CHRONOLOGY OF CONCORD HISTORY
(as of January 2002)

Prehistory: Bay Miwok Indian Period
    ³Chupcan Indian Tribelet occupies Diablo Valley.
    ³Oak, Pine, and Willow trees proliferated across the valley and foothills
    ³Bear, Elk, Deer and Coyote roamed the area; the streams teem with salmon

1770's: First Europeans cross Diablo Valley.
³Captain Pedro Fages and Padre Juan Crespi lead party in 1772
³Lt. Col. Juan Bautista de Anza, Padre Pedro Font, and Lt. Joachim Moraga lead party in 1776

1810's: Indians disappear from Valley.
    ³Chupcan Indians are missionized at San Jose and San Francisco Missions;

1820's Spanish Exploration Continues
    ³Spanish expeditions explore, but do not settle, the valley

1830's: Mexican Land Grants Assigned
³Don Salvio Pacheco receives Monte del Diablo Land Grant; his uncle, Don Miguel Pacheco, the adjacent Arroyo de las Nueses y Bolbones Land Grant, which included all of Concord's Ygnacio Valley.
    ³Don Salvio sends his son, Fernando, to occupy his land as the Rancho Monte del Diablo; Don Miguel's widow, Dona Sannchez, occupies theiirs as Rancho San Miguel

1840's: Transition begins
³Salvio Pacheco Adobe is built in 1846; Pacheco and Galindo families move to Rancho Monte del Diablo
    ³Gold Rush exposes Valley to "Americans."
    ³Small 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
       ³Towns of Pacheco and Clayton are founded; intra-Valley traffic traverses Rancho Monte del Diablo.
  ³Galindo Home (1856) and Fernando Pacheco Adobe (1851) built.
  ³Soft Coal mines established in northeast Diablo foothills.
  ³Lime deposits discovered on/near southeast boundary of Rancho; become first commercially exploitable lime  to be quarried in California.
  ³U.S. Land Commissions revalidate Salvio Pacheco's ownership of Rancho Monte del Diablo.

1860's: Todos Santos town established
    ³Floods and fires ravish town of Pacheco.
³ Early "American" pioneers settle on land around Rancho; some purchase land from Salvio Pacheco.
³ Pachecos and Galindo layout town of "Todos Santos" diagonally across Pacheco - Clayton Road
        near Salvio Pacheco Adobe (1868); they record it officially with the County (1869).
³ Name "Concord" is used immediately by new settlers to re-identify town of Todos Santos.

1870's: The new town rises
    ³First businesses form along Salvio Street and around town square;
³American school, first public building, established on Grant Street (demolished in 1892).
³ First (of 13) Saloons opens.
³First church, (Queenof All Saints), opens near corner of Salvio and East Streets in 1876; would move in 1953

1880's: Initial commercial growth
    ³ hotels, blacksmiths, livery stables, banks, and small retail established.
        ³ Fire Hall, the second -- now oldest surviving -- public building, built on Mt. Diablo Street (would later
 also become City Hall and Police Department, and be moved twice).
  ³ Initial telephone service begins
³Second church, First Presbyterian, opens near corner of Galindo and Pacheco Streets in 1883; would move in 1955
.     ³Third church, First Christian, opens on corner of Fernando (present Concord Blvd.) and Mt. Diablo Street in 1889; would move in 1955

1890's: First Major Expansion
  ³Southern Pacific R/R crosses southwest edge of town.
  ³ Blum and Wittenmeyer survey/establish major new town addition between SP R/R and original town.
  ³New "Victorian" Concord School (initially a grammar school, then a combined grammar and high school) built   between Willow Pass Road and Salvio Street in 1892
³Odd Fellows Hall (IOOF) building  moved from Pacheco to site on corner of Salvio and Colfax Streets in 1896
³The Martinez-Pacheco-Clayton Stagecoach Line makes stops at the Livery Stable on Salvio St.

1900's: Offically   "Concord"; residential expansion occurs
³Town of Concord officially incorporated with State (1905); Blacksmith Joseph Boyd becomes first Mayor.
³ Mount Diablo Union High School Campus opens in 1905; would become longest continually operating   large high school in California.
³Oakland & Antioch Electric R/R crosses northeast side of town
³Residential Land development begins.
³Streets graveled/paved; Sewers installed; Saloon operations curtailed.

1910's:  Growth slows
³ Five industrial, "company" towns established north and SE of town - Nichols, Bay Point/Port Chicago, Clyde, Avon, and Cowell
³ Major fire sweeps downtown (1917); resulting effects on land use there are still apparent.
³Carnegie Foundation grant funds construction of first autonomous Library.

1920's: Agricultural period continues; Now also a   transportation hub.
³Ranches, farms and dairies thrive; planting of Walnut, Almond, Olive, and fruit orchards intensify
³Three railroads and State Highway service town.
³ 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.
³Chamber of Commerce supports NORCAL airline operations from Mahoney Field (on Clayton Road
  near Electric R/R depot) to L.A. area; flights last one month.
³David Brubeck, world renown Jazz Pianist, born in family home on Colfax Street.

1930's: Quiet time.
³First Concord Hospital opened by Nurse Edna Haywood.
³Pergola, considered longest in World at that time, built around downtown Square/Park; wisteria  plantings grow to fewtoon pergola

1940's: The War; The "bedroom" community.
³U.S. Navy opens munitions supply operations in Port Chicago; later expands southeast through
  local ranches/dairies along entire northeastern edge of town.
³Concord Army Airfield opens west of downtown; becomes Buchanan Field Airport after war.
³Largest ever U.S. conventional munitions explosion occurs in Port
 Chicago (1944); heavy damage in Concord.
³Catherine Galindo succeeds her husband as Concord Treasurer; later becomes Town's first woman to
 hold local elective office in her own right.
³Concord chartered as a California City (1948).
³Concord-area population grows from approximately 1500 to approximately 10000; commuting to
 area industries, and to "The City" (of  SF) begin.
³Bertha Romaine, Principal of Mt. Diablo Union High School (1917 - 1948) retires; had "built" high school.
³Mt. Diablo Unified School District formed; includes areas outside of Concord.
³Queen of All Saints School opens as first parochial elementary school in County.

1950's and 1960's: Growth explodes; deterioration of downtown begins.
³Residential subdivisions built everywhere.
³Shopping Centers developed in outlying areas near homes.
³Park & Shop and Sun Valley Mall open as major regional shopping destinations
³Significance of area agricultural begins to diminish.
³Willow Pass Road extended southwest to Sun Valley Mall
³Orininal downtown begins to deteriorate
³New City Hall buillt on Parkside Drive at Willow Pass Road, later replaced by a newer adjacent Civic Ceenter Complex.
³First Concord Summer Jazz Festival held in Concord Boulevard Park
    ³Original toown square officially renamed Todos Santos Plaza
   

1970's and 1980's: Recovery begins. }
  ³Redevelopment Agency and Area formed.
  ³Concord Pavilion established.
  ³BART operations begin through Concord (U.S. President LBJ had dedicated ground breaking in Concord); Car Maintenance facility located in Concord.
  ³Roslie Sher becomes first women elected to Concord City Council; June Bulman becomes first
women selected as Mayor.
  ³Salvio Pacheco Square building (aka Heritage Square), and Bank of America Technical Center
  Campus open in Downtown.
  ³Tishman Building opens and tallest high-rise in Contra Costa County

1990's: Recovery continues, but Public Art and politics create turmoil.
³City 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.
³New City Council embroiled in issues  concerning: gender, integrity (Mashore and Campbell), and development for new theater.
³New Police Facility opened.
³Spirit Poles eventually removed
³Elevated BART line extends to North Concord; Port Chicago Highhway extended ssouth to Clayton Road
³Nnaval Weapons Station deactivated; U.S.Army leases "Tidal Area"
³Brenden's 14 screen movie theater megaplex opens as new anchor in downtown
³Ruth Galindo, last descendant of founding Galindo/Pacheco families dies. (Dec ’99)

2000’s: New Millennium
³City is now the largest in Conctr Costa County; population approaches 125,000
³Mount Diablo Hospital merges with John Muir Hospital of W.C.
³Planning for Galindo House and Gardens
³Legacy luxury apartment complex begins in downtown