Oakland Tracts – A Bit of History

Sather Park – Photos from 1914

Posted on June 17, 2019 by oaklanddots

Sather Park – 1917

Sather Park Tract is now known as Lakeshore Highlands and Trestle Glen.

I have shared a few of the photos from an album entitled “Lakeshore Highlands” that was prepared for Frederick Law Olmsted who was hired by Walter H. Leimert .

The album is from the archives of Olmsted at the Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site and Courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior,
National Park Service.

Frederick Law Olmsted (1822-1903) is recognized as the founder of American landscape architecture and the nation’s foremost parkmaker. Olmsted moved his home to suburban Boston in 1883 and established the world’s first full-scale professional office for the practice of landscape design. During the next century, his sons and successors perpetuated Olmsted’s design ideals, philosophy, and influence.

I believe the photos were taken by Cheney Photo Advertising Company.

The album can be viewed here: Album 1 – Lakeshore Highlands Job #5945 –

Sather Park – June 1914

Now Lakeshore Highlands and Trestle Glen

**C 1914**
**Courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior,**
**National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site**

Sather Park – June 1914

Now Lakeshore Highlands and Trestle Glen – The “Glen” (a.k.a. Indian Gulch)

View Southwest from between Wesley Avenue and Radnor Road – June 1914

Looking at Wesley Avenue and Lakeshore Blvd, Lake Merritt and downtown.

View North Between Excelsior and Beacon Avenues – June 1914

View Northwest from Between Hillgirt Circle and Haddon Road – June 1914

View Southwest towards Haddon Hill – June 1914

You can the see what is now the corner of Lake Park Ave and Grand Avenue. The future home of the Grand Lake Theater.

Looking North from Hillgirt Circle North and Hillgirt Circle South – Haddon Hill – Today Prospect Avenue and Hillgirt Circle – June 1914 –

You can see Santa Clara Avenue, Grand Lake Avenue . The future location of the Grand Lake Theater , Lakeview School and the MacArthur Freeway

Looking Northwest from Haddon Hill Towards Sather Tract Entrance – June 1914

Looking towards the Trader Joe’s parking lot and the Trestle Glen Road. You can see Rand Avenue and Mandana Blvd.

**LAKESHORE HIGHLANDS OAKLAND,**
c 1918
Lake Shore Highlands; Wickham Havens –Sather Tract, formerly –Leimert, Walter H
Courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

Map of HADDON HILL
c1914
Courtesy of the United States Department of the Interior,
National Park Service, Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.

Haddon Hill – Wesley Avenue – Google Maps
Lakeshore Home Association – website
Olmsted Legacy and Lakeshore Homes – Our History

I will talk more about Sather Park later.

The End

East Oakland, Elmhurst, Oakland Tracts, Tract or Subdivisions

Toler Heights

Posted on June 11, 2019June 11, 2019 by oaklanddots

Toler Ranch

William Pinkney Toler (1829-1899) and his wife Maria Antonia (1836-1926) owned 330 (349) acres of land in the foothills of Elmhurst. Maria was the daughter of Hermenegildo “Ignacio” Peralta. William and Maria were married in 1853.

The Ranch was on the foothills road between Elmhurst and San Leandro , later known as Foothill Blvd and is now MacArthur Blvd. The ranch was close to both the Talbot Farm and the Dunsmuir Home.

Toler Ranch Sold

After her husband’s death Mrs. Toler sold the ranch to the Realty Syndicate for $110,000-$120,000. The land was then subdivided and placed on the market.

Map of Toler Heights – 1907

Shows block and lot numbers, measurements, land ownership, etc. Covers area bounded generally by Stanley Rd. [i.e. Ave.], Wise [i.e. 99th] Ave., Foothill [i.e. MacArthur] Blvd., and Hillcrest Ave. [i.e. Seneca St.]. Panel title: Map of Toler Heights, Elmhurst, Oakland. Oriented with north toward left. Cadastral map. http://oskicat.berkeley.edu/record=b11188562~S1 c1907

Opening Day 1907

Toler Heights went on sale in 1907. A group of Investors owned the property and it the Southwest Securities Company was handling the sales for them.

Change of Ownership

In 1910 the Henderson & Tapscotts Company purchased Toler Heights. The made a lot of improvements to the tract. Opening day in was held on May 22, 1910

Looking towards Thermal Street and 90th Avenue
Cheney Photo Advertising Company c1910
Previously sold on eBay

The photo above might be showing the Silva Ranch on Foothill Blvd

Opening day was on of the most successful day in residential property sold. Oakland Tribune May 24, 1910

The corner of MacArthur and 90th Avenue
Cheney Photo Advertising Company c1912
Previously sold on eBay

The Piedmont of East Oakland
SF Examiner

Another change in ownership

In the 1922 the property is for sale via an auction. Sales way down. Oakland Tribune May 28, 1922

**Along Foothill Blvd**
**Oakland Tribune June 04, 1922**

New School – May 1928 – Now Barack Obama Academy

**Toler Heights School – Now Barac**k **Obama Academy**
**9736 Lawlor Street**

Location

More Information on Toler Heights

Ready to Rush to Toler Heights – Oakland Tribune Oct 05, 1907
Birdseye View of Toler Height Advertisement – SF Examiner Oct 13, 1907
90th Avenue to be Boulevard – Oakland Tribune Jul 12, 1914
The Men Who will Try an Auction – Oakland Tribune Jun 03, 1922
Absolute Auction – Oakland Tribune June 04, 1922

Toler Heights – Oakland CA
The Oakland Neighborhood Project – Toler Heights

More to come – Toler Heights Homes

The End

Dimond District, Laurel District, Oakland Tracts

Hopkins Town – in the Dimond District

Posted on June 9, 2019June 10, 2019 by oaklanddots

In Hopkinstown every lot is practically level, all lots are big and deep with sewer, water, gas and electricity in front of every lot.
Oakland Tribune Aug 15, 1922

Hopkins Town was a small subdivision in the Dimond District.

HopkinsTown was located at Hopkins St (now MacArthur Blvd) Georgia, Maple and Peralta Ave (now Coolidge) and Carmel and Morgan Streets.

California Subdivision Company handled to the sales. It opened in September 1922.

Was the Josiah Rose Farm

Hopkinstown was once the farm of Josiah Rose, who settled there in 1864. When Rose lived on his farm the Antonia Mario Peralta was his neighbor.

From the 1894 Directory

In 1922 Rose’s daughter Mary Mulrooney (Mulroony) and her son James still lived on a small piece of the farm on Peralta Street (now Coolidge). I found in 1933 Mary lived at 2844 Georgia Street which is part of small commercial area that Loard’s Ice Cream is today. Mary died in 1933.

Hopkinstown Like City Within a City ;In Oakland
Oakland Tribune

Get a Home — Your Own Buy — Build –Live In Hopkinstown All for $49 First Payment

The fastest growing “small home” community in the state.
Oakland Tribune 1922

Every lot is a GOOD lot, and NO HILLSIDES!

“HopkinsTown” Is the Latest

**Oakland Tribune Aug 20, 1922**
**His home was on Georgia Street**

NO MISTAKE! FREE Home Plans

From Bare Ground to Housekeeping in Two Days

Church for Hopkinstown

I didn’t find many homes that were built in Hopkins Town, at least they weren’t advertised. This is area I live in now so I drove around the area trying to locate some of the homes. I did notice a number of small homes on deep lots.

In the late 1950s the unsold Hopkins Town lots were being rezoned for duplexes or apartment building. The large lots zoned for single family homes has long caused the planning department problems.

Today I noticed on Morgan Street there is lots of building going on. They are converting a few of the Hopkins Town Tract “lots’ into duplexes or triplexes.

The End

Allendale, Maxwell Park, Model/Display Homes, Oakland Tracts

Allendale Terrace

Posted on June 5, 2019June 5, 2019 by oaklanddots

Allendale Terrace is group of twenty-seven homes built east of High Street on Allendale Avenue. They were built and sold by K.A. Johnson.

Fifteen homes were ready for inspection in 1930. The area is most likely is considered Maxwell Park.

Twenty -seven unusually beautiful English designed homes. Five, six and seven rooms, basements, furnaces, water heaters and laundry rooms. Close to new schools.

All basements are sufficiently large to provide space for a social hall. The five room homes can be converted to six room homes by completing another room upstairs, the stairways are already built.

The homes of Allendale Terrace

**4722 Allendale Ave** Today – Google Maps

The End

Model/Display Homes, Oakland Tracts, Tract or Subdivisions

Claremont Circle

Posted on June 4, 2019 by oaklanddots

Claremont Circle is a real estate development by the E.B. Field Company. It opened in 1935.

Claremont Circle has magnificent panorama view of SF Bay, Golden Gate, Marin County and Mount Tamalpais

The homes of Claremont Circle

**Oakland Tribune Aug 1936**
**38 Sonia Street**

**Oakland Tribune Sept 1936**
**No sure of the location**

**Oakland Tribune Oct 1936**
**No sure of the location**

Wide Horizons Display Home

**Oakland Tribune Feb 14, 1937**
**34 Sonia Street**

In February of 1937 the E.B. Field Company held a contest to name their newest display home that opened. The winning name was “Wide Horizons”. The house was located at 34 Sonia Street

**Oakland Tribune Mar 1937**
**34 Sonia Street**

Home of Today – Display Home – 58 Sonia Street

The Home of Today is located Claremont Circle a small real estate development by E.B. Fields Co. on Sonia Street. It opened in May of 1937. The address is 58 Sonia Street.

**Oakland Tribune Apr 1937**
**58 Sonia Street**

The Home of Today was designed and built by Earl R. MacDonald and Herman A. Schoening

**Oakland Tribune May 1937**
**58 Sonia Street**

Home of Today opens – April 11, 1937 Oakland Tribune
Home of Today – April 25, 1937 Oakland Tribune

64 Sonia Street

The End

East Oakland, Home Building, Oakland Tracts, Tract or Subdivisions

Central Terrace – 55th and Foothill

Posted on May 22, 2019 by oaklanddots

It is located where Foothill Blvd meets Trask Street and 55th Avenue. 55th Avenue was formally called Central Avenue and Foothill Blvd was often referred to the Scenic Boulevard. Central Terrace also includes Ruth Avenue, Laverne Avenue, El Camille Avenue and Kingsland Avenue. The area now is considered to be an extension of Maxwell Park or the Fairfax District, depending on who you talk to.

Mutual Realty Co.’s Central Terrace office,
Foothill Boulevard at 55th Avenue and Trask Street looking north
Cheney Photo Adv. Co., photographers. C 1912
Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

Brochure for Central Terrace

The Mutual Realty Company put the Central Terrace Subdivision on sale in April of 1912. The agent was Fred T. Wood, who later took over the project. Later they added the Central Terrace Extension and Scenic Park Knoll

Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley -Cadastral map. Historic Maps of Bay Area

“Central Terrace is surrounded by modern schools and educational institutions of the very highest standard, the John C. Fremont high erected at the cost of $140,000, the Melrose School, the W.P. Frick School and the Lockwood Grammar School and the famous Mills Seminary for young ladies, all are within short walking distance from any part of Central Terrace”
See brochure below

Central Terr 1915_side — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

centarl-terrace-brochure-front — Earth Sciences and Map Library,
University of California, Berkeley –
Historic Maps of Bay Area

Foothill Blvd at 55th Avenue
Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912
Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room

**Laverne from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room**

**Ruth Ave from 55th Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room**

**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room**

**Ruth Ave**
**Photo By Cheney Advertising c 1912**
**Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room**

More to come –

Home Building, Model/Display Homes, Oakland Tracts

Sunshine Court

Posted on May 19, 2019May 20, 2019 by oaklanddots

Sunshine Court is group homes built by Pedigreed Home Builders in 1927

Each home had 4 or 5 rooms with separate garage, ranging in from $3950-$4550.

Every Sunshine Court Home had a dining room set, gas range, Hoyt water heater, linoleum, curtain rods, bathroom fixtures and other time and money-saving extras.

The first six homes went on sale in May of 1927

1425 Sunshine Court.
1638 Sunshine Court.
1645 Sunshine Court
1651 Sunshine Court
1657 Sunshine Court
1665 Sunshine Court

Sunshine Court Model Home

“Le Petit Chateau” was located at 1665 Sunshine Court. The home was completely furnished by Montgomery Wards.

Oakland Tribune May 1927
1665 Sunshine Court

Sunshine Court – Oakland Local Wiki

Location of Sunshine Court

The End

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