Published quarterly by the Pinole Historical Society

PHS PREPARES TO CELEBRATENATIONAL PRESERVATION MONTH

PinoleHistorical

SocietyNewsbriefs

P.O. Box 285, Pinole, CA 94564www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org info@PinoleHistoricalSociety.org

Spring 2009

Our newsletter has expandedhis newsletter may appear a bit meatierthan past issues—for a good reason!

We have expanded this newsletter to 12pages. So much is happening in the Pinole

Historical Society that four pages was not suffi-cient to report all the news.

We have also increased our press run from 900to 2,000 copies. We’ve noticed that within a fewdays after filling the Newsbriefs racks (see page 2for locations) with newsletters, they were empty.

Our goal is to always have copies for patrons of

these businesses to read and take home to theirfamilies.

To expand the newsletter and print morecopies, we have sold business-card-size ads,which appear at the bottom of each page. Wecould not afford to print a 12-page newsletterwithout the support of these wonderful business-es. Please patronize our advertisers!

If you would like information on purchasing abusiness-card ad, please send an e-mail toinfo@PinoleHistoricalSociety.org.

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PINOLEBOOK

ON SALE

Buy yourcopy of

Images ofAmerica:Pinoletoday!

— back page —

ay marks theannual celebra-tion of NationalPreservation

Month, and the PinoleHistorical Society plansto participate with a num-ber of activities.

“The celebration of thehistory of the UnitedStates is one of the mostimportant ways for us tohonor our ancestors andall those who came after

them,” says PHS Presi-dent Marcia Kalapus.“After all, we wouldn’t behere without their perse-verance, their strugglesto survive an untamedwilderness, and the fore-sight to provide us withan everlasting document,the Constitution, that hasprevailed for more than230 years.

“Locally, it is alsoimportant to honor the

early immigrants fromSpanish Mexico in theearly 1800s, becausewithout the land grant toDon Ygnacio Martinez,Pinole wouldn’t be inexistence either.

“We owe these nation-al ancestors our respectand gratitude.

“So, it is our duty toset aside this specialmonth and plan events to

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UPCOMING PHS MEETINGSMay 21: Annual General Membership (presentation)June 18: Board of Directors (members welcome)July 16: Board of Directors (members welcome)August 20: General Membership (presentation)

Meetings are open to members and prospectivemembers. Meetings are held the third Thursday ofeach month in the Alex Clark Room, Pinole PublicSafety Building; doors open at 6 p.m., meetings beginat 6:30 p.m.

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WHERE TO FIND NEWSBRIEFSYou can find the Pinole Historical SocietyNewsbriefs at these locations:

AccuTech Auto Care, The Alley Cafe, AntlersTavern, Bank of the West, The Bear Claw, BlueSky Sports, Bronze Buns, China House, CollinsElementary School, Crocketts Premier AutoBody, Embers, Farmers Insurance (MadelineCrandall), Farmers Insurance (Carol White),Douglas Gordon, D.D.S., Hairitage Bead andBoutique, Happy Sashimi, Kendall Financial Services, Ladies Workout Express, LakeridgeAthletic Club, Mechanics Bank (Pinole Valleyand Pinole Vista), Old Time Realtors, Park Pharmacy, Attorney Donald E. Patterson, Peet’sCoffee, Pinole City Hall, Pinole Creek Cafe,Pinole Library, Pinole Paws, Pinole PoliceDepartment, Pinole Senior Center, The RedOnion, Ristorante due Rose, Sashay’s Salon,and Top Floor Salon.

It’s also posted on the PHS website.

500 San Pablo Ave., Pinole, CA 94564

NATIONAL PRESERVATION MONTHfrom front page

show our appreciation forall those who camebefore us.”

Those events include aproclamation by the CityCouncil, declaring May asNational PreservationMonth. This will be pre-sented to Marcia at theMay 5 Pinole City Councilmeeting.

Also in May, PinoleCommunity TV will re-runa very enjoyable inter-

view by former MayorBetty Boyle with promi-nent Pinole citizens. Thisfirst aired in 2002, and isworth repeating to hearthe wonderful stories ofthose who grew up in adifferent Pinole in an eragone by.

Finally, historical pre-sentations by PHS vicepresident and historianGeorge Vincent, andnewsletter editor JeffRubin (co-authors, alongwith Joe Mariotti, of the

upcoming book, Imagesof America: Pinole) willbe made at the PinoleCity Council meeting(May 19), the PinoleLibrary (May 20), the PHSannual meeting (May 21),and Pinole Rotary (May28).

Get involved inPinole’s history, and jointhe Pinole Historical Society in celebrating

National PreservationMonth.

✰ ✰ ✰

For more informationon National PreservationMonth, visit the websiteof the National Trust forHistoric Preservation atwww.preservationnation.org/take-action/preservation-month/.

RECENT DONATIONS TO PHSThe society is grateful to the following people for

donations to our archives:• Connie Lopez (from the Marge Doty estate):

SMC typewriter, 10-key adding machine, check printer• Thelma McPherson: A signed copy of Jessie

Howe Clark’s 1975 book of poems, Of a Number ofThings.

• Elaine Sturtevant (Friends of the PinoleLibrary): An autographed copy of the book, Peepers,The Tall Proud Duck, by Pinole author Ruth WallaceHaley; a copy of the book, Doctors Hospital: Twenty-Five Years of Building the Future, by MargaretFinnerty.

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PINOLEHISTORICAL

SOCIETYBoard of Directors

Marcia KalapusPresident

George VincentVice President

Linda BrooksTresurer

JoAnn Gannotti Secretary

Tom BrooksDr. Joe MariottiJeff RubinCarol White

Director EmeritusJack Meehan

EditorJeff Rubin

A Pinole Landmark

President’s Message

MarciaKalapus

Marcia Kalapus, PresidentPinole Historical Society

ay is NationalPreservationMonth, as desig-nated by the

National Trust for HistoricPreservation.

The celebration of his-tory, whether it’s nationalor local, is very impor-tant. It’s important toremember and cherishall that has happenedbefore us, to celebratethe lives of people whocontributed to the historyof our community, and topreserve and chroniclethe city's past and pre-sent history for currentand future generations.

During National Preser-vation Month, the PinoleHistorical Society willjoin the national celebra-tion with several activi-ties, including historicalpresentations to the CityCouncil (May 19), at thePinole Library (20), toour membership at ourannual meeting (21) andto Pinole Rotary (28).

George Vincent, PHSvice president, long-timeteacher, and resident his-

torian, and Jeff Rubin willbe giving these Power-Point presentations.

Next year we plan tobring the history ofPinole to the schools byworking with school prin-cipals to present in class-rooms and assemblies.

This is just the begin-ning of our outreach pro-gram to service organiza-tions, schools, and thecommunity at large.

The last year has beenan active and excitingyear for the society. Wehave accomplished agreat many things—abook, a website, a news-letter, and a Veterans’Day event. More eventsthat celebrate the city’shistory are beingplanned.

Most importantly, weare making progress withour museum project —we are collaborating withthe city for a feasibilitystudy that will establishthe groundwork for aPinole municipal museum.

You will notice that

this newsletter has morepages than previousissues. We had so muchinformation to report thatwe expanded this issueto 12 pages, and ourpress run to 2,000copies. To do this we hadto sell ads.

We are very grateful tothe advertisers in thisnewsletter. This is thefirst time we’ve solicitedads, and considering theeconomic climate, thebusiness people who purchased ads are truesupporters of the societyand the Pinole communi-ty. Their participation istruly appreciated. Weurge you to support theirbusinesses.

I also want to acknowl-edge all of the peoplewho gave us photos, andtold us stories, for ourbook. They have alsocontributed much historyand memorabilia in support of our goal ofestablishing a museum.

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MCELEBRATE HISTORY IN MAY

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TRANSFER YOUR FAMILY HOME VIDEOS

TO DVD BEFORE THEY DISINTEGRATE!As low as $10 each!

Includes VHS, all sizes of camcordertapes, and 8 mm reels. We also

create “slide shows with music”from photos, sides, and negatives.

Debbie Ojeda (510) 724-5197ojedahouse@comcast.net

Back in the dayPINOLE’S CLEAN, GREEN, RENEWABLE FUEL!By Jack Meehan

magine a renewable,solar-generated ener-gy medium, to fuellocal transportation

in metropolitan centers—San Francisco in thisexample—shipped therevia wind-driven, low-impact, water-borne ves-sels that would have littleor no atmosphericimpact . . . and evenhave a significant after-market value in produc-tion of human food!

Well, a Portugueseimmigrant, a Pinole pio-neer and businessman,saw a need—and filled it.El Rancho Pinole’s verdant hills (seasonal, of course) provided abun-dant hay and other fieldgrasses. Ranch handsharvested it and broughtit to the Pinole ware-house and wharf run byBernardo Fernandez atthe foot of (now) TennentAvenue. He, in turn,shipped it by no-impact,wind-powered boat andsold it in San Francisco,where it fueled the hors-es hauling carriages, wagons, and street cars.

No noise, almost. Noharmful emissions. Well,OK, but that after-marketby-product—manure—became prized as amushroom-growing

medium. Yum. Someeven claim mushroomssymbolized San Francis-co politics of the day.

Was Bernardo aheadof his time, or have we,

today, regressed? A riddle of history,

perhaps, but worthy ofintellectual examination.

Go history!

Bernardo Fernandez

During the 1850s, Bernardo Fernandez starteda mercantile business on this site at the foot ofTennent Avenue. He built a supply store, con-structed warehouses and wharves, hauled farmproducts, and handled the mail to become veryinstrumental in the early establishment of thiscity and become Pinole’s leading businessman.(Photos courtesy of Edward Armstrong.)

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CUSTOM-WRITTEN AND DESIGNED NEWSLETTERSFOR COMPANIES, NON-PROFITS AND ASSOCIATIONS

ESTABLISHED 1981

PHONE: 510/724-9507; 877/588-1212FAX: 510/741-8698E-MAIL: Jeff@TheNewsletterGuy.comWEB: www.TheNewsletterGuy.com

THE NEWSLETTER GUY®

JEFF RUBIN1517 Buckeye CourtPinole, CA 94564

PHS ACQUIRES 1882PORTRAIT OF PIONEERRODEO BUSINESSMANBy George Vincent

his portrait of Patrick Tormey was purchasedby the Pinole Historical Society from a 93-year old former resident of the Richmond-San Pablo area. She bought the picture 25

years earlier at a rummage sale because she likedthe man’s looks. The San Pablo Historical Societyreferred her to our society, since Patrick Tormey hada regional influence on Pinole’s formative years.

The 127-year-old portrait is a black & white linedrawing done in 1882, when Patrick Tormey was 42.It is encased in an oval, glass-covered frame of theperiod and is embossed with fancy gold trim. Itstands an imposing four-feet high by three-feet wide.It is elegant enough to have once graced the Tormeymansion.

The PHS also acquired a proclamation by the California Sheriffs Association that was issued shortly after Tormey’sdeath, lauding Tormey for his contributions to law enforcement.

THE TORMEYS

Brothers John and Patrick Tormey were Irish immigrants whoarrived in Contra Costa County in the mid 1850s. They soonbecame involved in Pinole’s early history. In 1865 and 1869,they purchased five divisions, or 9,000 acres, of Rancho ElPinole from the Martinez heirs. They eventually became quitewealthy from the grain and cattle business. They had extensiveland holdings and built stately mansions.

The Rancho El Pinole purchase was divided. John Tormey’swestern portion included the old Martinez adobe homes andpart of Briones Valley. Patrick Tormey’s eastern share includedthe Rodeo Valley, where the Martinez family once held annual“rodeos,” or round-ups, of thousands of head of cattle.

Patrick Tormey founded the town of Rodeo. He brought theto page 6

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from page 5

Union Stock Co., a large meat-packing plant, to the area. Unfortunately, thePanic of 1893 (the worst financial crisis to hit the United States in its history tothat point) and the 1906 earthquake combined to bring financial misfortune tohis enterprises. The plant closed due to the business and bank recession, andthe brick buildings were later toppled by the quake.

Patrick Tormey served 26 years on the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors. The town of Tormey, east of Rodeo, grew around a railroad stopand was named in his honor. Remnants of the town still exist. Tormey died offood poisoning on May 7, 1907, from tainted corned beef eaten at an Oaklandrestaurant. This was the ultimate irony, as he made his living in the cattle busi-ness. His five-block-long Martinez funeral procession on May 10 was the largestever seen in Contra Costa County.

For more information on the Tormeys’ history in West County, visitwww.tormeyclan.com.

PHS ACQUIRES 1882 PORTRAIT

WHEN IS A TREE PART OF HISTORY?t’s just a seedling,but when planted tohonor the memory

of special people, thesesoon-to-be-big treesbecome a part of the history of the state andthe organizations thatsponsored them.

The Pinole GardenClub, like many membersof California GardenClubs Inc., participates inPenny Pines, a nation-wide USDA Forest Servicereforestation programthat plants trees onburned-over and brush-covered areas that arepotentially productivetimberlands.

Garden clubs through-out the state have a

collection at each meet-ing for this, and when

they reach $68, they pur-chase an acre of seedlingtrees to be planted in theforest of their choice.

Why $68?At the start of the pro-

gram in 1941, seedlingscould be produced forabout one cent each.

Approximately 680seedlings were used toplant a typical acre. For$68, seedlings for 10acres could be pur-chased.

“Clubs can buy theseplantations either ‘inhonor’ or ‘in memory’ ofindividuals in their clubs,

and this has becomevery popular,” says PatYork, president of thePinole Garden Club.

Some clubs, such asPinole’s, use these plan-tations as a “thank you”for members, deceasedmembers, or chairmen.

If you would like tomake a contribution toPenny Pines, write acheck payable to thePinole Garden Club andmail it to Carol Hosking,2636 Ramona Street,Pinole, CA 95664.

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Check the Pinole Historical Society website for information on PHS activites

and events — and, of course, the history of the

sweetest city in the East Bay.www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org

Summer memberships

available.Call now!

(510) 222-25006350 San Pablo Dam Road, El Sobrante, CA 94803

AMERICAN FLAGS AVAILABLEFROM HISTORICAL SOCIETY

May 25 isMemorial Day,June 14 isFlag Day, andJuly 4 is Inde-pendenceDay—all goodreasons toacquire amade-in-America United States

flag from the Pinole Historical Society to fly on theseimportant occasions.

The PHS has about two dozen 3x5 nylon Americanflags—50 stars, all-weather, embroidered—availablefor a donation of $25 to the society.

And, we have a limited supply of basic flagpolekits (pole, bracket, etc.) at our quantity cost of just$6. So, a flag and flagpole can be yours for a donation of only $31 (plus postage if we mail them)!

PIck up your flag/pole at one of our monthlymeetings (see page 2 for the schedule), at our PinoleFarmers’ Market booth, or e-mail us at info@PinoleHistoricalSociety.com and we’ll make arrangementsto get these items to you via U.S. mail. We acceptchecks and Visa, MasterCard, and American Expresscredit cards.

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Paula Harvey Christina IsleyJanine Smith Carol Carpenter

TOP FLOOR SALONFull-Service Salon

Skin & Spa Treatments Color-Coded CosmeticsRelax & Rejuvenate Makeovers

1690 San Pablo Ave., Suite EPinole, CA 94564 (510) 741-1150

PINOLE COMMUNITY TV SERIESCHRONICLING CITY’S HISTORY

inole Community TV has premiered an ambitious 16-partseries based on the City of Pinole Historic Walking Tourbrochure.

The series features 16 segments, each lasting two tothree minutes. Host Elizabeth Ciabattari, a Pinole native and aspiring actress, is visiting some of the more prominent locationsin the city, offering viewers a glimpse into the past of each.

Once completed, each segment will run for a week on PCTVchannel 28. The segments will run several times an hour, all day,seven days a week, between scheduled programming.

The series was Elizabeth’s idea, says producer Dave Arnold.“The first approach was to do all 27 stops on the tour, but we

consolidated a few and ended up with 16 segments,” Dave says.The final scripts were written based on information from thebrochure.

“Elizabeth’s on-screen presence and talent is obvious, andthese programs should pique the viewers’ interest to investigatethe history of Pinole further.”

The series includes these stops: Greenfield Department Store;Baldwin House; Italianate Hip Roof Cottages; Pinole churches;Pinole murals; Quinan Street Homes and Brandt Cottages; TennentAvenue; Antlers, Bank of Pinole, and Nunes Building; Boyd Home,William Clark Home and Theodore Woy Home; Square DealGarage,TJ Stats Home, Jerry McDonald Home, and Captain's Cottage; Santa Fe Train Depot; Downer Mansion; Site of originalPinole-Hercules School; Fernandez Mansion; Dr. Manuel L. Fernandez House; Faria House.

Local businesses are sponsoring the series. Interested sponsorsshould contact PCTV Cable Access Coordinator Dave Snell at(510) 741-3862.

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2718 pinole valley road • pinole, california 94564518.758.8881 www.eathappysashimi.com

Vicki Martinez

vicki_martinez@mechbank.com • www.mechbank.com

WORKSHOP FIRST STEP IN MUSEUM FOR CITYembers of the PHS were among 33 partici-pants in a Community Leadership VisioningWorkshop for a proposed municipal histori-cal museum on February 28, facilitated by

the city’s museum consultant, Kathleen Brown.The workshop’s purpose was to: articulate a

vision for the Pinole Historical Society Museum,understand the context in which the museum wouldoperate and thereby set realistic expectations for itsdevelopment and operation, identify communityneeds and their implications for the Faria Houseredevelopment, and explore possible partnershipswith existing organizations to support the museum'sdevelopment and ongoing programming.

Among the key conclusions were:• The museum will have a community-based vision

that reflects rich diversity today and historically• History contributes to overall quality of life• The museum will take on the responsibility to

communicate the importance of history to the community

• The museum will focus first on Pinole, then onthe broader El Rancho Pinole land-grant area.

• The Faria House to be renovated not as an historic-house museum, but as a home for the community, designed with flexible use in mind

• The museum will involve the entire communityin renovation and in programming.

The PHS thanks The Bear Claw and Noah’s Bagel’sfor their generous donations of food for the work-shop.

Workshop facilitator Kathleen Brown (far left)led a four-hour workshop that challenged partic-ipants to create a vision for a Pinole muncipalmuseum. Councilmember Mary Horton acted asthis group’s scribe during one of the exercises.

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We Sell Everything To Build Anything

990 San Pablo Avenue, Pinole CA 94564(510) 724-8753, phone (510) 724-5976, fax

www.dolanlumber.com

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Serious Injury • Auto Accident

Donald E. PattersonAttorney at LawPlaza Two, Hilltop Office Park3260 Blume Drive, Suite 410Richmond, CA 96806

FREE CONSULTATION (510) 262-2120

2870 Pinole Valley RoadPinole, CA 94564(510) 758-9462

7 a.m. – 10 p.m.every day

PHS TO HAVE PRESENCEAT SEVERAL EVENTS THISSPRING AND SUMMER

he PinoleHistoricalSocietywill be

present at sever-al communityevents through-out the springand summermonths.

Look for ourbooth at the Pinole Farmers’ Market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. beginning April 25.

We’ll also be at the Cruisin’ in the Sun car show from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, June 28.

And, look for us on eight consecutive Thursdays during thecity’s Summer Sounds in the Park concert series fromJuly 9 to August 27. Concerts run from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

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NATIONALPRESERVATION MONTHCALENDAR OF EVENTSTo celebrate National Preserva-

tion Month, the Pinole HistoricalSociety is presenting these events:

• April 27 to May 31: Pinole Com-munity TV, Channel 28: Betty Boyleinterview with prominent Pinole citizens, airing daily.

• May 5: Pinole City Councilproclamation of National Preserva-tion Month in Pinole, 7 p.m.

• May 19: Historical presentationat Pinole City Council meeting, 7 p.m.

• May 20: Historical presentationat Pinole Library, 6:30–8:30 p.m.

• May 21: Historical presentationat Pinole Historical Society annualmeeting, 6:30 p.m.

• May 28: Historical Presentationto Pinole Rotary, noon.

Please join us for one of thesepresentations, which will highlightsections of our book, Images ofAmerica: Pinole.

We look forward to seeing you!

The PHS thanks Mechanics Bank for agrant that enabled us to purchase anLCD projector for our presentations.

PinoleHistoricalSociety2009 MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

PLEASE PROVIDE THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, AND SEND CASH OR YOUR CHECK, TO PINOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, P.O. BOX 285, PINOLE, CA 94564

NAME (each person): _______________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: __________________________________________________________________________

CITY/ZIP: ___________________________________________________________________________

PHONE: _____________________________________________________________________________

E-MAIL (please!): ___________________________________________________________________

CIRCLE ONE: Annual ($30) Life ($150) Business ($50) Sustaining $(500)

AMOUNT ENCLOSED: [ ] Cash $________ [ ] Check #________ $_________

DATE PAID: __________________________________

MEMBERSHIPS ARE FOR THE 2009 CALENDAR YEAR (EXCEPT LIFETIME MEMBERSHIPS)

(PINOLE RESIDENCY NOT REQUIRED FOR MEMBERSHIP)

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from page 3

When you buy yourcopy of Images of Ameri-ca: Pinole—there’s anorder form above—take alook at the acknowledge-ments page. It’s one ofthe longest lists in Arca-dia Publishing history.

Without these people, we could not have com-pleted this project, the

first book about Pinole published by a majorbook company.

We invite you to beexcited with us. We meeton the third Thursday ofevery month in the AlexClark Room of the PinolePublic Safety Building,880 Tennent Avenue.

At our May 21 meeting,which will be our annualmeeting and election of

board members, we willhave a special PowerPointpresentation by GeorgeVincent and Jeff Rubinthat will feature photosfrom Images of America:Pinole. (See page 10 fora complete calendar ofPHS events in May.)

Our membership hastripled in the last year.You don’t have to live inPinole to be a member

of the Pinole HistoricalSociety; all you have tohave is an interest in thehistory of our region. Wewelcome everyone.

There’s a membershipform above; we’d love tohave you join our excit-ing, active organizationas we make progresstoward accomplishing our goals.

CELEBRATE HISTORY IN MAY

2265 Pear Street • Pinole, CA 94564(510) 724-5312

HoursMonday – Friday6 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Saturday – Sunday7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Images of America: Pinole order formMAIL TO: PINOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY, P.O. BOX 285, PINOLE, CA 94564

www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org

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ORDER YOUR COPY OF PINOLE BOOK

Name __________________________________________Address ________________________________________City _________________________ State ___ Zip ______Phone ( ) _____________________________E-mail _________________________________________

# of books @ $27.23 (book, tax, postage) _____# of books @ $24.14 (book, tax, you pick up) _____Total amount due $_______________

METHOD OF PAYMENT

Check: ❏ Payable to Pinole Historical Society

Credit card: ❏ Visa ❏ MasterCard ❏ AmexCard number ____________________________________Expiration date _______________________ CVV ______Name on card __________________________________Signature _______________________________________

he Pinole Historical Society has begun takingorders for our about-to-be-published book, Images

of America: Pinole.We have received word from

Arcadia Publishing that our bookswill be published July 27, whichmeans that’s the day it will beavailable at bookstores.

The PHS expects to get its com-plement of copies within a fewdays after the publication date.

To order your book(s), pleasefill out the above form (also avail-able on our website) and mail itto us at P.O. Box 285, Pinole, CA94564. Or, bring your order formto one of our monthly meetings.

We will mail the books to you($27.23 per copy) or you can pickthem up ($24.14 per copy) at oneof our third-Thursday meetings or at our booth at the PinoleFarmers’ Market and SummerSounds in the Park.

Books will be mailed as soonas they arrive.

There will be a book launch-ing/signing event Wednesday,August 5, from 6 to 8 p.m. in theAlex Clark Room, Public SafetyBuilding, 880 Tennent Avenue.

Authors Joe Mariotti, George Vincent, and Jeff Rubin will bethere to autograph your books.

We will have refreshments—andbooks for sale, of course—at thisevent.

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2401 SAN PABLO AVENUE, PINOLE, CA 94564