The Oakland-Central Contra Costa County Agricultural Connection

The first three parts of this section documented that enough water could not be supplied to the heavily populated northern section of Alameda County from local sources such as Lake Temescal, seen here in a northwest view in Jan. 1957. The solution to supply water from the Sierra to be stored in Contra Costa County, CCC, in the early 20th century is covered on this website in four parts, For more, click.

L299-05-Fred Matthews Photo, Harrison Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 201943sn, (Image 1 of 30)

Alameda County would be supplied by the establishment of the East Bay Municipal Water District, EBMUD, was in the 1920s, the next question to address is where central CCC got its water from. Before the growth of towns, water in the early 20th century there was used mainly for agriculture, and the map shown here from the early 20th century is where this update on that subject begins.

L299-10-Courtesy Diablo Coutry Club, (Image 2 of 30)

A 1940 northeast view from 40th St. of the Sacramento Northern, SN, station shows SN 1006 delivering Contra Costa County-produced milk to Oakland. Looking at enough pictures, there are several places the milk could have come from, but the closest would have been Lafayette …

L299-15-Waldemar Sievers Photo, Courtesy John Harder, (Image 3 of 30)

… whether it be ca. 1913, left, or ca. 1940, right, at the Oakland, Antioch and Eastern, OA&E, station, and later SN station, respectively. Ref: Left, Eston Cheney Photo R-2044, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 24182sn; Right, Bob Burrows Photo, Wilbur C. Whittaker Collection, Courtesy Arnold Menke

L299-20-Multiple Attributions, (Image 4 of 30)

Providing milk meant having cows nearby to provide the raw material. A short distance to the southwest of the central Lafayette station cows can be seen grazing in this undated, early 20th century northeast view.

L299-25-Eston Cheney Photo R-2044, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 24182sn, (Image 5 of 30)

To guide this overview, this 1939 agricultural map is provided, left. In 1939, central CCC was not yet supplied by EBMUD, and a centralized waste water system was not in place until after WWII. The Low-level Broadway Tunnel, renamed Caldecott, had opened in late 1937. The transformation of the area from an agricultural standpoint over the ensuing two decades will be the focus of this presentation, illustrated by following the SN’s direct route, yellow line, right.

L299-30-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 6 of 30)

The majority of central CCC between Walnut Creek and Oakland were included in EBMUD’s expansion by ca. 1950. Delivering a reliable source of high quality drinking water would favor development over agriculture in this area. Appreciate that EBMUD in 2023 supplies the San Ramon Valley-Interstate-680 corridor through San Ramon. Reference shown on map.

L299-35-Courtesy Earth Sciences and Map Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 7 of 30)

Heading along the SN route to CCC from Oakland via Shepherd Canyon, Tom Buckingham was there to document a derailed freight carrying pears from CCC in Sept. 1944. The images to follow with the exception of a few aerials are new to this website, and complement those used in previous updates exploring the individual towns of interest. For more, click.

L299-40-Tom Buckingham Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 54845sn, (Image 8 of 30)

SN 1014 is on its first of two Interstate Commerce Commission-mandated round trips between San Francisco and Pittsburg on July 5th, 1941, having left San Francisco at 1:20 PM. On the left, the train approaches the West Portal tunnel in Shepherd Canyon, and on the right it has progressed to CCC having reached Wilcox in Redwood Canyon. This area had some ranching on the ridge at that time, and still does not receive water from EBMUD in 2023.

L299-45-Art Alter Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 82382sn, l, 82383sn, r, (Image 9 of 30)

SN 605 and a rear motor guide a freight turning to the southeast around a pear orchard heading to Valle Vista in this northwest view from ca. 1950. Once at the southern end of Moraga, the large spread of orchards provided income for the Moraga Company and its president James Irvine since his first acquisition of land from Charles Hooper in 1912.

L299-50-Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 216442sn, (Image 10 of 30)

This southwest view of an Oakland, Antioch and Eastern, OA&E, train passing what was then called the Willow Spring School, or Church in 2023, was taken to document the arrival of box motor 102 to evaluate the track condition after an unfortunate meeting of an auto with a train in 1916. The image also captures early pear trees planted by the Moraga Company.

L299-55-Smith Bros. Photo, Sappers Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 216783sn, (Image 11 of 30)

This southwest view of SN 661 and freight reveals many structural icons of the town of Moraga, but the focus here is the Stewart Fruit Company shed on July 6, 1941. The SN continued to serve the area until its freight-only line was abandoned in 1957 based on Western Pacific Circular no. 167.

L299-60-Sheridan Jones Photo, Moreau Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 82408sn, (Image 12 of 30)

By the end of 1953 the Moraga Company had sold all of its land to developers, the last being to Utah Construction and Mining Co. according to the book “Moraga’s Pride.” When this northwest view was taken in 1960, it was very clear to see what areas were receiving EBMUD water. The location of the rear of the train in L299-50 is shown by the yellow arrow.

L299-65-Herrington Olson Photo A-2882, from the collection of the Moraga Historical Society, (Image 13 of 30)

The agriculture map from 1939 does not show anything for the Burton Valley in Lafayette, but the 1939 aerial on the left show orchards that would be shifted north in favor of development in the early 1950s. The yellow arrow marks the SN right-of-way, the maroon arrow Las Trampas Creek, and the white arrow St. Mary’s Rd.

L299-70-USDA AAA Western Division, l and HJW Geospatial Inc, Pacific Aerial Surveys, r, (Image 14 of 30)

There was an agricultural platform at Burton that did not resemble anything documented on the railway line suggesting it was provided by the orchard’s owner. It survived until at least Sept. 18, 1948 based this south view of MW 302 on excursion.

L299-75-Dick Brown Photo, Vielbaum Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133706sn, (Image 15 of 30)

Walt Vielbaum took many iimages of rail being removed once the SN abandoned the line west of Lafayette station in 1957. This north view of Western Pacific Burro Crane B 64 and other equipment removing rail that year shows that parts of the orchards bordering the development remained.

L299-80-Walt Vielbaum Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 133651sn, (Image 16 of 30)

The timing for change was similar in central Lafayette, seen in these west views. However, most of the orchards north of Mt. Diablo Blvd. would be replaced not by developments, but by creation of a new portion of Highway 24 through the town by 1956.

L299-85-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 7349, l, Copyright California Dept. of Transportation 3299-4, r, (Image 17 of 30)

Poultry is listed as the closest agriculture product to Saranap, but this drawing of the Naphtaly Ranch in 1895 shows a very active agricultural center that survived into the 1930s. The Naphtaly family patriarch Sarah’s name is the origin of the town name, and the family helped establish the SN-precursor OA&E Railway along what is now Olympic Blvd.

L299-90-Louis L. Stein Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 209067sn, (Image 18 of 30)

The railway was coaxed in 1912 to build a branch line from Tice Valley Blvd. to service the farm and run along the San Ramon Valley staying just east of the Southern Pacific San Ramon branch to Danville. It was soon thereafter extended to the Diablo Country Club. Although the agricultural gains beyond the Naphtaly’s ranch have not been uncovered, the line did go by ranch land once past Danville as seen in this northeast view along Diablo Rd. On  June 22, 1914.

L299-95-Louis L. Stein Collection, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 25107sn, (Image 19 of 30)

Dorothy Ligda in “Saranap Then and Now” wrote that shipping magnate R. Stanley Dollar bought the Naphtaly ranch in 1932, and removed the orchards and vineyards to raise cattle and show horses. However, not before Dudley Thickens took this east view of snow-capped Mt Diablo on Jan. 31, 1937. Ligda notes the place was used mostly to entertain for the next 30 years, but the Dollar Ranch would eventually be turned into Rossmoor in the early 1960s.

L299-100-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 216790sn, (Image 20 of 30)

West of Tice Valley Blvd., the open land was indeed used for cattle grazing as seen in this Dec. 26, 1936 west view of Double-track Curve occupied by a 6-car passenger train caught at full speed on its way to Walnut Creek and beyond.

L299-105-Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 58325sn, (Image 21 of 30)

Even before the impact of Rossmoor could take effect in the 1960s, Double-track Curve was populated on both sides, aided by the extension of Newell Ave. West view, ca. 1950s.

L299-110-E.K. Muller Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 179585sn, (Image 22 of 30)

Next to Walnut Creek, a north view of the station and Contra Costa County Walnut Growers Association, WGA, facilities during WWII based on the light shield on freight motor SN 606.

L299-115-Gerald Graham Photo, Harry Aitkin Coll., Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 201159sn, (Image 23 of 30)

Unlike the rest of central CCC, Walnut Creek had a longer lasting agricultural impact because crops were brought to their sorting or canning operations as seen in tables from the 1957 Western Pacific Circular no. 167. Lafayette still had freight business at this time, but it was only building-related. Also, the Southern Pacific’s Walnut Creek station had no agricultural ties.

L299-120-Courtesy Bruce Eldridge, (Image 24 of 30)

An east view of the area ca. 1956 shows the main SN spur to the WGA plant from Cole St., orange arrow, and the place where trucks from the area dropped off walnuts, turquoise arrow. Ref: brk00013329_24a  #42, BANC PIC 1993.004 CC-C19-90

L299-125-Clyde Sunderland Photo, Courtesy of The Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley, (Image 25 of 30)

On the left, 100 lbs. sacks of picked walnuts have arrived at the WGA plant in 1937, northwest view. On the right, unloading individual sacks of walnuts for the initial processing step in 1949. According to George Emanuels in “Walnut Creek, Arroyo De Las Nueces”, the Contra Costa WGA was started in 1917 when 60 growers decided to pool their crops to help keep prices from falling.

L299-130-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 1872, l, 3909, r, (Image 26 of 30)

SN 653 backs a string or boxcars onto the Cole Ave. spur to access the WGA loading area in the 1950s, left. Having dropped off the cars, the crew heads back with SN 653 to the mainline, right. According to a Jan. 1, 1950 Oakland Tribune article, the plant received walnuts from Merced, Stanislaus, Alameda and Sacramento Counties in addition to those grown locally. The peak year for production was 1952, thereafter the yields dropping as development encroached.

L299-135-E. K. Muller Photos, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 78093, l, 78996, r, (Image 27 of 30)

The WGA facility was closed on Aug. 6, 1957 cited for being uneconomical to operate. Walnuts from then on went to Stockton to the California WGA. The WGA complex was raised on June 2, 1967 as shown here. The image on the left shows the graded roadbed for Civic Dr. in this northwest view toward North California Blvd.

L299-140-Courtesy Contra Costa County Historical Society, 5776, l, 5777, r, (Image 28 of 30)

Finally, to the north of WGA was the Walnut Creek Canning operation, seen here in a north view from a Nov 11, 1953 BAERA excursion with MW 320 occupying the railway’s spur to the buildings loading dock. According to vasonabranch.com, the cannery started in 1921, and there is documentation of their continued operation until 1959. For more, click.

L299-145-Vic Du Brutz Photo, Courtesy BAERA, Western Railway Museum Archives, 76534sn, (Image 29 of 30)

For central CCC, the first half of the 20th century was primarily agricultural with unreliable spring water for drinking, using creeks such as Las Trampas creek for water to irrigate, viewed on left from Mar. 14, 1937 in Saranap, or Lake LaSalle at St. Mary’s College, right, for their non-drinking needs. When EBMUD water arrived, and Highway 24 was created, agriculture was overtaken by development. Next time, a slightly different timeline for agriculture beyond Walnut Creek to the outskirts of CCC.

L299-150-from the collection of the Moraga Historical Society, l, Dudley Thickens Photo, Courtesy BAERA, W. Railway Museum Arch., (Image 30 of 30)