MORE THAN 175 YEARS AGO, on the far east side of the San Francisco Bay, one of our state Legislature’s original 27 counties was experiencing a boom in agriculture, industry and World War II military involvement.
Contra Costa County, which translates to the “opposite coast” of what we now refer to as “The City,” is a cornerstone of California’s growth and legacy. However, like losing most of its original shoreline, when a newer county — Alameda — gained the coveted coast, much of the county’s history went untold.
With the recognition of our country’s 250th birthday this summer, CCYJ thought it would be an ideal time to put a spotlight on Contra Costa’s often forgotten history and the breathtaking landmarks that exist in our own backyard.
East Brother Light Station
Located in Richmond, the East Brother Light Station is a restored 1873 lighthouse, now serving as a bed and breakfast. The establishment sits on a lone island, separating the San Francisco Bay from San Pablo Bay.
“East Brother guided billions of tons of dynamite safely to the City before it was loaded onto ocean going vessels,” EBLS innkeepers Danielle La Vigne and Rachel “Rae” Colvin shared via email. “The construction of Sacramento, the strip logging of the old growth forests, mining, dynamite, wine, sugar and Standard Oil (Chevron) all utilized this light for safe passage.”
The lighthouse used to be a popular tourist spot; however, La Vigne and Colvin said global and economic changes have caused a decrease in visitors over the years. Not even the federal birthday, they said, will make much of a difference.
“With the ever increasingly extreme wealth gap and political instability of this country, on top of the general uncertainty of the world at large, tourism is low everywhere,” they said. “And in our experience, the people who visit historical sites will go any time, anywhere.”
Port Chicago and Rosie the Riveter
Two WWII home fronts are among the well-known landmarks in the county. Port Chicago Naval Magazine — the deadliest home front of the war — is now standing as a memorial, honoring the 320 men that were killed in an ammunition explosion in 1944.
Back in Richmond, Rosie the Riveter WWII Home Front National Historical Park was best known for challenging gender norms by recruiting women to perform heavy labor, such as riveting, during the war. The park was also known for employing Betty Reid Soskin — the National Park Service’s oldest ranger. Soskin retired in 2022 at age 100; she died in 2025.
Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve
The Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, which is an 8,349-acre regional park in Antioch, was known for being California’s largest coal mining district between the 1850s and 1900s. Now the park is known for its tours, hiking and the Rose Hill Cemetery — which was “created in the early 1860s and served as a Protestant burial ground for the coal field families.”
The preserve allows guests and tourists to explore the closed mine further and learn about its history.
John Muir National Historical Site
Contra Costa County is also home to the famous John Muir National Historic Site, located in the county’s seat of Martinez. Established in 1964 to preserve 14 rooms of a Victorian mansion where Scottish-American naturalist and advocate of the wilderness John Muir lived from 1890 until his death in 1914, the 10,000-square-foot mansion is where Muir wrote most of his books and articles.
Contra Costa County Historical Society
Last, but certainly not least, the Contra Costa County Historical Society and its members are the holders of the county’s expansive history and are committed to spreading information when requested.
“Members of the public from local, other states and international countries contact us with requests to perform historical research of all county activities … to obtain digital images of old photographs, and for genealogical records,” CCCHS reports on its website.
And because of its motto — “Preserve, protect, and provide public access to the records and heritage of Contra Costa County” — the residents of our county have a place to learn and be proud about where they live.
Jayden McKenzie is an 11th grader at Deer Valley High School in Antioch and a CCYJ reporter. On Feb. 14, 2009, she moved with her parents Nicholas and Carmelita McKenzie from Oakland to Antioch. Hoping to find an affordable community where they could settle and raise a family, the couple found it in Contra Costa County. The family — who now also includes Jayden’s brothers, Nicholas Jr. and Nathaniel, and sister, Mikayla — have never looked back and are now a part of the far East Bay county’s history.