Oakley Homes For Sale


	Oakley Houses for Sale

Oakley

In November 1998, local voters approved Oakley's incorporation. On July 1, 1999, Oakley became Contra Costa County's newest city. The community and the city's new leadership strongly encourage the development of new industries to support the local workforce.

While the community is pro-business, it is also takes the time to celebrate its agricultural roots. Each year the Annual Oakley Almond Festival brings out the crowds to celebrate its largest cash crop. Each year, crowds fill the local park to view the Almond Parade, take part in kids games and entertainment, and cheer participants in the Love-A-Nut 5k run.

The first people to live in the area were the Native American tribe known as the Bay Miwoks or the Northern Valley Yokuts. They were peaceful people who enjoyed singing and dancing, and lived mostly on acorn gruel, fish, game, berries and seeds. They lived in dome shaped houses thatched with tulle. Residents can see all that remains of this culture by visiting two abandoned village sites, known as Shell mounds. One is along Indian Slough and marsh Creek roads and the other at the Caves of Vasco.

The first European explorer of Contra Costa County was Pedro Fages in 1772. But it wasn't until 65 years later that Europeans settled here. In the late 1830's, Dr. John Marsh became the first American citizen and physician in the area. He soon purchased a 12 X 10 mile grant for $500 and used the land primarily for cattle.

Contra Costa County was incorporated in 1850 as one of the original 27 counties of the State of California with the City of Martinez as the County Seat. It is one of the nine counties in the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area. The County is the ninth most populous county in California, with its population reaching approximately 930,000 as of January 1, 2000. The County has one of the fastest growing work forces among Bay Area counties, with growth in its employment base being driven primarily by the need to provide services to an increasing local population. Due to the presence of relatively high-wage skilled jobs and relatively wealthy residents, the County achieves high rankings among all California counties on a variety of income measurements.