Chronology of Concord History

Prehistory: Bay Miwok Indian Period

Chupcan Indian tribelet occupies Diablo Valley.
Oak, pine, and willow trees proliferated across the valley and foothills.
Bear, elk, deer and coyote roamed the area. The streams teem with salmon.

1770’s: First Europeans cross Diablo Valley

Captain Pedro Fages and Padre Juan Crespi lead party in 1772.
Lt. Col. Juan Bautista de Anza, Padre Pedro Font and Lt. Joachim Moraga lead party in 1776.

1810’s: Indians disappear from Valley

Chupcan Indians are missionized at San Jose and San Francisco missions.

1820’s Spanish Exploration Continues

Spanish expeditions explore but do not settle the valley.

1830’s: Mexican Land Grants Assigned

Don Salvio Pacheco receives Monte del Diablo Land Grant. His uncle, Don Miguel Pacheco, received the adjacent Arroyo de las Nueses y Bolbones land grant, which included all of Concord’s Ygnacio Valley.
Don Salvio sends his son, Fernando, to occupy his land as the Rancho Monte del Diablo. Don Miguel’s widow, Dona Sanchez, occupies theirs as Rancho San Miguel.

1840’s: Transition Begins

Salvio Pacheco Adobe is built in 1846. Pacheco and Galindo families move to Rancho Monte del Diablo.
Gold Rush exposes valley to “Americans.”
Small pueblo forms around/near Salvio Pacheco adobe for families of rancho servants and vaqueros. Includes small store and school.

1850’s: Americanization of the Valley Occurs

Towns of Pacheco and Clayton are founded. Intra-valley traffic traverses Rancho Monte del Diablo.
Galindo home (1856) and Fernando Pacheco adobe (1851) built.
Soft Coal mines established in northeast Diablo foothills.
Lime deposits discovered on/near southeast boundary of Rancho Monte del Diablo. Become first commercially exploitable lime to be quarried in California.
U.S. Land Commissions revalidate Salvio Pacheco’s ownership of Rancho Monte del Diablo.

1860’s: Todos Santos Town Established

Floods and fires ravage town of Pacheco.
Early “American” pioneers settle on land around rancho. Some purchase land from Salvio Pacheco.
Pachecos and Galindo layout town of “Todos Santos” diagonally across Pacheco – Clayton Road near Salvio Pacheco Adobe (1868). They record it officially with Contra Costa County (1869).
Name “Concord” is used immediately by new settlers to re-identify town of Todos Santos.

1870’s: The New Town Rises

First businesses form along Salvio Street and around town square.
American school, first public building, established on Grant Street (demolished in 1892).
First (of 13) saloons opens.
First church, Queenof All Saints, opens near corner of Salvio and East Streets in 1876. It would move in 1953.

1880’s: Initial Commercial Growth

Hotels, blacksmiths, livery stables, banks, and small retail established.
Fire Hall, the second — now oldest surviving — public building built on Mt. Diablo Street. It would later become City Hall and Police Department and be moved twice.
Telephone service begins.
Second church, First Presbyterian, opens near corner of Galindo and Pacheco Streets in 1883. It would move in 1906.
Third church, First Christian, opens on corner of Fernando (present Concord Blvd.) and Mt. Diablo Street in 1889. It would move in 1955.

1890’s: First Major Expansion

Southern Pacific Railroad crosses southwest edge of town.
Blum and Wittenmeyer survey/establish major new town addition between Southern Pacific and original town.
New “Victorian” Concord School (initially a grammar school, then a combined grammar and high school) built between Willow Pass Road and Salvio Street in 1892.
Odd Fellows Hall (IOOF) building moved from Pacheco to site on corner of Salvio and Colfax Streets in 1896.
The Martinez-Pacheco-Clayton stagecoach line makes stops at the Henry Ivey Livery Stable on Salvio St.

1900’s: Offically “Concord” and Residential Expansion Occurs

Town of Concord officially incorporated with State (1905). Blacksmith Joseph Boyd becomes first mayor.
Mount Diablo Union High School Campus opens in 1905. It would become longest continually operating large high school in California.
Oakland & Antioch Electric Railroad crosses northeast side of town.
Residential land development begins.
Streets graveled/paved. Sewers installed. Saloon operations curtailed.

1910’s: Growth Slows

Five industrial “company” towns established north and southeast of town: Nichols, Bay Point/Port Chicago, Clyde, Avon and Cowell.
Major fire sweeps downtown (1917). Resulting effects on land use there are still apparent.
Carnegie Foundation grant funds construction of first autonomous library.

1920’s: Agricultural Period Continues and Now a Transportation Hub

Ranches, farms and dairies thrive. Planting of walnut, almond, olive and fruit orchards intensifies. Three railroads and state highway service town.
U.S. Airmail Field established on West Street at Clayton Road (initially as Weather Alternate – then as a Primary field). First transcontinental commercial airline flight transits there.
Chamber of Commerce supports NORCAL airline operations from Mahoney Field (on Clayton Road near Sacramento Northern electric railroad depot) to Los Angeles area. Flights last one month.
David Brubeck, world renown jazz pianist, born in family home on Colfax Street.

1930’s: Quiet Time

First Concord Hospital opened by Nurse Edna Haywood.
Pergola, considered longest in world at that time, built around downtown park. Wisteria plantings grow to festoon the pergola.

1940’s: The War and a “Bedroom” Community

U.S. Navy opens munitions supply operations near Port Chicago. Naval Magazine Port Chicago later expands southeast through local ranches and dairies along entire northeastern edge of town.
Concord Army Airfield opens west of downtown. It becomes Buchanan Field Airport after war.
Largest ever U.S. conventional munitions explosion occurs at Naval Magazine Port Chicago (1944). There is heavy damage in Concord.
Catherine Galindo succeeds her husband as Concord treasurer. She later becomes town’s first woman to hold local elective office in her own right.
Concord chartered as a California City (1948).
Concord-area population grows from approximately 1,500 to approximately 10,000. Commuting to area industries and to “The City” (San Francisco) begin.
Bertha Romaine, principal of Mt. Diablo Union High School (1917 – 1948) retires. She had “built” high school.
Mt. Diablo Unified School District formed. It includes areas outside of Concord.
Queen of All Saints School opens as first parochial elementary school in Contra Costa County.

1950’s and 1960’s: Growth Explodes and Deterioration of Downtown

Residential subdivisions built everywhere.
Shopping centers developed in outlying areas near homes.
Park & Shop and Sun Valley Mall open as major regional shopping destinations.
Significance of area agricultural begins to diminish.
Willow Pass Road extended southwest to Sun Valley Mall.
Original downtown begins to deteriorate.
New city hall built on Parkside Drive at Willow Pass Road. It was later replaced by a newer, adjacent Civic Center complex.
First Concord Summer Jazz Festival held in Concord Boulevard Park.
Original town square officially renamed Todos Santos Plaza.

1970’s and 1980’s: Recovery Begins

Redevelopment Agency and Area formed.
Concord Pavilion established.
BART operations begin through Concord. U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson participated in ground breaking ceremonies held at Concord. Car Maintenance facility located in Concord.
Roslie Sher becomes first women elected to Concord City Council. June Bulman becomes first women selected as mayor.
Salvio Pacheco Square building (aka Heritage Square), and Bank of America Technical Center Campus open in downtown.
Tishman Building opens and is tallest high-rise in Contra Costa County.

1990’s: Recovery Continues and Public Art and Politics Create Turmoil

City adopts Art in Public Places and Gateway Art Program. Heritage Gateway (Spirit Poles) and Plaza renovation bring national attention and cause major upheaval. New city council elected.
New city council embroiled in issues concerning gender, integrity (Mashore and Campbell), and development for new theater.
New police facility opened.
Spirit Poles are removed.
Elevated BART line extends to north Concord; Port Chicago Highway extended south to Clayton Road.
Naval Weapons Station Concord deactivated. U.S. Army leases “Tidal Area.”
Brenden’s 14 screen movie theater megaplex opens as new anchor in downtown.
Ruth Galindo, last descendant of founding Galindo/Pacheco families dies (Dec 1999).

2000’s: New Millennium