Collections
The History Center houses a large collection of historical materials pertaining to the history of Contra Costa County since its formation in 1850. Many of the collections are original county government records and reports, court case files, county treasurer’s records, county supervisor records, school board records, photographs, maps, and yearly tax assessor books from 1850 through 1910.
Also included in our collection are newspapers, private donations of personal research and family papers, letters, business and association records, memorabilia, and a large newspaper clippings file of obituaries, biographies, and subject files on towns and miscellaneous subjects.
Photographs
The History Center photograph collection contains more than 20,000 scanned and cataloged images from around the county consisting of prints, negatives, and slides which are available in digital format. Thumbnail versions of these photos can be viewed here in our online catalog. New photographs are continually being scanned and added to our online database.
Maps
The Map collection consists of more than 1,700 maps of all sizes and types, dating from 1775 to the 1990s. Our maps include locations of the Spanish land grants, pioneer homes and properties, surveyors maps, tax assessment maps, topographical, land ownership, city layouts and many of the historic places of our County. Many of these maps are available online. Some of the older, more delicate large format maps can only be viewed by appointment with one of our trained staff members.
Special Collections
This collection includes many one-of-a-kind items from well-known residents or businesses of historical Contra Costa County. Among our more notable collections are: The Veale Collection - Richard R. Veale was sheriff of Contra Costa County for 40 years, from 1895-1935, and his collection consists of correspondence, notes, photos, news clippings, and personal items; The Dorothy Mutnick Collection - contains meticulous research notes and genealogies relating to the Californiano period of California history and an impressive collection of indexed clippings from early newspapers; The Balfour & Guthrie Collection - Balfour & Guthrie was a British shipping business based in San Francisco, which dealt in wheat and operated out of the Crockett area in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; plus many more collections. A complete description of each collection is available at the History Center.
Tips for Searching
Keyword Search
The Keyword Search button allows you to perform a general search across multiple fields for any catalog records online. Keyword searches use OR as the default connector between words (e.g. a search for Oasis Hotel will return records associated with Oasis OR Hotel). If you want to find records where both keywords are found, type in AND between the two words. To search for a specific phrase, be sure to put the phrase within quotes (e.g. "Oasis Hotel"). You can also use the asterisk (*) as a wildcard (e.g. a search for histor* would come up with records containing history, histories, historical, etc.). Searches are not case sensitive.
Advanced Search
The Advanced Search button can help you be more specific with your search. You can search for a word or phrase within a particular search category or use multiple categories to further narrow down your search results. For example, searching White in the People field will bring up any records associated with a member of the White family, without having to sift through black & white photographs.You can also search People and Creator records through Advanced Search. Phrase searching with quotes and use of wildcards (*) are available in AdvancedSearch.
Random Images
The Random Images button is a great way to just browse the collection.Each Random Images page displays a random assortment of images from the records online. If something piques your interest, click the thumbnail to view a larger version of the image.
Catalog Searches (Archives / Photos / Libraries / Objects)
The catalog buttons can also help narrow down your search, by only searching with a selected catalog. If you only want to search for Photos, click the Photos button and type in your keyword(s) or phrase. You can also browse records within that catalog without performing a search. Phrase searching, wildcards (*) as well as AND/OR statements are available when performing catalog searches.
Ordering Images
Most of our images are available in print, slide or negative format for enlargement or reproduction. Please note there is a charge for this service and the charge is dependent on the item, size, and purpose. Once you have selected the image(s) that you are interested in, please click the"request image" link on the photograph or map. An Historical Society staff member will contact you regarding usage rights and fees.
Additional Help
If you have a question regarding the archives we house or need additional help using this site, please contact CCCHS at (925) 229-1042 or info@cocohistory.org. Thank you!