Tip of the Iceberg Get to know the real San Pablo By Matt Larson It’s important to get in touch with your local history. There’s no specific reason why you should do so. The question, really, should be: why not? It can be pretty interesting … Did you know that San Pablo used to be the centerpiece of West Contra Costa County? Today it’s a relatively small city, but San Pablo was actually the initial settlement in West County, and everything else grew from there! In fact, pretty much everything from the Pinole to Alameda border was referred to as Rancho San Pablo. If you already knew this, well, good for you. San Pablo, with this information in mind, therefore has some of the greatest history in our region. The San Pablo Historical and Museum Society actually just published a book called Stepping Stones detailing the whole history of San Pablo from beginning to end. It’s available for purchase for just $25. When you go pick it up, we also recommend you check out some of their most iconic attractions: the Alvarado Adobe and the Blume House. Originally being the home of Alta California Governor Juan Bautista Alvarado and his wife Doña Martina Castro, the Alvarado Adobe house you see today is … a replica. In the mid 1900’s they tore it down, so this recreation was built in the 1970s about 20 feet away from its original location. And yes, if you’re wondering, it’s actually built out of real adobe. When the Alvarado Adobe was rebuilt the whole community came together to help make bricks and be a part of the process. “It was kind of reclaiming our history,” said Janet Pottier, President of the San Pablo Historical and Museum Society. “It’s a real part of the early California history that’s slowly disappearing.” The Alvarado Adobe dates back to about 1840, while the Blume House, which is an old-fashioned farmhouse also on their grounds, dates back to 1905. Seeing the two locations together can help give you an idea of what a difference 60 years made to the architecture back in the day. Pottier said that, upon visiting, people are most surprised that these buildings are even there! And the surprise turns even more pleasant when people learn that they’re both furnished to their own respective time periods. Also, the Alvarado Adobe is filled with all sorts of Native American artifacts that were dug up during the excavation of the apartment building that just happens to be located right across the street. Depending on their age, or how people visit their grandparents, Pottier tells us that visiting the fully furnished
Contra Costa Marketplace - April 2017
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