Nortonville
Ghost town · United States
- Abandoned
- unknown
- Founded
- —
- Population
- —
- Coordinates
- 37.958, -121.881
Why it was abandoned
⚒️ Mines & quarries
Detected automatically from the text: The town's population rapidly rose due to the opening of the nearby Black Diamond Mine, which attracted coal miners and their families.
History
Nortonville was an unincorporated town in eastern Contra Costa County, California, United States that is now considered a ghost town. It was one of five towns established within the Mount Diablo Coalfield, along with Somersville, Stewartville, Judsonville, and West Hartley. Nortonville was established in 1861 by Noah Norton. The town's population rapidly rose due to the opening of the nearby Black Diamond Mine, which attracted coal miners and their families. Activity peaked in 1882, after which the local coal mines closed down and the town quickly became deserted. The former town site is located on Nortonville Road and Black Diamond Trail, just south of the city of Pittsburg. The town site is now part of the Black Diamond Mines Regional Preserve, managed by the East Bay Regional Park District.