Long before California became a state, Martinez, was a small town fully platted on the map of the Contra Costa District of Upper California. It all began with the Mexican Land Grants in the 1820's. Don Ignacio Martinez received 17,000 acres. With his death in 1848, his eleven children inherited the property.
The California Gold Rush brought the first of several booms that left their marks over the next 130 years. Incorporated in 1876, the town was previously designated as the county seat of Contra Costa County. As the county seat, growth was assured, through the judges, lawyers and businesses to serve their needs. Martinez became a major shipping port, primarily based on lucrative grain trade between California's central valley and the international ports-of-call.
Several factors contributed to the City blossoming into the regional cultural center and marketplace through the 1940's. These include the founding of Contra Costa Gazette in 1858, completion of the Intercontinental Railroad through Martinez in 1876, an established home of John Muir, and Shell Oil Company locating in Martinez in 1915.
---www.martinezhistory.org
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