The cache is not at the above coordinates.
On January 17, 1947, the first meeting of the Mt. Diablo Amateur Radio Club (MDARC) was held at the Walnut Creek Grammar School and inaugurated 28 members. The Club had been officially founded a week earlier, on January 9, 1947, at the home of the first president, Bud Stedinger, W6CX. Bud passed away in 1955. In his honor, MDARC subsequently adopted his call sign, W6CX, as its primary Club call. W6CX has since become almost synonymous with our Club's name.
This cache is to commemorate the Club’s first meeting and its 70 years of being one of the largest and most publicly active amateur radio clubs in California. To learn more about the Club, go to http://www.mdarc.org/.
The Walnut Creek Grammar School opened in 1912, replacing the 40-year-old Central School that stood on the same site. The school was expanded several times over the years. After World War II, when the town was expanding rapidly, the local school district began building neighborhood elementary schools. The downtown school closed in 1957.
A plaque commemorating the school is at the above coordinates; and so also commemorates the location of MDARC’s first meeting.
You can learn more about the plaque and other nearby historical markers at https://www.hmdb.org/Marker.asp?Marker=93697. Additional information about Walnut Creek’s history is at http://www.walnutcreekhistory.info/.
The cache is not at or within site of the above coordinates because other caches are within 0.1 miles of this location. But it’s just a short walk from here.
To find the cache:
- Go to the Walnut Creek Grammar School plaque and enjoy learning a little city history.
- Look low to find Elliott Taylor. When you’ve found him, turn left and start walking.
- Continue past the Red Leaping Lady about 100 feet.
- Look high to find PG&E’s 5286.
- Turn left and walk past one street light post and two trees.
- Turn right at the storm drain maintenance hole cover.
(Remember: No Dumping; Drains to Creek.)
- Turn left at the bicycle rack.
- Stop at the second handicapped parking space.
- Find it.
I’ve tried to place this one in as inconspicuous a place as I could, but be aware that the entire downtown area is an inherently heavy muggle area. Please be cautious.