a publication intended for national scope, the same being to a certain ex- tent along similar lines of Elbert Hubbard's famous Philistine. The Thinkograph was published in San Francisco for two years, and in 1916 was moved to Richmond, at the same time this writer became ed- itor and manager of the Richmond News, and is still being published at the News office. The Thinkograph has achieved a semi-national reputa- tion, being handled by the news companies pretty generally throughout the United States.
About the time that the first issue of the Daily Record was issued from the press, a portly gentleman entered the Record office one even- ing and stated that he wanted a job. He was not particular about the work, he said, but was willing to do anything to make an honest living. He had been a schoolteacher and had also practiced medicine. That man was Warren B. Brown. He was given a job soliciting subscribers for the new daily.
Later Brown established the Santa Fe Times in what is now the Santa Fe district. Subsequently Editor Brown moved his plant to the vicinity of Macdonald Avenue and published the Terminal, which paper is still doing business in Richmond. The Terminal, under Warren Brown's management, accomplished much good for the then growing town of
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Richmond. The present editor and manager of the Terminal, George Ryan, assumed charge of the paper in 1914, Doctor Brown retiring from the field after a successful and honorable career as editor of one of Richmond's newspapers. He died and passed to his reward in 1916.
The Richmond Daily Independent was established in Richmond in 1910 by I. N. Foss and M. J. Beaumont. The latter had managed the Leader for several years, having succeeded to that position after the re- tirement of W. H. Marsh. I. N. Foss, who was at that time editor of the Leader, joined with Beaumont, a stock company was formed, and the Independent became a reality in the newspaper field of this city. It is still one of the flourishing daily papers of Richmond, under the direc- tion of John F. Galvin, a newspaper man well known in this section of California.
The newspaper graveyard in Richmond is still quite small. Of the papers suspended may be mentioned the Daily Leader, a small semi- weekly called the Tribune, established in 1903 by a San Francisco jour- nalist, and a weekly called the Messenger. The latter was printed in San Francisco and circulated in Richmond. Neither the Tribune nor the Messenger lasted more than a few months before they finally rested in the journalistic cemetery.
The Daily News was established in January, 1914, by the Daily News Company, incorporated, which company was organized by the various labor organizations of Richmond, numbering twenty local bodies, with a membership of approximately two thousand. The News was a phe- nomenal success for the first year of its career, being backed by the la- bor element of the city, which is very large and strong, Richmond be- ing pre-eminently a wage-earning and pay-roll community, with the bulk of its male population affiliated in the ranks of organized labor. The News, however, in time began to strike upon the rocks and shoals always inevitable when a newspaper is controlled by any element or class of society lacking that experience in the business which is abso- lutely necessary for its success The board of directors of the new pub- lishing company were skilled artisans in their various trades and call- ings, but knew next to nothing about the newspaper business and the many ins and outs mastered only after long experience and by the best abilities of men skilled in journalism, politics, and public policies, as well as in the mechanical intricacies of the printing trade. Political con-
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troversies brought about libel suits, damage suits, and bad blood, with the result that financial difficulties naturally followed. The venture as a daily newspaper lost a large sum of money for the stockholders, and in March, 1916, the paper was reduced to a weekly publication. Financial reverses contineud to follow, and in April, 1916, this writer took over the whole combination and assumed the editorial and business manage- ment of the paper. In August of the same year he bought it outright from the company, organized the Richmond Printing & Publishing Company, and in January, 1917, resumed daily publication of the paper. That same month it was made the official paper by the authorities of the city of Richmond, and the Daily News at this writing is again upon a sound financial and business basis.
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