The first settlement of the region
contingent to the city of Martinez, the county seat of Contra Costa County,
was made nearly a century ago. In the year 1823, over twenty years before
gold was discovered in California, and before the eyes of the East, and in
fact the entire world, turned toward the Golden West, Ignacio Martinez and
Francisco Castro applied for and received grants to vast tracts of land, the
latter receiving what was known as the San Pablo Rancho, and Martinez
receiving the Pinole grant. Their nearest neighbors were the Peraltas and
the Castros, of San Antonio and San Lorenzo. Martinez and Castro erected
adobe residences, pretentious ones for that period, built barns, and planted
trees and vines, becoming the first fruit-and grape-growers in Contra Costa
County. Other families followed, but the haciendas of these two grandees
were the hub of the life and the activity of this section.
There were no roads in those days. Trails
led here and there across the valleys of waving corn and over the hills
where the virgin oak flourished. Fences were unknown; these early settlers
did not fence off one piece of their land from another, but allowed their
cattle to roam at will.
The first of the two above-named ranchos
was named for Saint Paul (San Pablo), who was one of the most enthusiastic
as well as favorite disciples of the Saviour. The other, and the one with
which we are concerned in this article, derives its name from pinole
(meal), the story being told that a band of hungry Mexicans, who had
been in pursuit of a band of Indians in the foothills of Mount Diablo, had
their hunger appeased at a small settlement on San Pablo Bay en route to the
Mission San Rafael. The small and nearly famished band passed through the
valley of El Hambre (the vale of hunger), and their first food was a mess of
meal obtained at this point, which they thereupon designated Pinole, and
when Ignacio Martinez was granted these leagues of land he perpetuated the
name given the region by the famished troopers.
In 1832 William Welch, a Scotchman, secured
title to the tract of land known as the Welch (or Las Juntas) Rancho, on
which a portion of the city of Martinez now stands.
From that time up to the discovery of gold
at Sutter's mill there was little development of this region. In 1849
Colonel William M. Smith, acting as agent for the Martinez family, from whom
the city derives its name, decided upon founding a town. In furtherance of
this project he employed Thomas A. Brown, who later became superior judge,
to survey and lay out one hundred and twenty acres on the westerly side of
El Hambre Creek. This was promptly done, and the tract being subdivided, the
lots and blocks were quickly sold and the building of houses and stores
commenced. The first building erected in the town was the home of Doctor
Leffler, built by Nicholas Hunsaker, and the second by Judge Brown, in which
he, with his brother Warren and Napoleon B. Smith, opened the first
trading-post in the county. The house later occupied by E. W. Miller was
built for a store was erected for Howard & Wells. It was managed by Howard
Havens, who later became the cashier of the Donohoe-Kelly Bank of San
Francisco.
In 1850-51 the first edition to the town
was surveyed by Judge Brown, under instructions from the owners of the Welch
Rancho, El Hambre Creek being the line which divides the original survey
(Pinole) from the additional survey (Welch, or Las Juntas). This tract
consisted of between five hundred and six hundred acres, and was also laid
out in blocks and lots. The first buildings erected were the houses of Wise,
Douglas, Lawless, McMahon, Doctor Bolton, and the Contra Costa News
office. The Douglas house, it might be noted in passing, was used as the
first office of the county clerk.
In 1850 a negro named Jones opened a hotel
on the site where the Alhambra Hotel was opened in later years and for a
long period conducted by Josiah Sturges. At this time the adobe residence of
Vicente Martinez stood on what later became known as the Doctor John
Strentzel property, but other adobes were built soon after, closer to the
heart of the town.
In 1851 the first school was opened in the
house which Judge Brown and his family occupied later, the school-room being
used for a meeting-house on Sundays, and the court, during its session, and
the Masonic lodge holding their meetings upstairs. R. B. McNair was the
first teacher, although it has been stated that R. B. Holliday taught the
first school in the town.
Even in those early times Martinez had
efficient teachers, but the lack of a suitable school-building was felt.
Although complaint was made in 1858 that the school was not kept open for a
sufficient period during the year, it was not until 1872 that the difficulty
was solved by the erection of an adequate building. This was accomplished by
the levying of a special school-district tax, by which over six thousand
dollars was raised for the first permanent schoolhouse in Martinez. Today
the schools of this town will compare favorably with any others in the
State.
In 1852 the Union Hotel was built on the
site of the James Hoey residence, and was for years conducted by Captain R.
E. Borden, then county treasurer.
On January 25, 1851, a petition signed by
the citizens of Martinez was presented to the Court of Sessions, through
District Attorney J. F. Williams, praying for the incorporation of the town
of Martinez. The petition reads as follows:
"To the Honorable F. M. Warmcastle, County
Judge: Your petitioners, citizens of Martinez, pray your honor to
incorporate the following metes and bounds to be known as the town of
Martinez and to establish therein a police for their local government and
regulation of any commons pertaining to such town towit: Commencing at a
point opposite the old ferry-house in the Straits of Carquinez, one fourth
of a mile from high-water mark; thence up the Straits of Carquinez in a
straight line one mile to a one one-fourth of a mile from high-water mark;
thence running in a southeasterly direction at right angles with the first
line, one mile; thence running in a north-easterly direction at right angles
with the last line to the place of beginning, so as to include one mile
square."
The court thereupon ordered that the town
of Martinez be duly incorporated, and the order provided that the election
of the first trustees be held on February 8, 1851. After a brief period, the
Supreme Court declared the act under which the incorporation had been
effected void. Incorporation anew under the general law was objected to as
involving too much expense and machinery, and for over a quarter century,
until 1876, Martinez continued as a village, without corporate being or
authority.
From the year 1852 on the town began to
assert itself and became known far and wide. Many new buildings were erected
and a general era of prosperity ensued.
The Contra Costa Gazette, one of
the oldest newspapers in the State of California, was established in
Martinez on Saturday, September 18, 1858, by W. B. Soule & Company. For
nearly three-score years, without missing an issue, this publication has
recorded each week the events which have contributed to the history of
Contra Costa County. The files at many times have been used as reference by
the archivists of the University of California in the compilation of
California history. Throughout its entire existence the politics of the
paper have remained Republican. On the seventh publication the management
was changed and C. R. K. Bonnard and B. E. Hillsman became the owners.
From its first issue the paper appeared in four pages of seven columns, well
edited and printed, at a subscription price of five dollars a year. The
Bonnard Company controlled the Gazette until February 26, 1859,
when it was purchased by W. Bradford, who became the sole owner. Bradford
conducted the paper alone until April 28, 1860, when he sold an undivided
half interest to R. R. Bunker. Under this management it was published until
March 23, 1861, when Bradford disposed of his interest to W. W. Theobalds.
With the development of the grain-shipping industry and agricultural
activity at Pacheco, situated five miles from Martinez, that community
became the leading commercial center of the county. In September, 1861, the
Gazette was moved to Pacheco. In that town it was published for
twelve years. The brick building, of which the plant occupied the second
floor, was badly damaged by an earthquake on October 21, 1868. A near-by
barn was secured, and, after many difficulties in moving the machinery and
type from the shattered structure, the paper was published at its usual
time. On July 8, 1865, another change occurred in the management, when C. B.
Porter purchased the interest of the Theobalds. The life of the Gazette
has not been without its misfortunes, the second of which occurred in
September, 1871. One morning a fire broke out in the building, and before it
could be extinguished every scrap of material and machinery had been
destroyed. Within forty-eight hours an entire new plant had been secured and
the paper appeared on its usual day of issue. Subsequent to the gradual
decline of Pacheco as a shipping center, the Gazette was back to
Martinez in November, 1873. A new frame structure was erected for the use of
the paper in Main Street, on the present site of the Gazette
building. On March 3, 1882, F. K. Foster, a newspaperman well known
throughout the State, purchased a third interest in the publication, which
he held until November 3, 1883, when Porter severed his connection with the
concern and a copartnership was formed between Bunker and Foster. This firm
conducted the paper until August 27, 1887, when Thomas S. Davenport
purchased the interest of Foster. On January 4, 1888, appeared the first
publication of the Gazette as a semi-weekly. The size of the paper
was decreased from seven to six columns, four pages. After being published
at this size until April 11, 1888, the increase of business necessitated its
enlargement to eight columns. James Foster, on October 3, 1888, purchased
from Davenport a half interest, which he held, with Bunker as a partner,
until his death, on July 17, 1893. After being published for five years as a
semi-weekly, the paper was restored in January 7, 1893, to a weekly
publication. Following the death of Foster, his interest was sold to Wallace
Clarence Brown, who edited the paper in conjunction with Bunker. After
thirty-six years as a part owner of the Gazette, Bunker disposed of
his interest to Brown on December 7, 1895. After conducting the paper
for three years, Brown sold the entire business in 1898 to G. E. Milnes. On
March 1, 1900, the Daily Press, the first successful daily paper in
Contra Costa County, was established in Martinez by W. A. Rugg. After
publishing the Press for four years, Rugg disposed of the paper to
the Gazette Publishing Company, which changed the name to the Daily
Gazette. In 1907 Rugg, the former editor of the Daily Press,
purchased from G. E. Milnes the controlling interest in the Gazette
Publishing Company, and from that time on the management of the two
publications has remained the same.
The California Express was
published at Martinez about 1867 by Alexander Montgomery, who had in 1861
commenced the publication of the Napa Echo, which violently opposed
the administration of President Lincoln, and every measure taken to subdue
the Southern Rebellion. Its circulation and patronage were limited, and in a
pecuniary point of view it was never successful. Still it kept on until
April, 1865, when it suspended publication on the morning of the
announcement of Lincoln's assassination. After its removal to Martinez it
continued regularly for about two years.
The Enterprise was started in
Martinez in 1871 by J. W. Collier as a democratic paper. It was, however,
printed in San Francisco, the publication office being at Martinez. It lived
but a short time.
The Contra Costa Standard was
established at Pacheco in 1873. In October, 1877, it was removed to
Martinez. It had been one of the influential weekly publications in the
central section of the State in that it has always advocated and worked for
those principles that make for progress and the development of the county's
interests. The Martinez Daily Standard is published in conjunction
with the weekly Contra Costa Standard. Both are owned by the Contra
Costa Publishing Company, a joint stock company. The daily was established
in 1911, and has become an influential factor in the county's affairs. In
politics these two publications are of Republican affiliation and strong
advocates of Republican policies, though of the more progressive or
independent type. The weekly consists of eight pages, and is published on
Saturday. The daily is a four-page publication, and is issued every evening
except Sunday. Will R. Sharkey is the editor and manager of both
publications.
On November 6, 1858, W. K. Leavitt was
given the contract for the building of the Roman Catholic Church, which was
blown down about 1866, whereupon the present edifice was erected.
On April 8, 1859, Martinez and Benicia were
first joined by telegraph and on June 6th of the same year Mette & Co.
established the first stage line between Martinez and Oakland.
On September 17, 1860, Martinez Engine
Company No. 1 was organized. On February 15, 1862, the ladies of Martinez
raised a fund of one hundred dollars in a few hours for the fencing of the
Alhambra Cemetery. In May, 1867, Coffin & Standish erected a flour-mill
which was later occupied by Black's cannery.
The Martinez Water Company was incorporated
on September 5, 1871. Martinez Hook and Ladder Company was organized on
February 4, 1871.
In February, 1876, the citizens of
Martinez, mindful of the fact that the corporate existence of the town had
lapsed many years before, re-incorporated the municipality, the boundaries
being defined as follows: "Beginning at a point where the fence dividing the
lands of J. P. Jones and L. I. Fish touches the Straits of Carquinez; thence
southwardly along the said fence and continuing the same course to the line
of the homestead tract of H. Bush; thence westwardly along the north line of
Bush's homestead tract to the Arroyo del Hambre; thence southerly along said
arroyo to the center of G Street; thence westwardly along G Street to the
western boundary of the town of Martinez as originally surveyed; thence
northwardly, following the western boundary of the town plat to the Straits
of Carquinez; thence eastwardly along the shores of the Straits of Carquinez
to the place of beginning." On May 23, 1876, Thomas McMahon and L. C.
Wittenmyer were elected two of the three trustees and J. R. L. Smith
assessor and tax-collector.
In the year 1879 the Bush homestead
property was purchased for the site of a Roman Catholic college, which was
later erected by the Christian Brothers Society of St. Mary's College and
given the name of the De La Salle Institute.
Ten years previous to this time, Grace
Church (Protestant, Episcopal) was built, although the many communicants who
resided here had attended worship since 1854 at St. Paul's Church, Benicia,
at times having services here in the Methodist church. The Rev. E. P. Gray
was the first pastor, and the parish is now in charge of the Rev. E. Glandon
Davies.
The Congregational church was organized in
Martinez on June 18, 1874, and the first resident pastor was the Rev. W. S.
Clark. A few years later the Methodist church building was purchased. The
work of the church is now under the direction of the Rev. Clarence A. Stone.
In the spring of 1874 the Contra Costa
News was established in the town of Pacheco, but was later removed to
Martinez, where it existed under various managements and under numerous
names until it has become the Contra Costa Standard.
The Alhambra Cemetery (Protestant) was
originally a portion of the Pinole grant included within the boundaries of
the town of Martinez by the original survey. The area is five acres, and is
now the property of the association organized for the purpose of managing
its affairs. Contiguous to Alhambra Cemetery is St. Catherine's Cemetery
(Roman Catholic) where many of the early settlers in this county and town
have been laid to rest.
For several years Shirley & Mizner operated
the ferry between Martinez and Benicia, continuing in that business, with a
landing at the foot of Ferry Street, until the late '70s, when they sold out
to the Northern Railway Company, which, together with the San Pablo & Tulare
Railway Company, built the first railroad through Martinez. The original
line from Oakland east - the "golden spike" line - was built through
Martinez, via Tracy, Lathrop, and Lodi, to Sacramento, the
Benicia-Sacramento Line- the "Calpe" - being constructed several years
later.
The old Morgan House, erected in 1885, at
the corner of Main and Ferry streets, was destroyed by fire in 1887, and
Bernardo Fernandez, who had acquired the property, immediately started the
erection of the Martinez Hotel, which stands today on the property, a
three-story structure, lately remodeled, but which at that time was the most
pretentious building in the county. In the same year the Congregational
church as it stands today was erected and two years later the Martinez
Electric Light & Gas Company was started.
It is no exaggeration to state that Martinez
is one of the most picturesque towns in the State. It has a sylvan beauty
all its own; shade-trees abound on every street and hedges and flowering
plants surround most of the residences. Climate and soil are such that some
of the finest fruits and flowers of Contra Costa County are grown in its
vicinity. In the near-by valleys are situated some of the finest vineyards
and orchards in the State. They are made possible largely by the mountain
range which shelters this region from sea-winds. Through this range the
Straits of Carquinez have forced their way.
Situated on the Straits of Carquinez, all
the commerce of the Sacramento and San Joaquin rivers is brought in touch
with Martinez, a goodly share of which she receives. Suisun Bay, about three
miles wide at this point, lies directly in front of the town. Across the
channel lies Benicia, with its army barracks, and its big railroad ferry,
and beyond which may be seen the purple and gently rolling contour of the
Coast Range mountains. On the southern side of the straits, Martinez nestles
in a crescent-shaped cove, sheltered on the west by a wall of hills which
rise abruptly from the water, affording an effective barrier against the
trade-winds of the Pacific and forming a picturesque background.
Like all other communities, Martinez has
suffered the usual loss from devastating fires. The first serious
conflagration occurred in September, 1856, when the Union Hotel and Blum's,
Lazar's, and Hook's stores were destroyed. No serious fire occurred again
until July 18, 1867; on this date the mansion on the Gift place was
destroyed. Then followed another interval of almost the same duration, but
on December 12, 1876, a group of five fine buildings on the southwest corner
of Main and Ferry streets was obliterated. A sixth building, belonging to
John McCann, also suffered heavy damage, but he made sufficient repairs to
again occupy it by the 30th of December. Fire again visited Martinez on
March 16, 1877, on this occasion the home of Mrs. Jane E. Chase being
destroyed, and on January 6, 1878, the Granger's Restaurant, owned by F. D.
Baire, met a similar fate. A loss that was severely felt occurred on March
8, 1880, when the Alhambra schoolhouse was burned to the ground. Doubtless
there have been occasional conflagrations since this last date, but they are
here omitted as lacking in the historical interest of the earlier disasters.
Today Martinez has a thoroughly modern and efficient fire equipment, of
which its citizens are justly proud, and the town is thus effectually
insured against serious disaster from fire.
The first serious earthquake to be felt by
Martinez was on Wednesday, October 21, 1868, considerable damage being
caused by a temblor that simultaneously visited various other parts of the
State. The new stone building of the Alhambra Hotel was damaged to the
extent of having two of its walls thrown down. The walls of the brick
buildings belonging to Blum, Lazar, Colman, and the Fish Brothers were
considerably cracked. The heaviest toll was levied on the courthouse, a part
of the top and rear walls of which was thrown down.
In common with cities of other sections of
the State, Martinez felt the severe earthquake of April 18, 1906, but the
damage sustained was slight and such as could be speedily repaired. It may
be mentioned at this point that no lives were lost on either occasion. The
observation is often made in California that earthquakes in this region are
far less to be feared than the devastating cyclones and thunder-storms in
the East.
In the old days, when the town was under the
spell of the Spanish influence, along with other sections of central and
southern California, there was no great haste about doing things. Her
population, in which the Latin races predominated, basked in the wonderful
California climate, devoid of ambition to enter the lists of commercialism
with its attendant hurry and rush. A living could be made with comparatively
little toil, and why disturb oneself beyond procuring the necessaries of
life? There was always manana, and today one might enjoy a siesta.
The old-time afternoon siesta lengthened into years instead of hours. Its
sway persisted for six decades and then it passed out as completely as once
had been its dominion. Martinez is living today. Gone are
manana and the siesta, for Martinez, keeping pace with the other
thriving cities of Contra Costa County, has awakened to the keen throb of
commercial activity and civic pride.
The population of Martinez has grown so
rapidly in the past two years (1915-16) that hotels and restaurants have
been hard pressed to keep pace with the demand for accommodations, although
many new buildings have been erected and old ones have been remodeled and
enlarged. This was all brought about by the Royal Dutch Shell Company.
Selecting Martinez, with its splendid transportation facilities, both by
water and rail, as being in every way desirable for the location of its oil
refineries, this great concern purchased four hundred acres of land in and
adjacent to the town, embracing the Arnstein, Cutler, and Potter holdings,
began active building operations toward the end of 1914, and erected a
$5,000,000 refinery to employ over two thousand men. The California branch
of the immense Dutch-English syndicate is known as the Shell Oil Company of
California, and is capitalized at $55,000,000. The parent corporation has
extensive oil holdings in the Dutch East Indies, Roumania, Russia, and
Egypt, and is a large manufacturer of gasoline, kerosene, and lubricating
oils and greases. The California operations began with the purchase of some
of the finest holdings in the Coalinga oil-fields. A pipe-line eight inches
in diameter now extends from the Coalinga oil holdings to the refinery at
Martinez, a distance of 176 miles. It is capable of supplying about 15,000
barrels of crude oil per day. In less than two years this company has
accomplished a vast amount of work. The first view of the Shell properties
is met over the hill and just east of the main refinery. Here are seen
twenty mammoth steel tanks, capable of holding in the aggregate over a
million barrels of crude oil. These tanks cost a total of over $300,000.
Counting all, big and little, the company will have about 175 tanks, with a
total capacity of over three million barrels.
At the central refinery one's attention is
first arrested by the Trumble plant. Here are found an immense maze and
network of pipes that carry in the crude oil, to go through the various
stages of refinement, at the rate of ten thousand barrels a day. It all
looks like Greek to the visitor, although the guide seems to have a mass of
information at the end of his tongue. He talks glibly of superheaters,
dephlegmators, and condensers, and we have to take his word for it and pass
on. Soon we find ourselves in the big broiler-house, where eight Heine
water-tube boilers supply all the steam for the refinery. Although they
develop two thousand horse-power, only two men are required to watch over
them. The place is scrupulously clean throughout.
Just in front of the boiler-house the
pumping plant is situated. Twenty great pumps are kept busy pumping the
distilled product, in its various stages, to the storage tanks, where the
finished product is kept. A little farther along we come to the colossal
cooling towers, which help to economize on the water consumption , which is
a large item in a plant of this size. Passing around to the north, we view
the kerosene agitators, with a capacity of treating four thousand barrels.
Then we find ourselves at the bleaching-house where the celebrated Shell
lubricants are made. Our time grows short, so we rapidly pass on to the
machine-shops and main storehouse, both marvels of efficiency.
Along the water-front all the varied
activities of filling and shipping barreled and canned light oils are
carried on. Here a wharf thirty-three hundred feet long stretches out to
deep water, where there is a depth of thirty-two feet at low tide, enabling
the largest ocean-going vessels to load at all times of the year. Extending
from the product tanks to the docks are seven pipe-lines, enabling vessels
to load with five thousand barrels of any one product in an hour. All parts
of the refinery are connected with the wharf by a narrow-gauge railway.
Some idea of the vast amount of work that
has been done is gained from the fact that over four hundred thousand cubic
feet of earth has been excavated for the erection of tanks, buildings, and
the construction of roads. About seven thousand cubic feet of concrete has
been laid down for the foundations of buildings. Upward of four miles of
macadamized roads extends to all parts of the large tract, and over forty
miles of pipe-line has been laid to date.
Starting with a pay-roll of three thousand
dollars a month in December, 1914, the Shell Oil Company was paying
forty-three thousand dollars a month in December, 1915. The pay-roll is
doubtless much larger now, with the addition of many skilled men to operate
the plant.
Just east of the city, at the terminus of a
275-mile pipe-line from the Kern-Midway field near Bakersfield, the refinery
of the Associated Oil Company is situated. Work is now (in the summer of
1916) being pushed forward to double the capacity of the refinery, to take
care of its rapidly increasing business. The capacity of the new plant will
be twenty-five thousand barrels a day, the refined products including
gasoline, distillate, kerosene, and benzine. The annual output will be worth
about three million dollars, and the annual pay-roll will approach $150,000.
The Associated Oil Company has also leased
and operates, in connection with its own plant, the refinery of the American
Oriental Oil Company at Martinez.
Another industry of which Martinez is proud
is the Mountain Copper Company, situated about a mile and a half northeast,
just beyond the city limits, occupying Bullshead Point, on the shore of
Suisun Bay. Here one beholds an immense chimney, surrounded by factory
buildings. An immense sign, large enough to be read miles away, bears the
name "Mococo," by which the community is known. The title was derived from
the first two letters of each of the words Mountain Copper Company. This
institution, which is largely controlled by English capital and which
operates entirely in California, has been in existence since 1894. Since
that year it has operated four copper mines in Shasta County, including the
famous Iron Mountain Mine, from which twenty million dollars' worth of
copper was taken before it showed signs of being exhausted, when other mines
were developed to take its place. The company now smelts all its ores at the
Mococo plant, established in 1905. A smelter at Keswick, in Shasta County,
was abandoned in 1907, and a similar plant in New Jersey was closed down in
1906, it being found more economical and satisfactory in every way to
perform all the work at the local plant. To accomplish this the
establishment runs day and night the year round.
The product from the mines is divided into
two classes, k own as siliceous ore and sulphide ore. The former carries
about three per cent of copper and the latter is rich in sulphuric acid. The
siliceous ore is melted, and from it is extracted blister copper, which is
molded into "pigs" weighing two hundred and forty pounds each. The sulphide
ore is shipped to the various manufacturers of sulphuric acid on the Pacific
Coast, including the Standard Oil Company, the General Chemical Company, and
the Du Pont Powder Company. After roasting out the sulphur, the residue,
containing about one per cent of copper and a small amount of gold and
silver, is returned to the Mountain Copper Company. The company also has its
own sulphuric acid plant, utilizing the sulphur from the Iron Mountain Ore.
Of growing interest to California
agriculturists is the superior quality of fertilizer which Mococo plant
turns out from its by-products. It is commercially known as superphosphate,
and is the basis of all mixed fertilizers. The plant is capable of
manufacturing about thirty thousand tons of fertilizer a year. Owing to the
fertility of California's soil, agriculturists in the past have used very
little fertilizer, but it is coming more and more into use, especially by
the far-sighted and scientific farmers. According to T. B. Smith, the
superintendent of the company, "the State of California at present uses only
from forty thousand to fifty thousand tons of fertilizer a year, while some
smaller States back east use from seven hundred thousand to eight hundred
thousand tons; but they'll all have to come to it." The company's holdings
cover fifty-five acres of highland and twenty-five acres of marsh. The
smelter has a capacity of four hundred tons of ore a day, or a monthly
output of five hundred tons of blister copper. The heat is contributed by
three immense reverberating furnaces, the largest of which consumes
ninety-three hundred gallons of fuel-oil a day, the other two requiring
seven thousand gallons each. Copper smelting takes place at a temperature of
thirteen hundred degrees centigrade, and the process requires the highest
degree of accuracy. An error of five minutes over or under would spoil an
entire batch, but such a mistake has not occurred in six years. A foreman,
who is a master in his line, is always on the watch. The various products
are valued at two and a quarter million dollars annually, and the yearly
pay-roll is nearly half a million dollars, four hundred men being employed.
The operations are conducted in such a
manner that no injurious odors are released, and this condition permits the
most luxurious plant life to flourish about the grounds. Here are found a
variety of fruits, banks of poppies and lupine, and even a field of hay. It
is asserted that a similar sight will be found at any other smelter in the
world.
Martinez has numerous other commercial and
industrial interests, of which time and space forbid more than a brief
mention. These include one distinctly home product, the Stephenson
patent cooler, manufactured by the L. Anderson Lumber Company. The device is
an iceless cooler, a great boon to housewivesm enabling them to keep
vegetables, meats, and cooked foods from one meal to another with none of
the inconveniences of a refrigerator. There is also a great demand for it
among dairymen. The secret of the cooler, which resembles an ordinary
cupboard, is in its burlap side-walls, a water-pan beneath, and tubes for
the circulation of air. In a room at a temperature of ninety degrees, the
thermometer in the cooler stands at sixty degrees. E. J. Randall, a resident
of Concord, is the manager of the company. He gives the sales his personal
attention, and states that the cooler now sells in many States of the Union,
and even as far away as Cuba. It has never been necessary to employ a road
salesman, as the demand has kept the plant running to full capacity, About
fifteen hundred were manufactured last year. The Anderson Company also
operates a complete lumber yard, and is one of the oldest lumber and
building-material concerns in the section.
Another long-established business
institution is the J. E. Colton Winery on West Howard Street. Colton has
been engaged in viticulture for over twenty years, and has a fine fifty-acre
vineyard, half of which is devoted to table grapes and half to wine grapes.
Aged wines are his specialty. Each year over 125,000 gallons of the best
quality of dry wines is produced, and this finds a ready sale throughout the
State. The Colton Winery, the largest independent winery in the county, is
operated under the most sanitary conditions possible. Colton, who is serving
his first term as city trustee and mayor, is a strong exponent of the City
Beautiful idea.
MARTINEZ DEVELOPMENT BOARD
All the functions of a chamber of commerce
are performed by the recently organized Martinez Development Board, whose
membership comprises some of the most wide-awake citizens of Martinez. The
new organization is backed by the business men of the community, and is
making every effort to enhance the growth of the town and further its
commercial interests. Judge C. H. Hayden, member of the city council, is
president of the board; O. K. Smith, a prominent official of the Mountain
Copper Company, is vice-president; Don C. Ray, district manager for the
Pacific Gas & Electric Company, is secretary; A. E. Dunkel, former county
recorder, now head of a large abstract and title business, is treasurer. The
board of governors consists of the following prominent citizens: J. E.
Rodgers, R. R. Veale, Hardin Morrow, A. E. Blum, E. A. Majors, A. E. Dunkel,
B. Schapiro, and C. M. Wooster.
Although organized late in 1915, the
Martinez Development Board carried to a successful conclusion a number of
large projects before the end of the year. A very important matter which is
being ably conducted by the Board is that of settling all litigation over
landholdings along the city water-front, so that there will be no
obstruction in the way of manufacturing and other interests using this
acreage for the future welfare of Martinez. During the past year (1916) the
activities of the board have been largely directed toward obtaining a new
charter for Martinez, in keeping with the larger growth and activities of
the municipality. The organization is also working diligently in favor of a
city-owned water supply, improvements in paved streets, and for bond issues
to make these projects possible.
Among the newer public buildings that
reflect great credit on Martinez is the county hospital, recently erected at
a cost of seventy thousand dollars. It is picturesquely situated on a
promontory overlooking the city proper. Constructed of brick and concrete,
the handsome structure comprises three stories made up of two main wings,
with a connecting bridge, or corridor. The surrounding grounds are
maintained in a manner quite in keeping with the dignity and beauty of the
edifice. Here a skilled staff of physicians and surgeons ministers to the
unfortunate and suffering in a most competent and efficient manner.
The new city hall is located in the heart
of town. In this building are conducted all the municipal affairs which are
now administered at the court-house.
Most impressive of all the public buildings
of Martinez is the court-house, which was erected in 1901, at a cost of six
hundred thousand dollars. It comprises two full stories and a basement,
granite and concrete being used in its construction. The whole is topped by
a magnificent dome that lends the appearance of a capitol building. One is
equally impressed with the interior, all of the offices being handsomely
equipped with Oriental rugs and mission furniture, the equal of which is
seldom found in a building of this kind.
Martinez became the county seat in 1851,
and such it has remained ever since. The present county officials are as
follows: Superior judges, R. H. Latimer and A. B. McKenzie, both of
Martinez; supervisors, Zeb Knott, of Richmond, J. P. Casey, of Port Costa,
Vincent Hook, of Concord, W. J. Buchanan, of Pittsburg, and J. H. Trythall,
of Antioch; county clerk, J. H. Wells, of Martinez; district attorney, T. D.
Johnston, of Martinez; sheriff, R. R. Veale, of Martinez; auditor, A. N.
Sullenger, of Martinez; recorder, M. H. Hurley, of Martinez; assessor,
George O. Meese, of Martinez; tax collector, M. W. Joost, of Martinez;
treasurer, J. Rio Baker, of Martinez; coroner, Doctor C. L. Abbott, of
Richmond; public administrator, C. E. Daley, of Martinez; surveyor, Ralph R.
Arnold, of Martinez; superintendent of county hospital, W. H. Hough, of
Martinez; county physician, E. W. Merrithew, of Martinez; probation officer,
A. J. McMahon, of Martinez; health officer, W. S. George, of Antioch.
The following miscellaneous items form a
part of the history of the town of Martinez: Commercial Hotel, Main Street,
built in 1892; destroyed by fire in 1904. County Hospital established in the
'90s, new brick building built in 1910, and new addition in 1915. Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe line built through in 1891. Courthouse erected in 1901, at
a cost of over $600,000; Hall of Records proposed directly across street, in
property acquired several years ago. Fire started August 19, 1904, in
Stephenson patent cooler factory, wiping out two blocks, including the Curry
livery stable, the opera-house, the Bank of Martinez, the McNamara-Winkelman
block, Rankin building, and Commercial Hotel. Mountain Copper smelter
erected in 1892, employing nearly 300 men. Bullshead Oil Works, now American
Oriental Company built refinery in 1905.
Martinez Electric Light & Gas Works inaugurated in 1887.
Pacific Coast Steel & Iron Manufacturing Company built steel works in 1884.
Northern Railway Company (Southern Pacific) and San Pablo & Tulare Railroad
Company built through here in late '70s. Shirley & Mizner then sold
Martinez-to- Benicia ferry to railroad company, which closed up the ferry
service. Peyton Chemical Works built in 1900. California Transportation
Company (river steamer line) built wharf and began regular service in 1909.
Congregational church built in 1904. Alahambra water plant established in
1903, bottling water piped from Alhambra Springs, six miles out in Alhambra
Valley. Under bond issue in 1911 city acquired fifty-five acres of
water-front land, and built municipal wharf and city hall. Pacific Gas &
Electric Company purchased Contra Costa Electric Light & Power Company in
1911 and entered local field. Great Western Power Company came in 1913
Contra Costa Gas Company began service in 1915. Corporate limits of town
extended in 1909; second extension attempted in 1916, but failed. Alhambra
high-school building erected in 1904, and grammar-school building in 1909.
Bonds voted for new $51,000 grammar school.
New home sites opened for settlement in last
few years, water mains extended, many miles of cement sidewalks laid,
electric-lighting system extended, new homes built, street paving commenced.
The Martinez-Benecia ferry was established
in 1913. The State highway is now building from Martinez to Berkeley. The
county highway connects with tunnel road and Mount Diablo Boulevard and new
bayshore highway to Bay Point, bringing Associated Oil Refinery within three
miles of city.