Hookston Station Historic Exibit

Hookston Station Historic Exibit. San Ramon Branch Line of the Southern Pacific. . Beginnings

Initially built from Avon to San Ramon to serve the agricultural interests of San Ramon and Diablo Valley the line was later extended south to the community of Radum, now known as Pleasanton. The line was approximately 30 miles long and had main depots at Concord, Walnut Creek, Danville, and San Ramon. Hookston Station did not have a depot but instead a small open-air building called a "Shelter Shed” with an attached platform.

Hook Family

Land for the Hookston Station right-of-way was donated by the Hook family who also built one of the two sidings, a winery, and warehouse. Other buildings on the site included a saloon, fruit shed, platform, scales, and six unidentified structures. The Line provided farmers and ranchers the abitlity to export various field and orchard crops quickly and efficiently. Residents and commercial operations also gained the ability to import items not produced in the valley such as building material and other goods.

Recent Use and Dedication

Light industrial use of the Hookston Station area expanded when the trains stopped running in 1978 until 2000. Over the next 15 years commercial operations were relocated and the native landscape you see before you was planted in conformance with the Iron Horse Corridor Management Plan with funding from County Redevelopment, Park Dedication fees, and East Bay Regional Park District Measure WW Funds. Congressman Mark DeSaulnier, Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, and the Iron Horse Corridor Advisory Committee provided key support to the project with implementation by the Contra Costa County Public Works Department. The project was initiated and sponsored by Colony Park Neighbors Association.

"From 1891 until 1934 Southern Pacific served the needs of the people by providing both passenger and freight service. From 1934 until final abandonment of the line in 1978, only the latter." San Ramon branch line of the Southern Pacific - Irma Dodson . This historical marker was erected by Contra Costa County Public Works Department. It is in Pleasant Hill in Contra Costa County California