“Time Capsule” Discovered Under the Floor Boards of the “Sharkey Building” at 630 Court Street, Martinez, CA

On December 28, 2015 Alberto Perez, an employee of Southport Land, discovered a small stash of documents and photographs under the floor boards of the “Sharkey Building” at 630 Court Street in Martinez.  The building has been undergoing earthquake retrofitting, which required some interior demolition, including the removal of part of the floor.  The brick structure had been constructed in 1926 by State Senator William R. Sharkey to accommodate the expansion of his newspaper publishing activities, and was the home of the Martinez Gazette newspaper for many years.

Although not a true time capsule, the documents and photographs give a rare look into the past.  The discovery includes:
           • Three copies of a 1921 brochure from the Martinez Chamber of Commerce;
           • Eight portrait photographs (two marked as taken in Martinez);
           • Two envelopes; and
           • A Hershey Bar wrapper.

When he turned the stash over to Southport Land's president, David Fischer, Mr. Perez remarked that he was giving Mr. Fischer the documents, but he was “keeping the money.”

Scanned images of most of the items, and a transcipt of any writing on them, are below.

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

Scanned Images:

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