T H E CO N CO R D H I S TO R I A N “ P R E S E R V I N G T H E P A S T T O P R O T E C T T H E F U T U R E ”

Inside This Issue:

Fire Department History ..... 1, 4, 5

President’s Message .................... 2

New Members ................................ 3

Announcements/Events ................. 3

Masonic Temple Campaign ........... 6

In Memory of Hart Fairclough ...... 7

Donations ........................................ 8

Business Members .......................... 9

Views of the Past .......................... 10

Membership Application .............. 10

SIXTY YEARS OF PROGRESS:

THE HISTORY OF THE MT. DIABLO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT By Vivian Boyd

In 1939 Chief A. W. Vargus published the Progress Edi-

tion, outlining the development of the fire department in the

city of Concord and its growth into the consolidated Mt.

Diablo Fire Protection District. The publication coincided

with the dedication of the new fire station, on June 25, 1939,

held at 2:00 P.M. The program dedicating the station began

with an inspection of the new facility, followed by a welcom-

ing address by the city's Mayor, L. A. Pedrizzetti. The Shell

Oil Glee Club sang inspirational songs and remarks were

made by the Chairman of the Board of Supervisors, W. J. Bu-

chanan, as well as Chairman of the Fire Commissioners and

Supervisor, 3rd District, R. D. Bollman. Fire Chiefs from

surrounding districts attended and Jack King's Band played.

The event concluded with demonstrations by the Concord Fire

Department on Hose Drills, Ladder Drills and First Aid.

Besides providing a history of the department, the program contained many bits of information indicative of the times.

On the cover are instructions on "How to Report a Fire." Readers were instructed to: 1) Dial Concord 4-3-2-1; 2) State, I

wish to report a fire; 3) Explain exactly where the fire is; 4) Explain what kind of fire it is; 5) Give your name and telephone

number; 6) Proceed to the nearest street or highway point to direct the fire trucks.

The history of the Concord Fire Department states that it was first organized on March 24, 1879 as the Concord Hook &

Ladder Company No. 1. Many familiar names were a part of the company: J. F. Sheehan, C. M. Galindo, Henry Ivey, John

Galvin, John Tierney, Cy Briones, Phillip Klein, and M. N. Breckenridge.

On May 19, 1880 the trustees of the Company bought a parcel of land for $50.00. The deed read as follows: "N. E. Cor-

ner of lot 13, Block C, Town of Todos Santos (Concord) being 25 ft. front on Mt. Diablo St. and 80 ft. deep and immedi-

ately adjoining Lot No. 12..." On June 22, 1885 a contract was awarded to J. W. Guy for $870.00 to build a two story build-

ing to be used as a fire house. In 1892 the interior of the building was finally finished, with the walls plastered and painted.

Continued on page 4

A Quarterly Publication of the Concord Historical Society

Concord, CA

Volume 43, Issue No. 1 February 2014

Editor: John Carlston © 2014, Concord Historical Society

MT. DIABLO FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT, CONCORD—1939

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 2

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

Now that we’re well on our way into the

year 2014, I want to bring you up to date on

what’s happening behind the scenes at the

Historical Society. Our Christmas Card Fund

Drive has gathered several donations and

many of them are over $50 and will be

matched through our Matching Funds pro-

gram. However, the Matching Fund program

will end in April so if you’re so inclined, now

is the time to help with the Masonic Temple

transformation. You will have received our

“Non-Dance Valentine Dance” and the same

matching program holds true. Thank you all

for your support and donations, you should be

very proud of what you’re doing to help bring

this dream of a museum to fruitition.

Be sure to mark Thursday Evening, March 20, on your calendar – it’s our an-

nual Membership Dinner at the Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton. Our speaker

for the evening will be City Councilman and retired U.S. Army Major General

Daniel C. Helix.

We are planning to move our History Resource Center to the Farm Bureau Hall

in April. It’s quite an undertaking and we can use help. Lind Higgins is in charge

of the move and wants everyone to know how excited we are to be moving. We

have been renting the current Resource Center on Sutter Street from the City of

Concord. It was previously designated a redevelopment parcel, but now it will be

sold, thus the move. As you can imagine there are numerous file cabinets, boxes,

books and artifacts that have to be moved. As we get closer to the date, Lind Hig-

gins will let us know what help will be needed for this sizeable undertaking

As we continue to make progress toward the ultimate restoration and opening of

our Museum complex, we will need docents and extended help. We invite anyone

considering volunteering to jump in and join us in our efforts. We have a lot of fun

and meet a lot of good people. I can’t stress enough what an important time this is

for the Society. After not having had a permanent museum for so long, and now

having two grand historic buildings to be made into a museum complex is truly

exciting and surreal all at the same time. With all that’s been going on in the past

year, sometimes words can’t properly express how appreciate we are of all the sup-

port we’ve received—in the form of time, effort and donations. The construction is

still ongoing and we still appreciate any support available from our friends in the

community.

You should have received your ballots for our board elections. We will be wel-

coming some new directors soon. George Baldocchi, a board member for more

than a decade, will be stepping down. Thank you, George, for all of your help and

hard work over the years.

Every time I drive by the Masonic Temple I feel so proud of how she looks,

nestled in the trees, being worked on and transformed into a beautiful historic Ma-

sonic Temple Concord History Museum. I hope you feel the same way and remember all you give of your time and money

will come back to you and your family through your efforts to keep history alive.

Don’t forget about our upcoming events such as our annual membership dinner in March, and our Spring Tea in May.

Your President, Carol Longshore

Board of Directors

President:

Carol Longshore

First Vice President:

Vivian Boyd

Second Vice President:

Jim Trolan

Secretary:

Carole Kelsch

Treasurer:

Lind Higgins

At Large Members:

Board Member Emeritus:

Paul Larson

George Baldocchi

John Carlston

Marnie Carter

Lloyd Crenna

Barry Cunningham

Evelyn Cunningham

Joanne Fryer

Chuck Gabrysiak

David Gagliardi

John Keibel

Terry Kremin

Kay Massone

Marv McKean

Brad Morimune

Larry Prosper

Barbara Strehlitz

Judy Trette

Concord Historical Society’s

Resource Center

1601 Sutter St., Suites E & F

Concord

(925) 827-3380

Open Tuesdays 1:00 to 4:00 PM

Visit us on the web at:

www.concordhistorical.org

www.concordhistory.com

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 3

Honorary

Board of Directors

Dave Brubeck (1920-2012)

Musician/Composer

Richard A. Cuneo

Winery Executive

Joseph L. Campbell

Pres. - Contra Costa Water Dist.

Hart Fairclough (1924-2013)

Educator/Athletic Coach

Judith Morgan

Author/TV Writer/Painter

James Serventi

Colonel, U.S. Air Force (Retired)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Annual Membership Meeting and Dinner at Oakhurst Country Club in Clayton

Thursday, March 20, 2014 Speaker: City Councilman Daniel C. Helix

Spring Tea at the Historic Galindo Home Museum and Gardens

Friday, May 9; Saturday, May 10; and Sunday, May 11, 2014 (Two seatings each day at 11:30 AM and 2:00 PM)

Summer Social at the Historic Galindo Home Museum and Gardens

Sunday, June 21, 2014

Great Stuff Sale at the Galindo Gardens

September 2014 (Save all your stuff—we will begin collecting in August. Exact dates forthcoming.)

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

Sharon Jelich

Michael Wendorf

Denise & Gary Brown

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 4

Continued from page 1

Later the building was moved to Fernando Street (Willow Pass Road); it continued in use as the Fire Department until 1939,

when the building was remolded into the City Hall.

It is interesting to note that the first piece of equipment

bought for the department in 1895, a hand-operated Gould

pump, manufactured by the Woodin & Little Company of

San Francisco was purchase for $400.00, a little less that

half the cost of the building within which it would reside.

In 1910 the first fire hydrants were installed, and two hand-

drawn horse carts were purchased. In 1912 a hand-drawn

chemical truck was purchased. But, overall, records were

sketchy until A. W. Vargus was named Chief in 1924. He

took steps to organize the department, and began keeping

complete records on file. With the reorganization other

familiar names became a part of the department:

William Eddy, Dan Baldwin, L. B. McKinnon, T. Vasconi,

J. P. Crenna, Ray Crenna, W. Foskett, F. Freitas.

It seems that the Mt. Diablo Fire District came into be-

ing as the result of a meeting held at the Concord Farm

Center in 1920, when it was pointed out that the rural areas

of central Contra Costa County lacked adequate fire protec-

tion. A fundraising committee was formed to raise money

for fire equipment for use on farms. The committee was comprised of A. C. Gehringer, Frank Rose, and W. "Bill" Woods.

The committee held dances to raise the needed money. A Model T Ford truck, outfitted with two 25 gallon chemical tanks

was purchased. W. H. Eddy, who operated the garage next door, was asked to house the truck and take charge of its mainte-

nance. Keeping the equipment in working order posed a problem, as it was necessary to collect money from farmers once a

fire occurred, to cover the cost of recharging the chemical tanks and any other expenses incurred. Needless to say, this was

an impractical system. In 1923, the County Fire Protection District Act of 1923, was passed by the State Legislature, elimi-

nating this collection process, but it required the formation of another committee to take advantage of this Act. As a result,

the Mt. Diablo Fire Protection District was formed which included school districts in Concord and surrounding areas. The

Schools Districts that joined the fire district were the Concord School District, the Pacheco School District, the Clayton

Valley School District, the Clayton School District and the Oak Grove School District for a total of approximately 80 square

miles.

In 1926 two more pieces of equipment were purchased,

foremost a Dodge one-and-a-half ton truck which, like the

earlier Model T Ford, was also housed at W. H. Eddy's ga-

rage.

A suitable site for a new fire station was identified in

1930 and the land was purchased in downtown Concord.

The site consisted of two lots 50' x 125' each and it was

located on the corner of Fernando (Willow Pass) and Grant

streets. The lots cost $500 each. But, the planning commit-

tee hit a snag when the City of Concord did not have ade-

quate funding to build the station. They had applied to the

Public Works Administration for funding, but the city did

not have the needed matching money.

In 1936 a second attempt was made. This time the district had on hand 55 percent of the funding requested from the

Public Works Administration and their application for $11,454.00 was accepted. On September 29, 1938 bids were re-

viewed and the low bid offered by J. J. Hansen was accepted. His bid of $22,120 required another request for funding from

the P. W. A., which was granted and the project continued, costing $25,379. But, this did not include architect's fees, light

fixtures or blinds. Once additional grant money was secured, the district then had the $30,065 needed to complete the pro-

ject.

Continued on page 5

ENGINE COMPANY NO. 1, CONCORD—1933

1926 DODGE FIRE TRUCK DRIVEN BY WILLIAM EDDY

ORIGINAL CONCORD FIRE HOUSE—LATE 1880s

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 5

Driveways, a wash rack, sidewalks and all outside work was not a part of the bid, but, working with the city, which had

W. P. A. (Works Progress Administration—a Depression era New Deal agency) projects already underway, this was com-

pleted. And so, on June 25, 1939 the building, on the northeast corner of Willow Pass Road and Grant Street in downtown

Concord was dedicated. This station was designated Station 1, and served as headquarters of the Mt. Diablo Fire Protec-

tion District. Once completed the station housed five pieces of equipment manned by 28 men on call, all under the supervi-

sion of Chief A. W. Vargus, who held monthly drills. Instruction was held on the use of the equipment as well as first aid,

including the use of a new piece of equipment, an inhalator to be used to restore breathing to those who had drowned or

become asphyxiated, or who have contacted pneumonia or diphtheria.

The publication is also quick to point out that the new station resulted in a decrease in insurance rates and prompts peo-

ple to make sure that their insurance reflects the new decrease.

On December 29, 1964, the Mt. Diablo Fire Protection District merged with the Central Fire Protection District

(comprised of five stations in Walnut Creek and Pleasant Hill) to form the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. The down-

town Concord fire station built in 1939 is still in operation at 2210 Willow Pass Road. It is currently designated Station 6 of

the Contra Costa Fire Protection District. Currently the district provides services for 9 cities and unincorporated areas of the

County. It serves a population of 600,000 people and covers 304 square miles with 24 stations. The total operating budget

for 2009-2011 was $99.7 million.

The publication produced by A. W. Vargus included some tips on prevent-

ing fires, some of which apply today, some of which reflect the culture of the

day. Citizens are asked by the publication to especially eliminate the following

items or practices:

The use of cheap unsafe matches.

Use of coal oil and other inflammable volatiles to start fires.

Neglecting chimney and flue cleaning once a year.

Neglect and lack of inspection of heating appliances.

Shingle roof.

Accumulation of papers and rubbish in attic, basement and outhouses.

Dry grass, noxious weeds, and rubbish in yards surrounding property.

Use of gasoline, naphtha and cleaning fluids in home.

Smoking in bed, careless use of cigarettes and other smoking materials.

Oily rags and rubbish in garage and on premises.

Fire crackers, rockets, etc.

Cheap electrical appliances.

Improper fuses to protect wiring.

Too many electrical fixtures on a single circuit.

Storing gasoline in the home, and empty gasoline drums on premises.

Burning loose materials in open fire places.

Not having proper fire breaks in buildings.

Continued from page 4

CONCORD ENGINE COMPANY NO. 1—1933 CONCORD VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT—1928

CONCORD FIRE STATION—1920

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 6

CAMPAIGN TO RESTORE THE MASONIC TEMPLE 2013-2014

HELP RESTORE THE MASONIC TEMPLE AND MAKE IT

THE CONCORD HISTORY MUSEUM AND RESOURCE CENTER

Your donation, if made before April 30, 2014, will be matched by a donor

who has committed to matching donations from the public. Mail your check to the

Concord Historical Society, P. O. Box 404, Concord CA 94522. Your Donation will be

matched, thus doubling the power of your gift. Any amount will be greatly appreciated.

Whatever you can afford will help us reach our goal.

The Museum and Resource Center will be open to Concord’s students, residents

and scholars and will display the Society’s large collection of historical artifacts of Con-

cord’s interesting and important past. The Masonic Temple’s original dance floor and

stage will be retained and available for rentals for weddings and other special occasions,

providing a source of income to maintain and operate the Galindo Home as well as the

Museum.

This is your chance to be a part of the creation of a Museum and Resource Center

that will preserve the history we want future generations to know. Please donate what-

ever you can and an amount that expresses your appreciation of our all volunteer Soci-

ety’s work to complete this very beneficial project for the community. Thank you.

Your donation will be tax deductible as allowed by law.

Sincerely,

Lloyd R. Crenna, Campaign Manager

With your belief in the Concord Historical Society’s cause, and your financial support, the Masonic Temple will be

restored to its earlier grandeur at its new site, 1928 Clayton Road, for future generations to behold and enjoy.

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 7

IN MEMORY OF COACH HART FAIRCLOUGH (1924-2013) By Lon M. Carlston

Scores of former Mt. Diablo High School students and athletes lost a much

loved and respected teacher, coach, roll-model, mentor and friend at the passing

of Hart Fairclough on November 11, 2013. Fairclough, a member of the Concord

Historical Society’s Honorary Board of Directors was 89. The passing of Hart

Fairclough is not only a huge loss to his family and friends but is also a tremen-

dous loss to many members of the Society and community as well.

It’s fair to say that many members of the society had Hart either as a math

teacher or as a football/track and field coach at Mt. Diablo High School where he

taught and coached for many years from the early 1950s through the early 1980s.

He served as backfield coach in the early 1950s until the fall of 1956 when he

became head football coach. His teams won Diablo Valley Athletic League foot-

ball championships in 1958, 1959, 1960, 1962 and 1963, while his track and field

teams also excelled with several league titles and a North Coast Section champi-

onship in 1955.

One of his athletes, Stan Gaunt, won the pole vault at the 1954 California

State Championship meet, while many other of his football and track athletes

went on to compete at the college level. As head coach of the North team in the

1961 Shrine All-Star North-South football game, Hart led the North to victory.

After retiring from football Hart served as Commissioner of the Diablo Valley

Athletic League from 1972 to 1986. In recognition of all his sports contributions,

he was inducted into the Mt. Diablo Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Mt.

Diablo High School football stadium now bears the name the Hart Fairclough Mt. Diablo High Red Devil Stadium. Hart

retired from teaching in 1984.

Although just about everyone knew him as Hart, he was born

Richard Hartley Fairclough, Jr. on July 11, 1924 in Evanston, Illinois.

When he was 11, his family moved west, settling in Los Gatos, Cali-

fornia. There he became active in Boy Scouts, earned his Eagle Scout

ranking, became active in high school sports, lettered in basketball

and track (where he was a pole vaulter) and got interested in football.

An attack on Pearl Harbor during his senior year at Los Gatos

High School resulted in a four-year U.S. Army tour overseas with the

1256 Engineering Combat Battalion during World War II. Following

his tour of duty he attended the University of California, Berkeley,

where he obtained a Master’s Degree in Physical Education and stud-

ied football coaching under Pappy Waldorf.

Not long after joining the Mt. Diablo High staff, Hart married fel-

low teacher Betty Joanne Blankenship (whom Mt. Diablo High girls

called “Miss B”). The Faircloughs raised four daughters, Ann Fair-

clough of La Canada/Flintridge, Kathryn Fairclough of Martinez,

Susan Fairclough of Lafayette, and Carolyn Thibault of Hope, Idaho.

Hart is survived by a sister, Jean Schroeder, his children and two

grandchildren, Steven Thibault of Akron, Ohio, and David Thibault of

Sandpoint, Idaho. He was predeceased by his wife Betty.

While much of Hart’s professional life was devoted to sports, you didn’t have to be an athlete to be a friend of Mr. Fair-

clough, as many former students will attest. It goes without saying that Hart was one of the fairest, most positive and sup-

portive coaches ever at Mt. Diablo High. And as a testament to his character, this writer never once in the 60 years I’ve

known him ever heard anyone say anything negative about my friend Hart Fairclough. He will be missed by so many.

COACH FAIRCLOUGH IN THE 1950s

FAIRCLAUGH AT THE MDHS CENTENNIAL—2001

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 8

Donations—Photos, Artifacts, Library Materials

Andrea Blachman for Martinez Historical Society - Third Annual Concord Independence Day Fete memorabilia 1931: Pro-

gram for July 2, 3, 4; typescript of the history of Concord that appears in the program; letter dated June 6, 1932 from Mayor

John J. Bermingham, President Concord Community Fourth of July Association thanking Sheriff R. R. Veale for securing Jo-

seph R. Knowland to deliver the Fourth of July oration in Concord

Neal & Diane Essary - Kitchen tongs from O’Neal’s circa 1940s or earlier

Joanne Fryer - Cookbook, spiral bound, Some of the best cooks live in Concord, California; Here is a treasury of their Fa-

vorite Recipes

Jerry Michaels - Weede photo covers (2); Diablo News June 3, 1955; clipping, Concord Transcript 1/17/1968; Photocopy,

MDHS aerial view c 1946; Programs: MDHS Commencement 1955; Senior Career Day 1955; Carnival Papers 1955; Drinking

glasses, Crystal Drive-In; miniature cedar chest from Sattler’s; Shorthand pin for 100 words-a-minute 1955

Kay Massone - CDs with photos: Masonic Temple in its former location; CHS Fall events – Docent Luncheon 9/28/13 (48) & Autumn at the Adobe 10/6/13 (24)

Jacquie Oliverius - Photos, framed, Transcript Building: Clayton Road (color), Bacon Block 1890s, Bacon Block circa 1910;

Aluminum printing plate, framed, Concord Transcript 9/16/1987

Jerry Prado - City of Concord emblem; Clippings, Transcript: Concord men leave for Air Force training 6/24/1960; Crucial

vote set on Concord Rezoning request 4/11/1983; Cooking winners & recipes 11/12/1969 (laminated); Mt. Diablo High School

memorabilia; Menu & flyer, Serendipity Restaurant 2002-2002 Brochure, International Hospitality & Tourism Academy

2011Booklet, History of Mt. Diablo High School; Map, MDHS campus

Ray Rosenblatt - Map, B&W aerial view of Meadow Homes tract 1950

Barbara Strehlitz - Program, MDHS Centennial Celebration, All Class Reunion 1903-2003

D O N A T I O N S

THANK YOU FOR YOUR

GENEROSITY AND

CONTINUED SUPPORT

Vivian Boyd

Alice B. Woodhead

Willard Ballenger

Joan Reed

Brad and Jennifer Morimune

John Keibel

Al Bolden

Jim and Jan Trolan

Celina Wu

Mr. & Mrs. John Mercurio

Thomas and Sharon Duncan

Vasconi-Belka Realty

Beverly Ginocchio

Margaret Floyd

Mary Buscaglia

Myron and Jean Allen

Linda Chambers

Lynda Deschenes

Veronica Villa

John and Michelle Carlston

Catalina Wright

Daniel Campos

Stan Gaunt

Dr. Allen Lagier

Donations—Financial Contributions

Richard and Wrenetta Dortzback

Judy Trette

Art and Louise Turrin

J. A. Trolan Family

Lydia Crowell

Anita Mingham

Gaile Ginocchio/Ginocchio Family

Daniel and Sharon Pimentel

Bill and Virginia Rood

Robert Uriate and Gloria Lincoln

Tom and Kay Brachin

Margaret Flaugher

Monterey Mechanical

Sandra Stauffer

Jim and Virginia Villa

Larry and LaRae LaRosa

Kenneth and Jonnye Derrick

Leo Fontana

Gerald W. Hudlin

Jim and Maurice Kilcoin

Reggie and Barbara Fromm

Fred Lebherz

Bob and Kay Massone

Jack and Janet Armstrong

George and Margaret Wildes

Victor Nonaka

Bill Littorno

Mr. and Mrs. Ken Snyder

Curtis and Tracy Jin

In Memory of Ted Mundy

Cynthia Stauffer

Valeria Stauffer

Shirley Warren

Melvin and Diana Haas

Diablo Nephrology Medical Group

Larry and Barbara Hollinger

Marv McKean

Nobrio Watanabe

Sharon Jelich

In Memory of Hart Fairclough

Vivian Boyd

Judy Trette

Don and Jackie Madera

Marv McKean

James Serventi

Mr. & Mrs. Loyal Miner

In Memory of Ruth Claussen

Richard and Marjorie Kransky

Michael and Karen Ball

George Bonfigli

In Memory of Mary Alessandrelli

Jim and Virginia Villa

In Memory of Paul Lewis

Denese Allen

Jan Rodd

Donations—Museum Building Fund

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 9

CONCORD HISTORIAN NEWSLETTER AD APPLICATION

One Year – Four Issues $100.00 Business Card reduced to fit (2 ½” x 1 ¼”)

Double size (2 ½” x 3 ½”) $200.00

Date ___________________________

Name _________________________________________________________________________

Company Name _________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________ City State Zip Code

Business Card Enclosed________ Amount Enclosed_____________

Non-Profit Tax ID No. 23-7094512

YOUR BUSINESS

CARD HERE!

February 2014 THE CONCORD HISTORIAN Page 10

DONATIONS APPRECIATED The Concord Historical Society (CHS) welcomes gifts of funds, stock or property, and bequests in Wills and Trusts or in

honor or memory of someone. Because CHS is an all volunteer organization, 100% of your gifts goes to its projects. Un-

specified gifts will be placed in the Museum Fund. All gifts are tax deductible and will be acknowledged personally and in

the newsletter unless you request otherwise. Checks should be made out and mailed to: Concord Historical Society, P. O.

Box 404, Concord, CA 94522. Your generosity is greatly appreciated.

CONCORD HISTORICAL SOCIETY MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION

NAME (please print):

Mailing Address:

E-mail Address:

Telephone:

Annual Membership Categories:

Supporting: $25.00; Nonprofit: $25.00; Business: $100.00; Benefactor: $150.00; Life Membership: $500.00

Additional Tax deductible donation:

General Fund:

Museum Fund:

Archive Preservation Fund:

Landmark Plaque Fund:

Total Amount Enclosed:

If you would like to volunteer, please select your choice: School Programs Fund Raising Newsletter

Administration Docent Documentation Membership Oral History Walking Tours Research

Please clip or copy this membership form, and mail it to the Concord Historical Society at P. O. Box 404, Concord, CA 94522

MISSION STATEMENT

The Mission of the Concord Historical Society is to discover, preserve and dis-

play objects and materials of significant historical interest, importance and value

in relation to Concord and its vicinity, to identify and preserve Concord’s histori-

cal structures and to discover, preserve and disseminate knowledge of Concord’s

history.

VIEWS OF THE PAST

Compiled by Kay Massone from the January 9, 1968 Concord Transcript

City Council Declares a State of War

The Concord City Council declared a state of war last night so it could give city treasurer Anne Walsh a raise

in salary.

The state constitution prohibits raising salaries of elective officials during their terms of office unless a na-

tional state of war exists. The attorney general last year found that such a state exists, at least as far as elective

salaries are concerned.

Pending final passage of an ordinance, Mrs. Walsh’s salary will go up 5 per cent from $720 to $765.