Martinez Historical Society

Martinez Historical Society Visit our other websites:
www.MartinezHistory.org
www.MartinezHomeTour.com
www.MartinezOralHistory. It does so with an all-volunteer staff.

The Historical Society provides a long list of services to the community of Martinez. To see the list of services, visit the main website. The URL is as follows: http://www.martinezhistory.org/Services/services.html

Guidelines for participating in the Martinez Historical Society page

The purpose of the Martinez Historical Society (MHS) page is to serve as a mechanism for commu

nication between the Society and members of the public. Site content and comments containing any of the following forms of content shall not be allowed:
a. Comments or hyperlinks not topically related to the particular article being commented upon or MHS business
b. Profane or threatening language or content
c. Sexual content or links to sexual content
d. Solicitations or commerce
e. Conduct or encouragement of illegal activity
f. Information that may tend to compromise the safety or security of the public or public systems
g. Content that violates a legal ownership interest of any other party
h. Potentially libelous comments
i. Private or personal information published without consent
j. Content that is racist, sexist, queerphobic, xenophobic, slanderous, or generally intended to offend

The MHS reserves the right to restrict or remove any content that is deemed in violation of these social media guidelines or any applicable law.

The library on Main Street showing the damages from the 1906 Earthquake. This is the current location of Five Suns Brew...
06/23/2026

The library on Main Street showing the damages from the 1906 Earthquake. This is the current location of Five Suns Brewery, which is housed in the former Bank America Building which was built in the 1950s.

The library was built on land provided by John Muir's wife and her mother in the 1890s. It was razed in the 1950s.

06/18/2026

Researcher Ken Horne is in the Martinez Museum reading the 1883 City Council minutes. They are in a leather-bound register and were hand-written by the City Clerk at the time in a beautiful and easy-to-read script. Ken is doing the research for an article on the first 25 years following the incorporation of Martinez in 1876. He is wearing white gloves to prevent the transfer of skin oil to the paper in the register. The fatty acids and moisture from our hands will cause paper to degrade over time.

06/06/2026

The Avalon Theater in Martinez opened in 1931 and closed in 1950 when it was purchased by the Contra Costa County Junior College and turned into their first Education Center. As the student population grew and outlying campuses (like Diablo Valley College in Pleasant Hill) were established, the need for the Center disappeared and it was torn down. It was replaced by the College District's new administration building -- completed in 1972, a rare example of undecorated, concrete Brutalist architecture. That building still stands -- with its address changed from 629 Escobar Street to 500 Court Street.

06/04/2026

Today this Main Street building houses Starbucks. But during the shopping district's heyday, it housed Modern Eve, a classic women's apparel store. During the 1950s and 1960s, Main Street was lined with competing, family-owned specialty shops. Modern Eve was a go-to fashion destination for women throughout the County looking for everyday clothing, formal wear, and contemporary styles. The clothing ecosystem of the time in downtown Martinez also included smaller shops such as Jay-Vees, Mode-O-Day, Florances Shop, Arlene's and Marguerites. Plus department stores such as Hilson's and Penny's.

05/29/2026

The 150-year Sequicentennial Exhibit at the Martinez Museum includes photos of many buildings well-known in the town's past. The Y-Club was a beloved mid-20th-century bar and restaurant located near the "Y" in the road at the intersection of Alhambra Avenue and Alhambra Way in Martinez. Owned and operated by Charlie and Marion Sly, the establishment served as a popular local watering hole famous for its oak-wood barbecued dinners.

Address

1005 Escobar Street
Martinez, CA
94553

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 3pm
Thursday 11am - 3pm
Friday 11am - 3pm
Saturday 11am - 3pm

Telephone

(925) 228-8160

Website

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