Sparks from the Anvil

Sparks is the historical society’s free, mostly monthly email newsletter. Sign up to learn about upcoming events, recent activities and interesting anecdotes. See the Sparks archive below. Clicking on the links will open that issue.

2026

April: Historical Society co-sponsors hike at the Hillside Fest: “Saving the Hillside Natural Area - in 1963”; announcement of next board meeting; Oakland History Center’s upcoming panel on Dunsmuir House; save the date for Yesteryears book club’s next meeting; new on the website: “El Cerrito’s Gone to the Dogs.”

2025

September: Sept. 28 event at St Peter CME, genealogy in graveyards, 50th anniversary celebration a success, learn history of the historical society

August: Historical society’s golden jubilee, a look back at bicycle safety, well-traveled brick comes home, history of St Peter CME Church, genealogy in the graveyard, help us discover and protect local history

July: 50th anniversary events: CCCT’s 65th anniversary, a conversation on Down Home Music’s history, book club discussion on Black Death at the Golden Gate, 100 years after the murder in the marsh, 50th anniversary celebration on Sept. 13, learn about St Peter CME Church’s history, genealogy in graveyards

June: Stop by and say ‘Hi’ on the 4th of July, talk on history of Down Home Music, plan to attend Sept .13 50th anniversary celebration, Aug. 23 talk on ‘Murder in the Tule Marsh,’ check out our expanding website, more upcoming events

March: Queer-friendly El Cerrito, two book club events — discussion and walking tour, program to look at history of Pt Isabel, walking tour of Albany, talk on “Murder in the Tule Marsh,’ history and contributions of St Peter CME Church

January: New leadership for society, Par Durham named to city’s Wall of Fame, annual meeting talk on history of East Bay Indigenous Peoples, Miller-Knox regional shoreline walk, Dave Weinstein reflects on local history

2024

November: Down Home Music saved!, society to mark 50th anniversary, January program on Overland Trail history, annual meeting program on East Bay Indigenous People, EC Veterans Hall may get new life, Shadi’s holiday display turns 75

October: New book club, Pat Durham named to Wall of Fame, a CCR museum in EC?, celebration of county’s rancho heritage, 75th anniversary of Shadi’s holiday display, passing of M. Selph, Al Capone’s tommy gun resurfaces

September: Down Home Music’s future, San Pablo Adobe tour, KGO-TV on TEPCO Beach

August: New website, gambling tour, San Pablo Adobe tour, Elizabeth Rodini visits, EC history book comes home

July: Gambling tour, San Pablo Adobe tour, remembering Jane Bartke

June: Premiere of ‘Our Local Cemetery: A Portal to the Past,’ dinosaur forest, remembering Howard Abelson, Berkeley screenings of Les Blank films

May: Premiere of ‘Our Local Cemetery: A Portal to the Past,’ Albany Hill hike, EC High School radio students tap local history

April: May 8 talk on wide-open El Cerrito, Hillside Festival activities, Albany Hill hike

March: May 8 talk on wide-open El Cerrito, endangered walls at Camp Herms, Rodini house update, photo contest reception at city hall

February: Upcoming photo contest reception, remember Pam’s?, new board members, MLK Day features video showing

January: Holiday break

2023

December: Juku reception for first-ever historic photo contest, Shadi holiday display, what happened to EC’s Doggie Diner head?

November: Upcoming photo contest reception, remembering musical theater at EC High School, CCR video tour, When an Avalanche Hit Richmond

October: Upcoming Point Isabel history walk, please enter our photo contest, upcoming gambling tour, next Forge in the works, history walk in Alvarado Park, thanks for community donations

September: Enter our historic photo contest, upcoming Point Isabel history walk, Tiki Dreams exhibit at Napa Valley Museum features TEPCO ware, Rodini house update, Instagram page, theft decimates San Pablo history collection

August: Upcoming mausoleum tour, watch for upcoming cemetery film, latest Forge, Point Isabel history walk, 3 historic photos of EC firefighters donated

July: No issue

June: No issue

May: Visit the historical society’s booth at July 4th festival, August mausoleum tour, remembering Chris Strachwitz

April: Historic hikes at May Hillside Festival, recap of March cemetery tour

March: March 18 cemetery tour, ‘Neighborhood Stories,’ recent donations

February: ‘Ouija Mania’ talk, upcoming cemetery tour, new board members, MLK Day celebration

January: Holiday break

2022

December: ‘Ouija Mania’ talk at annual meeting, upcoming cemetery tour

November: No issue

October: No issue

September: No issue

August: Upcoming Blake Garden tour, video of Recycling Center’s 50th anniversary, Chung Mei Home documents, photos donated to society, remembering Lori Dair

July: Recycling Center celebrates 50 years, remembering Rick Cimino, utility box sports diversity mural

June: No issue

May: Chinese company is new owner of Golden Gate (nee Sunset) Mausoleum, event to honor EC’s Japanese flower growers, oral history of Black community leader Gerald Martin, utility box mural

April: Rodini house restoration begins, historical events at Hillside Festival, Gerald Martin oral history, upcoming 50th anniversary celebration of Recycling Center

March: No issue

February: No issue

January: Virtual tour of historic neighborhoods, board elections, remembering Chris Treadway, MLK Day celebration, Pastime profile in chamber of commerce newsletter

2021

December: Holiday break

November: City council honors Chris Treadway, remembering Grace MacNeill

October: No issue

September: Reflections on growing up in EC

August: New issue of the Forge, when runners raced over the hills, history of the city’s MLK Day celebration

July: No issue

June: Upcoming talk on history of EC’s MLK Day celebration, fond farewell to Joanne Rubio, short video on Shadi holiday display

May: No issue

April: No issue

March: No issue

February: Video of Chris Sterba’s talk about Hambone Kelly’s jazz club, new book tells Elmer Freethy’s story, society joins MLK Day parade, San Pablo to sell Alvarado Adobe museum building, donated video tells story of Spanish laborers

January: Annual meeting features talk on local jazz club, meeting agenda, MLK Day celebration

2020

December: No issue

November: No issue

October: No issue

September: Upcoming talk on Albany’s past, high school swamp band predated Creedence, society supports GoFundMe campaign for Cerrito Theater, history donations, TEPCO makes the news, online exhibit features Black life in North Richmond

August: No issue

July: EC non-profit thrift store fights through pandemic, remembering Christine Roed, upcoming talk looks at Albany’s history, activity around Murrieta Rock

June: 1919—city orders residents to wear masks in flu pandemic, historic Idaho Motel rehabbed as affordable housing, historic building near county lines gets new tenant

May: No issue

April: No issue

March: Upcoming talk on Albany history, hike explores Hillside Natural Area, upcoming talk on builder ‘Flat Top’ Smith, new Forge is in the mail

February: No issue

January: Former Contra Costa Florist shop wins historic preservation award, talk on ‘Pumpsie’ Green, EC pioneer reception planned

2019

December: Program to focus on ‘Pumpsie’ Green who integrated Boston Red Sox, Pumpsie Green bench refurbished, old railway tie plate found, EC pioneer reception planned

Note: no other issues of Sparks were produced in 2019

2018

September: Historic homes tour, walking tour of historic gambling sites, TEPCO ware on display at county history museum in Martinez, story of Arhoolie Records focus of SFO exhibit, bye-bye to Playland-Not-At-the-Beach

March: Upcoming 5th annual Hillside Festival, remembering Lucille Irish and Paul Grunland, bylaws changed to expand board, society helps with research for murals coming to Del Norte BART station, more donations to archive, silent auction for Rosie the Riveter Trust, San Pablo Historic Society seeking active members

Note: these are the only issues published in 2018

2017

January: Society kicks off EC’s centennial with talk on changing from ‘city of sin’ to ‘City of Homes,’ two centenarians honored

Note: this was the only issue of Sparks for 2017

2016

September: Society offers speakers for city’s centennial celebration, free showing of ‘This Ain’t No Mouse Music,’ celebrating National Arts and Humanities Month

February: Annual meeting program looks at how city governance changed, model of Castro Adobe unveiled, compiling a list of city’s notables, society leading history tours via bus

Note: these are the only issues published in 2016

2015

November: Historic Peter Allinio house for sale, Shadi holiday display open Dec. 14 - 26, upcoming annual meeting in January

August: Banners recognize route of Anza expedition, Arts Day, showing of ‘Rosie the Riveter’ film

Note: these are the only issues published in 2015

2013-14

November 2014: Upcoming annual meeting, seeking board members, check out our website, city’s centennial in 2017, interpreting the Anza expedition of 1776, Shadi holiday display Dec. 12 - 26

March 2013: Alvarado Adobe tour in San Pablo, recognizing the Lincoln Highway, historic Navellier home for sale, Contra Costa County Library System centennial in 2013, city’s new strategic plan to include historic preservation

Note: these are the only issues published in 2013-14