Stepping Through Time: The Sidewalks of Martinez--OTHER STAMPS

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A HOPSCOTCH OF OTHER STAMPS

M.P. AMARAL/10-1926
The 1928 Martinez City Directory shows "Amaral Cath P (wid J P)"/Cathy P. Amaral, widow of J.P. Amaral, living at the very address these stamps still exist: the NE corner of Estudillo and Allen. No M.P. Amaral is listed. However, because only part of his stamp was prefabricated, it follows that M.P. had made sidewalks prior or predicted would do so again. "10-1926" probably refers to October 1926. 1926 was the record for development in Martinez and the first time the U.S. was considered the wealthiest nation in the world.

The meaning of horseshoes embedded in sidewalks is probably for luck. The open end catching the luck and concentrating it in the arch which points at the house. This is the only intact horseshoe I have found in Martinez, although there are many places where once embedded horseshoes have left their imprint. In San Francisco embedded sidewalk horseshoes are seen frequently, i.e. the east side of the 4500 block of Mission Street, 2 side by side in front of an old business. One of the 3 places on Grandview where the stamp still says MAIN. The steps are part of private property. At this time it is unknown whether the steps were ever public access.

OLIVER AND SON WALNUT CREEK
Oliver and Sons is now a huge paving company and their stamp can be found in concrete new and old throughout the Bay Area. The 1947 Lafayette/Walnut Creek Directory finds Oliver and Sons at 2156 Hillside, Walnut Creek. Oliver and Sons stamp is at the base of the Martinez Library steps.

FONTES
His only stamp found to date, 11-1928 exists on the North side of Brown near Pine, across the street from 1010 Brown. John Fontes appears in 1927 at 1324 Estudillo as a sidewalk contractor and has his own ad. By 1930 he is at 310 Richardson Street, living with other Fontes. After 1933 he is no longer listed. His sidewalks have thick margins with perpendicular grooves and a smaller inner square.

HAROLD W. SMITH

According to his niece, Dee England, Harold W. Smith was a good looking man who in his youth worked on the Caldecott tunnel. He had apprenticed with a paver who died at sea in WWII. Harold. Smith was born in 1918 and died in 1980. He paved all over Contra Costa County including the area around the Court St. Post Office, Montgomery Ward's parking lot, and he even built his own swimming pool at 480 Boyd Road--for which he was very proud and celebrated it by builidng a circular BBQ. He created his own sidewalk paving method which involved 2 layers: the first layer contained tied off steel rods and the second layer created the squares. You can find Harold W. Smith stamps from Green Street down to Bush Street and appear often on Alhambra and Barrellessa, particularly on the side of curbs. There is also one of these stamps at the corner of Court and Susana, in front of First Congregational Church.

Art Concrete Works no longer exists, but can be found on water meter covers in Martinez. According to a probably 1930's (? date cut off, having to re-research, although there is a Ford advertisement on the page) Oakland City Directory, Art Concrete Works was at 2400 Adeline and was owned by a W.B. Allen. One can also find the same emblem on water meter covers only its states "Pasadena Patented" instead of Oakland. "Art" is probably in the name of the company as a throw back to when cement was called "Artificial Stone."

HANDWRITTEN SIDEWALK DATES: Rollover Images For More Info





Unless indicated, all photographs and contents copyright 2006 by Kristin Henderson

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	M.P. AMARAL/10-1926 The 1928 Martinez City Directory shows "Amaral Cath P (wid J P)"/Cathy P. Amaral, widow of J.P. Amaral, living at the very address these stamps still exist: the NE corner of Estudillo and Allen. No M.P. Amaral is listed. However, because only part of his stamp was prefabricated, it follows that M.P. had made sidewalks prior or predicted would do so again. "10-1926" probably refers to October 1926. 1926 was the record for development in Martinez and the first time the U.S. was considered the wealthiest nation in the world.
The meaning of horseshoes embedded in sidewalks is probably for luck. The open end catching the luck and concentrating it in the arch which points at the house. This is the only intact horseshoe I have found in Martinez, although there are many places where once embedded horseshoes have left their imprint. In San Francisco embedded sidewalk horseshoes are seen frequently, i.e. the east side of the 4500 block of Mission Street, 2 side by side in front of an old business.	One of the 3 places on Grandview where the stamp still says MAIN. The steps are part of private property. At this time it is unknown whether the steps were ever public access.
	OLIVER AND SON WALNUT CREEK Oliver and Sons is now a huge paving company and their stamp can be found in concrete new and old throughout the Bay Area. The 1947 Lafayette/Walnut Creek Directory finds Oliver and Sons at 2156 Hillside, Walnut Creek. Oliver and Sons stamp is at the base of the Martinez Library steps.
	FONTES His only stamp found to date, 11-1928 exists on the North side of Brown near Pine, across the street from 1010 Brown. John Fontes appears in 1927 at 1324 Estudillo as a sidewalk contractor and has his own ad. By 1930 he is at 310 Richardson Street, living with other Fontes. After 1933 he is no longer listed. His sidewalks have thick margins with perpendicular grooves and a smaller inner square.
HAROLD W. SMITH According to his niece, Dee England, Harold W. Smith was a good looking man who in his youth worked on the Caldecott tunnel. He had apprenticed with a paver who died at sea in WWII. Harold. Smith was born in 1918 and died in 1980. He paved all over Contra Costa County including the area around the Court St. Post Office, Montgomery Ward's parking lot, and he even built his own swimming pool at 480 Boyd Road--for which he was very proud and celebrated it by builidng a circular BBQ. He created his own sidewalk paving method which involved 2 layers: the first layer contained tied off steel rods and the second layer created the squares. You can find Harold W. Smith stamps from Green Street down to Bush Street and appear often on Alhambra and Barrellessa, particularly on the side of curbs. There is also one of these stamps at the corner of Court and Susana, in front of First Congregational Church.

	Art Concrete Works no longer exists, but can be found on water meter covers in Martinez. According to a probably 1930's (? date cut off, having to re-research, although there is a Ford advertisement on the page) Oakland City Directory, Art Concrete Works was at 2400 Adeline and was owned by a W.B. Allen. One can also find the same emblem on water meter covers only its states "Pasadena Patented" instead of Oakland. "Art" is probably in the name of the company as a throw back to when cement was called "Artificial Stone."
HANDWRITTEN SIDEWALK DATES: Rollover Images For More Info