Step back in time to explore the past
A Legacy of Civil Rights: Port Chicago / Concord Hills, 5m:13s
The explosion that occurred at the Port Chicago Naval Magazine on July 17, 1944 was born of the racial prejudices then prevalent in the military. This tragedy, and what happened to many of the surviving African American sailors afterwards, served as a major catalyst for the burgeoning social justice efforts of the 1950s and ’60s in the U.S. now widely referred to as the Civil Rights Movement. As East Bay Regional Park District and the National Park Service look towards the future of a joint visitor center planned on the former Concord Naval Weapons Station, we strive to speak truth to this history and do our part as public land stewards to work towards a more just society.
Untold Stories
History of Chinese Miners in the Mount Diablo Coal Field, 54m:25s
Candle Making, 2m:26s
Lean about the ancient art and necessity of candle making. Join Interpretive Student Aide Anna Beach at the Geary Ranch Site in Sunol Regional Wilderness as we discover the history of candle making on the ranches of the East Bay and around the world. Follow a long and make a candle of your own!
Diigúbuhu, 5m:01s
Since time immemorial, indigenous Californians have lived with the land harnessing the rich natural resources here. Tule is an aquatic plant that has been incredibly important to communities who call the Bay Area home. Tules are ideal for creating homes and boats but can also be used to create beautiful works of art. Join Interpretive Student Aide Aaron Spiller as we discover how to make an American Bittern from Tule. In the native language of Eastern Pomo speaking tribes, this bird is called a Diigubuhu. Tule diigubuhus are often made for a loved one, follow along to make one yourself and gift it to someone special.
Laundry Hootenanny, 3m:18s
Join Interpretive Student Aide Anna Beach in doing laundry the old fashioned way. On the Geary Ranch in Sunol Regional Wilderness, family members washed their clothes using water from the alameda creek, animal fat, and a tool that was dubbed “The Great American Invention”, a washboard! Washing your clothes by hand is hard work, but you too can learn the value of modern invention by trying it out yourself.
Live From the Archive Episode 1, 3m:33s
Dig into history at the Black Diamond Mines artifact archive. In this episode, we’ll explore the story of the Hazel Atlas Glass Company who mined silica rich sand from our East Bay hills. Discover the story of an immigrant who played an integral role in saving the company and the glass jars that are collected around the globe today.
Live From the Archive Episode 2, 11m:56s
Coal miners from the 1800s had the dangerous task of retrieving coal deep within the mines nestled in the hills Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, in current day Antioch CA . Join Naturalist, Virginia as she shows off some of the miners tools that provided a miners most essential resource, light! Miners were forced to become innovative to light up dark tunnels that they needed to work in, hours on end. The archives at Black Diamond have kept generations of mining technology from simple candle stick holders to more advanced lanterns and everything in between. See what it took to provide the state the coal energy it needed to fuel trains, factories, ships and towns that start to spring up during and after the CA gold rush.
Railroads of the Mount Diablo Coal Field, 5m:22s
The three railroads of the Mount Diablo Coalfield connected the mines and mining communities to the Delta. Explore these connections as we discover the history of these iron horses that helped build the young state of California.
Women of Coal Country, 1h:03m:26s
Women have played an integral role in society since the beginning of humanity yet their achievements and stories of resiliency have often gone untold. In this presentation, Naturalist Ashley Adams uncovers hidden history and shares the stories of heroes and hardships among the women of the Mount Diablo Coal Field.