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
Location
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 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.
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.
In 1892, a group of prominent African American women from Oakland, California, formed the Old People’s Home Association (OPHA). Its purpose was to establish and sustain a home for the aged and infirm colored people.
Screenshot
The Home for Aged and Infirm Colored People was the first to be built in California. It was sometimes called Beulah Home because of its location in Beulah Heights (Beulah initially.)
Beulah Heights (originally just Beulah) was a district in Alameda County just northwest of Mills College. In 1909, it was annexed to the City of Oakland.
The association was directed by a Board of Directors consisting of thirty women and an advisory board of ten men, and the home was managed by a matron, nursing assistants, and a resident physician.
The association sponsored festivals, dances, and concerts to raise money for building costs.
Below is a page from the 1925 Vol 5 Sanborn Fire Map. The left circle shows what is now MacArthur Blvd. The right circle shows the home, which is now within the college campus.
After the OPHA secured the land, they hired local architect D.F. Oliver to draw up the plans for the home. The plans called for a neat two-story building with a mansard roof and underground basement for $2.773, andI. and H. Bingham were the builders.
Oakland Tribune Aug 18, 1897
The deed contained a few binding clauses:
“…the land was to be used only for the home, and should it ceased to exsit the property would revert back to Montgomery.”
“…no intoxicating shall ever be sold.”
The home was ready in two months and began receiving inmates (residents) in October 1897.
Oakland Enquirer July 1905
The two-story Victorian originally had sixteen rooms. In 1905, after an eight-room edition, which gave them room for nineteen residents. Electricity was added in 1919. In 1927, an annex of four bedrooms and two sleeping porches was added.
This is from their letterhead circa the 1930s.
Donation Day
The association always needed money to keep the home open. They would sponsor dances, dinners, and donation days.
San Francisco Call and Post Nov 1914
Once a year, the directors of the home made a plea to the people of Oakland to contribute a small portion to the comfort of the “elderly colored people” who lived there.
Oakland Tribune Nov 1919
The Residents
Alcohol use was prohibited, and males and females were segregated in the living quarters. The women were required to sew, knit, and assist in domestic labor as they could. The men were required to cultivate the grounds and keep them in good order. The men also cared for the livestock. You had to be sixty-five or older to become a resident.
Initially, residents were charged a lifetime membership fee of $500.00. In 1919, the price was lowered to $350.00. In 1934, the price was $600.00.
In 1937, they proposed (not sure if they did) charging incoming residents:
$ 1000.00-lifetime fee for 65 to 69 years old
$ 800.00-lifetime fee for 70 years or older
$ 1400.00-lifetime fee for out-of-state residents
The first resident was Alvin A. Coffey, a Kentucky-born, formerly enslaved person. He came to California during the Gold Rush.
1849 Alvin A. Coffey came to California with his master’s brother. Coffey was permitted to start a business for himself, but he was not allowed to keep his money. Between 1849 and 1857, he made three trips to California. On the third trip, he saved enough money to purchase freedom for himself, his wife, and his children. Coffey and his family settled in Shasta County in 1857.
An Oakland Tribune article from 1901 reported an unsuccessful attempt was made to have Alvin Coffey sent to an insane asylum.
Coffey stated the problem started when he sold a horse to the home’s matron and her daughter for $35.00. He said she refused to pay, so he went to the association, and they ordered her to pay.
“Since then, she has been very bitter towards me.” Coffey 1901
The matron swore to the complaint, charging Coffey with insanity. She alleged he attempted to put chickens to roost during the day and that he had
“a strange gleam in his eye.” Harriet Davis 1901
The complaint was discharged by the Lunacy Commissioner, who found Coffey to be of sound mind.
Solano-Napa News Chronicle March 6, 1952
Mrs. Mary Ann Lane, a Negro Pioneer and ex-slave, died in the home in 1932 at the age of 102. She had lived there for twenty-five years.
1908 Oakland City Directory
Mrs. Sarah McDonald died in 1924
Closing the Home
In 1937, the Department of Social Services informed them that their license to run the home was put on hold due to concerns they had about its financial condition.
At the same time, the Oakland Fire Marshall strongly recommended that the residents be moved to a safe, fire-proof building—the cost of bringing the old wooden building up to fire prevention requirements. The Community Chest of Oakland withdrew its monthly support.
UndatedBudget Report most likey the late 1930s.
“the present building constitutes a serious and dangerous fire hazard.”Oakland Fire Marshall, 1937
The home remained in business until 1938. , Mills College purchased the property in 1938 and the home was demolished in 1939.
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 1942Screenshot
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.
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.
In 1940, Heraty announced the completion of a new group of “unusual studio homes” located along Broadway Terrace and Taurus Avenue.
Oakland Tribune 1940Oakland 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.
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.
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.
“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 Tribune1946
Oakland Tribune1980
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.
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
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.
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 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.”
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.”
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 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.”
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”
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
In 1948, as part of the promotion for the movieMr. Blandings’ Builds a Dream Housestarring 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 – photographby author
More Info:
A Visit to Mr. Blandings’ Fictional Dream House – Blog
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.
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.
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
