The Rabbit Hole

Posted on April 23, 2018September 5, 2020 by oaklanddots

I grew up in the Montclair District of Oakland, CA. I attended Thornhill Elementary School, Montera Junior High, Skyline High School, and spent some time at Merritt College.

494 Capricorn _00005 — **My childhood home in Montclair**

I lived in Montclair until I was a young adult, and since then, I have lived by Lake Merritt, in the Fruitvale District, on Piedmont Ave, the King Estates Area, and now the Laurel District.

Since going on an Oakland Heritage Alliance Tour of the Fernwood Neighborhood in the Montclair District of Oakland in about 1984, I have been an Oakland history buff ever since. On that tour, I learned a train (Sacramento Northern) ran through Montclair in the early 1900s and that people lived the area as early as the 1860s — been hooked ever since. Since then, I have spent a lot of time looking into Montclair’s history, and I have learned a lot. I feel this will be the best way to get it out of my head and onto paper.

In 2018 I started this blog because I collected so much information on Oakland’s history and couldn’t wait to share. Posting in Facebook groups isn’t the best outlet for me. I love sharing what I know and reading what others share. But things get lost on Facebook.

With my dear friend Phil, I got started, and I was off and running. It should be easy, I say to myself, because, in my mind, I had already laid out actual pages and everything I wanted to say.

But it wasn’t.

I tend to get bogged down in the details. I worry about getting my facts correct. It is hard for me to find a happy medium between too much and too little. So, this is a work in progress, so bear with me.

I hope you will enjoy history as much as I do!

Down The Hole, I Go

But I have strayed from the topic of this post. Often when researching one thing, you find something else that has nothing to do with what you are looking for, but it piques your interest. That happens to me a lot.

You might know this as the “Internet rabbit hole” you see when you try to research one thing, and then accidentally go to Wikipedia, and then you are trying to find out what happened to Jimmy Hoffa? That is it in a nutshell.

One rabbit hole I get sucked into often is I will see a picture like this one and want to know more about it.

Oakland_Tribune_Sun__Apr_2__1911_ (1) — Oakland Tribune Apr. 02, 1911

Location
Is it still there?

Those two things can be very hard as sometimes the location is very vague and wrong. Sometimes the location is correct. When looking up the house, I am curious as to who the house was built for, were they famous or rich, maybe both?

I have compiled a lot of these pictures of newly built houses. I decided to create a map using Google Maps. The map I have created is “What was there or still is… Oakland, California”.

I have already added lots of the homes that I have found while down in the rabbit hole.

What was there or still is… Oakland California

Description of the Map

Some from long ago and long gone, but some are still there.
Based on clippings, newspapers, and photos. May not be accurate as address numbers have changed, and locations were often vague

Maroon – Still there
Black – Gone
Yellow – Landmark
Green – Berkeley
Purple – Piedmont
Red – Questions – researching

Here is a link to the map. Click on it to see. Please feel free to share it.

I still have lots of pages in the works; just have to get myself out of this hole.

This might help explain Rabbit Hole.

Uncategorized

The History Bug Strikes

Posted on September 16, 2017September 5, 2020 by oaklanddots

In 1983, my ex-husband and I were hired by the Montclair Presbyterian Church (where I went as a young child) as custodians. We moved into the house the church-owned next to the Sanctuary. It was at church I started to get the history bug. I found out that the church had celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1980. I was amazed the church had been there so long.

In about 1985, I went on the Fernwood Walking Tour by the Oakland Heritage Alliance, and from that point on, I was on a mission to find out more about the history of Montclair and Oakland.

The rest is history.

First blog post

Homes, Model/Display Homes, Oakland Tracts, Uncategorized

High Street Park Homes

Posted on January 5, 2021 by oaklanddots

In early 1926 J.B. Peepin announced that his company would be building approximately thirty-one in the High Street Park Tract on Culver Street. Prices averaged $5950 for five rooms, with a down payment of only 10% and 1% of the balance.

Peepin was already well known in Oakland and San Leandro as a builder of Bungalows.

Living rooms have studio ceilings, and the newest wall treatments. Hooded fireplaces, in latest designs. Each house has a breakfast room, with a hand decorated breakfast set, included in the purchased price.”
Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926

Charming hand stenciled kitchens, with linoleums, and every built-in convenience including kitchen cabinets and refrigerators.”
Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926

Gardens are laid out to suit each home, with lawns, shrubs, patio entrances and fish ponds.”
Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926

Casa Linda

4100 Culver Street
Built 1926
Price $5950-$6200

Casa Linda opened on July 18, 1926. The home was entirely furnished by Montgomery Wards & Company.

“The Home Beautiful”

Casa Linda, as the name implies is an unusually beautiful Spanish home, and embodies in its design and ornamentation new and pleasing innovations by our architectural service. Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926

Orange was the kitchen tile color, the hand-decorated furniture, and wall-paper in the breakfast room. Spanish galleons are the motif of parchment shades.

The exterior of “Casa Linda” was enhanced by the patio entrance with stepping stones and a fish pond.

Casa Palomar or Palomares

4150 Culver Street
Built 1926
Price $5950-$6200

Opened in September of 1926 and was furnished by Montgomery Wards and Company.

Casa Novia

4157 Culver Street
Built 1926
Price $5950-$6200

Casa Novia opened to the public on December 5, 1926 it was furnished by Lachman Brothers of San Francisco.

Display Home Is Especially Designed for Newly-Weds, Builder Says”
Oakland Tribune Dec 5, 1926

An arched doorway opens into the front hall affording a glimpse of a large living room with arched windows. The dining room and breakfast room are separated by columns and the kitchen is decorated with orange tiles.

Sold in 2020

In August of 2020 “Casa Novia” was put on the market for $789,000 and sold for $820,000 in October of 2020.

Zillow.com – 4157 Culver St

Culver House

4132 Culver Street
Built 1927
Price $6250

The furnished home went on display on April 24, 1927.

Large rooms, with plenty of sunshine make this home appeal to the housewife.”
Oakland Tribune Apr 24, 1927

Sold in 2020

Estately.Com – 4132 Culver Street

The was listed for $889,000 in November of 2020 and sold for $955,000 in December.

Villa Romancia

4145 Culver Street
Built 1927
Price $6775

Villa Romancia opened to the public in January of 1927.

“Castles in Sunny Spain”

ROMANCE! MYSTERY! That is what you think of when you see Villa Romanica.”
Oakland Tribune Feb 13, 1927

Open House 2021

In January of 1921 Villa Romancia is for sale. The listed price is $699,000. An open house was held on January 3, 2021.

Culver Street Homes

4115 Culver Street

List of Model Homes:

4100 Culver Street – Casa Linda
4132 Culver Street – Culver House
4145 Culver Street – Villa Romancia
4150 Culver Street – Casa Palomar
4157 Culver Street – Casa Novia

More Info:

4157 Culver Street – website
The Bungalow Book By J.B. Peppin – flickr

Casa Linda Opens to the Public – Oakland Tribune July 18, 1926
High Street Park Homes – Oakland Tribune July 26, 1926
Casa Palomar Opens – Oakland Tribune September 19, 1926
Peppin Starts Third Unit of Homes Here – Oakland Tribune October 10, 1926
Casa Novia Opens – Oakland Tribune December 12, 1926
Villa Romancia Opens – Oakland Tribune February 13, 1927
Culver House Now Open – Oakland Tribune April 24, 1927

The End

Oakland, People, Transportation

Santa Claus Rides the Bus

Posted on December 19, 2020 by oaklanddots

On Facebook, I have been sharing photos of holiday-themed AC Transit Coaches (Bus). In researching the tradition, I learned that Nickolas P. Alevizos played Santa Claus for more than 40 years. A bit of history here.

**Nick P. Alevizos -In front of a 10 seater Model-A Motor Bus one of the original West Oakland Motor Buses – Undated AC Transit Photo**

Santa Claus – St Nick

In December of 1960, AC Transit’s new streamlined “Transit Liners” went into service on Christmas Day.

A colorful parade called the “Travelcade of Progress” was held on the streets of downtown Oakland to introduce the new buses. The parade included all forms of East Bay public transportation since the horse and cable cars.

Alevizos led the parade as Santa Claus .

Alevizos became a legend by dressing as Santa Claus at wheeling through the East Bay in an AC-Transit holiday-themed decorated bus.

He started playing Santa Claus in 1933 for the Shrine, Richmond Kiwanis Club, and at the Division 3 Christmas parties.

He also played the roles of Abraham Lincoln, Christopher Columbus, and Uncle Sam on the year’s appropriate dates. But Santa Claus remained his most extended running role, beginning in 1933.

Oakland’s Early ‘Jitney King’

A transportation pioneer in the East Bay, Nichols P. Alevizos, in 1921 started a jitney bus service. The major Oakland Jitney route was 7th Street from Pine Street to Clay Street. There were 16 jitneys and 16 drivers on the run, with 15 in use each day and the 16th taking the day off.

**West Oakland Motor Bus Lines 1928 – AC Transit flickr**

Alevizos organized a jitney association in 1924 and became its first and only president. In 1928 the association bought 8 Model A Ford buses. The association was named West Oakland Motor Bus Lines.

In 1935 Alevizos sold the company to the Key System. Part of the deal made by Alfred J. Lundberg, Key System president, was for Alevizos to have a lifetime supervisor job with the company.

He served as superintendent of the Key System and later AC Transits Richmond Division. His career spanned 56 years.

Retirement

Alevizos retired at the end of 1977, his career spanned over 56 years. He continued as Santa for 2 more years . He passed away in April of 2000.

History of the Holiday Bus

In 1963, AC Transit launched its first holiday-themed bus. The “Candy Cane Express” was painted white and tied with big red bows.

In the years that followed, the Holiday Bus became more elaborate, with the vehicles being custom-painted and decorated with handmade wooden ornaments. By the mid-1960s, a full-size sleigh was installed on the roof, in which “Santa” would ride.

**The 1966 “Santa Claus Express”** – **AC Transit Flickr.** – AC Transit Times December 1966

There have been many versions of the Holiday Bus throughout the years. Decals and full custom vinyl wrap have replaced the custom paint jobs and bolted on decorations.

**Santa’s Toyland – 1969 – AC Transit Times**

**Santa’s Workshop 1970 – AC Transit Times**

**Winter Wonderland – 1979 – AC Transit Times**

Santa’s Toyland – 1973 – AC Transit Times

This year’s (2020) theme is “Holidays Always Keep Their Sparkle.”

More Info:

Themes

Seasons Greetings – 1965
Santa Claus Express – 1966
Candy Cane – 1967
Happy Holidays – 1968
Santa’s Toyland – 1969
Santa’s Workshop – 1970
Santa’s Toyland – 1971
Santa’s Toyland – 1973
Happy Holidays – 1974-1975
Santa’s Toyland – 1976
Santa’s Express – 1977
Candy Cane Coach – 1978
Winter Wonderland – 1979

AC Transit – Website
AC Transit – flickr

Obituary Nickolas P. Alevizos – San Francisco Examiner April 25, 2000
Inspector is Now Santa – Oakland Tribune December 21, 1939
Shrine Plays Santa Claus – Oakland Tribune December 25, 1939
Parade to Show New Buses – Oakland Tribune December 18, 1960
Oakland Parades Its New Buses – SF Examiner December 21, 1960
Santa Brings New Buses to Eastbay – Oakland Tribune December 23, 1960
AC Transit Times – December 1961
Candy Cane Express Makes Bow – Oakland Tribune December 04, 1964
A Busman’s Holiday for Santa – Oakland Tribune December 07, 1965
Bus-Driving Santa Claus to Add Three Lines to Route – Oakland Tribune December 17, 1965
Santa Due Tomorrow On Bus Top – Oakland Tribune November 26, 1971
Oakland’s Early ‘Jitney King’ – Oakland Tribune May 23, 1971
Santa Bus Runs Tomorrow – Oakland Tribune November 23, 1972
Candy Cane Coach will bring Santa to Town – Berkeley Gazette November 19, 1973
Santa Claus Express will roll into Berkeley – Berkeley Gazette November 28, 1974
AC Transit wishes you Happy Holidays – Berkeley Gazette November 27, 1975
“Papa Nick”- The Berkeley Gazette September 22, 1980

The Free-Ride Holiday Bus Returns – AC Transit – December 04, 2017
Our Gift to You: The Free Ride Holiday Bus is Back! – AC Transit November 26, 2018
Sharing Sparkle with Our Free-Ride Holiday Bus – AC Transit December 01, 2020

The End

Buildings, Business

Newsreel Theaters

Posted on November 30, 2020 by oaklanddots

A news cinema or newsreel theatre is a cinema specializing in short films, shown continuously. They also occasionally show feature films.

Newsreel Theatre on Broadway

It was announced in July of 1941 that Oakland was to have a Newsreel Theater, a sister to the one in San Francisco.

The 300 seat theater had spacious lounge rooms which provided accommodations for writing a letter, holding a business conference, reading the latest newspapers, magazines, etc.

Was Regent Theater

The building first housed the Regent Theater later the Regent Photo Theater.

Peerlex Theater

In the mid-1950s, the Regent was renamed the Peerlex. The Peerlex offered three action hits for 50 cents.

Pussycat Theater

By 1972 the Regent was rechristened the Pussycat Theater showing XXX adult movies.

The city of Oakland acquired the theater by eminent domain in 1987.

Franklin Theater

The theater located at 1518 Franklin opened as the Bishop Theater in 1916 and then became the Fulton Playhouse in 1918. The building was designed by Edward T. Foulkes

**The Bishop Playhouse – undated Oakland History Room Photo**

In 1935 the Fulton reopened as the Franklin, taking its name from the previous Franklin Theater which had closed.

Newsreel Theater

The Franklin Theater closed and was reopened as the Newsreel Theater in October of 1939.

Telenews Theater at the Franklin Theater

The Newsreel Theater closed and transformed into the Telenews Theatre at Franklin and 15th opened July 18, 1941

The theatre was the first to include local newsreel stories as part of the regular week’s program. Each program or show comprised some fifty news events, including the “Ringside Seat to World War Two” series with Regan McCrary.

During the opening week, they showed a “Salute to Oakland,” a film on Oakland’s industrial, civic, and community life. The film showed the new Woodminster Amphitheater, Lake Merritt, Mills College, Oakland’s High Schools, and City Hall.

The lobby included a large “Progressive War Map,” which was updated daily. Twelve clocks, showing the current time in cities throughout Europe, American, and Asia, and a teletype machine was also in the lobby.

Franklin Theater Once Again

When Telenews took over the Fox News Theater’s operation on Broadway in 1943, this theater became the Franklin once again and showed first-run movies.

Closed and Demolished

The theater went dark in 1951.

Fox News Theater on Broadway

Located at 1906 Broadway, the 552-seat Fox News Theatre opened on July 3, 1942.

Fox Offers Timely Topics in Modern Show House.” – Oakland Tribune July 5, 1942

The Fox News Theater had a broadcasting studio in the downstairs lounge. Vital news programs, topics of the day were broadcasted on the KQW CBS outlet.

Telenews took over the operation on April 30, 1943. The theater was renamed The Broadway Telenews Theater.

Globe Theater

On April 16, 1954, it was renamed Globe Theater and went over to screening feature films, with Dinah Sheridan in “Genevieve.” The latest newsreels were also shown.

More Info:

Franklin Theater Closes – Oakland Tribune October 16, 1939
Frankin to Show News – Oakland Tribune October 17, 1939
Franklin to Become Newsreel Theatre –Oakland Tribune October 18, 1939
Franklin Opens with Newsreels – Oakland Tribune October 23, 1939

Notables to See Opening of Theater – Oakland Tribune July 10, 1941
Telenews Lobby Clearing House – Oakland Tribune July 14, 1941
Telenews Theater Opening – Oakland Tribune July 16, 1941
Telenews Theatre – Oakland Tribune July 18, 1941
Crowds at Opening – Oakland Tribune July 19, 1941
New Fox News Theater Opens – Oakland Tribune July 3, 1942
New Film Spot on Broadway – Oakland Tribune July 5, 1942
Fox-News to Telenews – Oakland Tribune April 26, 1943
Curtains! The Old Franklin – Oakland Tribune April 17, 1953
Telenews To Change Name to Globe – Oakland Tribune April 13, 1954
Genevieve Amuses Audiences at Globe – Oakland Tribune April 25, 1954

The End

Buildings, Business, Downtown

Money-Back Smith

Posted on November 14, 2020November 16, 2020 by oaklanddots

Originally called “The Famous Clothing Company.” Later it was renamed “Smith’s Money-Back Store and Money-Back Smith.” You probably knew it as Smith’s Department Store.

William Smith founded the first store in Oakland in 1885 (according to the Oakland Tribune)

Unique Nickname

“Money Refunded If Goods Are Not Satisfactory.”
Oakland Tribune

Willam “Money-Back” Smith

His friends, relatives, neighbors, and patrons were so used to the policy of ‘money-back” being associated with William Smith that became his nickname.

First Store

The first store was on Broadway, between 7th and 8th Street, later moving one block to 9th Street.

Brilliant Opening

The Famous Clothing Company proprietors held a grand opening reception on March 16, 1892, at 909 and 911 Broadway.

In 1896, Smith chose a new location at 10th and Washington, where the firm remained until 1912.

They then moved to 12th and Washington, which was enlarged and modernized several times.

1935-Blake Estate Co. building (the Blake Block) W. F. Woolworth, Money Back Smith inM.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. :Permission to use this image must be obtained from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Another New Location

Circa 1933 – M. K. Blake building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of 12th Street and Washington Money Back Smith in view. M.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

By 1912 the store was located at 12th and Washington Streets, and it was called “Money-Back Smith.”

Circa 1935 -M. K. Blake building (the Blake Block),.12th and Washington Money Back Smith in view. Downtown Property Owner’s Association. Volume 4. . M.L. Cohen Co., photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc.

“Charge It” Plan

Breaking all precedents, Money-Back Smiths had for 54 years had a “cash only” policy offered a liberal 90-day charge plan. The plan had no downpayment, no interest, and no carrying charge.

More than 10,000 Eastbay residents opened accounts in the first six months.

“Charge it!”

They made the term “Charge it” a common word in the vocabulary. Smith declared September 27, 1940

55th Anniversary

“Founded back in 1886 – literally the horse and buggy days of the city, the store has grown with Oakland.”
Oakland Tribune September 27, 1940

“We Couldn’t possibly cut a birthday cake large enough for all the of our customers, and so were cutting prices instead.”

Expansion

Blake Block [ SW corner of 12th and Washington.
Creator/Contributor:Cohen, Moses L., 1884-1975.
Downtown Property Owners Association (Oakland, Calif.).
Date:1944

In 1941 the store embarked on a program of remodeling and expansion that doubled its size. Two additional floors were added, which gave them three floors for selling merchandise.

In 1945, the store acquired 30,000 Sq.Ft. of additional space in the Blake Building on Washington Street.

M. K. Blake Estate Co. building (the Blake Block), southwest corner of 12th and Washington Streets. Smith’s in view. – 1949, Jun. 27 . Camera Corner, photographers, for Downtown Property Owners Association, Inc. RIGHTS:Permission to use this image must be obtained from the Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

First Western Bank Building

In 1955 the old Henshaw Building at 14th and Broadway, built-in 1891, was demolished. The Henshaw building housed the MacDonough Theatre, one of Oakland’s first legitimate showhouses.

The First Western Bank Building was completed in 1958.

**Smith’s Downtown Oakland 1965 -https://twitter.com/christreadway**

Location : 1330 Broadway Oakland CA

Smith’s Clothiers

Smith’s opened 24 stores throughout Northern California and Nevada.

In 1988 after 102 years in business, closed its doors.

More Info:

There is some confusion as to when the store was located where. I tried my best.

Brilliant Opening – Oakland Tribune March 18, 1892
Famous Clothing Company – Oakland Tribune May 27, 1892
An Unique Nickname – Oakland Tribune March 2, 1909
Money-Back Smith Tells – Oakland Tribune September 3, 1911
Annual Discount Sale – Oakland Tribune December 27, 1907
New ‘Charge It” Plan Popular – Oakland Tribune September 27, 1940
Price Cuts Are Gifts to Public – Oakland Tribune September 27, 1940
Money-Back Smith’s Expansion – Oakland Tribune October 1, 1941
Founder Dies – Oakland Tribune December 29, 1942
Smith Store to Expand – Oakland Tribune November 18, 1945
Smiths Leases Space at 14th & Broadway – Pg 1. – Oakland Tribune June 28, 1955
Smiths Leases Space at 14th & Broadway – Pg 2 – Oakland Tribune June 28, 1955
Wreckers Scrap Henshaw Building – Oakland Tribune January 5, 1956
New Oakland Skyscraper – Oakland Tribune July 24, 1957
Ribbon Cutting New Oakland Store – Oakland Tribune May 23, 1958
New Skyscraper To Be Dedicated – Oakland Tribune September 25, 1958
Smith’s Clothiers to Close in June – The Press Democrat – March 26, 1988

The End

Buildings, Early Montclair, History, Schools

Hays School District

Posted on November 4, 2020November 5, 2020 by oaklanddots

In March of 1886, the Board of Supervisors created a new school district. That took from portions of the Piedmont, Peralta, and Fruitvale districts and representing about 44 children.

**Hays Canyon Schoolhouse**
Students pose with their teacher. In this photo and of the 6 children sitting down. Walter Wood 2nd from the left, his brother Alfred Wood is 4th from the left Harry W. Logan is seated on far right and his brother Maurice Logan (the painter) is standing far right. The Logan’s and the Wood’s lived at Lake Temescal.
c 1900-1910 Oakland History Room

The new district was called the Hays School District, in honor of the late Colonel John Coffee Hays.

The superintendent appointed the following residents of the area as trustees:

W.H. Mead
J.H. Medau
Mrs. Susan Hays

Land Donated

The land for the school was given to the district from Hetty S. Henshaw. The Montclair Firehouse was built in the spot in 1927, using the front part of the lot.

Hays school - — **Oakland Tribune Jul 16, 1886**

New School House Built

Requests for bids to build the school were made in July of 1886.

The completed school was small at only 32×36 feet, with just one classroom. It was Gothic in design with a graceful looking bell tower. It had two entrances, one for the boys and the other for the girls, with each entry having a 6×6 vestibule. The sash bars of the windows are all horizontal, copying the style of schools in Europe.

Hays School House - — **Oakland Tribune Jul 07, 1886**

The construction cost about $2,500 and took about two months to build.

The architects were Goodrich & Newton.

Dedication

Hays School Dedicated - — **Oakland Tribune Oct 16, 1886**

The dedication of the school was held in October 1886. It was attended most of the families that lived in the area. Opening remarks were made by Judge EM Gibson and W.H Mead. Some of the families in attendance:

The S.R. Andrews Family
The E.M.Gibson Family
The J. Hampel Family
The W.H. Mead Family
The J.H. Meadu Family
The S.F. Morrell Family

Entertainment provided by the students from the school under the direction of their teacher Miss Lucy Law. The following students performed:

Clara Gibson
Gussie Gibson
Carrie Mead
Daisy Mead
Susie Mead
Mattie Mead
Edith Medau
Louise Medau

Graduation 1901

Hays School was the scene of brightness and beauty on Friday June 14, 1901. Friends and family gathered to witness the closing exercises. The four graduates were:

Jessie Logan
Robert Shepherd
August Carson
Scott Monroe

School Trustees

In 1904 appointed Mr. S. Morrell and Mr. Johnson to fill the vacancies caused by the removal of George Hunt and G.W. Logan.

Attendance for the year ending 1911 for the Hays School was 11 students.

School Closes

The school was closed around 1913, and the building was demolished. It was probably due to the Oakland, Antioch, and Eastern Railway construction, later known as the Sacramento Northern. For more on the Sacramento Northern, please go here. The East Bay Hills Project

Montclair Firehouse

In 1927, the Montclair firehouse was built on the same site. The storybook style building was designed by Eldred E. Edwards of the Oakland Public Works Department.

Storybook firehouse on Moraga Avenue in the
Montclair district of Oakland, California. 1934, ohrphoto.districts.031.
Oakland. Buildings Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Misc Articles

Controversy

The End

Buildings, East Oakland, Fruitvale, Homes, Lake Merritt

More Mansions

Posted on October 31, 2020 by oaklanddots

More on the mansions that once graced the streets of Oakland

Koa Hall – Bailey Mansion

W. H. Bailey, who owned plantations in Hawaii, hired W.J. Mathews to designed his home and cost $70,000 to build circa 1889.

**Bailey Mansion on Jackson Street – 1898** **Oliver Family Photograph Collections Bancroft Library http://ark.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt0n39q1p1**

The woodwork of the main hall was the beautiful koa from the Hawaiian Islands. By the main staircase, there were carvings of koa. The woodwork in the reception-room on one side of the hall was bird’s- eye maple. Antique oak was used in the library and the dining room.

It was converted into a rooming or boarding house’

Oakland Tribune March 11, 1916

Sometime in the late 1920s the old mansion was razed and the Hotel Lakehurst was built.

It is now called Lakehurst Hall.

Location: 1369 Jackson St now 1569 Jackson Street at the corner of 17th Street.

More Info:

Hotel Lakehurst – Oakland Local Wiki

A Hawaiian Night – Oakland Tribune December 30, 1890
On Jackson Street- Oakland Tribune May 23, 1891
Fine Rooms in Big Houses – SF Examiner April 17, 1892
Old Home Afire – Oakland Tribune July 13, 1917

The Old Brown Home

The three-story, five-bedroom home was built in 1872 by Dr. Samuel Merritt.

In 1874 Roland Geir Brown purchased the home.

Mr. Brown sold sewing machines for Grover and Baker. The Oakland Tribune reports that Brown was one of the wealthiest men in 19th Century Oakland.

Roland G. Brown, with two other adults, in carriage. – Courtesy of UC Berkeley, Bancroft Library – http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt409nc89b/?order=1

The Brown home was less than a block from Lake Merritt. This was before the lake shore was filled in.

When President William McKinley was in the Bay Area for a week in May 1901, he visited the Brown home.

The old Brown home at 1889 Jackson Street was demolished in 1956 to make room for a parking lot.

Location: 1889 Jackson – between 17th and 19th Streets

More Info:

Brown Residence – OMCA Collections
Landmark Doomed – Old Brown Home – Oakland Tribune July 25, 1956

The Other Brown Mansion

Albert Brown came to Oakland in 1887 from New Jersey. He was an undertaker and a prominent lodge man.

Boarding Home

Sometime after Brown’s’ death, the mansion was converted into a boarding house. The Alice-Lake Apartments are now located in the spot.

Location: 1387 Alice Street

More Info:

Albert Brown Passes Away – Berkeley Gazette January 19, 1909

Alexander Mansion

“Aloha, nui,” or “Love be unto you.” Is carved above one of the entrances

Samuel T. Alexander came to Oakland from Hawaii in the early 1880s. He was one of the founders of Alexander & Baldwin, an American company that cultivated sugar cane.

In 1882 Alexander purchased a lot on the northwest corner of Sixteenth and Filbert for $6,000.

The three-story Queen Anne style home was designed by Clinton Day was completed in 1883 at the cost of $20.000

Move to Piedmont

The family lived there until 1912 when Mrs. Alexander moved to Piedmont to be closer to her son, Wallace Alexander.

Rooming House

Sometime after 1912, the mansion was converted to a rooming house renting out rooms until the mid -1960s.

**Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Oakland, Alameda County, California** – **Vol 1 1903**

New Life for Old Mansion

In 1967 the once venerable mansion stood deserted and in despair, its windows boarded or broken was scheduled to be demolished.

Members of the Oak Center Neighborhood Association decided the old mansion could receive a face lift and become a community “Neighborhood House.” The demolition was halted.

The visualized the rehabilted building comprising of office space for the Oak Center Association, a children’s library and study hall, an adult library and reading room, a large all-purpose room for meetings and socials and room for individual and group counseling.

Vandals Strike

The group succeeded in saving the old mansion from the wreckers only to have it nearly demolished anyway –by vandals. The house was broken into and ruined beyond repair and was finally demolished in 1968.

Quinn Home

To make room for Highway 980 the William H. Quinn Home at 1425 Castro Street was moved to 1004-06 16th Street.

William H. Quinn House, 1425 Castro Street, Oakland, Alameda County, CA – Library of Congress – https://www.loc.gov/item/ca0017/

William H. Quinn House – Oakland Local Wiki

Location: 1006 – 16th Street

More Info:

Purchase Lot – SF Examiner December 13, 1882
Alexander to Build Home – SF Examiner April 27, 1883
Alexander’s Move To Piedmont – SF Call March 12, 1912
This Old House has a Future – Oakland Tribune October 24, 1967
Neighborhood in Search of A House – Oakland Tribune December 3, 1968
Vandals Ravage and Loot Homes – Oakland Tribune April 6, 1969
150 Oak Center Homes Ruined – Oakland Tribune April 6, 1969

Hush Mansion – Etnemere

It was built in 1865, the 14-room house of rococo architecture. The barn had room for ten horses and room for 20 tons of hay.

The house had 14 rooms made of redwood. The barn had room for 10 horses

The mansion had a wood and coal furnace, and the radiators are believed to have been the earliest models of that kind in the country. The rooms were paneled with massives doors 9 feet high. Beautiful mirrors adorned the wall.

It was reported that Susan B. Anthony once slept there.

**Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from Oakland, Alameda County, California** – **Vol 2 1903**

The house and barn property was purchase by Marston Campbell, Jr, as an investment. It was torn down in 1948.

**The Hush Mansion Today – google maps**

Location: 1401 28th Avenue on East 14th.

More Info:

Landmark Being Razed – Oakland Tribune August 12, 1949

Once owned by Merritt

In 1877 Dr. Samuel Merritt built a three-story home on Jackson Street. The house had bay windows, a front porch, and cone-shaped peaked.

The lot is part of the 45-acre parcel, which Merritt paid $4,000 in 1852.

The house was purchased from Dr. Merritt in 1880 for $12,050 by John A. Stanley as a wedding gift for his daughter and her husband, Thomas Coghill.

The Coghill family lived there until 1920 when they sold it to John C. Money. After Mr. Money died in 1944, it served as a rooming house.

By 1963 it was the last of the old mansions on the block and was demolished to make room for a 32-unit apartment building.

Location: 1514 Jackson Street

More Info:

End of Another Landmark: Once-Plus Merrit Home – Oakland Tribune February 07, 1963

Orange Street Mansion

Edward P. Flint, a land developer, and San Francisco businessman, moved to Oakland in 1860. He lived at 13th and Clay before moving to this house.

The site where he built the house at 447 Orange Street was a part of a larger parcel he subdivided in Adams Point.

After Flint died, Admiral Thomas S. Phelps purchased the property. Phelps was a veteran of the Spanish American War. In 1939 the property was purchased by M.A. Marquard, and lived in the house until 1964.

The house was demolished in 1964 and replaced with a “modern 28-unit apartment building.

The new structure has 15 two-bedroom and 12 one-bedroom apartments, plus a penthouse. The building was designed by Al Colossi. and is located at 447 Orange Street.

Mr. and Mrs. Marquard lived in the penthouse of the new apartment.

More Info:

Progress Is New History for Old – Oakland Tribune July 19, 1964

The End

East Oakland, Homes

Rock Blown from Quarry

Posted on October 23, 2020 by oaklanddots

The heavy missile, which neighbors said had hurled through the air like a

“shell from a cannon.”

A 40-pound rock, blasted from the hills above Millsmont, was hurled half a mile and crashed through the roof and dining room ceiling at the home of Fred Bailey, 4017 Altamont Avenue.

The rock was blasted from the nearby Heafey-Moore quarry.

“There is little doubt the rock came from the quarry, where men were blasting.”
John Heafey, President of the Heafey-Moore

A “strange-urge” told Mrs. Bailey to leave their home, and she did go. She left the house at 4:30 with her daughter and went downtown.

“every time I went into the dining room, something told me I shouldn’t be there.” Mrs. Bailey said
Oakland Tribune October 28, 1931

They returned home to find it in shambles. There was an eight-foot hole in the ceiling of the dining room. The rock landed on the couch/bed that their daughter used.

**4017 Altamont Avenue – Today – Google Maps**

**4017 Altamont Ave and the Quarry – google maps**

The End

Homes, Lake Merritt, People

Reign of Terror

Posted on October 18, 2020October 18, 2020 by oaklanddots

Bomb Explodes

On March 18, 1919, Mrs.George D. Greenwood was killed instantly when a bomb exploded in the family home garden overlooking Lake Merritt. Her husband was the Vice-President of the Savings Union Bank of San Francisco.

Killed Instantly

It is believed that Mrs. Greenwood found the bomb and picked it up, causing it to explode.

Mrs. Greenwood’s body was torn apart and hurled ten-feet across the garden by the force of the explosion. Her clothing was stripped from her body and hung from the trees or was scattered on the lawn.

All windows on two sides of the Greenwood home were shattered.

Threats Sent to Other Families

The Greenwood family wasn’t the only Eastbay family to have received letters threatening death unless specific amounts of money were handed over.

Other families included:

Kenneth E. Lowden – 274 19th Street
Mrs. E.A. Julian – Piedmont

According to the police, a letter demanding $5,000 and threatening to destroy his home with dynamite was sent to Greenwood in January of 1918. The “C.C. of C” signed the letter, which stands for the Cat’s Claw of California.

The Greenwood explosion was the third in a series attributed to a gang supposed to have dynamited Governor William D. Stephens home and one other.

An unexploded bomb was found in the yard of N. Campagna of Berkeley the week before.

Society Leader

Mrs. George D. Greenwood was considered “society royal” in Oakland and San Francisco, where her parents and husbands were pioneers.

She was one of the Tubbs girls, the daughters of the late Hiram Tubbs, early capitalist, and owner of the famous old Tubbs Hotel.

The daughters were Mrs. Greenwood, formerly Miss May Tubbs, Mrs. William G. Henshaw, Mrs. Grace Tubbs Henshaw, and Mrs. Edward M. Hall.

No Results

Police investigations, which continued for more than a year after the tragedy, resulted in the clearing of the mystery surrounding the bomb.

**Hanford Kings County Sentinel May 08, 1919**

The police arrested many suspects, none were charged.

New Wife

Mr. Greenwood married Gertrude Vincent in late 1922.

Greenwood Home

The Greenwood home was located at the corner of 19th Street and Jackson at 1399 Jackson Street (later changed to 1899 Jackson). The Greenwoods lived there from about 1896 to 1920.

In 1936 the house was remodeled and became the new home of the Oakland University Club.

More Info:

Oakland Woman Slain By Bomb Explosion – Modesto Herald March 19, 1919, and page 2
Many Threatened By Bomb Terrorists – Oakland Tribune March 19, 1919
Mrs. Greenwood Set Off Bomb Opening Gate – Oakland Tribune March 19, 1919
Panic Ensues When Houses Hit By Blast – Oakland Tribune March 19, 1919
Federal Dragnet Put Out for I.W.W. Men – Oakland Tribune March 20, 1919
U.S. Officials Say Bomb Plot Work of I.W.W. Gangsters – Oakland Tribune March 20, 1919
Women Torn to Pieces – Sacramento Star March 19, 1919
Postoffice Sleuth Takes Trail of Bomb Murderer – S.F. Examiner March 20, 1919
Blast was a Part of Blackmail Threat – S.F. Examiner March 20, 1919
Four Held in Bomb Case – Oakland Tribune March 23, 1919
Four Held in Bomb Case Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune March 23, 1919
Mellincoff is Taken to Angel Island – Oakland Tribune April 01, 1919
Greenwood Bomb Tragedy – Mendocino Coast Beacon – April 05, 1919
Dynamiter Lays Crime to Red Group – S.F. Examiner September 23, 1919. and page 2

The End

Buildings, Early Montclair, Montclair

Members Build Clubhouse

Posted on October 12, 2020October 12, 2020 by oaklanddots

“We are building this clubhouse beyond our immediate requirement but with an eye to the future”
Mrs. E.T. Jepson Nov 08, 1925

A New Clubhouse

Press release

“A very handsome $10,000 structure is planned for the Montclair Clubhouse. It will be 109 by 40 feet and will contain a large auditorium, stage, dressing room, dining room, kitchen, check room, restroom, and basement space, which will be utilized as billiard room.”

Construction Started

The groundbreaking celebration was held in March of 1925 at the junction of Thorn Road (now Thornhill Drive) and Mountain Blvd.

Members of the Montclair Improvement Club in November of 1925 and began constructing the new clubhouse.

New Clubhouse Opens

In March of 1926, the Montclair Improvement Club held the $ 20,000 Montclair Community clubhouse formal dedication.

The structure is one-story and is of Spanish architecture. Features included an auditorium with stage and fireplace, dining and reception rooms, an electrically equipped kitchen.

John Perona was the builder who donated his services. Contributions of labor from club members reduced the cost of construction.

They also planned to have tennis and handball courts, a playground for children, and a golf course.

In March of 1926, the Montclair Improvement Club held their first dance at the new clubhouse.

A Bit of History

The beginnings of the Montclair Improvement Club can be traced back to as early as 1923.

After a few years, it became the Montclair Bussiness Assoc.

Membership was made up of residents of Montclair, Merriewood, and Forest Park.

The Women’s Auxiliary to the Montclair Improvement Club was also formed in 1923. The name was changed to Montclair Women’s Club in 1925 when it became affiliated with the California Federation of Women’s Clubs

Montclair Women’s Clubhouse

In May of 1928, the women’s club purchased the clubhouse from Montclair Improvement Club.

They held their first dance in August of 1928.

Clubhouse Damaged in Fire

In November of 1928, a fire damaged the interior of the clubhouse.

Clubhouse is Sold

In 1996 the Montclair Women’s Club was sold. From 1996 until 2015, it was an events center called the Montclair Women’s Cultural Arts Club.

Stunning Montclair Facility For Sale – website

It is now the KSS Immersion Preschool of Oakland.

The Clubhouse today

More Info:

Location: 1650 Mountain Blvd Oakland

Floor Plan – Oakland Tribune December 28, 1924
Groundbreaking – Oakland Tribune March 11, 1925
Members Build Own Clubhouse – Oakland Tribune November 08, 1925
Build Montclair Club – Oakland Tribune November 08, 1925
Montclair Plans Bazaar and Party – Oakland Tribune November 29, 1925
Montclair Club to Give Dance Tonight – Oakland Tribune March 26, 1926
Improvement Club to Talk Road Work – Oakland Tribune February 3, 1927
Montclair Club to Give First Dance in New Home – Oakland Tribune August 15, 1928
Montclair Women to Repair Clubhouse – Oakland Tribune November 15, 1928

Montclair Women’s Club – Town Crier
Montclair Women’s Club – Oakland Local Wiki
Montclair Improvement Club – Oakland Local wiki
Women’s Cultural Arts Club – Oakland Local Wiki

Buildings, East Oakland, History, North Oakland, West Oakland

A Bygone Era

Posted on October 8, 2020October 18, 2020 by oaklanddots

A bit of history of some of the mansions that once graced the streets of Oakland. More to come at a later date.

Burnham Mansion

Burnham Mansion was at the corner of Lakeside Drive and 17th Street. The three-story mansion was built in 1902 by John Russell Burnham.

The Burnham family selected the site on Lake Merritt’s edge because of its similarity to Lake Geneva.

The distinctive features of the house were the first stall shower in the city and an automobile garage. The Burnham’s were the owners of one of the first two automobiles in Oakland.

At the beginning of WWII, the mansion was turned over to the American Red Cross for a hospitality center. Alcoholics Anonymous occupied the home until 1955.

In 1956 construction was to begin on ne 60-unit apartment building. The new structure was expected to cost $2.5 million. Each of the 60 apartment ran completely through the building with views of Lake Merritt. Other features included parking on two levels, the elimination of corridors, extensive elevator system, individual patios, and a roof top garden.

Chabot Mansion

Lake Merritt – Anthony Chabot’s Home – circa 1886 – Photo by Frank B. Rodolph – http://www.oac.cdlib.org/ark:/13030/kt9d5nd40c/?order=1

The old home of Anthony Chabot, founder of Oakland’s modern water system, was torn down in 1952. The city declared the house a fire and health hazard.

Lake Merritt – Anthony Chabot’s Home – circa 1886

The Chabot family hadn’t lived there for some time. Ellen Chabot Bothin still owned it.

The building had been used as a rooming house for years, taking in enough money to pay the taxes.

The home was a modest one considering the owner was a millionaire. The house was two-stories with an attic, its rooms with high ceilings, marble mantels, and velvet embossed walls.

The Chabot’s name is a part of our history, with the following named after them.

Chabot Road
Chabot Observatory
Chabot School
Lake Chabot

Goodall Mansion

Edwin Goodall built an elaborate mansion in 1880. The house was located at 1537 Jackson Street.

Goodall home, courtesy Bahá’ís of the United States

The home had paneled walls, and a bed carved out of mahogany, a small theater with dressing rooms.

In 1918, Dr. M.M. Enos purchased the home, operated it as the St. Anthony Hospital until 1923, when it became the Jackson Lake Hospital.

In 1960 the hospital was razed to make room for an apartment building called the Jackson Lake Apartments.

King Mansion

Charles H. King built his mansion in about 1884.

King City a rural community in the Salinas Valley was named in 1886 for Oakland’s Charles H. King.

In 1971 the old and neglected King family Mansion still stood at 1029 Sixth Avenue and East 11th Street. The home at one time had 38 rooms. Not sure exactly when the home was razed.

Mein Mansion

The mansion of Capt. Thomas Mein was located at the corner of Jackson and 15th Street.

The three-story 16-room Victorian was built in 1899, included a winding staircase and marble fireplaces.

In 1964 home was razed to make room for a new 34-unit apartment called the Delphian.

Palm Knoll

Palm Knoll, was the home of Governor (later Senator) George C. Perkins (1839–1923). The 24-room mansion Vernon and Perkins Street, was built in 1890.

Palm Knoll was razed in 1947 to make room for apartments.

Playter Home

Ely Welding Playter, a successful hardware merchant in San Francisco, built a mansion in 1879 at 14th and Castro Streets. The area was the center of Oakland’s elite.

Playter was the 24th Mayor of Oakland. He served two terms, 1885 and 1886, and was a Republican.

In 1906, the house became a refuge for “working girls” after being purchased by the YWCA.

It was a three-story structure with long narrow windows.

The house was torn down in 1948 to make room for a service station.

The hospital was Once a Mansion.

The original home of the Solomon Ellsworth Alden family, then the John Edgar McElrath family. It officially opened as the Baby Hospital in 1914.

Please read for more info:

Solomon E. Alden – Oakland Local Wiki

More Info:

Expect to Raise $40,000 in Sixty Days to Buy Old Playter Home – SF Call February 27, 1907
Doom of Home Closes An Era – Oakland Tribune January 12, 1947
Colorful Old Mansion, Former YWCA, to be Torn Down –Oakland Tribune September 7, 1948
Chabot Home, Noted City Landmark to be Razed – Oakland Tribune April 26, 1951
Anthony Chabot Shares History Pt 1- Oakland Tribune May 25, 1952
Anthony Chabot Shares History Pt 2- Oakland Tribune May 25, 1952
Landmark By Lake Yields to Modern Era – Oakland Tribune November 21, 1955
Historic Mansion Is Dismantled – Oakland Tribune September 12, 1956
Huge Oakland Apartments Ok’s – Oakland Tribune January 14, 1960
Lake Apartment Planned – Oakland Tribune April 17, 1964
An Auction at the Old Mein Home – Oakland Tribune July 19, 1964
Last Days of Historic Mansion Pt 1 – Oakland Tribune July 26, 1964
Last Days of Historic Mansion Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune July 26, 1964
Delphian to Replace old Mansion Oakland Tribune May 30, 1965
Memories Haunt Fading Mansion Pt 1 – Oakland Tribune August 15, 1971
Memories Haunt Fading Mansion Pt 2 – Oakland Tribune August 15, 1971

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