Sunday, December 11, 1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Christmas is coming, and you know what? Books make grrreat gifts. And if there’s a history buff on your list, well, we have just the thing! We’ll have the authors of three popular local history books on hand to sign copies of their eminently giftworthy books.
of a California Treasure
Photography by Stephen Joseph
Written by Linda Rimac Colberg
A beautiful new addition to the history and literature of Contra Costa’s most prominent and beloved landmark. Stephen Joseph has been photographing its natural beauty and remarkable diversity for 25 years. Selecting from the thousands of photos he’s taken over the years, he presents a selection of 181 photos, from close-in images that make you feel as if you’re sitting among the branches of oak trees to breathtaking panoramas that open out both visually and literally – some of the pages fold open to three times the length of the book! The text adds background on the natural and cultural history of Mount Diablo.
History and Place Names of Mount Diablo
By Rich McDrew and Rachel Haislet
The pages of Mountain Lore hold the stories of small treasures tucked throughout Mount Diablo. An estimated 250 creeks, canyons, trails, springs, and locations exist within the over 20,000 acres of Mount Diablo State Park. Most of these locations are identified by a place name, which depicts common fauna, flora, topography, or local historical significance.
Mountain Lore concentrates on 101 of these obscure place names. Among the place names are a few unusual words, but most originate from people who have had a historic presence on Mount Diablo. Some of these place names originated before the establishment of the Park (1921) and were designated by settlers in the mid-to late 1800s and early 1900s. Many decades have passed since the creation of many of these names, causing them to become esoteric or lost. Mountain Lore endeavors to revitalize the origins and significance of these place names.
By Joel A. Harris
Located in the shadow of Mount Diablo, the land that includes Concord was originally a Mexican land grant to Don Salvio Pacheco in 1834. The original Mexican land grant families of Concord were quickly supplanted by American settlers during the Gold Rush. The original Spanish name for the town, Todos Santos, was changed to Concord by the American settlers and their local newspaper, against the wishes of the Pacheco family. The name stuck, and the town became Concord in 1869. Concord’s development is a true American story of Native Americans, Spanish explorers, Mexican Californios, and settlers from across the country and around the world.
