Collection: Books and Periodicals

About This Item:

Title: A Memorial and Biographical History of Northern California (1891) Collection Type: Books and Periodicals Publisher: Lewis Publishing Company Published: 1891 Copyright: In the public domain or published before 1925 Source(s): Google Books # of Pages: 713 Download PDF: User Login Required Download OCR Text: User Login Required

Date Scanned: 2024-07-22 00:25:09 Item Sourced From: PDF First Created: 2025-03-17 03:11:29 Last Updated: 2025-03-17 06:30:36

Original Held At: Searls Historical Library Location: 161 Nevada City Hwy, Nevada City, CA 95959

Page: of 713  

130 HISTORY OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA. always been at Martinez. The first officers of the county, in 1850-51 were: W. R. Bascom, Senator; Elam Brown, Member of the Assembly; John H. Watson, District Judge; F. M. Warmeastle, County Judge; J. F. Williams, District Attorney; Thomas A. Brown, Clerk, Recorder and Auditor; Nathaniel Jones, Sheriff; Daniel Hunsaker, Collector and Treasurer; N. B. Smith, Assessor; R. R Holliday, Coroner; aud Warren Brown, Surveyor. The representatives to the State Assembly from Contra Costa County have Leen: Elam Brown, 1851; Thomas A. Brown, 1865~’68; Warren Brown, 1855; J. H. Carothers, 1869-70; H. W. Carpentier, 1853; G. W. T. Carter, 1883-’85; Jos. W. Galloway 1871-72; A. W. Hammitt, 187374; Benjamin S. Hines, 1859; A. Inman, 1857; Joseph P. Jones, 1881; A. R. Melone, 1856; Chas. B. Porter, 1861-62; D. N. Sherburne, 1880-’87; Napoleon B.-Smith, 1852; F. M. Warmeastle, 1854, 1858; Charles Wood, 1875-76; T. J. Wright, 186364; Cornelius Yager, 1860; Albert J. Young, 1877-78. Among the prominent citizens of Contra Costa County of the present day may be mentioned: Professors John Swett and John Muir, A. T. Hatch, H. H. Bancroft, A. L. Bancroft, A. Hemme, Webster Treat, Paul de Martinez, ete. MODERN TIMES. Even did it not possess a tithe of the great natural resources that it does, Contra Costa County could not fail of being a busy and important factor in the industrial progress of California Lying at the head of deep water navigation on the Sacramento River and having such close proximity to San Francisco, it is but natural to expect in it many manofacturing and other enterprises of an important nature. At the same time, the county has always grown and shipped large quantities of hay and grain, and of later years an increasing amount of fruit, grapes, wine and other of the higher products. The county is exceptionally well supplied with railroads. It is traversed throughout its entire length by the San Pablo division of the Southern Pacific, over which runs the trains for Stockton and southern points, while the main line of the road, now double-tracked the whole distance, runs from the county line to Port Costa, from which point trains are transhipped by ferry to Benicia. In addition the Southern Pacific has agreed to build a branch road across the county from Martinez to Pleasanton in Alameda County through the Pacheco, Ygnacio and San Ramon valleys, for which surveys were recently completed. The California & Nevada Railroad, a narrow-gauge line, now has a line running from Oakland via San Pablo to Walnut Creek, with the probable intention of completing the line through the county to connect with some road, yet unbuilt, in the San Joaqnin Valley. Along the whole length of the northern and western front of the county also extends the San Joaquin River, Suisun, San Pablo and San Francisco bays, giving it water communication from a score or more landings and shipping points. One of the most important of the natural resources of the county is the coal fields on the slopes of Mount Diablo. They were discovered in the later fifties, and in 1860 production began. The annual outpnt is increasing, that for 1889 having been 71,718 tons from two mines, the Empire and the Pittsburgh Mining Company, which are all that are working at present. A number of men are employed, the coal being carried by a railroad six miles long to Pittsburgh landing on the river, where it is shipped. Another leading coal mine is the Black Diamond, not now being worked. Coal is brought to the Bay cities from foreign countries as ballast in sea vessels, and sold cheaply here. Other minerals occur in the Mount Diablo region, but nothing is being done with them. About two miles west of Martinez begin the great Nevada Warehouse and Dock Company’s warehouses, the largest on the Pacitic Coast. Beside then during the cereal season there are always lying a number of deep-water ships loading for Europe. The annual shipment of