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Join CCHA & CCCHS on Nov 10 for the Californio Rancho Fandango in Concord!

Celebrate American Archives Month with CCCHS, October 19 at our Open House, 10am-3pm

Dan Hanel's Beneath the Tangled Vines on August 25th is SOLD OUT. We are taking a waiting list.

Our Summer Appeal is underway. The Bookeye 4 Scanner Fund is now accepting donations. Visit our Support Us page!

The History Center will close at 2:00pm, Tues., April 23 so we may honor our volunteers with a special event.

2024 Annual Scholarship for High School Seniors Essay Contest - deadline April 30!

SAVE THE DATE! January 27, 2024 CCCHS Annual Membership Meeting & Luncheon

Join us July 15 at the downtown Martinez Makers Market for book sales and a special silent auction. Free USGS maps available inside the History Ctr.

CCCHS seeks Executive Director. Visit our News page for details.

Join us Feb. 11 for the The History of the Joaquin Moraga Adobe!

See details

The Contra Costa County History Center will be closed December 17, 2023 thru January 1, 2024. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season!

Welcome to the Contra Costa County Historical Society

Exterior signage for the History Center.

Visit the History Center

A place where unique discoveries of the past are found every day. What will you find today?

Visit the History Center

Mt Diablo from Green & Stone Valley Roads, 1937

Research the Collection

Explore the vast collections found only at the Contra Costa County History Center.

Learn More about the Collection

Postcard of Southern Pacific Railroad Ferry 'Solano' c1910

Contra Costa County History

Discover the history of Contra Costa County: its people, its places, its stories.

Learn More about CCC History

News

All news

July 29, 2024

Contra Costa County Historical Society Announces Winners of the 2024 Essay Contest

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Events

All Events

November 10, 2024

Californio Rancho Fandango! A celebration of Contra Costa Rancho Heritage

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American Archives Month logo courtesy of the Society of American Archivists

October 19, 2024

Open House at the History Center in celebration of American Archives Month

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August 25, 2024

Author in the Archives Series, Beneath the Tangled Vines by Dan Hanel

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Bookstore

All books

Images of America: Early Livermore

Images of America

Early Livermore

The Pride of Port Chicago

The Pride of Port Chicago

Dan Colchico

Bowdler's Elegy for the Pony Express

Elegy

Pony Express

Echoes of an Open Space Ranch

Echoes of an Open Space Ranch

The Story of the Old Borges Ranch

Contra Costa Chronicles Spring 1974

Contra Costa Chronicles Spring 1974

Be It Ever So Humble

Be It Ever So Humble

In The Shadow of Diablo: Mystery of the Great Stone House

In The Shadow of Diablo

Mystery of the Great Stone House

In the Shadow of Diablo: Death at the Healing Waters

In The Shadow of Diablo

Death at the Healing Waters

On These Promising Shores of the Pacific: A History of St. Mary's

On These Promising Shores of the Pacific

A History of St. Mary's

Martinez A California Town

Martinez A California Town

Baldwin Diary

Baldwin Diary

Legacy Homes and Their Stories

Legacy Homes and Their Stories

Building the Benicia Martinez Bridge

Building the Benicia

Martinez Bridge

Images of America: El Cerrito

Images of America

El Cerrito

Images of America: El Sobrante

Images of America

El Sobrante

Images of America: Hercules

Images of America

Hercules

Images of America: Lafayette

Images of America

Lafayette

Images of America: Maritime Contra Costa County

Images of America

Maritime Contra Costa County

Images of America: Martinez

Images of America

Martinez

Images of America: Niles-Fremont

Images of America

Niles-Fremont

Images of America: Pittsburg

Images of America

Pittsburg

Postcard History Series: East Contra Costa County

Postcard History Series

East Contra Costa County

Images of America: Pleasant Hill

Images of America

Pleasant Hill

Looking Back: Tales of Old Antioch

Looking Back

Tales of Old Antioch

Images of America: Al Zampa and the Bay Area Bridges

Images of America

Al Zampa and the Bay Area Bridges

Images of America: Antioch

Images of America

Antioch

Images of America: Bay Point

Images of America

Bay Point

Images of America: Benicia

Images of America

Benicia

Images of America: Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

Images of America

Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve

Images of America: Brentwood

Images of America

Brentwood

Images of America: Byron Hot Springs

Images of America

Byron Hot Springs

Images of America: Clayton

Images of America

Clayton

Images of America: Crockett

Images of America

Crockett

King & Queen of the River

King & Queen of the River

Living Landscape: The Rise of the East Bay Regional Parks

Living Landscape

The Rise of the East Bay Regional Parks

Mount Diablo Guide

Mount Diablo Guide

Spanning the Strait: Building the Zampa Bridge

Spanning the Strait

Building the Zampa Bridge

East of these Golden Shores: Architecture of the Earlier Days in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties

East of these Golden Shores

Architecture of the Earlier Days in Contra Costa and Alameda Counties

Footprints in the Soil: A Portuguese-Californian Remembers

Footprints in the Soil

A Portugese-Californian Remembers

Harem Scarem in El Cerrito: The Life of a Little Girl Growing up in El Cerrito, California

Harem Scarem in El Cerrito

The Life of a Little Girl Growing up in El Cerrito, California

History of Concord: Its Progress and Promise

History of Concord

Its Progress and Promise

Postcard History Series: Around Crockett

Postcard History Series

Around Crockett

History of Contra Costa County, California

History of Contra Costa County, California

Clayton, Not Quite Shangri-La

Clayton

Not Quite Shangri-La

Concord's Dynamic Half Century

Concord's Dynamic Half Century

Early California Voyages

Early California Voyages

Earthquake Exodus, 1906

Earthquake Exodus, 1906

Eccentrics, Heroes, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley

Eccentrics, Heroes, and Cutthroats of Old Berkeley

Days Gone By Volume 1

Days Gone By

Volume 1

Days Gone By Volume 3

Days Gone By

Volume 3

Walnut Creek: Arroyo de las Nueces

Walnut Creek

Arroyo de las Nueces

A Mid-California Illustrated History

A Mid-California Illustrated History

Al Zampa: A Life Building Bridges

Al Zampa

A Life Building Bridges

Images of America: Building the Caldecott Tunnel

Images of America

Building the Caldecott Tunnel

Images of America: Pinole

Images of America

Pinole

Pinole Through Time

Pinole Through Time

Images of America: Richmond

Images of America

Richmond

Images of America: Port Costa

Images of America

Port Costa

Images of America: Port Chicago

Images of America

Port Chicago

Images of America: San Francisco Bay Area Aviation

Images of Aviation

San Francisco Bay Area Aviation

Images of Rail: Sacramento Norther Railway

Images of Rail

Sacramento Northern Railway

Images of America: Rodeo

Images of America

Rodeo

In Sickness and Health: Medical Care in Contra Costa County 1951-2000

In Sickness and Health

Medical Care in Contra Costa County 1951 - 2000

Shadows on the Hills: Place Names of Contra Costa County, CA

Shadows on the Hills

Place Names of Contra Costa County, CA

Images of America: Vacaville

Images of America

Vacaville

Images of America: San Ramon Valley

Images of America

San Ramon Valley

Images of America: Vallejo

Images of America

Vallejo

Images of America: Walnut Creek

Images of America

Walnut Creek

Images of America: Concord

Images of America

Concord

Days Gone By Volume 2

Days Gone By

Volume 2

Amelia's Nortonville

Amelia's Nortonville

San Ramon Chronicles: Stories of Bygone Days

San Ramon Chronicles

Stories of Bygone Days

Rose Hill: A Comprehensive History of a Pioneer Cemetery in the Mount Diablo Coal Field

Rose Hill

A Comprehensive History of a Pioneer Cemetery in the Mount Diablo Coal Field

Before BART: Electric Railroads Link Contra Costa County

Before BART

Electric Railroads Link Contra Costa County