Published quarterly by the Pinole Historical Society Pinole Historical Society Newsbriefs P.O. Box 285, Pinole, CA 94564 www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org [email protected]Summer 2010 FLAG DAY ESSAY CONTEST A HIT WITH TEACHERS Historic tour PHS Historian George Vincent (center, wearing hat with brim) led an enthusiastic group of history seekers on a walking tour of historic downtown Pinole on May 15. Pinole Community TV taped it; it’s airing on channel 28 and will soon be on the city of Pinole website. MORE WALKING TOUR PHOTOS ON PAGE 4 he Pinole Histori- cal Society’s second Flag Day Essay Contest went very well. We received many well- written essays from first grade to high school. Students in Pinole schools answered the question, “What does the American flag mean to you?” Teachers picked the best essays in their classes and grades, and judges selected the best essays in each participat- ing school. The Mechanics Bank co-sponsored the event again this year, present- ing the grand-prize winners with $50 savings bonds. The grand-prize winners also received a new American flag from the PHS. All participants received certificates of achievement. The PHS is grateful to Mechanics Bank for its generosity in sponsoring this contest. This year we had some special participants. A Collins Elementary School special education class taught by Julie Willis, with nine children with moderate to severe disabilities, submitted watercolor paintings that reflected the flag, rather than essays. Continued on page 12 T
Transcript
Published quarterly by the Pinole Historical Society
PinoleHistorical
SocietyNewsbriefs
P.O. Box 285, Pinole, CA 94564www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org [email protected]
SSuummmmeerr 22001100
FLAG DAY ESSAY CONTEST A HIT WITH TEACHERS
Historic tourPHS Historian GeorgeVincent (center, wearinghat with brim) led anenthusiastic group ofhistory seekers on awalking tour of historicdowntown Pinole onMay 15.
Pinole Community TVtaped it; it’s airing onchannel 28 and willsoon be on the city ofPinole website.
MORE WALKING TOURPHOTOS ON PAGE 4
he Pinole Histori-cal Society’s second Flag DayEssay Contest
went very well. Wereceived many well-written essays from firstgrade to high school.
Students in Pinoleschools answered thequestion, “What does the
American flag mean toyou?” Teachers pickedthe best essays in theirclasses and grades, andjudges selected the bestessays in each participat-ing school.
The Mechanics Bankco-sponsored the eventagain this year, present-ing the grand-prize
winners with $50 savingsbonds. The grand-prizewinners also received anew American flag fromthe PHS. All participantsreceived certificates ofachievement. The PHS isgrateful to MechanicsBank for its generosity insponsoring this contest.
This year we had some
special participants. A Collins Elementary
School special educationclass taught by JulieWillis, with nine childrenwith moderate to severedisabilities, submittedwatercolor paintings thatreflected the flag, ratherthan essays.
Continued on page 12
T
2
WHERE TO FIND NEWSBRIEFS
900 San Pablo Ave., Pinole, CA 94564
Pick up your copy of Pinole Historical Society Newsbriefs at these locations:
AccuTech Auto Care, Adela’s Studio, A.D. DernInsurance, All-Bay Locksmith, The Alley Cafe,Anjee’s Dance Etc., Antlers Tavern, Bank of theWest, Barry Evans Studio, Bay Park Retirement,The Bear Claw, Big O Tires, Blue Sky Sports,Bronze Buns, Cafe Soleil, China House, Cindy’sShear Cuts, Coldwell Banker (Allen Faria), Com-plete Automotive Repair Service (C.A.R.S.),Crocketts Premier Auto Body, Dolan’s Lumber,Embers, Farmers Insurance (Madeline Crandall),Farmers Insurance (Carol White), The FlowerCart, Garden of Gems, Douglas Gordon, D.D.S.,Hairitage Bead and Boutique, Happy Sashimi,Kaiser Permanente Medical Office Building,Kendall Financial Services, Ladies WorkoutExpress, Lakeridge Athletic Club, MechanicsBank (Pinole Valley and Pinole Vista), NostalgicSoul, Old Time Realtors, Park Pharmacy, AttorneyDonald E. Patterson, Peet’s Coffee, Pinole ArtCenter, Pinole City Hall, Pinole Creek Cafe, PinoleLibrary, Pinole Paws, Pinole Police Department,Pinole Senior Center, Pinole Valley CommunityChurch, Realty World (Viktor Manrique), Ricky’sCorner, Ristorante Due Rose, Sashays Salon,Sam’s Dog House, State Farm Insurance (MarkBucklew and Rick Chalk), Sunshine Floor Covering, Taqueria Sanchez, Tenax Law Group,The New Deli, The Red Onion, Top Floor Salon, Albert M. Tsang, D.D.S., and Waffle Stop.
It’s also posted on the PHS website.FOR ADVERTISERS: More than 2,500 print-
ed copies of PHS Newsbriefs are distributedevery quarter, generating readership among thousands of Pinole residents. Hundreds morereceive the newsletter directly from the PHS viaits database and website. If you’re interested inadvertising, please contact Jeff Rubin [email protected] or call him at(510) 724-9507.
FUNDRAISING DINNER NOV. 12The Pinole Historical Society will havea fundraising dinner Friday, Nov. 12,
at La Strada, in San Pablo. More details will be in the fall issue of
Newsbriefs and in your e-mail.
PHS CHANGES TO QUARTERLYMEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
The Pinole Historical Society is switching to quarter-ly membership meetings—rather than the monthlymeetings we’ve had in the past.
We’ll be supplementing the quarterly meetings withinteresting activities, such as the recent walking tourof historic downtown Pinole, (see the front-pagestory), and events, such as the November 12 fundraising dinner and the Veterans’ Day Memorialand Flag Retirement Ceremony.
Our meetings will be on the third Thursday in September, November, February, and May, at 6:30p.m. in the Alex Clark Room of the Public Safety Facility, 880 Tennent Avenue. Our remaining meetingsin 2010 will be on September 16 and November 18.
As always, we’ll have an interesting program forattendees. Members and guests are welcome.
3
A Pinole Landmark
President’s Message
Marcia Kalapus
Marcia Kalapus, President, Pinole Historical Society
t is hard to believethat August is uponus and school will bestarting soon. Didn’t
school just end? Wheredid the summer go?
The society is alsobeginning a new year. Wereevaluated our generalmembership meetingschedule and we will bemeeting quarterly now.Our next meeting will beSeptember 16 in the AlexClark room at 6:30 p.m.Check page 2 of thisnewsletter for the othermeeting dates.
In lieu of monthlymeetings, we plan tohave special events andother activities to com-plement the membershipmeetings and keep ourmembers active in thesociety.
Several of our boardmembers have changedtheir titles. George Vin-cent, long-time residenthistorian, author ofPinole history books, andmember of the PHS sinceits inception in 1973, hasresigned from the boardand is now a Director
The Pinole Libraryoffered us space in Mayfor an exhibit of our historical collections. Theexhibit has been so wellreceived by the publicthat we were not onlyoffered an extension ofour current display, but asecond display case, too!There are now two PHSexhibits at the library.Check them out!
The PHS Board ofDirectors had a half-dayplanning session in Julyto plan for the next
INEW ACTIVITIES FOR PHS MEMBERS year’s events. We hope to
have more walking tours,historical tours outsidePinole, fundraising eventsfor our future museum,field trips, memberappreciation events, andanything else that we canimagine to promote localhistory. We also hope toproduce more books, aswell as more TV docu-mentaries about Pinolehistory and its citizens.
We would like to hearfrom the public. Whathistorical activities wouldyou like us to provide?Let us know.
CONTACT US
Do you have any sto-ries or collections of arti-facts from old Pinole thatyou would like to share?Please contact us. Per-haps we can use them inone of our future librarydisplays.
And, remember to con-tinue to tell your familystories and show yourfamily pictures to the little ones—it’s the bestway to preserve your family’s history.
Emeritus. He will contin-ue to be a consultant,active lecturer and partic-ipant, and an adviser forour ongoing educationaland television programs.
Jack Meehan, long-time active member ofthe society has, resignedas Director Emeritus, butwill continue to be a con-sultant for us on proce-dural matters, Robert’sRules of Order, and ourbylaws.EXPANDED NEWSLETTER
We have had successacquiring new ads for ournewsletter. We are veryappreciative of the busi-ness community’s inter-est in the history ofPinole and of their con-tinuing support of thesociety. Several of ournew ads are outside theborders of Pinole, whichgives credence to ourgoal of being a “museumwithout borders.” Withthe advertising expan-sion, we have increasedthe size of the newsletterto 16 pages and will publish more historicalcontent.
4
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CHINESE CLAM DIGGERS IN PINOLE 100 YEARS AGOy the time Pinolewas incorporatedin June 1903, its695 residents
were accustomed todoor-to-door merchants.
The Chinese, in partic-ular, were a familiar sightamong merchants ofdiverse ethnic back-grounds selling theirwares from house tohouse.
One of the earliestpeddlers was called Riley.He would come from SanFrancisco with fruits andvegetables in two basketssupported by a pole.Keeping his records oncustomer fence posts,Riley vended his waresbetween Pinole andRodeo.
By the early 1920s,the Pinole waterfront
supported a small-but-industrious Chineseencampment. Theyleased the beach landfrom the Fernandez family.
Living in small houseson stilts, the Chinese dugclams from the shallowtidelands. The freshclams were put intobuckets hanging frompoles, shouldered, andsold in the early morningto local townsfolk.
There was also a Chinese bunkhouse onthe Fernandez wharf.
An itinerant Chinesemerchant by the name ofSing Lee owned andoperated a large boat inPinole, and the clambeds between Atlas(Giant) Powder and thePinole waterfront.
He gathered the clamsin big fruit boxes to sellin the markets of Oak-land and San Francisco.
Sing Lee would alsosail to Red Rock inRichmond, where hefished, and sold hiscatch from doorstep todoorstep in Pinole, incompetition with theItalians who sold herring.
By providing clamsand fish to Pinole’s citizens, the Chineseplayed a small, butimportant, role in thecity’s community life.
Today, grocery shopping means thechore of a long, butnecessary, trip to thelocal supermarket.
However, there wasa time in Pinole when
a knock at the doormeant the store hadcome to you.B
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PHS interviews on city of Pinole website
Miss one of our programs on PinoleCommunity TV?
Not a problem. The city’s website nowhas a dedicated section devoted to PINOLEHISTORY on its “Videos Online” page.
You can view the numerous PHS programs right on your computer. Just goto www.ci.pinole.ca.us/about/videos.htmland scroll down to PINOLE HISTORY. You’llfind our interviews, Veterans’ Day pro-grams, and the very fine PCTV-produced,12-part series on the Historic Walking Tour.
It’s great TV!
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Back in the day
THE ‘PLAGUE’ PANICKED PINOLE IN 1918By George R. Vincent
he “Great Influen-za Pandemic” of1918-1919 killedmore people than
the “Great War”—WorldWar I.
It is estimated thatbetween 40 million and50 million people diedworldwide, including675,000 in the U.S.alone.
Also nicknamed the“Spanish Flu,” the out-break circled the globe innine months, killing morethan the four years of theBlack Death—BubonicPlague—of the 14th century.
Few cities and familiesin the U.S. were sparedthe flu’s wrath, andPinole was no exception.
In an age beforeknowledge of antibiotics
and viruses, the fear generated by the diseasespread faster than the illness itself. Its victimswere mainly the youngbetween ages 20-40; theflu eventually affected28% of all Americans.
Because of its severityand many deaths, theoutbreak in Pinole wasalso called the “Plague.”Pinole’s newspaper of theday repeatedly urged citizens “to clean up their places to avoid thePlague.”
In December 1918,there were 35 cases ofinfluenza in its severestform in Pinole and Her-cules, with many moremild cases.
Hercules was especial-ly hard hit, with so manyworking at the HerculesPowder Company.
Continued on page 9
T
Masked Pinole and Hercules women on thegrounds of the Hercules Powder Works, in front
of the statue of Hercules, during the 1918influenza “Plague.” Many women worked in theshell factory packing explosives used in World
War I. Pinole residents in this photo includeMarie Hughes, Zelma Race, Catherine Dalton,
Audrey Gerish, and Eugenia Jackson.
9
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THE ‘PLAGUE’ PANICKED PINOLE IN 1918Continued from page 8
Dr. Manuel Fernandez,Pinole’s town doctor andalso the physician for theHercules Powder Compa-ny, reportedly handledmore flu cases than anyone in Contra CostaCounty.
FEAR OF DISEASE
Dr. Wetmore of theHospital Association ofHercules also had a try-ing time caring for thelarge number of sickemployees.
Weekly lists of flu fatal-ities and new outbreaksdominated the Pinoleheadlines, spreading thefear of the disease aswell as the panic level.Victims died mainly fromthe flu’s progression intopneumonia.
Among the dead waslong-time Pinole residentGeorge Sheppard of theHercules Acid Depart-ment. Mrs. Henry Silva,
popular wife of Pinole’sbutcher, also died, as did 16 year-old JamesMannory.
Among those seriouslyill and confined to theirhomes were Margaret,Francis, Katie Ruff, Martinand Robert Collins, Mr.and Mrs. George Malone,Percy Stott and Mrs. A.LeFebvre.
Because the flu wasspread by contact, citi-zens were urged to avoidgroups and to wear gauzemasks for protection.
A sense of publicpanic was evident.
SALOONS CLOSED
The Pinole Athletic andOuting Club postponedits dance in the PinoleOpera House for the second time due to thedeaths of members. Eventhe town’s many saloonswere ordered closed until7 p.m.
The town trusteesworked hard to curb the
epidemic. The gauze-mask law was enforceddue to the many towns-people neglecting to protect themselves.
MASKS REQUIRED
A health marshal andConstable Fraser wereordered “to the lastditch” to arrest any man,woman or child seen onthe streets of Pinole without a mask. The firstoffense was a light fine,the second a heavy fine,and the third meant jailtime.
Pinole life continuedcautiously during WorldWar I. Local soldierswrote home from thefront in France.
A United War WorkCampaign, led by MissHazel Downer of theBank of Pinole, tried to raise $6,000 in donations.
The local theater showcased for 11 and 17cents admission to
movies starring FattyArbuckle, Douglas Fairbanks, and Mary Pickford.
OUTDOOR SERVICES
However, it was afrightening time whenchurch services wereheld outdoors and fewpeople ventured out andmingled unless neces-sary. Those who brokethe Plague rules werechastised by a local editorial in December of1918:
“Wear your mask religiously. Don’t go outbragging about your fear-lessness. Such bravery isall rot with a chip on yourshoulder defying olddeath to knock it off.
“Better to hike to theend of the wharf [the Fernandez wharf at thewaterfront], take a quietshot at your ivory dome,tumble in the water, andfloat away.”
10
COMMUNITY CHARACTER AND THE GENERAL AND SPECIFIC PLANS
inole’s existing built environment sets thetone for future development. The rich architectural history that is indicative of the
time period in which the Bay Area developed is alsorepresented and specific to Pinole.
In planner language, this is called context. Context not only reflects on the various styles of thebuilt environment but also on the size and shape ofthe individual elements of the built environment.
In future development the height and bulk of newbuildings becomes important when striving to preserve a cohesive environment, sometimes moreimportant than matching building styles. It is rarewhen a new building that is matching an existingstyle is successfully done—it is analogous with comparing a living human being with a mannequin.
The “Disneylandation” of towns such as ours thatoccurs when brand-new historic-looking buildings arebuilt detracts and damages the community characterand takes away from the buildings that have historicvalue.
In the Community Character Element, there aregoals and policies set up “to protect the establishedhistoric and small-town character of Pinole andencourage the human-scaled design of buildings tocomplement the scale and character of existingbuildings”.
The intent is to have future developments reflect,not to match, the look and feel of the city’s past. In this way the thread of history continues throughcareful and responsible design that is in concertwith the existing historic built environment.
To reinforce Old Town’s significance as the lead-ing historic area in town, the Community CharacterElement suggests an Historic Preservation Ordinancebe established with its own set of guidelines andrequirements to maintain the heart of Pinole’s identi-ty and direct compatible development.
There are also non-built elements within the CommunityCharacter Element thatdon’t involve buildings. Maintaining an active cultural and performingarts presence adds tothe identity of Pinole.This is currently accomplished throughthe various programssuch as the plays put on by the School of Performing Arts, Youthand Senior Center functions, the concerts
in the park, and the classic car show.The Community Character Element also suggests
a Public Arts Commission be formed to direct theseactivities. Included in this would be the establish-ment of a permanent museum to hold the historicartifacts that tell the story of Pinole’s history.
Perhaps bringing back parades and holding eventssuch as Pinole Community Day will encourage anadditional feeling of community that was enjoyed byPinole residents in years past.
This urge for community awareness is alreadybeing reflected in the increased attendance at thePinole Historical Society meetings. The combinationof these activities is what makes Pinole special.
Pinole in the recent past has been called a bed-room community, but it is really more than that.There is definitely a “there” here—it didn’t suddenlydrop in place like some cities around us, and it hasn’t been paved over and Walmarted.
There is a rich tradition, both in the built and un-built environment, and in the people who livehere—it is what defines us all.
PBy Tim Banuelos, Pinole City Councilman
Second of two parts
Tim Banuelos
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Pinole, CA 94564
e’ve seen the list of holidays on which weshould fly our American flag on our homefronts. There’s a dozen or more.
But, ever wonder why just those days? Isthere something “unspecial” about all the other days?Might we be ashamed to display the flag every day?Does that embarrass our neighbors, or signify some-thing only far out citizens might interpret? Or, howabout non-citizen neighbors? (No, I don’t mean “illegals”!)
Consider this:The American flagis flown every day(when they’reopen) at the postoffice, at city hall,at our schools, atMcDonalds/Carl’sJr./Wendy’s, etc.And (bless him!)on Joe Mariotti’shill above I-80, andvisible for miles!
Are all these patriotic displays just surrogates forindividual homeowners/citizens? I don’t think so, andI think we miss an opportunity to assert our individualpride in our country.
Fly the American flag EVERY DAY—and fear not thatit’s out all night; after all, it was that “star spangledbanner” that lasted all night at Fort McHenry in 1814.
FLAG DAY ESSAY CONTEST A HIT WITH TEACHERSContinued from front
“I understand thatthe children would notbe eligible for prizes,”Julie wrote to the PHS.“My goal is for them toparticipate in a com-munity event.”
The studentsreceived certificates ofachievement at aschool assembly, andone of the children’spaintings is on displayat the Pinole Library.
Photos, a completelist of all the partici-pants, and the winningcontest essays are onthe PHS website(www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org).
The essay contesthas been one of ourmore rewardingendeavors in promoting history to the public, whichis part of our mission statement. An exhibit celebrat-ing the achievements of the students who participat-ed in the Flag Day Essay Contest may be viewed atthe Pinole Library.
The contest has proved to be meaningful to
educators. St. JosephSchool Principal ArleneMarseille, wrote to usfollowing this year’sawards ceremony ather school:
“I am very proud ofour students for theirparticipation in thisevent. It shows theyunderstand the historyand importance of theflag that is displayedover our school everyday, and what it takesto be allowed the freedom to do so.”
In 2009, the PHSreceived this note fromCarol Butcher, princi-pal at Stewart Elemen-tary School, after anawards assembly:
“I am so proud ofthem [the students]
and I think this is great! They will be so pleased and I so love it when our kids are recognized fortheir merits. I think it’s important for the kids to beinvolved and not only support their fellow studentsbut to see the interaction and support of the community.”
Collins Elementary School teacher Julie Willis’s (farleft) special education class, with (L-R) MechanicsBank Community Affairs Officer Fernanda Rodrigues,Mechanics Bank Chairman Emeritus Ed Downer III,and Pinole Mayor Debbie Long.
13
We have a supply of postcards, greetingcards, and refrigerator magnets—featuring photos from our book, Images of America:Pinole. They are gorgeous!
They’re for sale at the PHS booth at the PinoleFarmers’ Market; we’re there every other Satur-day, next to The Flower Cart booth.
We have an order form for our products on our website: www.PinoleHistoricalSociety.org.Because of the cost of credit-card processing services, we accept only checks via mail order.To order on-line, print the order form and mail itwith your check to the Pinole Historical Society,P.O. Box 285, Pinole, CA 94564.
Also, we have a booth at the SummerSounds in the Park concert series beginningevery Thursday through August 26, from 6:30 to8 p.m.
NEW PRODUCTS FOR SALE
The Pinole Historical Society promotes awarenessand appreciation of history through preservationand education, and chronicles the city’s heritage
for current and future generations.
PinoleHistorical
SocietyBoard of Directors
Marcia Kalapus, PresidentJeff Rubin, Vice PresidentSheila Grist, TreasurerJo Ann Gannotti, SecretaryBruce Ezzell, Dr. Joe Mariotti, Vicki Martinez,Shirley Ramos, Dorothy Wakefield
Directors EmeritusJack MeehanGeorge Vincent
Newsletter EditorJeff Rubin
14
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
YOU’VE GOT A QUESTION?WE’VE GOT AN ANSWER
inole has a long and interesting history. Isthere something you’d like to know aboutthe city or its people?
Send the Pinole Historical Society a questionand we’ll not only answer it, but we’ll print it inthe next issue of Newsbriefs so everyone will beinformed.
And, if we don’t know, we’ll find out.For example, perhaps you ran across a photo
at a garage sale and want to have the people or buildings in it identified. Or, maybe you’rewondering about that light-green, two-story houseon San Pablo Avenue, opposite the post office.
Q: Why are the cross streets offTennent named after fruits?— Sent by a recent homeowner
in the fine city of Pinole, who lives walking distance to said fruit-named streets.
A: The Dr. Samuel J. Tennentfamily owned all of the land onthe west side of Pinole ValleyRoad, from about where thebowling alley is to San PabloAvenue. This was from the1850s to the turn of the 20thcentury. They grew pears,plums, prunes, and peaches.The streets are named after theTennents’ orchards.
THIS QUARTER’S QUESTION:
The Tennent Ranch on Pinole Valley Road.
15
CUSTOM-WRITTEN AND DESIGNED NEWSLETTERSFOR COMPANIES, NON-PROFITS AND ASSOCIATIONS
1690 San Pablo Ave., Suite EPinole, CA 94564 (510) 741-1150
NEWSBRIEFS EXPANDSTO 16 PAGES
id you notice that this issue of Newsbriefs is16 pages? We had to expand; we have somany advertisers that we were running out ofroom for articles in our 12-page format.
As long as we have this number of advertisers, we’ll keep the newsletter this size.
The PHS thanks all of the businesses for their support, and welcomes these new advertisers:
D
• A.D. Dern Insurance• Anjee’s Dance Etc.• Bank of the West• Barry Evans Studio• Blue Sky Sports• Cindy’s Shear Cuts• Complete Automotive Repair Services• Nostalgic Soul• State Farm Insurance (Mark Bucklew
and Rick Chalk)• Sunset Catering• Sunshine Floor Covering• The New Deli• Albert M. Tsang, D.D.S.
MAIL TO: PINOLE HISTORICAL SOCIETY,
P.O. BOX 285, PINOLE, CA 94564
16
Name __________________________________
Address ________________________________
City __________________ State __ Zip ______
Phone ( ) _________________________
E-mail__________________________________
# of books @ $27.40 (book, tax, postage) ____# of books @ $24.14 (book, tax, pick up) ____Total amount due $________________
METHOD OF PAYMENT
Check: ❏ Payable to Pinole Historical SocietyCash: ❏
