Crockett in Contra Costa County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

A Retreat in the Hills

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 15, 2022

1. A Retreat in the Hills Marker

Inscription. Crockett Ranch Staging Area is the gateway to 1,300 acres of scenic and secluded parkland that make up Crockett Hills Regional Park. Long held as private ranchland, the area has always offered a quiet counterpoint to the hustle and bustle of the once busy shore of Carquinez Strait.

In the late 1800s, cattle grazed peacefully in these hills. Down below, from Crockett to Port Costa, the area teemed with the sights and sounds of railroad, dock, and warehouse workers running the West's largest grain port. Later, Crockett grew as a company town around the California and Hawaiian Sugar Refining Company (C & H).

Today, steep, rolling grasslands, oak/bay woodlands, and riparian corridors support a diversity of wildlife, from soaring hawks and eagles to prowling foxes and coyotes. Spectacular views await from windswept ridges.

Today, steep, rolling grasslands, oak/bay woodlands, and riparian corridors support a diversity of wildlife, from soaring hawks and eagles to prowling foxes and coyotes. Spectacular views await from windswept ridges.

Erected by East Bay Regional Parks District.

Topics. This historical

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marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 38° 2.821′ N, 122° 13.275′ W. Marker is in Crockett, California, in Contra Costa County. It can be reached from Crockett Boulevard. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Crockett CA 94525, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s San Francisco Bay Area

and on the Coast Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies: Remnants from Days Gone By (within shouting distance of this marker); The Old Homestead (approx. half a mile away); Crockett World War I Veterans Memorial (approx. ¾ mile away); Al Zampa Memorial Bridge

A Retreat in the Hills Marker - wide view image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Andrew Ruppenstein, January 15, 2022

2. A Retreat in the Hills Marker - wide view

(approx. 1.1 miles away); Anza Expedition of 1776 (approx. 1.4 miles away); The Burlington Hotel (approx. 2.1 miles away); McNear Warehouse (approx. 2.1 miles away); Turner/Robertson Shipyard (approx. 2½ miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Crockett.

More about this marker. The marker is located at the back of the parking lot of Crockett Hills Regional Park, by the trailhead.

Marker inset: Starr Flour Mill (left) and C&H Warehouse (right) image. Click for full size.

courtesy of the Crocket Historical Society and Museum

3. Marker inset: Starr Flour Mill (left) and C&H Warehouse (right)

The Starr Flour Mill, shown here in 1887, was later converted to a sugar refinery. The original C&H warehouse is shown on the right.

Marker inset: <i>Railway and shipping met here...</i> image. Click for full size.

Courtesy of the Crockett Historical Society and Museum

4. Marker inset: Railway and shipping met here...

Railway and shipping met here, at the deep waters of the Carquinez Strait, during the heyday of California's grain trade.

Credits. This page was last revised on January 15, 2022. It was originally submitted on January 15, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California. This page has been viewed 338 times since then and 23 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 15, 2022, by Andrew Ruppenstein of Lamorinda, California.