The Rabbit Hole

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

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.

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

2018. I started this blog because I had collected so much information on Oakland’s history that I couldn’t wait to share it. 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.

I got started with the help of my dear friend Phil, and I was off and running. It should be easy, I say to myself, because 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, worry about getting my facts correct, and find it hard 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. When researching one thing, you often 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 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 Apr 2, 1911
  1. Location
  2. Is it still there?

Those two things can be challenging as the location is sometimes vague and wrong. Sometimes, the area is correct. When looking up the house, I wonder who it was built for. Were they famous or rich, maybe both?

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

I have already added many homes I found while down the rabbit hole.

Some are from long ago and long gone, but some are still there.
This information is based on clippings, newspapers, and photos. It may not be accurate, as address numbers have changed, and locations are often vague.

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

I still have many pages in the works; I must get myself out of this hole.

This might help explain Rabbit Hole.

Enjoy!

The History Bug Strikes

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Our house in Montclair on Thornhill
5677 Thornhill – Google Maps –

In the 1980s, my ex-husband and I were custodians at the Montclair Presbyterian Church. Our employment included living in the house next door to the church.

The church celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 1980, and I was surprised it had been there so long.

Oakland Tribune Aug 16, 1923

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 in the area as early as the 1860s. This sparked my interest, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I remember spending countless hours poring over old newspapers and documents, trying to piece together the history of our neighborhood. Since then, I have spent much time looking into Montclair’s history and have learned a lot.

2018. I started this blog because I had collected so much information on Oakland’s history that I couldn’t wait to share it. I was posting in Facebook groups, which was a great way to connect with others, but there were better outlets to share my in-depth knowledge and research on Oakland’s history. The platform’s format often led to my posts needing to be noticed in the feed, and it took effort to maintain a cohesive narrative. I love sharing what I know and reading what others share, but I felt that a blog would allow me to present my information in a more organized and accessible way.

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

But it wasn’t.

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

The rest is history.

First blog post

Newsreel Theaters

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Newsreel Theater

This is an updated post to one I wrote in 2019. Enjoy!

A news cinema or newsreel theatre is a cinema that specializes in continuously showing short films and occasionally features films.

The Newsreel Theater opened in October 1939; before that, it was the Franklin Theater (not to be confused with the other Franklin Theater.)

Oakland Tribune October 1939

The Franklin Theater was originally the Bishop Playhouse (later called the Fulton), which opened in 1915.

Bishop Playhouse on Franklin Street in Oakland, California.
DATE:1919 Oakland Public Library, Oakland History Room.

In 1935, the Fulton Theater (formally Bishop) reopened as the Franklin, a motion-picture house taking its name from the previous Franklin, which had closed down.

The Newsreel Theater closed and transformed into the Telenews Theatre and opened on July 18, 1941

Oakland Tribune July 18, 1941

The theatre was the first to include local newsreel stories in the regular week’s program. Each program or show comprised 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.

Oakland Tribune July 18, 1941

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

Oakland Tribune July 18, 1941

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.

The theater went dark in 1951 and was demolished to make room for an office building.

Oakland Tribune April 19, 1953

Fox News Theater on Broadway

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

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

S. Charles Lee, a theatrical architect, designed the Fox News Theater.

The lounges were designed for convenience and luxury. An “electric eye” operated the magic fountain, eliminating manual operation.

Oakland Tribune July 1942

The Fox News Theater had a studio in the downstairs lounge, which broadcast vital news programs and topics of the day on the KQW CBS outlet.

Screenshot

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

Newsreel Theatre on Broadway

In July 1941, the Oakland Tribune announced that Oakland would have a Newsreel Theater, a sister to the one in San Francisco.

Oakland Tribune 1942
Screenshot

The 300-seat theater had spacious lounge rooms, which provided accommodations for writing letters, holding business conferences, reading the latest newspapers and magazines, etc.

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

Broadway at 12th circa 1917 – showing the Regent Theater. Photo by Cheney Photo Advertising

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

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.

More Info:

The End

Pine-Covered Hills

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Studio Homes by Phil Heraty

Phil Heraty (1896-1969) was a Bay Area Builder and Developer responsible for homes in Concord, Walnut Creek, San Leandro, and Oakland. I covered Melrose Highlands in Oakland here.

In 1940, Heraty opened new offices at 3625 Hopkins Street (now MacArthur Blvd.) and announced that this would be the headquarters for all company operations. The branch office at 5815 Thornhill, the original tract office for the Merriewood Development, is now home to a daycare.

It is now Medical Offices – Oakland Tribune November 10, 1940

This post will cover a group of homes built in the Broadway Terrace area by Lake Temescal.

Lake Temescal Studio Homes

The development of Lake Temescal in 1938 as a recreation center with swimming and picnic grounds significantly increased the demand for building homes in the wooded hill district adjacent to the lake.

Oakland Tribune 1938

In May 1938, Phil Heraty announced the completion of a new group of eight studio homes he called ‘Lake Temescal Studio Homes.’ The previous year, he sold 37 studio homes in the area.

Oakland Tribune May 1938

Below is one of the Studio Homes. It was located at 6192 Ruthland Road and was lost in the 1991 fire.

Oakland Tribune 1938

The Temescal, a furnished 6-room display home, was opened in November 1938. It was listed for $4950.00

Oakland Tribune 1938

The Temescal is located on Florence Terrace, where it meets Capricorn Avenue.

This is the area where I grew up. I used to walk to school with a girl who lived there. They moved sometime in the mid-1970s. I then babysat for the next family that lived there. I watched their daughter from about six months to three years old. I love this house! I fantasized about living there.

5748 Florence Terrace Today.

Unusual Studio Homes

“Live in the Pine-Covered Hills”

Oakland Tribune Aug 25, 1940

In 1940, Heraty announced the completion of a new group of “unusual studio homes” located along Broadway Terrace and Taurus Avenue.

Oakland Tribune 1940
Oakland Tribune 1940

The new two-bedroom homes would cost less than $4900 to less than $6000. They featured large living rooms with beamed ceilings and corner fireplaces, corner tiled sinks in an airy kitchen, and elevated bedrooms on a huge lot. The largest home in the group had a rumpus room finished in knotty pine.

Sliding Down

Oakland Tribune 1953

In the spring of 1952, a group of studio homes in the Upper Broadway Terrace area at Taurus Road began sliding down the hill. I’m not saying they had anything to do Phil Hearty and the construction.

  • 7075 Broadway Terrace
  • 7081 Broadway Terrace
  • 7085 Broadway Terrace
  • 7093 Broadway Terrace
  • 9009 Broadway Terrace
  • 9025 Broadway Terrace
  • 9033 Broadway Terrace
  • 9041 Broadway Terrace
Oakland Tribune May 18, 1952

The following year, during the winter rains and after the city of Oakland had done extensive work on the slide, the homes began to slide again. This turned what was left of the homes into rubble and further damaged others.

In 1954, eight Broadway Terrace property owners sued the city of Oakland and the Oakland Sewer Construction Company for $135,000. The suit alleged the damage was caused by seepage from a ditch the sewer construction company dug.

 “eight houses in a hilly portion of Oakland, which, prior to 1949, were serviced by septic tanks. The area is a natural drainage area” Findlaw

 “prior to the sewer installation, had leaking septic tanks, and possibly some springs.” Findlaw

The area now has big homes built after the 1991 fire.

More Info:

  • HAMILTON v. HARKINS (1956) – Findlaw

A Log Cabin in Pinehaven

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Growing up, I heard stories about Montclair having summer homes that belonged to the rich people of San Francisco and a few cabins that belonged to hunters. This is what I found.

Oakland Tribune 1922

In 1922, few people outside the hikers of the Contra Costa Hills Club knew much about Pinehaven and its beautiful canyon. Pinehaven has all the characteristics of the most picturesque parts of Marin County. Roads have now been opened up. The property was initially laid out as Upper Piedmont, but the owners changed the plans and decided to put it on the market for those who want summer home cabins close to downtown and transportation.

Pinehaven is located in Montclair.

Lawrence Block of the Villa Site Sales Company was in charge of the sale of the property, and Block said:

“Pinehaven is a summer home colony with its pretty cottages and cabin homes nestling in the side-hills, overlooking canyons and within twenty minutes from City Hall. You awaken in the morning to the song of the birds refreshed and full of vigor and imagine you have traveled a hundred miles to the wilds of some distant state.“

Oakland Tribune Mar 27, 1922

This was Villa Site Sales Company’s first big sale, offering it at mortgage prices. The sale price was as low as $175.00. More than 50 cabins and cottages were being planned. Pinehaven went on sale on April 9, 1922.

Oakland Tribune Feb 19, 1922

Lots of Building

Oakland Tribune Apr 9, 1922

Building Bungalows in Foothill Canyons

Oakland Tribune June 1922
Oakland Tribune May 1922
Oakland Tribune May and June 1922

Cabin Sites of 1/4 acre each sold for $85 to $385 each with payments of $2.00 a month.

John’s Family

Oakand Tribune Sep 1, 1922

Pitch a TeePee

Oakland Tribune May 21, 1922

Pinehaven Colony

“In a rustic setting of ferns and pines and little streams among rolling hills is located Pinehaven” Oakland Tribune

Oakland Tribune May 1922
Oakland Tribune May 21, 1922

Log Cabins

6466 Pinehaven Road was advertised as a “Log Cabin” in 1946, 1956, and 1980. There is no picture avaiable online for this home. I will have to venture into the world and check it out myself.

Oakland Tribune 1946
Oakland Tribune 1980
Oakland Tribune 1956

I believe this is one of the Log Cabins. It is advertised as being built in 1890, but I doubt it. It is located at 7135 Pinehaven Rd, close to Broadway Terrace.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/7135-Pinehaven-Rd-Oakland-CA-94611/24818860_zpid/

Another possibility might be this log cabin on Heather Ridge Way. Built in 1922, it is in the correct time frame.

“The log cabin harmonizes seamlessly with the natural surroundings, inviting you to step into a world where old-world charm meets modern comfort. The rustic, cozy living/dining room has preserved the cabin’s historic appeal.” Redfin.com

6575 Heather Ridge Way

More Info:

The End

I did a blog on this before, but it was messed up when transferring my site.

The Medau Ranch and Dairy

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I hope you enjoy this. I had written about Medau before, but the post was messed up when I changed my blog to a new host. I hope this post will get me back into the swing of things; I have had a lot on my plate these last few months. Dorothy

In 1857, J.H. Medau purchased approximately 500 acres in what was then Piedmont, or hills in the back of Piedmont. He bought the property as a ranch. Some of the land was priced at $30.00 an acre, and “the poorer land,” located in East Piedmont, sold for $10.00 an acre. Oakland Tribune 1916

The ranch was located in what is now the Montclair Business District, Montclair Park, and part of Piedmont.

J H Medau -Thorn Road – Oakland Directory 1898

When Medau first bought the land, it was covered with weeds, grass, flowers, and rattlesnakes—lots of rattlesnakes! He spent the next 36 years cultivating the land to be one of the finest of its kind at the time.

Ad for Medau Dairy – Alameda County: The Eden of the Pacific 1898

The Medau’s home was located in what is now Montclair Park. Beautiful gardens surrounded it and it was a stone’s throw from the pond, stocked with German Carp and Trout.

His herd consisted of forty-five cows. He also grew grain and hay on the ranch.

“famous Medau Ranch”

Oakland Tribune Oct 1916
Undated photo of the Medau Family in front of their home on the ranch. (Courtesy of Oakland History Room)

He was a school trustee for Fruitvale and Hays Districts for over twenty years, and some of his children attended the Hays School.

May Day Festival

In 1879, Medau hosted a May Day Festival and invited the children from Fruit Vale School.

Scenic Park

In 1897, Medau offered to sell his land (476 acres) to the city of Oakland for a park.

The land is less than four miles from city hall. The county road to Contra Costa County passes through nearly the entire length of his land.

Oakland Tribune November 22, 1897

From Valley to Hillside

The lower part of the ranch comprises stretches of level and slightly rolling land; to the northward, the land extends up the sloping hillsides to the crest of the ridge, where the dividing line between Alameda and Contra Costa counties is located. The highest peak of the land is 1,300 feet above sea level.

Oakland Tribune November 22, 1897

The views from the highest point are unrivaled. A sweeping of the Contra Costa, San Joaquin, and Sacramento Valleys. Both Mount Diablo and Hamilton can be seen.

Many Natural Advantages

Oakland Tribune November 22, 1897

A mountain stream flows along the eastern border. Near the Meadau residence, a natural lake (the pond in Montclair Park) of an acre in extent is fed by springs from the adjacent hillside.

He said he would sell the 476 acres for $210 an acre.

For Sale

Oakland Enquirer July 9, 1901

In 1901, Medau sold his ranch for $95,000 to the Reality Syndicate.

He retired to a new home he had built on East 12th near 2nd Avenue, where he lived for the rest of his life.

Oakland Tribune October 25, 1905

The Medau Family

John Heinrich “Henry” Medau (1831-1918) was born in Holstein, Germany, emigrated to the United States in 1851, and became a naturalized citizen in 1857.  

San Francisco

When Medau was sixteen and still in Germany, he apprenticed to learn the trade of a tobacconist, and he did that for about three years. In 1851, he and his brothers set sail for the United States, first staying in New York and then heading to San Francisco. He first took any available jobs, then in 1853, he purchased a cigar store and worked it for several years with his brothers. He retained interest in the store until 1864.

In June 1860, he married Regina Raubinger (1860-1916), also born in Germany.  They had the following children, all born at the ranch.

  • Edward 1863-1918
  • Pauline 1865-1930
  • Matilda 1866-1954
  • Adelphine 1868-1958
  • Theodore A. 1870-1953
  • Edith S. 1872-1962
  • Henry 1874-1874
  • Louisa 1875-1954
  • Henry O. 1880-1970
California Daily Alta June 12, 1860

Regina Raubinger came to San Francisco at 18, married Medau a year later, and moved across the bay to Oakland.

Oakland Tribune June 12, 1910

Medau passed away in 1918; his wife preceded him in 1916.

Henry Medau, the last remaining son, died in 1970.

Oakland Tribune Aug 31, 1970

From the Montclarion

From Henry Medau – Printed in the Montcarion April 1960

In 1963, Henry Medau, one of Medau’s sons, was interviewed by the Montclairion. He loaned the above photo for use in the article. This is the same ad as the photo at the beginning of this post.

  • Top- left – the family orchard
  • Top- middle – cows grazing in hills.
  • Top- right – a corner of the pond with cedars in the background
  • Middle-left Medau family home, which faced Moraga Road.
  • Middle- some of the dairy buildings
  • Middle-right, another view of the Medau home.
  • Bottom-left view of the yard around the home
  • Bottom-middle the pond created by springs a view of “Indian hill.”
  • Bottom-right Moraga Road is lined with eucalyptus.
The Montclarion April 16, 1960
The Montclarion April 16, 1960

    More Info:

    Toward a Black Aesthetic 

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    Kenneth P. Green Sr.’s Photographs of the 1960s and 70s. 

    Multiple women outside a West Oakland Methodist Church in 1967. (Kenneth P. Green Sr.)

    ABOUT THE ARCHIVE (from the Website)

    The Kenneth P. Green, Sr. Photography Archive seeks to preserve and present the collected work of photojournalist Kenneth P. Green, Sr. As a lifetime Oakland resident and the first African-American staff photographer for the Oakland Tribune (1968-1982), Mr. Green captured some of the most consequential social changes occurring not only in the Bay Area, but in our time. His photographs reflect the best of photojournalism and photography —a chronicle of the here and now and a collection of personal portraits that illustrate the timeless human side of the people involved. What separates the Green Archive from conventional journalistic sources are the thousands of additional images Green captured as a participant and member of a dynamic community mobilizing during turbulent years. His true artistry lies in his ability to capture the multifaceted organic expression of the African American community in the Bay Area—unrehearsed portraits of movement leaders, interactions of families, students, and community members, and the full range of people who participated in the daily work of social change. 

    ABOUT THE FOUNDATION

    The Kenneth P. Green, Sr. Photographic Archive is maintained by Sugga’s Eye, Images, A Green Family Foundation. In 2015 the Green family opened The Kenneth P. Green, Sr. Archive to the public with the expressed purpose of preserving the rich history captured in these images and returning it to the community. Many who lived through these moments remain in our community and have shared their personal recollections and stories, further documenting the historic importance of the images.

    The Foundation is also committed to engaging younger generations in confronting today’s problems through the lens of a history not often told. The stories these images tell have the power to inspire today’s teens by documenting an empowered black community working together to achieve self-determination and social change.

    Kenneth P. Green, Jr., Director

    The Kenneth P. Green, Sr. Archive

    LANEY AND MERRITT COLLEGES

    “Kenneth P. Green Sr. attended Laney College from 1965–67, majoring in Photography. During that time, he developed a close relationship with students and student associations at Laney, as well as Merritt College.   These Oakland-based campuses had substantial student bodies of color and were both vibrant community colleges as well as centers of activism and community organizing. His images capture all facets of campus life.”

    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_35.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_31.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_28.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_19.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_29.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Laney_Merritt_21.jpg

    OAKLAND COMMUNITY

    “Kenneth P. Green Sr. was the staff photographer at the Oakland Tribune from 1968-1982. Prior to, and even during, his tenure at the Tribune, he was a keen observer of his community. This gallery highlights a set of personal portraits that capture the multifaceted organic expression of the African American community in the Bay Area.”

    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_21.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_11.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_13.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_12.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_3.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_10.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_4.jpg
    Kenneth_P_Green_Community_7.jpg

    Current Show

    CURRENT

    Toward A Black Aesthetic: Kenneth P. Green Sr.’s Photographs of the 1960s and 70s. SAN FRANCISCO PUBLIC LIBRARY, 25 January-21 April, 2024

     The exhibition, titled Toward a Black Aesthetic and on view through April 21, 2024, features Green Sr.’s mostly never-before-seen images capturing Bay Area Black women’s beauty and style in the 1960s and ’70s.

    Jewett Gallery – Lower Level African American Center Exhibit Space – 3rd Fl, 100 Larkin Street SF CA 94102

    More Info:

    • The Oakland Tribune’s First Black Photojournalist – KQED

    The End

    Grand Avenue Heights – By The Parks

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    Grand Avenue Heights went on sale in 1907.

    Frank K. Mott Company were the sales agents in charge.

    Fronts on Grand Avenue with Boulevard Way, Crofton, Fairbanks, Walker, and Weldon Avenues. Overlooks Piedmont Park

    A part of the development is in Piedmont.

    Grand Avenue Heights is situated on Grand Avenue between the head of Lake Merritt and Piedmont. At one time, this area was called Pleasant Valley.

    “Soon to be the center of Oakland’s most exclusive residence district” Oakland Tribune
    From the Grand Avenue Heights Brochure

    Grand Avenue Heights By The Parks – Haiti Trust

    The above photos are from a brochure by Frank K Mott, showing some of the features of Grand Avenue Heights from 1907.

    “Grand Avenue Heights enjoys the finest climate in Oakland (and that means the best in the State). It is the greatest place in the world for children who can sleep out upon the sleeping porches 365 nights in the year.”

    Oakland Tribune Feb 11, 1910
    Oakland Tribune Oct 21, 1908

    Over 3,000 people attended the opening day sale, and they sold between $50,000 and $79,000 in lots that first day. The average lot was about $2000 with $300 down and $25 a month.

    “It is between the two most fashionable residential districts in the county – Adams Point and Piedmont”

    Oakland Tribune Feb 11, 1910

    By 1910 at least 25 new houses were built or had been built. They were sold for $4,000 to $10,000.

    Grand Avenue Heights – circa 1914
    Grand AvenueHeights – circa 1914

    In the above Cheney Photo Advertising photo, you see from left to right 1098, 1092,1086, and 1080 Grand Avenue (now 3850, 3840, 3838, and 3824).

    Showing 1098, 1092, and 1086 Grand Ave – Oakland Tribune Jan 19, 1910

    In 1911, the Oakland Tribune reported that the home on the left cost $ 10,000, and the one next to it cost $8,000.

    The area today – Google Map
    1080 (now 3824) Grand is still standing in 2024 – Google Maps

    “It is free from fog and heavy winds”

    Oakland Tribune Feb 11, 1910

    Then and Now

    Oakland Enquirer
    Google Maps

    The above clipping is from 1909 and shows 1025 and 1031 Walker Avenue. Below is another view of 1025 Walker Avenue

    Oakland Enquirer
    Google Maps

    The below clipping is from 1910 and shows 530 and 534 Boulevard way In Piedmont.

    Oakland Tribune
    Google Maps
    530 Boulevartd Way
    534 Boulevard Way
    534 Boulevard Way

    Below is View of some of the homes in Grand Avenue Heights on Grand Avenue. This is from Vermont Avenue.

    865 Vermont Street across Grand Avenue circa 1930’s from John Chaix

    More Info:

    Links

    • Worden, W. E., and Frank K. Mott Company. Some Features of Grand Avenue Heights (by the park): the Park And Boulevard Residence District of Oakland. Oakland, Cal.: Frank K. Mott Co., 1907. Haiti Trust

    The End

    Blandings’ Oakland Dream House

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    In 1948, as part of the promotion for the movie Mr. Blandings’ Builds a Dream House starring Cary Grant and Myrna Loy, the studio built “dream houses” in cities across the United States. Oakland was chosen as one of the locations.

    They initially planned to build 100 replicas of the home in the movie. In the end, only 73 dream houses were built. Some homes were sold by raffle, and some were auctioned off, with a percentage of the proceeds going to local charities. The charity in Oakland was Childrens’ Hospital.

    Before the movie’s release, blueprints were sent to local builders by the studio, asking that they build the homes as close to the specifications as conditions would permit.

    Children’s Hospital

    They charged 50 cents to tour the house, with the proceeds going to the Children’s Hospital. 

    Funds from the sale of tickets to Mr. Blandings’ California Dream House were used to purchase a large Autoclave sterilizer for a new wing at Oakland’s Children’s Hospital.  

    Children’s Hospital branch members served as hostesses at the open house.

    The Dream House

    “This is very likely the most famous modern home in the world today”

    Oakland Tribune September 18, 1948

    The Oakland Dream Home was located in the Chabot Park area at 11000 Cameron Street. It was situated on three choice free from fog and only minutes from downtown Oakland. The lots overlooks the entire Bay Area (that might be a stretch) and five counties, adjoins Lake Chabot Golf Course and miles of bridle trails.

    The had two large bedrooms, and a combination den or bedroom, a 36 foot living room with a 12 foot plate glass window overlooking the bay. There was a badminton court a double car garage, a rumpus room connected to a large outdoor area.

    It was for sale in 1981 for $151,000, but sometime between then and 1994 it was demolished and a new house was built.

    Oakland Tribune 1981
    The house today – photograph by author

    More Info:

    • A Visit to Mr. Blandings’ Fictional Dream House – Blog

    Living Double Lives For The FBI

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    This is an updated post from 2019

    A few years ago, someone in a Facebook group I belong to asked if anyone else remembered a story or rumor about Montclair in the mid-50s. The story was about a guy who owned a repair shop on La Salle Ave and was a spy for the FBI.

    It took me a while, but I found it.

    There are a few different versions of how they started working for the FBI.

    Double-Lives 

    Oakland Tribune

    Dickson P. Hill, an Oakland radio store owner, said he and his wife Sylvia lived “double lives’‘ as Communists for the FBI from 1945 to 1949.

    They joined the Alameda County Communist Party in 1945 and rose to the positions of membership chairman and education chairman receptively while serving as undercover agents.

    Oakland Tribune Dec 1952

    Approached By Communists

    Dickson P. Hill said he and his wife were approached by communists in 1944 and asked the FBI what they should do. The FBI told them to try to join the Party so they could do the country  “a great service.” 

    ⬅ The Montclarion 1952

    He named more than 50 one-time Reds in the Oakland-Berkeley area; he said he had met personally and identified 36 organizations as Communist Party clubs during his time as a member.

    They finally quit as Communists for the FBI in 1949 because of the “tremendous mental pressure” of concealing their FBI connections from the Reds and his Red connections from their customers and family.

    Clubs They Joined

    The Hills were members of several clubs during this time. One was the North Oakland Communist Club, which held its meetings at Technical High School. Another was the 16th Assembly District Communist Club in Montclair. Some of the names he named were Montclair Residents, and one stood out to me because of the family’s history in Montclair.

    Hill testified that Mirian Chown, the wife of Paul S. Chown, was a member of the Montclair Club. They were both communists. Hill stated that Paul was a “special group” member and had other party assignments.

    Paul was the son of Sidney Chown, who owned a 2 1/2-acre ranch off of Snake Road and grew up in Montclair. Chown was the leader/representative of the United Electrical, Radio, and Machine Workers of America (UE), Local 1412, and it was rumored that the union was kicked out of the CIO due to its leaning toward Communism.

    Chown denied that.

    UC Berkeley

     Lived in Montclair 

     Dickson and Sylvia Hill lived on Snake Road in the Montclair District of Oakland. They had three children.  

    From the 1956 Pacific Telephone Directory

    The Hills owned and operated the Montclair Radio & T.V. Sales and Repair shop at 6127 La Salle Ave.

    From the Montclarion 1960

    Sometime between 1949 and 1952, the Hill’s divorced.

     Joins Party to Help FBI in Roundup of Subversives

    In April 1953, Sylvia Hill testified in the United States District Court in Pennsylvania that she heard Steve Nelson tell members of the Communist Party in California “to get the United States Government in as many internal difficulties as possible.”

    Mrs. Hill testified that she met Nelson when she was chairman of the Communist Party in Alameda. She said she heard him address a party meeting and declared: 

    “It was a mistake for me to believe Communism and capitalism could. live together.”

    She also testified that she joined the Communist Party in 1944 or 1945 after an FBI agent approached her and said,

    “Would you like to do this? There will be nothing in it for you, but you will be doing your country a great service.”

     She was the education director from 1946 to 1947 for the North Oakland Branch of the Communist Party; the name was later changed to the 16th A.D. (Assembly District) club in Montclair.

    Nelson was one of five communists on trial charged with conspiring to overthrow the Government.

    In 1944, Steve Nelson lived at 425 Taurus Rd in the Merriewood section of Montclair.

    Oakland Tribune 1949

    House Un-American Activities Committee Hearings

    In 1953, Dickson was one of nine witnesses who appeared before the committee at City Hall in San Francisco. He was the only “friendly” witness.

    During his testimony, he named names and organizations with communist ties.

    He also testified that “the Reds backed a third-party idea in the 1948 election as a rich source of new recruits,” and made the Emeryville Westinghouse Electric plant one of their prime infiltration targets.

    Oakland Tribune Oakland 1952

    More Info:

    Testimony of Paul Chown – Internet Archive

    The End

    The Little Daisy

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    The Little Daisy

    The Little Daisy was a small, local chain of women’s clothing boutiques selling shoes, jewelry, and accessories.

    It was hip and trendy throughout the 1960s and 70s and was known as one of the officially sanctioned stores where local schoolgirls might buy their uniforms. 

    In the 1980s, the name changed to The Daisy.

    The store was founded by Willard “Bill” and Gladys “Daisy” Talkington.  The Talkingtons owned a clothing store in San Francisco before moving their operation to Oakland. 

     According to the Oakland Directory, the Lakeshore Little Daisy was opened in 1949. 

    Oakland Directory 1949

    In March 1953, they opened a store in the Montclair District at 2020 Mountain Blvd. The store soon became a favorite to many Hill area women for over 35 years and is still missed today.

    The Monclarion Jan 1953

    In 1955, they expanded the Montclair store by taking over four other stores on Mountain Blvd.

    The Montclarion 1955

    In 1963 they opened their fourth store in Lafayette, CA. By 1970 there were five stores in the Bay Area. The business offices were located on Claremont Ave in Oakland and later in Pleasant Hill.

    The Montclarion

    In 1985, the company changed its name to Daisy and adopted an “everyday low price” strategy to broaden its appeal. But as competition intensified, it was forced to close many of its locations, including the Montclair store.

    Closes Two Oakland Stores

    The Montclarion March 1988

    The president of the Daisy Stores announced in March of 1988 that they would be closing five Daisy Stores, including the flagship store in Montclair and one on Lakeshore Blvd. He said:

    “do not fit in with the Daisy concept of catering to the time conscious working women at her place of business.

    Bill Bradshaw Daisy Stores

    The stores were being phased out as the company planned to focus on its new Daisy 9 to 5 stores. The new stores will specialize in clothing for career women and be located near large office centers, like the one that opened in downtown Oakland in 1987.

    Seeks Bankruptcy Protection

    Oakland Tribune Feb 1989

    Locations

    • Berkeley-2590 Bancroft Way
    • Danville- 356 S. Hertz
    • Lakeshore – 3433 Lakeshore Ave – 3300 Lakeshore
    • Lafayette – 971 Moraga
    • Marin – Town & County Village – 420
    • Montclair – 2020 Mountain Blvd
    • Pleasant Hill – 3380 Vincent Rd
    • Pruneyard –
    • San Francisco – 1 Embarcadero
    • Walnut Creek -1224 Broadway

    More Info:

    Daisy Talkington was born Gladys Warren in 1903 to Edward H. Warren and Alice Ludwig. She was raised in Oakland. She married Willard “Bill” Talkington sometime before 1938. Bill was from Washington. Daisy died in 1997

    Contra Costa Times June 12, 1975
    San Francisco Examiner

    The End

    “Negro Trail Blazers” in Oakland – Education

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    1

    Black pioneers moved to Oakland soon after the town was founded in 1852. By 1860 23 blacks were living in the Oakland Township, and 18 were living in the town of Brooklyn (east of Lake Merritt, now a part of Oakland.)

    Isaac and Elizabeth Flood lived in Brooklyn (Oakland). They were among the noted “Negro pioneers” of California, according to the “Negro Trailblazers of California.”

    Segregated

    The first schools in California, public and private, were segregated. The system of segregated schools developed without organized opposition or serious debate. Eventually, segregation became law with the California School Code of 1860 explicitily prohibited Black, Chinese, and Indian children from attending public schools.

    The Black community recognized the need to educate their children in Oakland and the town of Brooklyn.

    The Flood Family

    Elizabeth Thorn Scott came to California during the Gold Rush with her first husband, Joseph Scott, and settled in Placerville, CA. Her husband died soon after their arrival. Elizabeth then settled in Sacramento, with her young son.

    Seeing the need for a school for “non-whites,” she opened her home centrally located between M and N Streets on May 29, 1854, becoming the first “colored” private school in Sacramento.

    Elizabeth Thorne Flood undated Oakland History Room

    There were 14 students in the school between the ages of 4 and 29, and their families paid $1.00 per week, and they paid her $50.00 per month. Later the school became part of St. Andrews (AME) Church, holding classes in the basement.

    Isaac Flood came to California in search of gold. In the early 1850s, he settled in the Brooklyn Township. Elizabeth and Iassc were married in 1855 (not sure when or where they met.) She retired from teaching and moved to Brooklyn.

    In 1856 Elizabeth gave birth to a son George Frances Flood, who was said to be the first “black boy” born in Alameda County. She gave birth to a daughter Lydia Flood in 1862.

    George F. Flood 1856-1924
    Lydia Flood Jackson 1862-1963

    Again seeing the need for schools in the black community, she campaigned to get support for another school.

    In 1857, she opened a private school for Black children in Alameda County in her home at 1334 East 15th Street. Members of the Black community supported this effort, paying tuition on top of paying taxes that covered schools their children could not attend.

    This was the first private school in the Oakland area open to all minorities. Elizabeth’s goal for her school was to be competitive with White schools.

    Oakland Heritage Alliance Newsletter Fall 1984

    In 1863 the Shiloh A.M.E Church (now First A.M.E Church) assumed control of the school following its formal organization as a church. The Flood’s helped organize the church and were founding members. The church purchased the abandoned Carpentier schoolhouse (see Oakland’s First Schoolhouse)and moved the building to 7th and Market Streets in West Oakland. The tiny building served as the church’s chapel and housed the school. Elizabeth taught at the school until she died in 1867 (unexpectedly)at 39.

    Isaac continued their quest for equal education for all children. He was a member of the California Colored Convention Movement, and they, as a group, challenged California’s segregation laws in the early 1870s, citing the recently enacted 14th and 15th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.

    He and a group of leaders in the Black community petitioned the School board in 1871 to end segregation.

    Their daughter Lydia was among the first to attend an integrated Oakland public school, the old Swett Grammar School on 12th Avenue and East 19th Street.

    Brooklyn Colored School

    The expense of supporting a private school was a heavy burden on the Black community, and in 1866 the parents from both Oakland and Brooklyn petitioned both the Oakland and Brooklyn’s Boards of Education to provide the education of Black children in both areas. After months of delay, the Brooklyn board voted to establish a public school in Brooklyn, and it was open to children in both areas.

    In 1867 the Brooklyn Colored School opened in the town of Brooklyn (now East Oakland.) It was the first public school for Black children in Alameda County. It was located at 1008 10th Avenue (or 1066 10th Avenue)in an old, dilapidated building that was originally a private residence (old Manning House) and measured only 35 by 38 feet.

    Brooklyn Colored School Oakland CA – Miss Mary Jane Sanderson – Oakland History Room

    A young Black woman, Miss Mary Sanderson, was the only teacher from 1867-1871. She was only 16 when she started teaching at the school (Oakland Heritage Alliance Newsletter winter-spring 1994.)

    In 1870 the school was located in a room of the Adams Street Primary School, a two-story brick building built in 1866. (Brooklyn Independent December 3, 1870.) This might explain the brick building in the photo above.

    In 1871 the minimum number of stents fell below the required 10. It was forced as there were more children from Oakland than from Brooklyn.

    1871

    The Black children of Oakland found it difficult to get to the Brooklyn School due to its remote location. In 1869, the Oakland Board of Education voted to open an evening school that admitted Black children and adults. The Black community rented a building on Jefferson Street, and the Board of Education contributed $25 a month towards the support of the school. D. Clinton Taylor, a white teacher, taught in the one-room school. The school closed in July 1869 after operating for only six months.

    In 1872, Oakland’s Board of Education went against the State School code and approved integrating Oakland schools in a 5-2 vote.

    More Info: