The Los Medanos College Lifelong Learning Adult Lectures are fee-based, not-for-credit classes on specialized topics that are designed for personal growth and enrichment for attendees. Lectures are taught by individuals who are experts in their field and passionate about the topics they are addressing.

The Lifelong Learning Center is holding a series of monthly lectures on the history of the Delta. Join Carol Jensen, local historian, on Tuesday, November 15 from 1 PM to 3 PM as she talks about the maritime history of Contra Costa County.

San Francisco’s “opposite shore” is exceptional for its maritime role in securing the City’s financial preeminence. Located minutes from San Francisco by ferry or automobile, Contra Costa County provided deep water ports for shipping agricultural, mineral, and manufactured goods around the world. Pacific commodity traders made use of these ports to ship products, ensuring California’s unique global economic role. Immense wealth is created from goods shipped from maritime Contra Costa County, securing a vibrant economy from the Gaslight era to the days of Haight-Ashbury. We experience in vintage photographs this region’s impact on significant California events. Wines to challenge French vinicultural supremacy were shipped, grains destined to make Guinness beer great set sail, and soldiers embarked for the World War II Pacific Theatre from these piers. Maritime Contra Costa provides a fresh perspective on the intertwined histories of San Francisco and its “other coast.”