THE unincorporated community of Blackhawk, noted for its elaborate houses and smattering of celebrities, is sequestered behind walls that line rolling hills east of Danville.

The first group of Blackhawk homes was built in the early 1980s on land that used to be known as the Blackhawk Ranch.

Established in 1917 by San Francisco capitalist Ansel M. Easton, the ranch was used first as a summer home and later as a working ranch. The ranch gained a worldwide reputation for pure-bred Shorthorn cattle and prize Shire horses. Walnut trees also were grown there, and for years the ranch was known as one of Contra Costa County’s most productive.

The original 1,250-acre ranch changed hands several times, growing to about 6,500 acres until it was sold in 1973 to the Blackhawk Corp. During the next few years, the corporation sold lots to builders and individuals who today live in the exclusive 9-square-mile community.

The posh Blackhawk Shopping Plaza contains the Blackhawk Automotive Museum and the University of California, Berkeley Museum of Art, Science and Culture

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