Editing Martinez, California (section)

== History ==
[[File:Martinez, CA USA - Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849 by the son of Ygnacio Martinez (John Muir National Historic Site) - panoramio (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The [[Vicente Martínez Adobe]], built in 1849 by a son of [[Ygnacio Martínez]], is the oldest building in Martinez.]]
[[File:Martinez, CA USA - John Muir National Historic Site - panoramio (3).jpg|thumb|left|The [[John Muir National Historic Site]], home of famed naturalist [[John Muir]] from 1880 until his death in 1914]]
The beautiful, lush Alhambra Valley was probably a seasonal foraging “pantry” for the stable population of the Karkines Indians. The Karkines are a part of the Ohlone (Costanoan) Indian group.

In 1824, the western side of Martinez, [[Alhambra Creek|Alhambra Valley]] was included in the [[Rancho El Pinole]] Mexican land grant to [[Ygnacio Martínez]].<ref name="Martinez Historical Society">{{cite web|url=http://www.martinezhistory.org/html/martinez_history.html |title=Martinez Historical Society |publisher=Martinezhistory.org |access-date=July 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613232418/http://www.martinezhistory.org/html/martinez_history.html|archive-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>  East of these lands was the [[Rancho Las Juntas]], a grant made to Irish born William Welch in 1844; his land lay between the lands of Martinez and Pacheco.

In 1847, [[Robert B. Semple|Dr. Robert Semple]] contracted to provide ferry service from Martinez to [[Benicia, California|Benicia]], which for many years was the only crossing on the Carquinez Strait.<ref name="Martinez Historical Society" /> By 1849, Martínez served as a way station for the [[California Gold Rush]].  The town was laid out in 1849 by Col. William M. Smith and named for Martinez.<ref name=CGN>{{California's Geographic Names|660}}</ref> It became the county seat in 1850, but could not incorporate at the time because it lacked the 200 registered voters required, and would not become a city until 1876.<ref name="Martinez, CA, City History">[http://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/history.asp Martinez, CA, City History] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150802234248/http://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/history.asp |date=August 2, 2015 }}</ref>

Martinez was the home of naturalist [[John Muir]] from 1880 until his death in 1914. He was buried about a mile south of the building that is now the [[John Muir National Historic Site]]. Also nearby is the Vicente Martinez Adobe, built in 1849 by the son of Ygnacio Martinez.<ref name="Martinez, CA, City History" />

The first post office opened in 1851.<ref name=CGN />

In 1860, Martinez played a role in the [[Pony Express]], where riders would take the ferry from Benicia (particularly if they missed the steamer in Sacramento).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.martinezhistory.org/html/pony_express.html |title=Martinez History and the Pony Express |publisher=Martinezhistory.org |access-date=July 14, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130613224005/http://www.martinezhistory.org/html/pony_express.html|archive-date=June 13, 2013}}</ref>

The first [[oil refinery]] in the Martinez area was built in 1904 at Bull's Head Point, a then-unincorporated waterfront area two miles east of the downtown district. That area soon became known as Mococo, following the 1905 arrival of a smelting works, operated by the Mountain Copper Company (Mo Co Co).
[[File:06903-Martinez-1906-Courthouse of Contra Costa Co.-Brück & Sohn Kunstverlag (cropped).jpg|thumb|left|The historic [[Contra Costa County]] Courthouse was built in 1901.]]
That first facility, operated by the Bull's Head Oil Company, was followed in 1908 by a test refinery built by the Pacific Coast Oil Company. Shortly thereafter, Pacific Coast became part of Standard Oil (now Chevron), and consolidated their oil refining operations in the Point Richmond, Hercules, Rodeo waterfront corridor some {{Convert|12|mi|km}} to the west of Martinez.

In 1913, the Golden Eagle facility became the third oil refinery to be built in the area. It was located in the newly created company town of Avon, immediately to the East of Martinez. A fourth refinery, built by the [[Shell Oil]] Company on land adjacent to the Martinez City limits, went online in January 1916. The Shell Oil refining facility is still operational today (Currently owned by PBF Energy), maintaining the city's position as a significant petroleum processing center. The Golden Eagle Refinery (currently owned by Marathon Petroleum Company) was idled in April 2020 as a response to lower petroleum demand during the [[COVID-19 pandemic in the United States|COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/carefinery/carefinery.htm |title=California Refinery |publisher=Arb.ca.gov |access-date=July 14, 2013 |archive-date=August 9, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110809092041/http://www.arb.ca.gov/fuels/carefinery/carefinery.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |url        =http://www.shell.us/aboutshell/projects-locations/martinez.html
 |title      =Welcome to Shell Martinez Refinery
 |website    =shell.us
 |publisher  =Shell Oil Company
 |access-date =July 14, 2013
}}</ref><ref>{{cite web
 |author1=City of Martinez
 |title=Historic Resources of Martinez
 |url=http://martinez.granicus.com/MetaViewer.php?view_id=7&clip_id=1129&meta_id=85037
 |website=Application to the National Register of Historic Places
 |publisher=Martinez City Council
 |access-date=March 8, 2018
|page=14 of 72
 |date=March 12, 2015
}}</ref>

Folk etymology in Martinez claims the invention of the [[Martini (cocktail)|Martini cocktail]] and that it is named for the city.<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp
 |title        = The Martini Story
 |website      = cityofmartinez.org
 |publisher    = City of Martinez
 |access-date  = July 14, 2013
|archive-date = July 31, 2013
|archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20130731100348/http://www.cityofmartinez.org/our_city/martini.asp
 |url-status   = dead
}}</ref>