THE CONCORD HISTORIA N “PRESERVING THE PAST TO PROTECT THE FUTURE ” A Quarterly Publication of the Concord Historical Society Concord, CA Volume 43, Issue No. 2 MAY 2014 A HISTORY OF MT. DIABLO UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT HIGH SCHOOLS By Lon M. Carlston While many members of the Concord Historical Society may think of our region’s public high schools as having al- ways been here, that isn’t really true. Fact is for the first half of the 20th century the Concord area had only one high school – Mt. Diablo High School – to which many members of the Concord Historical Society attended and graduated. Mt. Diablo High, which opened in 1905 but actually graduated its first class of only three persons in 1903 when it was housed in the old Concord Grammar School and the Odd Fellows Building downtown, was the only high school for many miles around for nearly a half century. The growth and development of other high schools within the boundaries of what ultimately became the Mt. Diablo Uni- fied School District was a result of the tremendous population MT. DIABLO UNION HIGH SCHOOL—Early 1900s growth in central Contra Costa County during the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s. Many new residents came from out-of-state while others moved here from San Francisco, Oakland, Berkeley, Richmond and other regions in the state. To be sure, the city of Martinez had Alhambra High School and the city of Pittsburg had Pittsburg High School. Then just before the start of World War II Acalanes High School opened in Lafayette. Prior to 1940 most high school age stu- dents who lived in Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Moraga and Orinda attended Mt. Diablo High, as did students who lived in Pleasant Hill, Concord, Clayton Valley and Ygnacio Valley. They typically traveled to school by train, horseback or horse- drawn buggy in the early part of the century. Later, they would come by automobile. And obviously they traveled a fair distance to attend and there were not any roads in Contra Costa County then that resembled today’s freeways and connect- ing streets. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Faced with a burgeoning campus of more than 2,200 students at Mt. Diablo High in 1952, the district made plans, oversaw development and opened Pleasant Hill High on Oak Park Boulevard in Pleasant Hill in the fall of 1953. At the same time Las Lomas High School (not in the Mt. Diablo Unified School District) opened in Continued on page 4 Inside This Issue: History of Mt. Diablo Unified School Need for Volunteers ....................... 7 District High Schools ........... 1, 4, 5 Donations ........................................ 8 President’s Message .................... 2 2013 Financial Report .................... 9 New Members ................................ 3 Photos of Membership Meeting.... 10 Announcements/Events ................. 3 Spring Tea a Huge Success .......... 10 History of the Cheese Zombie ....... 6 Business Members ........................ 11 Spotlight on the Honorary Board ... 7 Membership Application .............. 12 Editor: John Carlston © 2014, Concord Historical Society May 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Board of Directors It has been quite an action packed year for me, as I begin this, my second year as your President: President, especially with the relocation of the Carol Longshore Masonic Temple and related renovation ac- First Vice President: tivites. Since our last edition we have three Vivian Boyd new Board members and we had three Second Vice President: leave. I want to acknowledge your Board Jim Trolan members that stepped down. George Baldoc- Secretary: chi, a wonderful, giving man, has always been Carole Kelsch there when we needed him. He supports the Treasurer: Society generously in so many ways, and said Lind Higgins he will continue to help if we need him. Thank you, George for all you’ve given At Large Members: the Society. Kay Massone, one of our longest serving Board members, stepped down and John Carlston with her goes a legend. Kay held almost Marnie Carter every office on the Board and did so with no complaints, just leadership and Lloyd Crenna grace. We will miss her guidance. Bless you Kay and thank you for leading us Barry Cunningham Evelyn Cunningham toward the path we’re on now – a museum for Concord. Our last step-down for a Joanne Fryer while is Judy Trette, our fearless Events Chair and Board member for several years. Judy worked on all our events and became Chair when I became President, Chuck Gabrysiak and has lead the way for our Educational Outreach Program. She has worked tire- David Gagliardi lessly for you, and we appreciate all she’s done for the Society and the community. John Keibel Terry Kremin We’re proud to have Tom Wentling, the City Treasurer, join our Board. Next, Karen Mangini Karen Mangini, a retired St. Agnes School principal stepped up to the plate when Marv McKean asked to join us. We also have Martha Riley, a retired Mt. Diablo Unified School Brad Morimune District principal. We’re excited to have these three individuals join the Board, and Larry Prosper looking forward to working with them to further the goals of the society and in- Martha Riley crease membership. Barbara Strehlitz Tom Wentling We have been gearing up for our first Mother’s Day Tea at the Galindo Home. I’d like to extend my sincere gratitude to Joan Reed who chaired this event. Joan Board Member Emeritus: and her committee worked hard to open the the Galindo Home and Gardens for tea Paul Larson on Mother’s Day weekend. Joan was on the Board for many years and says she is Kay Massone (1937-2014) ready to help us again. Thanks also to Jan Trolan, Kathie Hieb and Dee Yount for joining Joan and the rest of the events committee members for such a successful and memorable Mother’s Day Tea. A tradition begins. Concord Historical Society’s We’ve settled into the new Resource Center, which, as many of you know is the Resource Center old Farm Bureau Hall. While we had a lot of help with this move, two individuals on our Board, Lind Higgins and Chuck Gabrysiak, deserve our collective praise and Farm Bureau Road thanks. Without these two, the move would not have gone as smoothly as it did. Concord (925) 827-3380 Our Summer Social will be held on Saturday, June 21 from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at Open Tuesdays 1:00 to 4:00 PM the Galindo Home and Gardens. Diane Lorenzetti is chairing this event. We’ve been doing this for several years and hope to expand the event and be able to show Visit us on the web at: off the Masonic Temple and the various stages of its restoration. www.concordhistorical.org www.concordhistory.com Lloyd Crenna is working with Gloria Omania on our financial and funding- raising plans. We are grateful to have Gloria’s help in our funding endeavors and appreciate her expertise. Also, please remember that we have until the end of the year to have our donations doubled by the matching funds of the Betty Barnes Trust. And so, as my second year as CHS president begins, I thank everyone for their help and continuing generosity, and look forward to seeing all of you at our events. Your President, Carol Longshore May 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 3 Honorary Board of Directors WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Willard Ballenger Karen Mangini Horse Rancher/Breeder Gretchen Hanson Dave Brubeck (1920-2012) Dee Yount Musician/Composer Gene and Sharon Dirks Richard A. Cuneo Winery Executive Joseph L. Campbell Pres. - Contra Costa Water Dist. Hart Fairclough (1924-2013) Educator/Athletic Coach Judith Morgan Author/TV Writer/Painter James Serventi Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Retired) UPCOMING EVENTS: Summer Social at the Historic Galindo Home Museum and Gardens Sunday, June 21, 2014 Great Stuff Sale at the Galindo Gardens September 2014 (Save all your stuff—we will begin collecting in August. Exact dates forthcoming.) Autumn at the Adobe at the Salvio Pacheco Adobe October 2014 Christmas at the Galindo Home at the Historic Galindo Home Museum and Gardens December 2014 May 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 4 Continued from page 1 Walnut Creek. The first graduates of both those schools were in 1955. The next new high school to open was Pacifica High in West Pittsburg (now Bay Point) in the fall of 1956, although its students attended classes at Mt. Diablo High in 1955 while the new campus was under construction. The first graduating class there was in 1957. Clayton Valley High School, which opened in the fall of 1958 in Concord, had its first graduating class in 1960. Now known as Clayton Valley Charter High School, it is no longer part of the Mt. Diablo Unified School District since it became a charter school in 2012. MT. DIABLO HIGH SCHOOL BUILDINGS—1923 College Park High School, adjacent to the campus of Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill, was the next new high school constructed in the district, opening in 1960 and graduating its first class in 1962. Ygnacio Valley High School, which opened in the Ygnacio Valley area of Concord in 1962, graduated its first class in 1964. It was followed in 1966 by Concord High School on Concord Boulevard. The first graduating class there was in 1968. With seven high schools within the school district by 1966, the school board thought, perhaps, that it could put growth aside for awhile. But that wasn’t to be because as population growth continued the district opened Northgate High School in 1974 near the entrance to Mt. Diablo State Park on Oak Grove Road.