Exploring Concord, California

In Contra Costa County, California, Concord is the largest city. The city had a population of 122,067 at the 2010 census which made it the 8th largest city in the San Francisco Bay Area. Founded by Salvio Pacheco in 1869 as the city of Todos Santos, the name was changed to Concord within months. The city is a major regional East Bay suburban hub within the San Francisco Bay Area, situated 47 kilometers (29 miles) east of San Francisco.

History

The valleys north of Mount Diablo were populated by the Miwok people, who hunted elk and fished in the numerous streams that flowed from the mountain into the San Francisco Bay. Spanish explorers started to traverse the region in 1772 but did not settle there. In 1834, Salvio Pacheco (to whom the nearby town of Pacheco is named) was granted the Mexican land grant Rancho Monte del Diablo at the base of Mount Diablo.

Concord was founded on the initiative of Pacheco in 1869 under the name of Todos Santos (“all saints”; a name stillborn between Willow Pass Road and Salvio Street in the central city square and park). It gained notoriety in the 19th century when most Pacheco residents moved to Concord to escape the fire and flood destruction that devastated Pacheco’s formerly thriving economy. Concord was incorporated on February 5, 1905.

A broad agricultural region was the region around Concord, in the nearby Ygnacio and Clayton Valleys. Grown crops comprised grapes, walnuts, almonds, wheat, hay, and even tomatoes. The field to the east (now the Concord Naval Weapons Station location) was the location of a few large wheat ranches over 5,000 acres (20 km2), and was nearly a wheat sea all the way to the marshes surrounding Suisun Bay. Many vineyards were abandoned during Prohibition and replaced with walnut orchards. Cement was provided by the town of Cowell, which is now incorporated into Concord. The first Concord post office opened in 1872.

Government

In the California State Legislature, Concord is represented by Democrat Steve Glazer in the 7th Senate District, and Democrat Tim Grayson in the 14th Assembly District.

Federally, Concord is represented by the Democrat Mark DeSaulnier in California’s 11th Congressional District.

Politics

In 2017, Concord had 65,061 registered voters with 31,759 (48.8%) registered as Democrats, 14,447 (22.2%) registered as Republicans, and 15,623 (24%) decline to state voters.

Naval Weapons Station

The Concord Naval Weapons Station (CNWS), built-in 1942, is located to the north of the city of Concord. The station served as a storage depot for armaments from World War II, supplying ships at Port Chicago. Throughout the Vietnam War and towards the end of the Gulf War, the CNWS supported war efforts by storing and exporting thousands of tons of material to Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

The station consists of two areas: the inland (5.170 acres (21 km2)) within the city limits of Concord and the coastal (7.630 acres (31 km2)) sector. Due to shifts in military activities, areas of the inland region began mothballed and the CNWS had only a small contingent of military personnel by 1999. The U.S. In 2007 The federal government has announced that it will close the CNWS inland portion. The base’s tidal area is not scheduled for closure. The tidal zone was relocated to the United States.

Army Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC) which is now known as the Concord Military Ocean Terminal (MOTCO). The city is working on a development strategy that could involve expanding the property while retaining a substantial portion of open-space programs and parks. The town has had several meetings on this issue and any reuse program is subject to Navy approval.