148-599: Richmond is a city in western Contra Costa County, California , United States. The city was incorporated on August 3, 1905, and has a city council . Located in the San Francisco Bay Area 's East Bay region, Richmond borders San Pablo , Albany , El Cerrito and Pinole in addition to the unincorporated communities of North Richmond , Hasford Heights, Kensington , El Sobrante , Bayview-Montalvin Manor , Tara Hills , and East Richmond Heights , and for
296-535: A 65.4% payout ratio . The total net earnings from 1882 to 1906 amounted to $ 838,783,800 (equivalent to $ 21,321,800,000 in 2023), exceeding the dividends by $ 290,347,800, which was used for plant expansions. In 1896, John Rockefeller retired from the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey, the holding company of the group, but remained president and a major shareholder. Vice-president John Dustin Archbold took
444-524: A British petroleum entrepreneur in Mexico, began negotiating with Standard Oil in 1912–13 to sell his "El Aguila" oil company, since Pearson was no longer bound to promises to the Porfirio Díaz regime (1876–1911) to not to sell to U.S. interests. However, the deal fell through and the firm was sold to Royal Dutch Shell . Standard Oil's production increased so rapidly it soon exceeded U.S. demand and
592-471: A beam of 32 feet (9.8 m), a depth of 10 feet 6 inches (3.2 m), and had a bulletproof wheelhouse. Mei Ping ("Beautiful Tranquility"), launched in 1927, was designed off-shore, but assembled and finished in Shanghai. Its oil-fuel burners came from the U.S. and water-tube boilers came from England. Standard Oil Company and Socony-Vacuum Oil Company became partners in providing markets for
740-609: A character actively sought by some housing purchasers. The downside of this is a corresponding lack of affordable housing for those working lower-paying service jobs — a problem endemic throughout the region. There has recently been a housing boom or tract housing in Richmond and also in the Hercules areas. These gentrifying areas are the most diverse in Contra Costa County. Standard Oil Standard Oil
888-424: A concrete-lined and fenced irrigation canal still makes a loop through central county and provided industrial and agricultural grade water to farms and industry. While no longer used for extensive irrigation, it is still possible for adjoining landowners (now large suburban lot owners) to obtain pumping permits. Most of this water is destined for the heavy industry near Martinez. As with the railroad rights of way there
1036-490: A cost of $ 193 million. However, Caltrans issued a letter in 1998 saying it would not take over responsibility for the road unless it was brought up to expressway standards; as it was cost-prohibitive to convert it, the road remains the responsibility of the city and county. In 2006, the city celebrated its centennial. This coincided with the repaving and streetscaping project of Macdonald Avenue . The city's old rundown commercial district along Macdonald has been designated
1184-698: A decades-long population decline ensued. The census listed 99,545 residents in 1950. By 1960 much of the temporary housing built for the shipyard workers was torn down, and the population dropped to about 71,800. Just before his April 1968 assassination , Martin Luther King Jr. had been working on plans for the Poor People's Campaign , including a multi-city tour of the U.S. with a stop in Richmond. His son, Martin Luther King III , completed
1332-665: A dozen or so within Standard Oil knew the extent of company operations. The committee counsel, Simon Sterne , questioned representatives from the Erie Railroad and the New York Central Railroad and discovered that at least half of their long-haul traffic granted rebates and much of this traffic came from Standard Oil. The committee then shifted focus to Standard Oil's operations. John Dustin Archbold , as president of Acme Oil Company, denied that Acme
1480-448: A female householder with no husband present, 2,585 (7.2%) had a male householder with no wife present. There were 2,538 (7.0%) unmarried opposite-sex partnerships , and 427 (1.2%) same-sex married couples or partnerships . 9,546 households (26.4%) were made up of individuals, and 2,707 (7.5%) had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.83. There were 24,018 families (66.5% of all households);
1628-457: A gallon or forty-two cents a barrel, an effective 71% discount from its listed rates in return for a promise to ship at least 60 carloads of oil daily and to handle loading and unloading on its own. Smaller companies decried such deals as unfair because they were not producing enough oil to qualify for discounts. Standard's actions and secret transport deals helped its kerosene price to drop from 58 to 26 cents from 1865 to 1870. Rockefeller used
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#17327797374261776-609: A growing Standard Oil spin-off in its own right. In the Asia-Pacific region, Jersey Standard had oil production and refineries in the Dutch East Indies but no marketing network. Socony-Vacuum had Asian marketing outlets supplied remotely from California. In 1933, Jersey Standard and Socony-Vacuum merged their interests in the region into a 50–50 joint venture. Standard-Vacuum Oil Co., or "Stanvac", operated in 50 countries, from East Africa to New Zealand , before it
1924-470: A large part in the running of the firm. In the year 1904, Standard Oil controlled 91% of oil refinement and 85% of final sales in the United States. At this time, state and federal laws sought to counter this development with antitrust laws. In 1911, the U.S. Justice Department sued the group under the federal antitrust law and ordered its breakup into 39 companies. Standard Oil's market position
2072-533: A major rail yard next to Point Richmond. It constructed a tunnel through the Potrero San Pablo ridge to run track from the yard to a ferry landing from which freight cars could be transshipped to San Francisco. Where this track crosses the main street in Point Richmond, there remain two of the last operational wigwag grade crossing signals in the United States, and the only surviving examples of
2220-529: A month in cash, plus opportunities to travel beyond Richmond." In 2004, Richmond was ranked the 12th most dangerous city in America. Those rankings have changed, and Richmond is no longer ranked as a "most dangerous" city, in either California or the United States. This is in large part due to the efforts of Police Chief Chris Magnus, who established "community policing", which involves police officers engaging with affected high crime communities. Richmond lies in
2368-573: A non-Indian population of over 100,000. The number of Indians living in California in 1850 has been estimated to be from 60,000 to 100,000. By 1850 the Mission Indian populations had largely succumbed to disease and abuse and only numbered a few thousand. California's 1852 state Census gives 31,266 Indian residents, but this is an under-count since there was little incentive and much difficulty in getting it more correct. Contra Costa County
2516-512: A once substantial integrated steel plant, United States Steel , now reduced to secondary production of strip sheet and wire. The San Joaquin River forms a continuation of the northern boundary turns southward to form the eastern boundary of the county. Some substantial Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta "islands" (actually leveed former marshes) are included in this corner of the county. The West County
2664-485: A program to prevent gun violence, the Office of Neighborhood Safety. The program collects information and analyzes public records to determine "the 50 people in Richmond most likely to shoot someone and to be shot themselves." It then offers selected individuals "a spot in a program that includes a stipend to turn their lives around". "Over an 18-month period, if the men demonstrate better behavior, ONS offers them up to $ 1,000
2812-900: A quarter of the shares of the resultant companies, and those share values mostly doubled, he emerged from the dissolution as the richest man in the world. The dissolution had actually propelled Rockefeller's personal wealth. By 1911 the Supreme Court of the United States ruled, in Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States , that Standard Oil of New Jersey must be dissolved under the Sherman Antitrust Act and split into 39 companies. Two of these companies were Standard Oil of New Jersey (Jersey Standard or Esso), which eventually became Exxon , and Standard Oil of New York (Socony), which eventually became Mobil ; those two companies later merged into ExxonMobil . Over
2960-479: A short distance San Francisco on Red Rock Island in the San Francisco Bay . Richmond is one of two cities, the other being San Rafael , that sits on the shores of both San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay . Its population was 116,448 as of the 2020 census making it the second largest city in the United States named Richmond after Richmond, Virginia . The name "Richmond" predates incorporation of
3108-560: A single holding agency managed by nine trustees. The original trust was valued at $ 70 million. On March 21, 1892, the Standard Oil Trust was dissolved and its holdings were reorganized into 20 independent companies that formed an unofficial union referred to as "Standard Oil Interests." In 1899, the Standard Oil Company (New Jersey) acquired the shares of the other 19 companies and became the holding company for
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#17327797374263256-414: A symbol of the reliable "standards" of quality and service that he envisioned for the nascent oil industry. In the early years, John D. Rockefeller dominated the combine; he was the single most important figure in shaping the new oil industry. He quickly distributed power and the tasks of policy formation to a system of committees, but always remained the largest shareholder . Authority was centralized in
3404-410: A tanker, was specially designed for river duty. It was built by New Engineering and Shipbuilding Works of Shanghai, who also built the 500-ton launch Mei Foo in 1912. Mei Hsia ("Beautiful Gorges") was launched in 1926 and carried 350 tons of bulk oil in three holds, plus a forward cargo hold, and space between decks for carrying general cargo or packed oil. She had a length of 206 feet (63 m),
3552-515: Is a 58.3% registration advantage with 641 Republicans (6.1%) out of 10,550 registered voters compared to 6,793 Democrats (64.4%) and 2,746 voters who have no party preference (26.0%). The following table includes the number of incidents reported and the rate per 1,000 persons for each type of offense. The great rancheros of the Spanish period were divided and sold for agricultural uses, with intensively irrigated farming made possible in some areas by
3700-415: Is also home to one of the last pristine moist grassland habitats in the entire Bay Area at the former Campus Bay UC Berkeley Field Station near Meeker Slough . Richmond residents, however, have limited access to other environmental benefits. Because of the refineries located in Richmond, air quality is particularly low, and residents are especially at risk of air-pollution-related health issues. In 2006,
3848-645: Is home to many species of animals. Canada geese visit the city on their annual migrations. Harbor seals live on the Castro Rocks, and pigeons and gulls populate the sidewalks and parking lots. Tadpoles and frogs can be found in the local creeks and vernal pools. Field mice and lizards are also found. Herons and egrets nest in protected areas on Brooks Island. Deer , falcons , raccoons , ducks, foxes, owls, and mountain lions live in Wildcat Canyon and Point Pinole Regional Shoreline . A license
3996-475: Is in the cities of Richmond , where there is a 60.3% registration advantage with 3,192 Republicans (6.2%) out of 51,395 registered voters compared to 34,159 Democrats (66.5%) and 12,095 voters who have no party preference (23.5%); El Cerrito , where there is a 59.0% registration advantage with 1,169 Republicans (7.4%) out of 15,877 registered voters compared to 10,543 Democrats (67.6%) and 3,654 voters who have no party preference (23.0%); and San Pablo , where there
4144-574: Is land and 22.4 square miles (58 km) (comprising 42.71%) is water. The city sits on 32 miles (51 km) of waterfront, more than any other city in the Bay Area. The city borders San Francisco Bay to the southwest and San Pablo Bay to the northwest, and includes Brooks Island and the Brother Islands entirely, and half of Red Rock Island . There are several cities and unincorporated communities surrounding or bordering Richmond. To
4292-627: Is land and 88 square miles (230 km ) (11%) is water. Contra Costa County's physical geography is dominated by the bayside alluvial plain, the Oakland Hills – Berkeley Hills , several inland valleys, and Mount Diablo , an isolated 3,849-foot (1,173 m) upthrust peak at the north end of the Diablo Range of hills. The summit of Mount Diablo is the origin of the Mount Diablo Meridian and Base Line , on which
4440-471: Is lessened. The average wind speed is 6–9 miles per hour (10–14 km/h) with stronger winds from March through August; the strongest winds are in June. The city also enjoys more than 80% sunshine seven months out of the year and ten months with 60% or more. December and January are the darkest months with about 45% average brightness. The city experiences virtually no snowfall, and brief hail annually. Richmond
4588-472: Is needed for fishing on the waterfront or city waters but not on the piers, where in addition to crabs, sturgeon are plentiful and bat rays may also be found. Striped bass , bat rays , leopard sharks , surf perch , jacksmelt , sturgeon , white croaker , and flounders are also found. Richmond is one of the few places where you can find the rare Olympia oyster on the West Coast, in the waters along
Richmond, California - Misplaced Pages Continue
4736-430: Is now Concord/Buchanan Field Airport . Additionally, a large Naval Weapons Depot and munitions ship loading facilities at Port Chicago remain active to this day, but with the inland storage facilities recently declared surplus, extensive redevelopment is being planned for this last large central-county tract. The loading docks were the site of a devastating explosion in 1944. Port Chicago was bought out and demolished by
4884-446: Is now an extensive public trail system along these canals. The development of commuter railroads proceeded together with the subdivision of farms into parcels. In some cases, such as the development of Saranap , the same developer controlled both the railroad ( Sacramento Northern ) and the development. These early suburbanization developments were an extension of the earlier development of trolley car suburbs in what are now considered
5032-416: Is the area near or on San Francisco and San Pablo bays. The housing stock in the region was extensively developed after the great San Francisco earthquake of 1906. Much of the housing stock in these areas is becoming quite expensive. As an alternative to moving to either the expensive central county, or the too-distant East County, this area is becoming gentrified , with a mix of races and income levels —
5180-487: Is the common name for a corporate trust in the petroleum industry that existed from 1882 to 1911. The origins of the trust lay in the operations of the Standard Oil Company (Ohio) , which had been founded in 1870 by John D. Rockefeller . The trust was born on January 2, 1882, when a group of 41 investors signed the Standard Oil Trust Agreement, which pooled their securities of 40 companies into
5328-536: The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system, the modernization of Highway 24 , and the addition of a fourth Caldecott Tunnel bore all served to reinforce the demographic and economic trends in the Diablo Valley area, with cities such as Walnut Creek and Concord becoming edge cities . The central county cities have in turn spawned their own suburbs within the county, extending east along
5476-544: The Chevron Corp . Some have speculated that if not for that court ruling, Standard Oil could have possibly been worth more than $ 1 trillion in the 2000s. Whether the breakup of Standard Oil was beneficial is a matter of some controversy. Some economists believe that Standard Oil was not a monopoly, and argue that the intense free market competition resulted in cheaper oil prices and more diverse petroleum products. Critics claimed that success in meeting consumer needs
5624-466: The Diablo thrust fault near Danville are all considered capable of significantly destructive earthquakes and many lesser related faults are present in the area that cross critical infrastructure such as water, natural gas, and petroleum product pipelines, roads, highways, railroads, and BART rail transit. Contra Costa County is broadly divided into three sub-areas: The most notable natural landmark in
5772-454: The East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area . As of the 2020 United States Census , the population was 1,165,927. The county seat is Martinez . It occupies the northern portion of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area and is primarily suburban . The county's name refers to its position on the other side of the bay from San Francisco . Contra Costa County is included in
5920-676: The Erie Canal as a cheap alternative form of transportation—in the summer months when it was not frozen—to ship his refined oil from Cleveland to the industrialized Northeast. In the winter months, his only options were the three trunk lines—the Erie Railroad and the New York Central Railroad to New York City, and the Pennsylvania Railroad to Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Competitors disliked
6068-589: The Mexican War of Independence resulted in the secularization of the missions with the re-distribution of their lands, and a new system of land grants under the Mexican Federal Law of 1824. Mission lands extended throughout the Bay Area, including portions of Contra Costa County. Between 1836 and 1846, during the era when California was a province of independent Mexico, the following 15 land grants were made in Contra Costa County. The smallest unit
Richmond, California - Misplaced Pages Continue
6216-630: The Richmond Assembly Plant , which later moved to Milpitas in 1956. The old Ford plant in Richmond has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1988. In 2004 it was purchased by developer Eddie Orton, who converted it into an events center named Ford Point Building–The Craneway. At the onset of World War II , the four Richmond Shipyards were built along Richmond's waterfront, employing thousands of workers, many migrating to Richmond from other parts of
6364-614: The San Francisco–Oakland–Berkeley, CA Metropolitan Statistical Area . In prehistoric times, particularly the Miocene epoch , portions of the landforms now in the area (then marshy and grassy savanna ) were populated by a wide range of now extinct mammals , known in modern times by the fossil remains excavated in the southern part of the county. In the northern part of the county, significant coal and sand deposits were formed in even earlier geologic eras . Other areas of
6512-614: The San Ramon Valley . Early contact was fleeting and mostly peaceful, however, in the late 1700s, Spanish cattle were grazed the territory of the Saklan and their neighbors. The Saklans were one of the few groups who mounted resistance against the efforts of the Spanish to convert them to Christianity. Christian natives were sent to the Saklans to convince them to give up their culture and come to Mission San Jose; they were killed by
6660-502: The Sherman Antitrust Act (Senate 51–1; House 242–0), a source of American anti-monopoly laws. The law forbade every contract, scheme, deal, or conspiracy to restrain trade, though the phrase "restraint of trade" remained subjective. The Standard Oil group quickly attracted attention from antitrust authorities leading to a lawsuit filed by Ohio Attorney General David K. Watson . From 1882 to 1906, Standard paid out $ 548,436,000 (equivalent to $ 13,941,200,000 in 2023) in dividends at
6808-430: The Sherman Antitrust Act of 1890, for sustaining a monopoly and restraining interstate commerce by: Rebates, preferences, and other discriminatory practices in favor of the combination by railroad companies; restraint and monopolization by control of pipe lines, and unfair practices against competing pipe lines; contracts with competitors in restraint of trade; unfair methods of competition, such as local price cutting at
6956-678: The South Improvement Co. which would have allowed him to receive rebates for shipping and drawbacks on oil his competitors shipped. But when this deal became known, competitors convinced the Pennsylvania Legislature to revoke South Improvement's charter. No oil was ever shipped under this arrangement. Using highly effective tactics, later widely criticized, it absorbed or destroyed most of its competition in Cleveland in less than two months and later throughout
7104-590: The US Supreme Court upheld the lower court judgment and declared the Standard Oil group to be an "unreasonable" monopoly under the Sherman Antitrust Act , Section II. It ordered Standard to break up into 39 independent companies with different boards of directors, the biggest two of the companies being Standard Oil of New Jersey (which became Exxon ) and Standard Oil of New York (which became Mobil ). Standard's president, John D. Rockefeller, had long since retired from any management role. But, as he owned
7252-512: The Yangtze River , the largest of which were Mei Ping (1,118 gross register tons (GRT)), Mei Hsia (1,048 GRT), and Mei An (934 GRT). All three were destroyed in the 1937 USS Panay incident . Mei An was launched in 1901 and was the first vessel in the fleet. Other vessels included Mei Chuen , Mei Foo , Mei Hung , Mei Kiang , Mei Lu , Mei Tan , Mei Su , Mei Hsia , Mei Ying , and Mei Yun . Mei Hsia ,
7400-551: The surveys of much of California and western Nevada are based. The Hayward Fault Zone runs through the western portion of the county, from Kensington to Richmond. The Calaveras Fault runs in the south-central portion of the county, from Alamo to San Ramon. The Concord Fault runs through part of Concord and Pacheco, and the Clayton-Marsh Creek-Greenville Fault runs from Clayton at its north end to near Livermore. These strike-slip faults and
7548-560: The "upside-down" type. The wigwag is a type of railroad crossing signal that was phased out in the 1970s and '80s across the country. There was controversy in 2005 when the State Transportation Authority ordered the BNSF railroad company to upgrade the railroad crossing signals. A compromise was achieved that included installing new modern crossing gates, red lights and bells while not removing, but simply shutting off,
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#17327797374267696-599: The Bay and Red Rock Island. The city is within the 94801, 94803, 94804, 94805, and 94806 ZIP Codes . Richmond, like much of the coastal East Bay , enjoys a very mild Mediterranean climate year round. The climate is slightly warmer than the coastal areas of San Francisco, the Peninsula , and Marin County; it is however more temperate than areas further inland. The average highs range from 57 to 73 °F (14 to 23 °C) and
7844-606: The Catholic Church (with 204,070 members) and The Baptist General Conference (with 24,803 members). The Rohr Jewish Learning Institute teaches courses in the county. Since 1932, Contra Costa County has been a Democratic stronghold in presidential elections. It temporarily leaned toward the Republican Party in the 1970s and 1980s, with successive presidential wins by Richard Nixon in 1972, Gerald Ford in 1976, and Ronald Reagan in 1980 and 1984. Reagan
7992-879: The Federal Government to form a safety zone near the Naval Weapons Station loading docks. At one time the Atlas Powder Company (subsequently closed) produced gunpowder and dynamite. The site of the former Atlas Powder Company is located at Point Pinole Regional Shoreline , part of the East Bay Regional Parks District . With the postwar baby boom and the desire for suburban living, large tract housing developers would purchase large central county farmsteads and develop them with roads, utilities and housing. Once mostly rural walnut orchards and cattle ranches,
8140-563: The Hispanic population, 27.3% were of Mexican origin, 4.7% Salvadoran , 1.7% Guatemalan , and 1.2% Nicaraguan heritage. The census reported that 102,118 people (98.5% of the population) lived in households, 670 (0.6%) lived in non-institutionalized group quarters, and 913 (0.9%) were institutionalized. There were 36,093 households, out of which 13,487 (37.4%) had children under the age of 18 living in them, 14,502 (40.2%) were opposite-sex married couples living together, 6,931 (19.2%) had
8288-692: The Poverty in America Tour in 2007, stopping in Richmond. Unrest in late June 1968, sparked by the police shooting of a 15-year-old boy, damaged businesses in downtown along Macdonald Avenue. Most notably, the Travalini Furniture Store was destroyed by fire, which was assumed to be the result of the violent protests, but according to Fraser Felter, who was a reporter for the Richmond Independent , police sources told him
8436-438: The Saklans who wanted nothing to do with the Spanish way of life. A punitive expedition was sent to the area in 1797 to repress the Saklans, and a battle was fought in modern-day Lafayette. In the early 1800s, many Saklan fled to the mission as a result of societal collapse from disease. By the 1810s the Saklan's tribal range was essentially devoid of inhabitants. Early interaction of these Native Americans with Europeans came with
8584-700: The Santa Fe and Southern Pacific and serviced their passenger coach equipment. The Pullman Company was a large employer of African American men, who worked mainly as porters on the Pullman cars. Many of them settled in the East Bay, from Richmond to Oakland, before World War II. From 1917 and throughout the 1920s, the Ku Klux Klan was active in the city. In 1930 the Ford Motor Company opened
8732-611: The Spanish colonization via the establishment of missions in this area, with the missions in San Jose, Sonoma, and San Francisco and particularly the establishment of a Presidio (a military establishment) in 1776. Although there were no missions established within this county, Spanish influence here was direct and extensive, through the establishment of land grants from the King of Spain to favored settlers. In 1821 Mexico gained independence from Spain. While little changed in ranchero life,
8880-495: The Standard Oil Co. charges altogether excessive prices where it meets no competition, and particularly where there is little likelihood of competitors entering the field, and that, on the other hand, where competition is active, it frequently cuts prices to a point which leaves even the Standard little or no profit, and which more often leaves no profit to the competitor, whose costs are ordinarily somewhat higher. On May 15, 1911,
9028-475: The Standard into markets, or they have been made high to keep its competitors out of markets. Trifling differences in distances are made an excuse for large differences in rates favorable to the Standard Oil Co., while large differences in distances are ignored where they are against the Standard. Sometimes connecting roads prorate on oil—that is, make through rates which are lower than the combination of local rates; sometimes they refuse to prorate; but in either case
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#17327797374269176-409: The area was first developed as low-cost, large-lot suburbs, with a typical low-cost home being placed on a "quarter-acre" (1,000 m ) lot — actually a little less at 10,000 square feet (930 square metres). Some of the expansion of these suburban areas was clearly attributable to white flight from decaying areas of Alameda County and the consolidated city-county of San Francisco , but much
9324-692: The average family size was 3.43. The age distribution of the population shows 25,800 people (24.9%) under the age of 18, 10,364 people (10.0%) aged 18 to 24, 30,846 people (29.7%) aged 25 to 44, 26,109 people (25.2%) aged 45 to 64, and 10,582 people (10.2%) who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34.8 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.0 males. There were 39,328 housing units at an average density of 749.4 units per square mile (289.3 units/km), of which 36,093 were occupied, of which 18,659 (51.7%) were owner-occupied, and 17,434 (48.3%) were occupied by renters. The homeowner vacancy rate
9472-474: The bayside portions opposite San Francisco and northern portions of Santa Clara County , were given up to form Alameda County effective March 25, 1853. The land titles in Contra Costa County may be traced to multiple subdivisions of a few original land grants. The grantee's family names live on in a few city and town names such as Martinez , Pacheco and Moraga and in the names of streets, residential subdivisions, and business parks. A few mansions from
9620-522: The building, reusing the land for a mixed-use development including residential, retail, and logistics facilities. In the late 1990s the Richmond Parkway was built along Richmond's western industrial and northwestern parkland, connecting Interstates 80 and 580. Construction of the Parkway, which follows the alignment of SR 93 as proposed in 1958, started in 1990 and completed in 1996 at
9768-595: The city by more than fifty years. Edmund Randolph , originally from Richmond, Virginia , represented the city of San Francisco when California's first legislature met in San Jose in December 1849, and he became state assemblyman from San Francisco. Out of fondness for his hometown, Randolph persuaded a federal surveying party, surveying and mapping the San Francisco Bay, to place the names "Point Richmond" and "Richmond" on their 1854 geodetic coastal map. The map
9916-708: The city council requested a declaration of a state of emergency and asked for the intervention of the Contra Costa County Sheriff and the California Highway Patrol . Murder, vehicle theft, and larceny rates remain high, although they tend to be concentrated in the Iron Triangle and adjacent unincorporated North Richmond , which is outside the jurisdiction of the Richmond Police Department . By 1991,
10064-433: The city had the largest winery in the world; the small abandoned village of Winehaven remains fenced off along Western Drive in the Point Molate Area . Richmond was a small town at that time, with some industrial development centered on the waterfront based around the railroad and oil refineries. The Pullman Company also established a major facility in Richmond in the early 20th century. The facility connected with both
10212-439: The city is the Santa Cruz tarweed which survives alongside Interstate 80. Wildcat Canyon also hosts falcons and vultures. Threatened black rails also live in the city's marshes. After a baby gray whale was beached on the Point Richmond shore in May 2007, its rotting corpse became bothersome to neighbors. Removal was delayed as various agencies argued over which would have to pay for it, at an eventual cost of $ 18,000. Richmond
10360-404: The city was sued by an environmental group for dumping raw sewage into the Bay. Councilmember Tom Butt was very vocal on the subject, accusing the city council of turning a blind eye to the problem. A 60-acre, 10.5-megawatt solar farm was opened within the city in 2018. The farm sits on a former landfill owned by Chevron . The city has in the past suffered from a high crime rate; at one point,
10508-423: The city's "Main Street District" by the state of California. This has led to funding of improvements in the form of state grants. Richmond is located at 37°56′09″N 122°20′52″W / 37.93583°N 122.34778°W / 37.93583; -122.34778 . According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 52.5 square miles (136 km), of which 30.1 square miles (78 km)
10656-461: The city's all-time high of 62 homicides, among a population of 98,000, was seven times the national average. The portion of these homicides that were drug- or gang-related increased from 5 percent to 55 percent between 1989 and 1991. Despite the city making extreme headway in crime reduction and prevention, Richmond received widespread attention in 2009 when a girl was gang raped at a homecoming dance at Richmond High School. In 2007, Richmond opened
10804-560: The city; they are tested on the first Wednesday of every month, at 11 am PST (12 pm PDT), and are usually used to warn of toxic chemical releases from the Chevron Richmond Refinery . In a July 26, 1993, industrial accident, a General Chemical company rail tanker car containing oleum overheated and exploded in the General Chemical railyard. This resulted in a 17-mile (27 km) area contaminated with
10952-482: The company began viewing export markets. In the 1890s, Standard Oil began marketing kerosene to China's large population of close to 400 million as lamp fuel. For its Chinese trademark and brand, Standard Oil adopted the name Mei Foo ( Chinese : 美孚 ) as a transliteration. Mei Foo also became the name of the tin lamp that Standard Oil produced and gave away or sold cheaply to Chinese farmers, encouraging them to switch from vegetable oil to kerosene. The response
11100-732: The company include Henry Flagler, developer of the Florida East Coast Railway and resort cities, and Henry H. Rogers , who built the Virginian Railway . In 1885, Standard Oil of Ohio moved its headquarters from Cleveland to its permanent headquarters at 26 Broadway in New York City . Concurrently, the trustees of Standard Oil of Ohio chartered the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey (SOCNJ) to take advantage of New Jersey's more lenient corporate stock ownership laws. In 1890, Congress overwhelmingly passed
11248-571: The company together) and the Rockefeller family controlled a majority of the stock during all the history of the company up to the present time." These families reinvested most of the dividends in other industries, especially railroads. They also invested heavily in the gas and the electric lighting business (including the giant Consolidated Gas Co. of New York City ). They made large purchases of stock in U.S. Steel , Amalgamated Copper , and even Corn Products Refining Co. Weetman Pearson ,
11396-587: The company's business practices, but consumers liked the lower prices. Standard Oil, being formed well before the discovery of the Spindletop oil field (in Texas, far from Standard Oil's base in the Midwest) and a demand for oil other than for heat and light, was well placed to control the growth of the oil business. The company was perceived to own and control all aspects of the trade. In 1872, Rockefeller joined
11544-601: The company's main office in Cleveland, but decisions in the office were made cooperatively. The company grew by increasing sales and through acquisitions. After purchasing competing firms, Rockefeller shut down those he believed to be inefficient and kept the others. In a seminal deal, in 1868, the Lake Shore Railroad, a part of the New York Central , gave Rockefeller's firm a going rate of one cent
11692-577: The construction of a house within a year. Fences were not required and were forbidden where they might interfere with roads or trails. Locally a large family required roughly 2000 head of cattle and two square leagues of land (fourteen square miles) to live comfortably. Foreign entrepreneurs came to the area to provide goods that Mexico could not, and trading ships were taxed. The exclusive land ownership in California by Hispanics in California would soon end. John Marsh , owner of Rancho Los Meganos in Contra Costa County, sent letters to influential people in
11840-581: The country after being recruited. These new workers generally lived in housing constructed specifically for the wartime boom, scattered throughout the San Francisco Bay Area, including Richmond, Berkeley and Albany. Many of these new migrants were Black Americans from the South and to a lesser extent the Midwest who took jobs in heavy industry and transport as those industries expanded to meet
11988-409: The county have ridges exposing ancient but intact (not fossilized) seashells, embedded in sandstone layers alternating with limestone . Layers of volcanic ash ejected from geologically recent but now extinct volcanoes , compacted and now tilted by compressive forces, may be seen at the site of some road excavations. This county is an agglomeration of several distinct geologic terranes , as is most of
12136-482: The county is the 3,849-foot (1,173 m) Mount Diablo , at the northerly end of the Diablo Range . Mount Diablo and its neighboring North Peak are the centerpiece of Mt. Diablo State Park (MDSP), created legislatively in 1921 and rededicated in 1931 after land acquisitions had been completed. At the time this park comprised a very small portion of the mountain. In the 1960s, suburban development expanding from
12284-464: The county's estuarine north shore; with the older development areas of Bay Point and Pittsburg being augmented by extensive development in Antioch , Oakley , and Brentwood . The effects of the housing value crash (2008–2011) varied widely throughout the county. Values of houses in prosperous areas with good schools declined only modestly in value, while houses recently built in outlying suburbs in
12432-412: The development of canals that brought water from the eastern riverside portions of the county to the central portion. Other areas could use the more limited water available from local creeks and from wells. Orchards dominated where such water was available, while other, seasonally dry areas were used for cattle ranching. In central parts of the county walnuts were an especially attractive orchard crop, using
12580-461: The eastern United States extolling the climate, soil, and potential for agriculture in California, with the purpose of encouraging Americans to immigrate to California and lead to its becoming part of the United States. His letters were published in newspapers throughout the East which started the first wagon trains to California. He invited the settlers to stay on his ranch , and Rancho Los Meganos became
12728-467: The eastern part of the county experienced severe reductions in value, accelerated by high unemployment and consequent mortgage foreclosures, owner strategic walk-aways , and the too-rapid conversion of neighborhoods from owner-occupancy to rentals. Home values rebounded as the economy recovered from the recession. According to the U.S. Census Bureau , the county has a total area of 804 square miles (2,080 km ), of which 716 square miles (1,850 km )
12876-630: The fire was set to avoid a debt instead by destroying store records. In the 1970s, the Hilltop area was developed in Richmond's northern suburbs, further depressing the downtown area as it drew retail clients and tenants away to the large indoor Hilltop Mall, which opened in 1976. The shopping mall, last named Hilltop Horizon , was opened under Taubman Centers , and has been sold since then to GM Pension Trust (1998), Simon Property Group (2007), Jones Lang LaSalle (2012), LBG Real Estate (2017), and Prologis (2021), who announced plans to close and demolish
13024-586: The first inhabitants of the Richmond area, settling an estimated 5,000 years ago. They spoke the Chochenyo language , and subsisted as hunter-gatherers and harvesters . The site that would eventually become the city of Richmond was part of the Rancho San Pablo land granted to Don Francisco María Castro , from which the nearby town of San Pablo inherited its name; the Point Richmond area
13172-540: The greater San Francisco Bay Area , which is one of the most geologically complex regions in the world. The great local mountain Mount Diablo has been formed and continues to be elevated by compressive forces resulting from the action of plate tectonics and at its upper reaches presents ancient seabed rocks scraped from distant oceanic sedimentation locations and accumulated and lifted by these great forces. Younger deposits at middle altitudes include pillow lavas ,
13320-536: The highly urban environments of the near East Bay. Owing to its extensive waterfront on San Francisco , San Pablo , and Suisun bays the northwestern and northern segments have long been sites for heavy industry, including a number of still active oil refineries (particularly Chevron in Richmond, Phillips 66 in Rodeo , Shell Oil (now PBF) and Tesoro (now Marathon)- in Martinez), chemical plants ( Dow Chemical ) and
13468-424: The historic ones and preserving their functionality for special events. Standard Oil set up operations on land sold by Emily Tewksbury in 1901, including what is now the Chevron Richmond Refinery and tank farm , which Chevron still operates. There is a pier into San Francisco Bay south of Point Molate for oil tankers. The city of Richmond was incorporated in 1905. Until the enactment of prohibition in 1919,
13616-511: The intersection of El Portal Drive and Via Verdi. Although no one was hurt, a car fell into the sinkhole. On August 6, 2012, at around 6:15 PM, a large fire erupted at the Chevron refinery, sending significant plumes of toxic smoke into the surrounding area and resulting in over 15,000 people to seek medical treatment at local hospitals. Just minutes after the fire was reported, Contra Costa Health Services notified residents “ shelter in place ”;
13764-652: The largest public oil company in the world. Many of the companies disassociated from Jersey Standard in 1911 remained powerful businesses through the twentieth century. These included the Standard Oil Company of New York , Standard Oil Company (Indiana) , Standard Oil Company (California) , Ohio Oil Company , Continental Oil Company , and Atlantic Refining Company . Standard Oil's prehistory began in 1863, as an Ohio partnership formed by industrialist John D. Rockefeller , his brother William Rockefeller , Henry Flagler , chemist Samuel Andrews , silent partner Stephen V. Harkness , and Oliver Burr Jennings , who had married
13912-484: The local siren system was activated and several messages were issued through the Emergency Alert System warning people of the fire and hazardous materials incident. The fire was reported contained at around 10:40 PM. The 2010 United States census reported that Richmond had a population of 103,701. The population density was 1,976.0 inhabitants per square mile (762.9/km). The racial makeup of Richmond
14060-613: The lows range from 43 to 56 °F (6 to 13 °C) year round. Richmond usually enjoys an " Indian summer ", and September is, on average, the warmest month. January is on average the coldest month. The highest recorded temperature in Richmond was 107 °F (42 °C) in September 1971 while the coldest was 24 °F (−4 °C) in December 1990. The rainy season begins in late October and ends in April, with some showers in May. Most of
14208-399: The more prosperous farms have been preserved as museums and cultural centers and one of the more rustic examples has been preserved as a working demonstration ranch, Borges Ranch . In the 1860 United States Census, Contra Costa County had a population of 4,381. During World War II, Richmond hosted one of the two Bay Area sites of Kaiser Shipyards and wartime pilots were trained at what
14356-628: The name of the mountain, one in 2005 and another in 2011, but these were not successful. The 2010 United States Census reported that Contra Costa County had a population of 1,049,025. The racial makeup of Contra Costa County was 614,512 (58.6%) White ; 97,161 (9.3%) African American ; 6,122 (0.6%) Native American ; 151,469 (14.4%) Asian (4.6% Filipino, 3.8% Chinese, 2.1% Indian); 4,845 (0.5%) Pacific Islander ; 112,691 (10.7%) from other races ; and 62,225 (5.9%) from two or more races. There were 255,560 people (24.4%) of Hispanic or Latino ancestry, of any race; 17.1% of Contra Costa County's population
14504-478: The needs of the war economy, while increased numbers of women also joined the industrial workforce for the first time as large numbers of working-age men were drafted for the war effort. During the war, Richmond's population increased dramatically, rising from 23,000 in 1940 to 114,899 in 1942 and peaking at around 120,000 by 1945. A specially built rail line, the Shipyard Railway , transported workers to
14652-579: The next few decades, both companies grew significantly. Jersey Standard, led by Walter C. Teagle , became the largest oil producer in the world. It acquired a 50 percent share in Humble Oil & Refining Co. , a Texas oil producer. Socony purchased a 45 percent interest in Magnolia Petroleum Co. , a major refiner, marketer, and pipeline transporter. In 1931, Socony merged with Vacuum Oil Co. , an industry pioneer dating back to 1866, and
14800-551: The northeastern United States. A. Barton Hepburn was directed by the New York State Legislature in 1879, to investigate the railroads' practice of giving rebates to their largest clients within the state . Merchants without ties to the oil industry had pressed for the hearings. Prior to the committee's investigation, few knew of the size of Standard Oil's control and influence on seemingly unaffiliated oil refineries and pipelines—Hawke (1980) cites that only
14948-731: The oil reserves in the Middle East. In 1906, SOCONY (later Mobil) opened its first fuel terminals in Alexandria. It explored in Palestine before the World War broke out, but ran into conflict with the local authorities. By 1890, Standard Oil controlled 88 percent of the refined oil flows in the United States. The state of Ohio successfully sued Standard, compelling the dissolution of the trust in 1892. But Standard simply separated Standard Oil of Ohio and kept control of it. Eventually,
15096-399: The open arrangement of rates; (3) discriminations in classification and rules of shipment; (4) discriminations in the treatment of private tank cars. The government alleged: Almost everywhere the rates from the shipping points used exclusively, or almost exclusively, by the Standard are relatively lower than the rates from the shipping points of its competitors. Rates have been made low to let
15244-525: The open spaces that stretch to the north. The open spaces controlled by cities, the East Bay Regional Park District, Mount Diablo State Park, and various regional preserves now adjoin and protect most of the elevated regions of the mountain. The name Mount Diablo is said to originate from an incident involving Spanish soldiers who christened a thicket as Monte del Diablo when natives they were pursuing apparently disappeared into
15392-987: The park. MDSP was the first of twenty-nine Diablo-area parks and preserves that have been created around the peaks; today these preserves protect more than 89,000 acres (360 km ). These Diablo public lands stretch southeast and include the Concord Naval Weapons Station , Shell Ridge Open Space and Lime Ridge Open Spaces near Walnut Creek, to the State Park, and east to the Los Vaqueros Reservoir watershed and four surrounding East Bay Regional Park District preserves, including Morgan Territory Regional Preserve , Brushy Peak Regional Preserve , Vasco Caves Regional Preserve , and Round Valley Regional Preserve . The new Marsh Creek State Park , formerly known as Cowell Ranch State Park, and Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve , are among
15540-427: The period of 1904 to 1906 and concluded that "beyond question ... the dominant position of the Standard Oil Co. in the refining industry was due to unfair practices—to abuse of the control of pipe-lines, to railroad discriminations, and to unfair methods of competition in the sale of the refined petroleum products". Because of competition from other firms, their market share gradually eroded to 70 percent by 1906 which
15688-426: The points where necessary to suppress competition; [and] espionage of the business of competitors, the operation of bogus independent companies, and payment of rebates on oil, with the like intent. The lawsuit argued that Standard's monopolistic practices had taken place over the preceding four years: The general result of the investigation has been to disclose the existence of numerous and flagrant discriminations by
15836-436: The poisonous gas, and led to 25,000 people landing in the hospital. The incident led to lawsuits, and has been referred to as a mini- Bhopal . The city's shoreline and wildlife were seriously affected by the 2007 San Francisco Bay oil spill . Beaches and shoreline were closed, but later reopened. Keller Beach was closed to public access for swimmers. On April 15, 2010, a sinkhole roughly 30 feet (9.1 m) deep appeared at
15984-599: The population, while ethnic Asians constituted 13.1%. Latinos, representing people of Spanish, Portuguese, indigenous and mestizo populations of the Western hemisphere, comprised 21.1% of the county population. In 2000, there were 344,129 households, out of which 35.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.5% were married couples living together, 11.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 22.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.00% had someone living alone who
16132-617: The product of undersea volcanic eruptions. The Bay Miwok , Yokut and Ohlone people lived in the area now known as Contra Costa County before the arrival of Spanish colonists. The Volvon triblet of the Miwok lived on Tuyshtak ( Mount Diablo near present day Walnut Creek ) until they were forcibly moved from their land into the Spanish missions in the early 1800s. The Saklan tribe lived between Moraga , along San Leandro Creek , to Lafayette . Beginning in 1772, expeditions of Spanish missionaries and soldiers from Mission San José entered
16280-524: The railroads in behalf of the Standard Oil Co. and its affiliated corporations. With comparatively few exceptions, mainly of other large concerns in California, the Standard has been the sole beneficiary of such discriminations. In almost every section of the country that company has been found to enjoy some unfair advantages over its competitors, and some of these discriminations affect enormous areas. The government identified four illegal patterns: (1) secret and semi-secret railroad rates; (2) discriminations in
16428-443: The rain occurs during stronger storms which occur between November and March and drop 3.3–4.91 inches (84–125 mm) of rain per month. January and February are the rainiest months. Like most of the Bay Area, Richmond is made up of several microclimates . Southern parts of the city and the ridges receive more fog than northern areas. Summer temperatures are higher in inland areas, where the moderating influence of San Francisco Bay
16576-413: The refinery's shoreline. Rainbow trout have recently returned to San Pablo and Wildcat creeks. Red-tailed hawks patrol the skies. Monarch butterflies migrate through the city on their journey between Mexico and Canada. Wildcat Marsh has two ponds where Canada geese often rest, and is also the home of the endangered salt marsh harvest mouse and California clapper rail . Another endangered species in
16724-519: The reporting of Ida Tarbell , who wrote The History of the Standard Oil Company . The net value of companies severed from Jersey Standard in 1911 was $ 375 million, which constituted 57 per cent of Jersey's value. After the dissolution, Jersey Standard became the United States' second largest corporation after United States Steel . The Standard Oil Company (New Jersey), which was renamed Exxon in 1973 and ExxonMobil in 1999, remains
16872-599: The result of their policy is to favor the Standard Oil Co. Different methods are used in different places and under different conditions, but the net result is that from Maine to California the general arrangement of open rates on petroleum oil is such as to give the Standard an unreasonable advantage over its competitors. The government said that Standard raised prices to its monopolistic customers but lowered them to hurt competitors, often disguising its illegal actions by using bogus, supposedly independent companies it controlled. The evidence is, in fact, absolutely conclusive that
17020-787: The scale of companies, Rockefeller and his associates developed innovative ways of organizing to effectively manage their fast-growing enterprise. On January 2, 1882, they combined their disparate companies, spread across dozens of states, under a single group of trustees. By a secret agreement, the existing 37 stockholders conveyed their shares "in trust" to nine trustees: John and William Rockefeller, Oliver H. Payne , Charles Pratt , Henry Flagler , John D. Archbold , William G. Warden, Jabez Bostwick , and Benjamin Brewster . "Whereas some state legislatures imposed special taxes on out-of-state corporations doing business in their states, other legislatures forbade corporations in their state from holding
17168-559: The shipyards. Kaiser's Richmond shipyards built 747 Victory and Liberty ships for the war effort, more than any other site in the U.S. The shipyards broke many records, including the completion of a Liberty ship in just five days. On average the yards built a new ship in 30 days. The medical system established for the shipyard workers at the Richmond Field Hospital eventually became today's Kaiser Permanente HMO . The hospital remained in operation until 1993, when it
17316-472: The sister of William Rockefeller's wife. In 1870, Rockefeller abolished the partnership and incorporated Standard Oil in Ohio. Of the initial 10,000 shares, John D. Rockefeller received 2,667, Harkness received 1,334, William Rockefeller, Flagler, and Andrews received 1,333 each, Jennings received 1,000, and the firm of Rockefeller, Andrews & Flagler received 1,000. Rockefeller chose the "Standard Oil" name as
17464-606: The south is the city of Albany which is in Alameda County and the city of El Cerrito . The unincorporated communities of East Richmond Heights , Rollingwood , Hasford Heights, and El Sobrante lie to the east. North Richmond to the west and San Pablo to the east are almost entirely surrounded by Richmond's city limits. To the north, Richmond borders the city of Pinole and the unincorporated areas of Bayview , Montalvin Manor , Hilltop Green, Tara Hills . Richmond borders Alameda , San Francisco, and Marin counties in
17612-669: The state of New Jersey changed its incorporation laws to allow a company to hold shares in other companies in any state. So, in 1899, the Standard Oil Trust, based at 26 Broadway in New York, was legally reborn as a holding company , the Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey (SOCNJ), which held stock in 41 other companies, which controlled other companies, which in turn controlled yet other companies. According to Daniel Yergin in his Pulitzer Prize-winning The Prize: The Epic Quest for Oil, Money, and Power (1990), this conglomerate
17760-493: The stock of companies based elsewhere. (Legislators established such restrictions in the hope that they would force successful companies to incorporate—and thus pay taxes—in their state.)" Standard Oil's organizational concept proved so successful that other giant enterprises adopted this "trust" form. By 1882, Rockefeller's top aide was John Dustin Archbold , whom he left in control after disengaging from business to concentrate on philanthropy after 1896. Other notable principals of
17908-411: The surrounding valleys began to threaten the open space of the mountain. In 1971, MDSP consisted of 6,788 acres (27.5 km ). That year, concerned residents formed the non-profit organization Save Mount Diablo to raise funds and awareness to protect more open space. In addition to encouraging acquisition by the state and local authorities, SMD started fundraising and acquiring properties to transfer to
18056-656: The terminus of the California trail. This led to the Bear Flag Revolt in 1846 when about 30 settlers originally from the United States declared a republic in June 1846 and were enlisted and fighting under the U.S. flag by July 1846. Following the Mexican–American War of 1846–48, California was controlled by U.S. settlers organized under the California Battalion and the U.S. Navy 's Pacific Squadron . After some minor skirmishes, California
18204-518: The thicket. Anglo settlers later misunderstood the use of the word 'monte' (which can mean 'mountain', or 'thicket'), and applied the name to the most obvious local landmark. According to the Contra Costa Times , in 2011, there were rumors that Contra Costa County was going to rename the mountain as "Mt. Ronald Reagan" or "Mt. Reagan", after the former US president and California governor. Residents have generated multiple petitions to change
18352-481: The thin-shelled English Walnut branches grafted to the hardy and disease-resistant American Walnut root stock. In the Moraga region, pears dominated, and many old (but untended) roadside trees are still picked seasonally by passers-by. In eastern county, stone fruit, especially cherries, is still grown commercially, with seasonal opportunities for people to pick their own fruit for a modest fee. The Contra Costa Canal ,
18500-471: The trust. Jersey Standard operated a near monopoly in the American oil industry from 1899 until 1911 and was the largest corporation in the United States. In 1911, the landmark Supreme Court case Standard Oil Co. of New Jersey v. United States found Jersey Standard guilty of anticompetitive practices and ordered it to break up its holdings. The charge against Jersey came about in part as a consequence of
18648-448: The volatile California region that has a potential for devastating earthquakes. Many buildings were damaged in the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake . The city has also had at least one minor tornado. The Chevron Richmond Refinery had highly noted chemical leaks in the 1990s. The company has been fined thousands, and sometimes hundreds of thousands, of dollars. Richmond has a siren system consisting of 17 emergency warning sirens located across
18796-545: Was $ 73,039 (these figures had risen to $ 75,483 and $ 87,435 respectively as of a 2007 estimate). Males had a median income of $ 52,670 versus $ 38,630 for females. The per capita income for the county was $ 30,615. About 5.4% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line , including 9.8% of those under age 18 and 6.0% of those age 65 or over. In 2000, the largest denominational groups were Catholics (with 204,070 adherents) and Evangelical Protestants (with 74,449 adherents). The largest religious bodies were
18944-410: Was 2.5%; the rental vacancy rate was 8.1%. 52,683 people (50.8% of the population) lived in owner-occupied housing units and 49,435 people (47.7%) lived in rented housing. Contra Costa County, California Contra Costa County ( / ˌ k ɒ n t r ə ˈ k ɒ s t ə / ; Contra Costa , Spanish for 'Opposite Coast') is a county located in the U.S. state of California , in
19092-440: Was 32,590 (31.4%) White , 27,542 (26.6%) African American , 662 (0.6%) Native American , 13,984 (13.5%) Asian (4.0% Chinese , 3.5% Filipino , 1.6% Laotian , 1.2% Indian , 0.7% Vietnamese , 0.6% Japanese , 0.4% Korean , 0.2% Pakistani , 0.1% Thai ), 537 (0.5%) Pacific Islander , 22,573 (21.8%) from other races , and 5,813 (5.6%) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 40,921 persons (39.5%). Among
19240-403: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.72 and the average family size was 3.23. In the county, the population was spread out, with: The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males. The median income for a household in the county was $ 63,675, and the median income for a family
19388-467: Was a Standard company only from 1908 until 1911. One of the original " Muckrakers " Ida M. Tarbell , was an American author and journalist whose father was an oil producer whose business had failed because of Rockefeller's business dealings. After extensive interviews with a sympathetic senior executive of Standard Oil, Henry H. Rogers , Tarbell's investigations of Standard Oil fueled growing public attacks on Standard Oil and monopolies in general. Her work
19536-410: Was associated with Standard Oil. He then admitted to being a director of Standard Oil. The committee's final report scolded the railroads for their rebate policies and cited Standard Oil as an example. This scolding was largely moot to Standard Oil's interests since long-distance oil pipelines were now their preferred method of transportation. In response to state laws that had the result of limiting
19684-462: Was dissolved in 1962. Rockefeller's original company, Standard Oil Company of Ohio ( Sohio ), effectively ceased to exist when it was purchased by BP in 1987. BP continued to sell gasoline under the Sohio brand until 1991. Other Standard oil entities include "Standard Oil of Indiana" which became Amoco after other mergers and a name change in the 1980s, and "Standard Oil of California" which became
19832-576: Was due to the postwar baby boom of the era creating demand for three- and four-bedroom houses with large yards that were unaffordable or unavailable in the established bayside cities. A number of large companies followed their employees to the suburbs, filling large business parks. The establishment of a large, prosperous population in turn fostered the development of large shopping centers and created demand for an extensive supporting infrastructure including roads, schools, libraries, police, firefighting, water, sewage, and flood control. The establishment of
19980-597: Was formed in 1933. To distribute its products, Standard Oil constructed storage tanks, canneries (bulk oil from large ocean tankers was re-packaged into 5-US-gallon (19 L; 4.2 imp gal) tins), warehouses, and offices in key Chinese cities. For inland distribution, the company had motor tank trucks and railway tank cars, and for river navigation, it had a fleet of low-draft steamers and other vessels. Stanvac's North China Division, based in Shanghai, owned hundreds of vessels, including motor barges, steamers, launches, tugboats, and tankers. Up to 13 tankers operated on
20128-519: Was initially established through an emphasis on efficiency and responsibility. While most companies dumped gasoline in rivers (this was before the automobile was popular), Standard used it to fuel its machines. While other companies' refineries piled mountains of heavy waste, Rockefeller found ways to sell it. For example, Standard bought the company that invented and produced Vaseline , the Chesebrough Manufacturing Co. , which
20276-580: Was known originally as The Potrero and then renamed as Point Stevens in early charts of San Francisco Bay . Point Richmond was an island, but industrial development and deliberate fill connected it to the mainland by the early 1900s. On July 4, 1900, the Santa Fe Railroad 's western terminus was established at Point Richmond with ferry connections from Ferry Point in the Brickyard Cove area to San Francisco. The Santa Fe railroad also built
20424-693: Was of Mexican ancestry, while 1.9% was of Salvadoran heritage. As of the census of 2000, there were 948,816 people, 344,129 households, and 242,266 families residing in the county. The population density was 1,318 inhabitants per square mile (509/km ). There were 354,577 housing units at an average density of 492 units per square mile (190 units/km ). Of residents who identified with European ethnicities, 9.0% were German, 7.7% Irish, 7.3% English, and 6.5% Italian ancestry according to Census 2000 . 74.1% spoke English, 13.1% Spanish, and 2.6% Tagalog . By 2005, 53.2% of Contra Costa County's population were non-Hispanic whites. African Americans made up 9.6% of
20572-433: Was one of the original 27 counties of California, created in 1850 at the time of statehood. The county was originally to be called Mt. Diablo County, but the name was changed prior to incorporation as a county. The county's Spanish language name means opposite coast , because of its location opposite San Francisco, in an easterly direction, on San Francisco Bay . Southern portions of the county's territory, including all of
20720-506: Was one square league, or about seven square miles, or 4,400 acres (17.8 square kilometers), maximum to one individual was eleven leagues, or 48,400 acres (195.9 km ), including no more than 4,428 acres (17.9 km ) of irrigable land. Rough surveying was based on a map, or diseño , measured by streams, shorelines, and/or horseman who marked it with rope and stakes. Lands outside rancho grants were designated el sobrante , as in surplus or excess, and considered common lands. The law required
20868-619: Was positive, sales boomed and China became Standard Oil's largest market in Asia. Prior to Pearl Harbor, Stanvac was the largest single U.S. investment in Southeast Asia . The North China Department of Socony (Standard Oil Company of New York) operated a subsidiary called Socony River and Coastal Fleet, North Coast Division, which became the North China Division of Stanvac (Standard Vacuum Oil Company) after that company
21016-654: Was published in 19 parts in McClure's magazine from November 1902 to October 1904, then in 1904 as the book The History of the Standard Oil Co . The Standard Oil Trust was controlled by a small group of families. Rockefeller stated in 1910: "I think it is true that the Pratt family, the Payne– Whitney family (which were one, as all the stock came from Colonel Payne), the Harkness-Flagler family (which came into
21164-507: Was replaced by the Richmond Medical Center hospital, which has since expanded to a multi-building campus. Point Richmond was Richmond's original commercial hub, but a new downtown arose in the center of the city along Macdonald Avenue during the war. It was populated by department stores such as Kress , J.C. Penney , Sears , Macy's , and Woolworth's . When the war ended the shipyard workers were no longer needed, and
21312-449: Was seen by the public as all-pervasive, controlled by a select group of directors, and completely unaccountable. In 1904, Standard controlled 91 percent of production and 85 percent of final sales. Most of its output was kerosene , of which 55 percent was exported around the world. After 1900 it did not try to force competitors out of business by selling at a loss. The federal Commissioner of Corporations studied Standard's operations from
21460-762: Was the last Republican presidential candidate to win the county. In the United States House of Representatives , Contra Costa County is split among three congressional districts: In the State Assembly , Contra Costa County is split among four districts: In the State Senate , the county is split among three districts: Democrats hold wide advantages in voter registration numbers in all political subdivisions in Contra Costa County. The Democrats' largest registration advantage in Contra Costa
21608-434: Was the year when the antitrust case was filed against Standard. Standard's market share was 64 percent by 1911 when Standard was ordered broken up. At least 147 refining companies were competing with Standard including Gulf, Texaco, and Shell. It did not try to monopolize the exploration and extraction of oil (its share in 1911 was 11 percent). In 1909, the U.S. Justice Department sued Standard under federal antitrust law,
21756-534: Was under U.S. control by January 1847 and formally annexed and paid for by the U.S. in 1848. By 1850, California's population of over 100,000 was rapidly growing due to the gold rush and the large amount of gold being exported east, which gave California enough clout to choose its own boundaries, write its own constitution, and be admitted to the Union as a free state in 1850 without going through territorial status as required for most other states. In 1850 California had
21904-580: Was used at the terminal selected by the San Francisco and San Joaquin Valley Railroad . By 1899 maps made by the railroad carried the name "Point Richmond Avenue", a county road that later became Barrett Avenue, a central street in Richmond. The Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad purchased the railroad making their terminus at Richmond. The first post office opened in 1900, and the city of Richmond incorporated in 1905. The Ohlone were
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