West Oakland – A Bit of History

Buildings, East Oakland, Schools, Then and Now, West Oakland

Then & Now – Oakland Schools Part 18

Posted on March 8, 2020March 28, 2020 by oaklanddots

In this series of posts, I hope to show Then and Now images Oakland Schools. Along with a bit of history of each school, I highlight. Some of the photos are in the form of drawings or postcards, or from the pages of history books.

Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — a work in progress for some. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.

Dag Hammarskjöld School

Sorry I wasn’t able to find any pictures of the school. Let me know if you have any.

The new Columbia Gardens school on Empire Road was a temporary school that was established in 1961 as a “bonus” project from the 1956 bond issue.

The school was officially named Dag hammarskjöld School after the late secretary-general of the United Nations in October of 1961.

Dedication

The school was dedicated in March of 1962.

More Info:

Dag hammarskjöld – Wikipedia
$40 Million School Program Ends – Oakland Tribune Feb 02, 1964

Lincoln Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School is one of the oldest schools in the Oakland Unified School District. The school had several incarnations before becoming Lincoln Elementary School.

Lincoln School history goes back to 1865 when the Board of Education established Primary School No. 2 “the Alice Street School” at Alice and 6th Streets.

The school was moved to Harrison Street and renamed Harrison Primary.

The lot for the first school cost $875, and the two-room school cost $1324. There were 60 students registered that first year.

In 1872 (1878), Lincoln Grammar School was built on its present site at Alice and 10th Streets. They paid $7, 791 for the land, and the building complete with “modern speaking tubes for communication” (??) cost $20,000.

1906 Earthquake

The 1906 Earthquake interrupted the construction of a new school building with 22 classrooms that was replacing the school from 1872. New plans were drawn to make an earthquake-proof structure. There were many delays, but the school was finally open in the fall of 1909.

New Lincoln School ended up costing between $150,000-$175,000.

Lincoln School offered the first manual training and homemaking classes in the city. During the flu epidemic of 1918 meals for prepared for and served to 200 daily.

New School

Preliminary plans for a new two-story concrete building were authorized in October of 1957. The cost was estimated at $535, 000.

The 1906 building was demolished in 1961 due to seismic safety concerns.

A new building was erected in 1962. The cost of the building was $617,000 and had 16 classrooms, offices, an auditorium, a library, and a kindergarten.

A bronze plaque of the Gettysburg Address was presented to the school.

The school grew in size and began to use portable classrooms to accommodate the new students.

Lincoln Today

The school is at 225 11th St. in Oakland.

The school has a long history of serving families in the Oakland Chinatown neighborhood as well as children from other parts of Oakland. Today, the majority of the children at Lincoln come from immigrant families from across the globe. To learn more about the history of Lincoln Elementary, please visit the Oakland Chinatown Oral History Project.

In 2004 the new annex building was built to replace eleven portable buildings.

Lincoln’s alumni include famous Oaklanders: Raymond Eng (first Chinese-American elected to Oakland’s city council), James Yimm Lee (author and student of Bruce Lee), and Benjamin Fong-Torres (famous rock journalist and author).

Distinguished School

2006: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2007: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2008: Lincoln Elementary is named a California Distinguished School and wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2009: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2010: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award and named a National Blue Ribbon School
2011: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2012: Lincoln Elementary wins a Title 1 Academic Achievement Award
2019: Today, Lincoln Elementary serves over 700 TK-5 students.

Lincoln School Website – OUSD

More Info:

Chinese Children”Yellow Peril” – Oakland Tribune Aug 21, 1906

The steel framework of new Lincoln Grammar – Oakland Tribune Jul 06, 1907
The Disgraceful Record of the New Lincoln School – Oakland Tribune Mar 16, 1909
Lincoln School is Dedicated – Oakland Tribune Oct 15, 1909
The End of Old Lincoln School – Oakland Tribune Aug 08, 1909
Preliminary Plans for New School – Oakland Tribune Oct 31, 1957
Groundbreaking for New Lincoln School – Oakland Tribune Oct 06, 1959
Old Lincoln School Goes and New Rises – Oakland Tribune Apr 16, 1961

The End

Black History, East Oakland, People, West Oakland

African American Women’s Clubs

Posted on February 29, 2020March 27, 2020 by oaklanddots

During the later part of the 19th Century and the beginning of the 20th black women in Oakland established clubs and institutions to address the growing demands of the black community.

I will highlight some of them here.

Fanny Jackson Coppin Club

The Fanny Jackson Coppin Club was founded in 1899 by members of the Beth Eden Baptist Church.

“Not failure, but low aim is the crime.“
Motto

The club was named in honor of Fannie Jackson Coppin (1837-1913) who was born a slave in Washington, D.C. and became a renowned educator

The Fannie Jackson Coppin Club is known as the “mother club” of the African American women’s club movement in California.

At first, the club’s priority was to provide African American travelers who could not stay at segregated hotels welcoming places to spend a night.

The club was involved with the creation of the Home for the Aged and Infirm Colored People in Oakland, to provide care for elderly African Americans in the state of California.

Art and Industrial Club

In 1906, a branch of the Art and Industrial Club was formed and devoted itself to the arts and to “uplift of the race.”

Deeds Not Words”
Motto

Mother’s Charity Club

Founded in 1907

Lift as We Climb”
Motto

The Mother’s Charity Club was founded in 1907. They were dedicated to philanthropic endeavors. During its earliest years of activity, the Mother’s Charity Club fed and cared for many children and sick and needy persons.

Elmhurst Progressive Club

The Elmhurst Progressive Club was founded in 1912.

Progressive
Motto

Imperial Art and Literary Club

The Imperial Art and Literary of Oakland was founded in 1912. They provided charity and promoted art and literary work.

Love and Truth“
Motto

Self Improvement Club

Self Improvement Club of Oakland was founded in 1916. Their goal was to improve humanity and the surrounding communities.

He who is true to God, is true to Man”

Rhododendron Self Cultured Club of Oakland

The Rhododendron Club was formed in the early 1950s

Like Ivy we Climb–Lifting as we Climb

**Four women holding presents at the Rhododendron Club fashion show at Slim Jenkins**

Rhododendron Club fashion show contestants posing at Slim Jenkins

Fidelis Art and Culture Business Women’s Club of Oakland

The Art Social Club of Oakland

Royal 10 Society Club of Oakland

I only found this photo. I will update if I find more.

Members of the Royal 10 Social Club attending Hawaiian-themed luau party
Undated
African American Museum

Linden Street YWCA

In 1920, a group of African American clubwomen formed The Linden Street branch of the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA).

They provided religious training, counseling services, vocational training, art classes, adult education classes, and all types of cultural events.

Located at 828 Linden Street, the branch was housed in a two-story building with four club rooms.

By 1938, the Linden Street “Y” had a membership of over 750.

In 1944 following a new national policy, the board of directors of the central Oakland YWCA integrated the Linden Street YWCA.

“to make its program available to all women and girls irrespective of race, creed, or color.“

It was renamed the West Oakland Center of the YWCA. The two-story building was razed in the early 1960s

Group portrait of Les Elites Industrial Club Linden Branch Y.W.C.A

More Info:

We Did What We Had to Do: Black Women and The Struggle for Civil Rights in Oakland California 1900-1920
Remembering the Linden Street YWCA – OHA -Vol.33, No.3 Winter 2013
YWCA – Linden Street Y Collection – African American Museum & Library Oakland
Mother’s Charity Club 1959-60 – Program
Fannie Jackson Coppin Club – BlackPast
Fannie Jackson Coppin – Blackamericaweb
Fannie Jackson Coppin Club – Yearbook 1954-55
Woman’s Art & Industrial Club 1922 – African American Museum
Women’s Art and Industrial Club Fashion Show – 1979 – African American Museum
Origin of the Rhododendron Club – African American Museum

I will add to this if I find more.

The End

Black History, People, Transportation, West Oakland

Oakland’s First African American Cab Driver

Posted on February 23, 2020March 21, 2020 by oaklanddots

**Phil R Springer**
**The Pullman Porters and West Oakland**

Phillip Richard Springer (1874-1952) was the first black man in Oakland to own a taxicab. He was born in Barbados, in the British West Indies and left home at age 16. At first he operated under a jitney permit in Oakland, but he later had the license changed to a taxicab permit. By 1915, Springer’s Cab Company was well established.

The Pullman Porters and West Oakland

The 1916 Directory listed Springer at 1926 Chestnut Street with chauffeur as his occupation

In the 1917 directory, he is listed at 835 Union Street with chauffeur as his occupation.

In the 1925 directory, he is listed along with his wife Edna at 879 Campbell Street with taxi cab driver as his occupation.

From 1927 until his death in 1952, he lived at 957-35th Street with his family. The 1930 census reports that he owns his home, and he was a taxi cab driver at his own stand.

1935

**The Springer Home from 1927-at least 1952**
**957- 35th Street – Google Maps**

**Exhibit at the African American History Library Oakland**

Taxicab Driver Robbed

Accident

The End

East Oakland, Schools, Then and Now, West Oakland

Then & Now Oakland Schools – Part 17

Posted on February 11, 2020 by oaklanddots

Note: Piecing together the history of some of the older schools is sometimes tricky. I do this all at home and online — some are a work in progress. I have been updating my posts when I find something new. Let me know of any mistakes or additions.

Bella Vista Elementary School

**The original Bella Vista Annex**
**2410 -10th Avenue**

“Bella Vista was a name once given to a two-teacher school of the primary standing.’ This school will become an annex of the new “Bella Vista School.”

In 1924 the Bella Vista School moved to the “Old” Intermediate School No. 1 at 1930 12th Avenue.

The Old Bella Vista school was located at 13th Avenue and East 19th Street. The building that was being torn down in 1951 traced its lineage back to 1863 when the first school on the site was built by the Brooklyn school district. When the Brooklyn school was annexed by the Oakland system, the school became the Franklin school formally but was known by the residents as the East Oakland school. Later it was renamed the A.W. Swett School (see Then & Now Oakland Schools Part 2)

The building in the above clipping was built in 1892. It was described as a “well-planned building of nine-rooms.” The building cost $52,952 and was designed by Howard Burns. In the 1912 Swett School was renamed the Intermediate School Number One, and 12 years later, in 1924, it became the Bella Vista School, and the name is held at the time it was condemned in 1934.

After the condemnation, only part of the building was in use until the new school was built in 1951.

New School and Location

The new school building is located on East 28th Street between 10th and 11th Avenues a few blocks from the old site.

In October of 1949, construction began on the new $538,213 Bella Vista School.

Reynolds and Chamberlain designed the building.

The new building has:

17 Classrooms
A kindergarten
Cafeteria
Auditorium

Built for a capacity of 630 and is a two-story structure of concrete and steel.

The dedication was held on February 7th, 1951.

Bella Vista Today

The school is located at 1025 East 28th Street.

Bella Vista Website – OUSD
Bella Vista Oakland Local Wiki – page