WALNUT CREEK, "the Gateway to Contra Costa County," is an incorporated city
of the sixth class and possesses a population of upward of 750. It possesses
a climate that is not surpassed by any section of California, and its scenic
features, encompassed as it is by the foothills that buttress Mount Diablo,
are attractions of more than ordinary note. It is a trade-center of no small
importance, as it is surrounded by a fertile area that during the year 1916
brought to the tillers of the acreage over three million dollars for their
products of field, orchard, vineyard, nut groves, poultry yard, dairy, and
stock pastures. Its two banks, the First National Bank and the San Ramon
Valley Bank. hold the savings of the people of this section in an aggregate
amounting to over six hundred thousand dollars, and present statements
showing combined assets in excess of a million dollars. The varied business
activities, housed in substantial and modern buildings that line both sides
of Main Street, the chief thoroughfare of the community, are further
testimony to the prosperity of the town and the tributary country. Among the
leading structures to be listed are the First National Bank, the W. S.
Burpee block, the Grimes & Nottingham building, and the new structure now
building for Colonel William L. White. Walnut Creek is municipally well
directed, with low taxation. It is provided with a modern sewerage system,
and is supplied with the finest water by a well-equipped plant of the latest
design. It is served by both the Southern Pacific Company, being situated on
the San Ramon Valley branch of that traffic system, and the Oakland,
Antioch, & Eastern Electric Railway, which extends from San Francisco and
Oakland to the State capital at Sacramento. By this traffic route Walnut
Creek is happily placed within cheap, frequent, and quick commuting distance
of the populous Bay centers. Within the past three years hundreds of
families have reared model homes, set within extended areas of garden and
orchard, within the charming area about Walnut Creek.
Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians,
Christian Scientists, and Episcopalians maintain flourishing congregations
and attending societies. The Walnut Creek grammar school has an enrollment
of nearly two hundred pupils, is conducted by four teachers, and is housed
in a beautiful school building amid a most sightly area. The Merchants
Association is a factor for progress and civic improvement. The Walnut Creek
Women's Club is an organization that commands State fame for the activities
of its members along those lines of achievement in which woman is
particularly endowed.
Amongst its notable works is the
establishing of the Carnegie Library in a model structure, where books are
supplied the public without price. Walnut Creek is within one mile of being
in the exact center of the county, and is but eight miles from the municipal
boundaries of Oakland. It is six miles from Concord to where is located the
model educational institution known as the Mount Diablo High School, to
which the graduates of the Walnut Creek grammar school are accredited, and
whose transportation in attendance is borne at public expense over the
electric railway.
Mention is due the imposing
Masonic temples at Walnut Creek, reared by Alamo Lodge, F. & A. M. It is
one of the finest order structures in the interior of the State. Tenancy is
shared by Aloma Chapter, O. E. S.
Walnut Creek has a newspaper, The
Contra Costa Courier, newsy, alert, and of extended circulation. It is
owned by Colonel William L. White, with its management in the hands of
Francis H. Robinson, aided in the news department by Lyman E. Stoddard.
The Courier was established by George C. Crompton, and went the way of
the iniatives in newspaper flesh by the entrance if the sheriff. It was
purchased under the hammer by O. H. King, now publisher of the Amador
Ledger at Jackson. He sold the publication, together with the
Danville Journal, to Colonel William L. White, of White-Hall Acres,
Alamo. Under the ownership of the latter both the Courier and the
Journal have prospered and take rank among the representative
weekly papers of the State.
HISTORY. - The Indian mounds unearthed
while excavating for the First National Bank building reveal the existence
here in bygone centuries of an aboriginal race of far superior endowment to
the Digger tribes with whom history makes us more conversant. In excavating,
skulls and bones were brought to light which are significant of a race of
giants, while the stone utensils and trinketry and tokens of exchange are
mute testimony of the mental status of the men and women who dealt in these
valleys before the advent of the Caucasian. Tradition has it, as handed down
among the Spanish families, that Padre Juan Crespi and Pedro Fages, the
ensign of the mighty monarch of the Escorial, first trod these lands on
their way to discover the great harbor now known as San Francisco Bay. After
the coming of the padres the Spanish adventurers that came in their
entourage sought the lands about here as royal gifts. They afford rich
pasturage and are abundantly watered, and at one time Walnut Creek and
vicinity harbored many of the sons and daughters of Iberian blood, who
housed themselves on sightly, well-chosen spots in adobe homes which in
wreck and wrack are today in occasional evidence.
It was not, however, until late in the
fifties that Walnut Creek, or "The Corners," as it was then known, found a
place on the map. It derived its early importance from being the crossroads
of two important traffic highways. One led from Oakland to Antioch on to the
San Joaquin Valley, and the other from Livermore and its great grain-growing
valleys to Pacheco, then a leading shipping-point, milling town, and cereal
center. It came by its present-day name in recognition of it being the
habitat, and the only one in the West, of the Black Walnut, which flourishes
in all its glory along the banks of the water-way which meanders through the
town, and is fed by a thousand rills and brooks that reach torrential
heights during the rainy season.
Walnut Creek began its evolution from a
crossroads point to community semblance when Homer Shuey laid off a
town-site on lands purchased from H. P. Penneman, who in turn had acquired
the area from George Thorne. The latter derived ownership from William
Slusher, who held under possessory title which held against the much muddled
Spanish grants. Homer Shuey was not amiss in laying out a townsite, for
several of his allotments of land found purchasers and home-builders, and
during the years of the Rebellion there was such a gathering of population
at Walnut Creek that Uncle Sam opened up postal connections. James M. Stow,
then a lad, had the mail contact from Oakland to Clayton in part with his
brother John Stow, and also the star route between Walnut Creek and
Danville.
In 1860 James McDonald and Charles
Whitmore established the first mercantile business in Walnut Creek. Their
store was located on what is now Main Street, at the northeast corner of the
Lafayette road. They afterward sold out to H. P. Penneman and W. H. Sears
who latterly became Governor of Oregon. Milo J. Hough conducted the first
hotel in 1860 on the site where J. C. Laurence now has his home. It was
destroyed by fire. He had a blacksmith-shop opposite the hotel. About this
time the Morris Brothers operated a stage-line between Oakland and Clayton
via the old Fish Ranch road, which then came out of the hills about where
the Claremont Hotel now stands.
In 1864-65 the business activities of
Walnut Creek were further augmented by L. G. Peel, who established a store
opposite tp where St. Mary's Catholic Church is now located. He also
purchased the Hank Sanford ranch that is now owned by Mrs. Botelho. The
ranch he afterward sold to Antone S. Botelho and the store to Albert
Sherburne.
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 deeded 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 succeeded 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.
Since those days and until the coming if
the electric lines the growth of the community was steady but slow. The
opening of the Tunnel Highway, 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 FIRE.* - A disastrous fire,
which wiped out an entire block in the business section 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 postoffice, the Bank of Concord, 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 overcome 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.
Rumetsch of the police de-
____________
*This account of the
disastrous fire at Concord came too late to be inserted in its proper place.
partment responded to the call and gave assistance 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 apartment over the bank at $3000, the doctors' offices at $5000, and the
other buildings at various 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 entertainments 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 gold mines were rediscovered, 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 developed 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 activity 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, except 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 Professor 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
mountain. The view from the summit of Mount Diablo has been made accessible
by the Mount Diablo Scenic Boulevard, and, with its fame spreading, it is
doing much to draw the attention of tourists to this region and central
California.
Under favorable atmospheric conditions,
from the top of Mount Diablo 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 lays claim to be the first
community founded in southern Contra Costa County. It's first settler was
Elam Brown, who upon his coming in 1846 reared his home, the first to be
built within the present 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 impelled 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 settled 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 Mechanical 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
Jose Martinez; treasurer, Elam Brown; recording secretary, H. H. Fassett;
corresponding secretary, N. Jones. At this meeting Lafayette was selected as
the place for holding the fair, which was to take place on October 11, 1859.
At a later date the place of holding 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 racetrack. 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 signalized the first effort made in the county to bring to
the homes of the public the advantage 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 conditions 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 and object of increasing interest to thousands of
autoists.
The Lafayette Auditorium is the most
imposing structure in the community. It was built through its
public-spirited citizenry.