THE CONCORD HISTORIA N “PRESERVING THE PAST TO PROTECT THE FUTURE ” A Quarterly Publication of the Concord Historical Society Concord, CA Volume 44, Issue No. 3 August 2015 THE SOLDIER’S MEMORIAL MONUMENT By Vivian Boyd How many times in your life have you passed the Monument? You know, the big white, concrete obelisk found on a corner in Pleasant Hill. Have you ever used it as a landmark when giving directions? Have you had occasion to witness a ceremony at its base? Do you remember driving on either side of it? It stands 45 feet high and weighs 150 tons. There is a circular staircase lead- ing to an observation platform at the top, but it has been closed for many years due to public safety concerns. The Monument was originally located at the junction of Victory Highway and the Pacific and Redwood Highway. In 1954 when a new highway was built the Monument was moved to the intersection of Boyd Road and Route 21 (later changed to Monument Blvd.). Years later it was moved to its current location, as roads were reconfigured and plans for the cur- rent alignment of Interstate 680 were under way. It was surveyed by the County in 1994 and restored with funds from Contra Costa County Supervisors, Vet- eran's fundraising, and the City of Pleasant Hill in 1998. On Memorial Day of that year it was also rededicated. When the Soldier's Memorial was dedicated on December 11, 1927 to com- mentate the soldiers of World War I (“The Great War”), it created quite a stir. The soldiers wear green trench coats and hold the butts of their rifles on the ground with two white crosses on either side. Three of the soldiers are painted white and one is black. It wasn't until the memorial was first rededicated to the warriors of World War II and the Korean War that people said that the memorial actually depicted the realities of a modern army. Today it stands in recognition of all who serve in the armed forces. VETERAN’S MONUMENT, PLEASANT HILL Beyond its relevance in honoring the servicemen of our county, it has sig- nificance to art historians. The bas-relief sculpture at the top was created by one of the most important sculptors in the Bay Area during the 1920s and 1930s, Ralph Stackpole. Born in 1885 in Williams, Oregon, Stackpole worked as a laborer to help support his family after the death of his father in a sawmill accident. He came to San Francisco at age 16 to study at Continued on page 4 Inside This Issue: The Soldier’s Memorial ............. 1, 4 CMEC Capital Campaign Update .. 7 President’s Message .................... 2 Donations ........................................ 8 New Members ................................ 3 Business Members ........................ 9 Announcements/Events ................. 3 Membership Application .............. 10 Dinner-Auction Fundraiser ............ 5 Spring Tea Items Needed ............. 10 Dinner-Auction Reservation .......... 6 Editor: John Carlston © 2015, Concord Historical Society August 2015 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 2 PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Board of Directors Wow, the summer has been flying by. The Society has been rolling along. Marc President: Willis and Chuck Gabrysiak, after getting our Carol Longshore much anticipated building permit from the First Vice President: City of Concord, are working on the Concord Vivian Boyd Museum and Events Center. If you look at Second Vice President: our website, concordhistorical.org, you’ll see Jim Trolan a picture of the progress. This historic pro- Secretary: ject could not continue without our generous Carole Kelsch supporters, as our membership continues to Treasurer: grow and we see the real progress made to- Jan Trolan ward opening a permanent museum, the fruits of our labor will be clearly seen by the At Large Members: community. Dick Allen Lind Higgins now has three volunteers at John Carlston the Resource Center. If you want to see what Lloyd Crenna goes on behind the scenes of the Society, stop by the Resource Center on 1700 Barry Cunningham Farm Bureau Road on any Tuesday afternoon from 1:00 to 4:00 PM. Lind is doing Evelyn Cunningham a superb job. She has the organizational skills and the knowledge of the Society of Joanne Fryer ten people! Chuck Gabrysiak David Gagliardi Joanne Fryer, Barbara Strehlitz, John Keibel and myself have been at Thursday Lind Higgins night Music in the Park and we’ve been having a fun time listening to the good mu- John Keibel sic and seeing friends while attracting new members. People are interested in their Terry Kremin history and, we hope, share the enthusiasm we have for our historic project. Karen Mangini Marv McKean Our new Board members have passed the spring and summer working on their Brad Morimune assigned projects and helping in the planning of the Dinner/Auction fundraiser that Larry Prosper will be held on October 17. You should have received your invitation to the event Martha Riley by e-mail or US mail. There are only 20 tables and 9 of them have been reserved Barbara Strehlitz already. There is a little competition between a few different graduating classes of Tom Wentling Mt. Diablo High School, ‘57, ‘60, ‘61, ‘63, and ‘70, as to how much money they can raise. So far the class of ‘57 is the one to beat and we thank you for your sup- Board Member Emeritus: port. Various parties have already reserved tables at the event. Stan Gaunt and Jim Paul Larson Trolan have kindly volunteered to serve as out bartenders for the evening. It prom- Kay Massone (1937-2014) ises to be a fun event which will give us all a chance to visit with old friends, enjoy delicious meals from Englunds, and raise a lot of money to benefit your historical society and its museum project. Concord Historical Society’s I realize that we regularly express our need for more members and larger dona- Resource Center tions. I want to reiterate that our immediate need for funds is great in order to accom- 1700 Farm Bureau Road plish the tasks at hand in the form of the construction project we have underway. Concord However, once our museum and event center project is complete the society hopes to (925) 827-3380 be in a better position to support and sustain itself by offering a beautiful and historic Open Tuesdays 1:00 to 4:00 PM venue for receptions, reunions, luncheons and meetings. Adjacent to it will of course be our first class museum for the community to enjoy. Our current and ongoing edu- Visit us on the web at: cational programs will make you proud. With the support of our Mt. Diablo Uni- www.concordhistorical.org rd fied School District Board, local 3 grade teachers, and because of our Board mem- www.concordhistory.com bers Vivian Boyd, Judy Trette, Karen Mangini, Martha Riley and Dick Allen, the field trips to the Galindo Home and Gardens in the Fall and throughout the year will be one of a kind. I know you’ll have a fall, full of fun and adventures, and I look forward to seeing you in October or just around town. Your President, Carol Longshore August 2015 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 3 Honorary Board of Directors WELCOME NEW MEMBERS Willard Ballenger Anne Eggleston Horse Rancher/Breeder and World War II Veteran Letizia Dale Dave Brubeck (1920-2012) Musician/Composer 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/Artist James Serventi Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Retired) UPCOMING EVENTS: Dinner and Auction Concord Senior Center Saturday, October 17, 2015 Christmas at the Galindo Home at the Historic Galindo Home Museum December 2015 August 2015 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 4 Continued from page 1 the California School of Design (later the San Francisco Art Institute). After establishing himself as an artist, Ralph Stackpole had a studio at 716 Montgom- ery Street in San Francisco and he rented space to photographer Dorothea Lange and her husband Maynard Dixon. It was said of Stackpole, "… he knew every- body in town from top to bottom ...", and his friends credit him as being a “remarkable draftsman who painted and sketched constantly.” Both Stackpole and Dixon were members of the Bohemia Club and had established an extensive artist’s community. After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Ralph Stackpole traveled to Paris and studied at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts. After returning from France, he married his first wife Adele in 1912, and in 1913 his son Peter Stock- pole, a notable photo journalist, was born. Friends with artist Diego Rivera, Stackpole also spent time in Mexico and helped Rivera obtain commissions in San Francisco. Much of Rivera's style is reflected in Stackpole's sculpture. During the Great Depression, he was part of the Public Works of Art Project, the Federal Art Project, the Works Progress Administration, and the Section of Painting and Sculpture for the Treasury Department. You can see other works by Stackpole: the stone figures, "Industry", outside the San Francisco Stock Exchange, the Art Deco bas-relief masterpiece in Oak- land's Paramount Theatre and the public art project of murals within Coit RALPH STACKPOLE, SCULPTOR OF Tower. He also designed architectural features on the Palace of Varied Industry THE PLEASANT HILL MONUMENT at the Panama Pacific International Exposition held in San Francisco in 1915. Stackpole taught at the California School of Fine Arts (CSFA) for almost twenty years. He also met and discussed pho- tography with Edward Weston and Ansel Adams in Carmel. He sculpted an eight-story figure of Pacifica, the theme of the exposition, for the Golden Gate International Exposition held on Treasure Island in 1939, which took two years to complete.