USA > California > Contra Costa County > The history of Contra Costa County, California > Part 40
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W. C. Pratt purchased the Penneman & Sears store in 1869. Shuey Brothers, who had been conducting a general express and produce buying business, engaged in general merchandizing in 1871. They sold their business, then on the site of the present town hall, to C. W. Geary, who was burned out, inflicting a loss of $20,000. The lot was taken over by Mrs. X. R. Hill on a mortgage, and she generously deed- ed it to the community as the site for a town hall for all time.
In 1871-72 John Slitz added another store to the business community. He dealt in groceries and hardware, and was also a notary public, and was further appointed postmaster. He had previously resided in the Moraga Valley. He latterly resigned the postmastership and was suc- ceeded by James M. Stow, who was appointed by President Hayes. Stow purchased the store.
In 1872 the Methodist Episcopal church was built upon the site now occupied by the James M. Stow building. The land for the site was donated by H. S. Shuey. Captain R. S. Fales and William Rice each donated $500 toward the church construction fund, with the balance subscribed by W. S. Burpee, E. A. Thumway, John Larkey, James M. Stow, Milo J. Hough, H. S. and M. M. Shuey, John Baker, J. W. Jones, Frank Webb, and Arthur S. Williams.
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Since those days and until the coming of the electric line the growth of the community was steady but slow. The opening of the Tunnel High- way, which was effected through the efforts of James M. Stow, made possible through the contributions of Oakland's generous merchants, Theo. Gier, Wilbur Walker, A. Jones, M. J. Keller, and H. F. Sohst, who as members of the Merchants Exchange raised a subscription of $12,000 to aid Contra Costa County in meeting its share of the opening in the hills. This engineering feat opened the way for traffic into the valleys of southern Contra Costa. It was an achievement that was the forerunner and inspiration to the construction of the electric line, and today this same Tunnel Highway, boulevarded, ranks among the notable roads of the State. It is a veritable extension of Broadway, Oakland, into the hills and valleys of Contra Costa.
THE CONCORD FIRE1
A disastrous fire, which wiped out an entire block in the business sec- tion of Concord, causing damage estimated at $200,000, occurred here early in the morning of April 25, 1917. The fire was discovered by a cook in the Concord Inn at two o'clock. It spread rapidly until the post- office, the Bank of Concord, the apartments over the bank, the Concord Mercantile Company, the store of B. Neustader, the offices of Doctor Louis Martin and Doctor Edward Johnson, and the hardware store of M. Q. Meehan were completely destroyed.
The twenty-five guests at the Concord Inn escaped from the blazing hotel in their night clothing. Two waitresses, Miss Nettie Dean and Miss Beatrice Arthur, were trapped in a room under the roof and over- come by smoke. They were rescued by a squad of firemen, led by Guy Berger, clerk of the hotel, and carried out in an unconscious condition. D. H. Chambers, manager of Concord Inn, and his wife returned to their rooms to rescue their pet bulldog, which had been overlooked in the excitement, and lost their valuables in saving the animal. The guests lost practically everything they had.
Finding themselves unable to cope with the blaze, the Concord fire department sent calls for assistance to Oakland, Martinez, Bay Point, Antioch, and Walnut Creek. Chief Elliott Whitehead of the Oakland fire department and Captain Charles Bock and Corporal Herman O.
1 This account of the disastrous fire at Concord came too late to be inserted in its proper place.
Jacob Butter
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Rumetsch of the police department responded to the call and gave as- sistance in rescuing and directing the fire-fighters. Company One of the Oakland fire department also responded to the call, but when they reached Walnut Creek it was met by Chief Whitehead and sent back home, as the fire was then under control. Postmaster C. H. Guy saved the records and safe in the Federal building.
The loss to the Bank of Concord is estimated at $35,000, that of the post-office building from $1000 to $5000, the apartments over the bank at $3000, the doctors' offices at $5000, and the other buildings at vari- ous amounts, bringing the total up to $200,000, partially covered by insurance.
MOUNT DIABLO ESTATE
Mount Diablo Estate, comprising ten thousand acres on the slopes of the mountains and in the near-by valleys, is a holding to which few others anywhere are comparable. It includes the Mount Diablo Park Club and Mount Diablo Park, where resident members have their homes.
The club, with its extensive grounds, golf course, private lake, club- house, club inn, and chalet apartments, is open only to members and their guests.
Forty years ago what is now Mount Diablo Estate was famous as the Oakwood Park Stock Farm of Seth Cook, who had made a fortune in mines and settled down to being a horseman. Many were the notable en- tertainments he had there, with celebrities for guests. He had a race- course of his own, with a row of eucalyptus about it; this is now the forty-acre community farm of the country club.
One phase of his career came to light recently during the construction of the scenic boulevard up Mount Diablo. Two old gold mines were re- discovered, just as they had been left when Mrs. Cook compelled him to abandon their development, for fear the gold fever would return to make him unhappy.
The Estate today is a place of beautiful homes, with gardens being de- veloped by a score of skilled men, with orchards of its own, and with the country club as a center of social life that draws members and guests from long distances.
Diablo, terminus of the Oakland, Antioch & Eastern Railway branch from Saranap, is the business center of the community. Building ac-
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tivity in Mount Diablo Park has been such that in the spring of 1917, with building material shipments of a hundred cars in one month, the station became the busiest in freight traffic of any on the railroad, ex- cept for industrial points.
There is no other club and home community in California to rank with that at Diablo.
THE MOUNT DIABLO SCENIC BOULEVARD
In Mount Diablo, Contra Costa County has one of the most remarkable peaks in the world-one declared by such noted men as the late Pro- fessor J. D. Whitney, after whom the highest peak in the United States was named, to have a broader view from the top than any other moun- tain. The view from the summit of Mount Diablo has been made ac- cessible by the Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard, and, with its fame spreading, it is doing much to draw the attention of tourists to this re- gion and central California.
Under favorable atmospheric conditions, from the top of Mount Di- ablo thirty-five of California's fifty-eight counties can be seen without a glass. The entire heart of the State lies outstretched like a giant relief map, and even such distant points as Mount Shasta, two hundred and fifty miles north, and the six-hundred-mile snow-line of the Sierras.
The boulevard, winding through Mount Diablo Estate, was built in 1916 by R. N. Burgess and his associates. In two branches, it has a total mileage of nearly twenty-three miles. Though the climb rises to 3849 feet, the average grade is seven per cent and the maximum eight, except for a final climb up a pinnacle at the summit. One branch leads from Diablo and the Mount Diablo Park Club, the other from above Walnut Creek.
A feature of the drive is the Garden of the Jungle Gods, a mile-long collection of giant freak rocks, and the Devil's Slide. For eight miles the road was lined with wild-flower seed this year.
LAFAYETTE
Lafayette lays claim to be the first community founded in southern Contra Costa County. Its first settler was Elam Brown, who upon his coming in 1846 reared his home, the first to be built within the present
160 Brown
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Lafayette section. The name of the settlement was bestowed in 1852 by Benjamin Shreve, who opened the first school at Lafayette in that year.
Elam Brown engaged in farming, which rewarded him in bounteous harvests of grain, but difficulty was encountered in getting his product to the mill, which at that time was located in faraway San Jose. The grain had to be hauled by ox-teams to that remote town, and the round trip usually consumed a week. It was this condition of affairs that im- pelled Elam Brown in 1853 to erect his own mill, which he conducted at a profit for many years. About this time the small community erected the first church building in the county for interdenominational use. A cemetery was also laid out close to town. In 1853 Milo J. Hough set- tled in Lafayette and built a hotel, which he conducted for two years, when he removed to Walnut Creek.
The Contra Costa County Agricultural, Horticultural and Mechanic- al Society was organized temporarily January 15, 1859, at Lafayette, with L. I. Fish as president. The first regular officers were elected May 14, 1859, as follows : President, Hon. T. A. Brown ; vice-presidents, W. Bradford, D. Small, E. H. Cox, W. T. Hendricks, J. O'Brien, John A. Hamilton, D. Goodale, W. J. Caldwell, D. Carrick, and José Martinez ; treasurer, Elam Brown; recording secretary, H. H. Fassett; corre- sponding secretary, N. Jones. At this meeting Lafayette was selected as the place for holding the fair, which was to take place on October II, 1859. At a later date the place of holding the fair was changed to Pacheco. The society was very successful, holding annual fairs, which did much to stimulate farmers and mechanics to a more thorough knowledge of their various vocations. The society owned six acres of land, about half a mile from Concord and one mile from Pacheco, in the Mount Diablo Grant, and all the improvements thereon, the whole valued at $1,500. They also leased fifty-four acres adjoining for a race- track. Fairs are held every year about the last week in September. For 1877 the receipts were $2,269.25. From this was paid for premiums, $546; for purses, $585 ; and for incidentals, $1,125.05. The officers for 1878 were as follows: President, W. Renwick; vice-presidents, R. O. Baldwin and S. J. Tennant ; directors, Wm. Calvin and J. E. Durham ; treasurer, S. W. Johnson ; secretary, E. W. Hiller.
In 1860 the Lafayette Library Association was formed, which sig-
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nalized the first effort made in the county to bring to the homes of the public the advantages of reading.
The country about Lafayette is prodigal in the products of its soil. Adjacent to the town is the noted Happy Valley, where climatic condi- tions insure the earliest vegetables. With the completion of the tunnel on the highway to Oakland a new era opened up to this section, and with the advent of the O. A. & E. electric line Lafayette at once came to the front as a suburban community, attracting many to build their homes about on its hills and in the adjacent valleys.
The town supports well-stocked stores, a garage, and other activities and, being on the fine drive, the Tunnel Boulevard, it has become an ob- ject of increasing interest to thousands of autoists.
The Lafayette Auditorium is the most imposing structure in the com- munity. It was built through its public-spirited citizenry.
CHAPTER XXXVI
PINOLE
THE town of Pinole, situated on San Pablo Bay, twenty-three miles from San Francisco, has a population of fifteen hundred, and is one of the thriving manufacturing towns of western Contra Costa County, be- ing adjacent to the Hercules powder plant, the largest explosives con- cern west of the Rockies. The town has excellent shipping facilities by rail, both the Santa Fe and Southern Pacific roads passing directly through it.
Pinole is one of the oldest towns in the county, the first settlers lo- cating in the year 1839, when the Mexican Government held sway over California. A great many old Spanish families resided in the beautiful fertile valley a short distance to the southeast of the town's present lo- cation. Here were built many adobe mansions by Spanish grandees, whose landholdings were very extensive.
Just before the "Gringo" came Pinole and its valley were the hunt- ing and recreation grounds for the Spanish soldiers stationed at the Presidio in San Francisco. Deer and other wild game abounded in the valley, and it was during these expeditions in quest of game that the settlement received its name. The hunters carried little sacks of ground parched corn, in the early days considered a delicacy in the food line. The corn in its prepared state was called pinole, and no traveling equipment was complete without it. While going through the thick un- derbrush in the hills and valley many of these sacks were torn and a large quantity of pinole was lost. This circumstance occurred so fre- quently that the hunters, when referring to an expedition, invariably used the word pinole in designating their favorite hunting locality. Hence the present name, Pinole.
With the advent of the California Powder Works the town grew in size. In 1896 Pinole was incorporated, and it now has a fine sewer sys- tem, macadamized streets, cement sidewalks, a fire company, and ex- cellent lighting and water facilities.
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The Bank of Pinole, established in 1905, is one of the staunchest banking institutions in the county. A fine new banking building was erected in 1915, and this structure, and the Downer, Ruff, and Pinole Theatre buildings in the center of the business district, are some of the latest valuable improvements to the town. Pinole also has a large de- partment store, numerous smaller stores, an opera-house, a union pub- lic school, and two churches. St. Joseph's Catholic Church was erected in 1889 and remodeled in 1915. The Methodist Episcopal Church was constructed in 1886, and has since been extensively improved.
The Pinole-Hercules school building is one of the largest in the coun- ty, and was erected on an imposing site in 1907. Several new rooms and an assembly hall have recently been added to the building. A corps of nine teachers is now employed.
Those principally identified with the early history and advancement of the town were the late Bernardo Fernandez, who settled in Pinole in 1849, and conducted a general merchandise store and a large hay and grain business; E. M. Downer, the present mayor of the town and president of the Bank of Pinole, and J. Bermingham, Jr., superinten- dent of the old California Powder Works.
There are many beautiful residences in Pinole, among which are the Downer, Fernandez, Poinsett, and Ellerhorst homes.
The Pinole Times was established in 1894 by E. M. Downer and Doc- tor M. L. Fernandez, and was issued in pamphlet form from the press of a job-printing office at Martinez. About six months later the paper was enlarged to a six-column folio, and printed in Pinole, Downer as- suming full control. A few years later John Bermingham, Jr., superin- tendent of the California Powder Works, took over the management of The Times and issued the paper for a period of two years. In 1901 the present editor and manager, E. C. Ebsen, took charge and is now is- suing the paper. The Times is the pioneer newspaper of Western Con- tra Costa, and, with the exception of the Antioch Ledger and the Con- tra Costa Weekly Gazette of Martinez, is the oldest newspaper of con- tinuous issue in the county. As regards political affiliation, the Times is, and always has been, Republican.
CHAPTER XXXVII
PORT COSTA
PORT COSTA first came into prominence along in 1879, when the late G. W. McNear, Sr., purchased a large strip of frontage along the shore and built the immense grain warehouses that have had a prominent place in Port Costa's commercial history. Out of his large holdings he laid out the town of Port Costa and founded the Port Costa Water Company, which supplies the principal towns along the northeastern shore. Since his death the interests that he founded have been ably con- ducted by his son, G. W. McNear, Jr.
Port Costa has always been a great grain port, shipping wheat and barley from interior California points to all parts of the world. Of late years the volume of grain has fallen off to some extent, due to the fact that the soil has been utilized for other purposes ; but this has resulted in no commercial loss to Port Costa, for her warehouses have been constantly filled with other products.
The Southern Pacific operates the largest ferry boats in the world, the "Solano" and the "Contra Costa," between Port Costa and Benicia, across the Straits of Carquinez.
Several large brick factories play a prominent part in Port Costa's commercial activities.
An institute for seamen, located at Port Costa, branch of the San Francisco Mission to Seamen, watches after the welfare of sailors on the Carquinez Straits and does much good, affording means of whole- some recreation and amusement for crews of visiting ships.
CHAPTER XXXVIII
AVON
THE ASSOCIATED OIL COMPANY'S PLANT
THE Associated Oil Company was incorporated October 5, 1901, with a capitalization of forty million dollars, and consisted of some thirty- five oil companies, controlling about three-fourths of the Kern River and McKittrick oil-fields.
The company's policy of expansion soon after brought it into control of the Amalgamated and the West Coast oil companies and many other valuable holdings in the various fields. In 1905 the company purchased the property of the National Oil Transportation Company, and there- by secured pipe-line facilities from the Coalinga field to tidewater at Monterey, and from the Santa Maria field to its refinery at Gaviota, Santa Barbara County. In 1906 the Associated Oil Company completed its first eight-inch pipe-line from the San Joaquin field to Port Costa, and shortly thereafter, this line being inadequate, another eight-inch line was built, giving a total capacity of about fifty thousand barrels a day. In 1906 the company constructed an eight-inch pipe-line from the Santa Maria field to its refinery at Gaviota, a distance of about thirty- five miles.
In 19II the Associated Oil Company decided to erect a refinery on San Francisco Bay, and for this purpose purchased a six-hundred-and- twenty-acre site at Avon, Contra Costa County. This refinery, although not as large as some other refineries in the United States, is of the lat- est design. It was completed and put in operation in August, 1913, at that time having a capacity of about ten thousand barrels of crude oil a day. The high quality of its products was immediately recognized by the trade, and as a result almost continuous additions have been made, until at the present time this plant is capable of handling twenty-five thousand barrels of crude oil a day. This refinery has been pronounced by experts as one of the most modern and complete in the United States. The location of Avon refinery is ideal, having deep-water ship-
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ping facilities and being traversed by both the Southern Pacific and Santa Fe railroads. The company's two eight-inch pipe-lines from the valley oil-fields serve as a source of supply.
The Associated Oil Company has established some thirty-five distrib- uting stations and about twenty-five service stations in the principal cities of California, as well as stations in Oregon, Washington, and Nevada. It has a fleet of eight oil-tankers, having a combined capacity of about three hundred thousand barrels; also, necessary tugs, barges, and tank-cars.
It is estimated that the company has invested over two and a half million dollars in Contra Costa County, and furnishes employment to several hundred men. During the year 1916 the company expended over half a million dollars in improvements at its Avon refinery alone.
The refinery capacities of the Associated refineries at Los Angeles and Gaviota have also been increased in order to take care of market demands. This company is pursuing a policy of increasing its landhold- ings, and during the last year made heavy investments in oil-lands and developments.
CHAPTER XXXIX
BYRON
IN the extreme eastern section of Contra Costa County, surrounded by fertile and productive farms and orchards, is the thriving and attractive town of Byron. It had its beginning in the fall of 1878, when the South- ern Pacific Company began to run its trains through this section. Byron is located about five miles northwest of Brentwood and a like distance from the county line, and is situated in the midst of one of the best agricultural districts in Contra Costa County. Two and a half miles from the town is located the famous Byron Hot Springs.
The first house erected in Byron was used as a hotel by F. Wilkening in 1878. Fish & Blum erected a large warehouse about this time.
Eden Plains and Point of Timber derived their names-the first from the wonderful fertility of its soil, the other from the peculiar form in which the belt of timber grew that then covered that section. It was V-shaped, the point coming to the vicinity of the site of the store kept by James A. Salts at that place. The Point of Timber landing was burned in the winter of 1881-82 by tule fires. Although it was the prop- erty of the neighboring farmers, it never proved of any great utility or monetary advantage to them.
Point of Timber had an A. O. U. W. lodge, instituted on April 12, 1870. Excelsior Lodge No. 349, I. O. G. T., was organized on March 7, 1869. Point of Timber Grange No. 14, Patrons of Husbandry, was or- ganized May 21, 1873, and was the outgrowth of the Point of Timber Farmers' Protective Club.
After the advent of the railroad through this section Byron com- menced to expand and several houses and stores were erected. The town now numbers about five hundred residents.
While grain was the main harvest for many years, latterly it was found that the soil was adapted for other products. Almonds and wal- nuts have shown surprising crops, and hundreds of acres have been put out to alfalfa. Almost every product of the soil thrives. There are a
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number of dairies in the community that are operated under the most sanitary conditions, much milk and cream being shipped.
For years the farmers depended upon the natural rainfall for their crops, but during 1915-16 the Byron-Bethany irrigation project was got under way. This great enterprise will furnish water for fourteen thou- sand acres of choice land, at an approximate cost of ten dollars an acre. The company was organized with a capital stock of one hundred thou- sand dollars. It commenced to run water through its ditches in May, 1917, from the Brentwood line to the Western Pacific tracks west of Tracy.
There are four thriving fraternal societies in Byron-the Native Sons, the Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, and the Native Daughters.
There are four churches-the Methodist Episcopal, the Congrega- tional, the Seventh-Day Adventist, and the Catholic. The latter is to be dedicated in June, 1917, and cost five thousand dollars. Bishop Hanna will have charge of the dedication, assisted by Father E. S. McNamara, the first priest in charge. The church is of concrete and will seat two hundred and fifty people.
The Byron school is a modern building, costing about four thousand dollars. The first teacher was Miss Ella McCabe. Miss W. H. Diffin is the present principal, assisted by Miss Anna L. Polak.
Permanent concrete and rock roads radiate from Byron in all direc- tions. The town is on the route of transcontinental motor travel via the Borden Delta Highway from Stockton and the Mount Diablo Boule- vard.
The history of Byron would not be complete without a mention of Mrs. William R. Wilder, who on October 10, 1916, had been a resident of this section half a century. Her husband came to what is now Byron in 1865, and after erecting a small house, brought his family here from Sacramento. Mrs. Wilder is a daughter of the late Captain George Donner of the famous Donner party, most of whom perished crossing the Sierra Nevada range in the early days.
In order to get the station on the railroad in the proper spot, the people were forced to purchase and donate the land for its present site to the Southern Pacific Company.
Herewith we give the names of some of the early settlers in the Byron
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section : 1860-61-A. Plumley, H. C. Gallagher, and T. Hoffman; 1865-67-J. E. Carey, J. F. Carey, A. Richardson, W. R. Wilder, D. Perkins, J. S. Netherton, D. K. Berry, M. Berlinger, C. J. Preston, Thomas McCabe, J. P. McCabe, H. C. McCabe; 1868-69-George Cople, A. T. Taylor, J. Christensen, R. N. McEntire, and W. J. Cotes.
There are many beautiful homes in Byron. Harry Hammond, editor of the Byron Times, has a modern bungalow of eight rooms and about two acres of land. Electricity is installed throughout the dwelling for heating and cooking, and an automatic electric pumping plant is a fea- ture of the yard. He has about one hundred varieties of trees and shrubs. His one-acre orchard demonstration farm is intended to show visitors to this section what can be accomplished here. He has fifty- seven varieties of fruit trees, and seventeen varieties of vegetables are grown.
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