Long before Southampton…long before the Industrial Park…even long before First Street, Benicia’s permanent development consisted primarily of the Arsenal, a U.S. military reservation which operated from 1851 to 1964. A lot happened in Benicia and the world during that time, and the Benicia Historical Museum has condensed more than a century of history into […]
Historical Society invites community to reflect on mid-20th century Benicia life
As long-time Benicians know, the Benicia of today is not like the Benicia of yesteryear. The population had 20,000 fewer residents, the Arsenal was the largest employer in the city, the Industrial Park did not exist, the area now known as Southampton was undeveloped, there was no bridge to Martinez for cars and Benicia High […]
Benicia High School alumni yearbook a journey through Benicia history
A 2016 yearbook of Benicia High School alums that started out as an accessory for reunion attendees grew to become such a well laid out book, telling a story in pictures of Benicia history alongside life snippets from the more than 100 members of the graduating classes of 1956 through 1979, that it has now […]
Thoughts of the Carquinez Straits in Benicia’s golden days
FIRST THOUGHTS At the Benicia Grammar School, that site now holds Benicia Unified School District offices, some teachers had stacks of Life Magazines in their classrooms which had been published during World War II. I often looked at them while eating my brown bag lunch. Among photos in the magazines which I thought of at […]